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Connect the World
Leading Women in Male-Dominated Careers; Euro 2012 Quarterfinals Set
Aired June 19, 2012 - 16:45 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(A SPECIAL ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING AIRED FROM 16:00 TO 16:45 - NOT TRANSCRIBED)
ZAIN VERJEE, HOST: This month, as part of our Leading Women series, we've introduced you to two women who are leaving their mark against the odds. Both have fast-paced careers in industries that are normally dominated by men. Kristie Lu Stout and Felicia Taylor find out what it is that drives them to succeed.
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(WOMAN SPEAKING CHINESE)
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A powerful message from executive Jennifer Lee, speaking at a Women's Day forum for company employees.
JENNIFER LI, CFO, BAIDU (through translator): Throughout the course of our lives, we must continually ask ourselves, what do I enjoy the most? What am I striving towards?
STOUT: Li is the CFO at Baidu, a multibillion-dollar search engine often referred to as China's Google. The average age of its 16,000 employees is 26.
LI (in English): It's an exciting place to work. You get the energy from the young people. People are bursting with thought, innovative ideas. And that's all about internet and it's all about the company. So, this is just perfect for me.
STOUT: Two decades ago, it was Li who was the young upstart.
LI: I grew up in Beijing. I went to school here. I actually had my undergrad here in Tsinghua University. And then, I headed overseas to Canada and took my Master in Business Administration in Vancouver.
STOUT: She landed a job at General Motors soon after that.
LI: Fourteen years I spent at GM. So, a great attachment, it's a company I really loved and grew up there, and I was very, very proud to be part of that, to see General Motors establish itself in China.
GM is a very respected company. It's an American icon. Very successful. But when the opportunities arise, I was -- I was thinking to myself, this is China. It is internet. Exciting country, exciting industry sector.
STOUT: That was in 2008, when after many years abroad, Li returned home to join Baidu, where she now oversees the company's finances and its human resources operation.
Jennifer Li believes her success came in part because of the high standard of excellence she set for herself, and that women need to know that's what counts.
LI: Gender in the work environment should not be a factor when it comes to how far you can go.
STOUT: The woman who as a child wanted to be an astronaut and who, at 23, left China to find her way in the world, seems to have made the most of every opportunity.
LI: Today, I love what I do. I think -- I'm very fit to do what I do today, and I'm very happy with where I am.
FELICIA TAYLOR, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): I'm Felicia Taylor.
MILKA DUNO, RACE CAR DRIVER: Thank you! Thank you!
TAYLOR: Race car driver Milka Duno also appears happy in her career. While she welcomes the accolades, she knows her success is not hers alone.
DUNO: It's the work of the mechanics, the spotter, the engineer. There's so many things to win a race.
TAYLOR: Here at the Daytona International Speedway in Florida, it's all about winning as crowds gather for the opening races of the NASCAR season. It's where we find Milka Duno, number 33, about to compete in the ARCA Racing Series.
TAYLOR (on camera): Describe for me what it's like to actually be sitting in that driver's seat? I mean, it doesn't look like it's very comfortable.
DUNO: It is. It's really hard, yes. Really, really hard. The ideal is that you move only the eyes, not the -- don't make too much movement, because you are going fast and you have to concentrate in your lane and what you have in front.
TAYLOR (voice-over): But this time, it's a car from behind that breaks Duno's focus. In the 7th lap, her car gets hit, sending Duno spinning off the track onto the grass. Thankfully, she's unharmed.
After some quick handiwork by her team, Duno gets back on the track. But with the lost time, she ultimately finishes 37th out of the 43 drivers.
DUNO: When somebody hits you, it's -- I was lucky that -- I don't know really how I saved the car. I don't know.
TAYLOR: After more than ten years in the sport, the former naval engineer from Venezuela knows the risks and rewards of racing and says through it all, she has the support of her family.
TAYLOR (on camera): What did your parents say when you decided to go from naval engineering to stock cars?
DUNO: They said, "Ah! Are you crazy? After studying so much, studying so much, and now you want to drive cars?" Now I understand and know that they are my fans now.
TAYLOR: Who do you admire?
DUNO: I think my mother, because I see from the beginning my mother was with two and three jobs at the same time to do everything for my brothers and me graduate at the university and have the education that we have. And when you see that in your home, it's the best example that you can get.
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VERJEE: You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD. When we come back, the last two countries have booked their place in the Euro 2012 quarterfinals. We'll bring you the latest from Warsaw live coming up. And if you were watching the game, it was pretty exciting. Did England win or not? We'll tell you in just a moment.
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VERJEE: In case you haven't been glued to your TV, the last of the quarterfinal places have just been filled at Euro 2012. England and France were the favorites to get out of the Group D, but did they make it? "World Sport's" Pedro Pinto joins me now, live from Warsaw. Pedro, believe it or not, I watched it. And I watched England put away that goal.
(LAUGHTER)
PEDRO PINTO, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Well, England and France were the favorites before a ball was kicked in the final round, the fixtures in Group D, and both of them did advance, but just like always in this tournament, Zain, it wasn't straightforward at all.
Let me tell you about the England-Ukraine game first. The co-hosts were knocked out, just like Poland had been earlier, by losing one-nil. Wayne Rooney, who came back from a two-match suspension, scored the only goal.
Curiously, his first goal in a major tournament since July of 2004, would you believe it? So, that drought came to an end at exactly the perfect time for England, who celebrates first place in the group.
Now, there was some controversy in this game, because Ukraine, in the second half, had a shot cleared off the line. Devic thought he had scored, but it was John Terry who cleared off the line. Replays show the ball had gone over, so I'm sure there'll be a lot of fallout from this incident in the next hours, in the next days.
England survived, though. They win one-nil. What does that mean? Well, they'll celebrate first place in the group because France surprisingly lost two-nil to Sweden in Kiev, the French suffering their first defeat in 23 games, and it was the Swedes who had already been knocked out who celebrated three points. At least they're not going home empty-handed. Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Seb Larsson with the goals.
So, the quarterfinal lineup is complete. Let me run you through the matches that will start on Thursday. They kick off with Portugal versus the Czech Republic here at the National Stadium in Warsaw behind me.
On Friday, it'll be Germany versus Greece. That match will take place in Gdansk. On Saturday, Spain versus France, wow, what a clash, in Gdansk. Last but not least, England versus Italy in Kiev. We now have just eight teams who can dream of lifting the trophy in Kiev on the first of July, Zain.
VERJEE: Pedro Pinto, thanks so much. My money's on Greece. Oh, no, not really.
(LAUGHTER)
VERJEE: Thanks, Pedro. I'm Zain Verjee, that was CONNECT THE WORLD, thanks so much for watching. The headlines are up next, including the latest we have. We're following this story very closely out of Cairo, the health of the former Egyptian president, Hosni Mubarak.
You are looking at live pictures, this is the scene right now at Tahrir Square in Cairo, where protesters have gathered, backing the Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohamed Morsi. They say he won.
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