Each January, leading economists, journalists, corporate executives, and political and opinion leaders gather near the ski slopes of Davos, Switzerland for the World Economic Forum. At this year’s forum, Melinda Gates, one of the premier U.S. philanthropists and wife of Microsoft founder Bill Gates, made the case that increasing the number of women in the workplace and expanding economic opportunities to them worldwide will play a major role in battling global poverty over the next 15 years. So reports The Guardian.

Even in today's inter-connected global economy, it's a unique story. Most chief executives, regardless of industry or company size, have full plates running a single organization. But a half French/half Lebanese man, born in Brazil, has taken the helm of automakers in Japan (Nissan), France (Renault) and, most recently, Russia (AvtoVaz, makers of the famed Lada). The details are contained in a recent LinkedIn post.

We are well in to the new year. What better time to take stock of where you are in your job and your career in a still-sluggish economy?