Ms Ellis, who is married and based in Washington DC in the United States, has been with the World Bank for five years.
She heads up the World Bank group gender action plan, a four-year $US25 million programme promoting gender equality within economies, which includes spending much of her time in African countries.
Her World Bank Perspective lecture at the Hutton Theatre tonight, part of the BNZ seminar series, offers a wide-ranging look at women in business around the world, from workers through to senior management and chief executives, small to medium enterprises, board representation and interrelated financial performances.
Examples include businesses in Tanzania, Swaziland, Uganda, the Dominican Republic, China, Singapore and the US, ranging in turnover from $US600,000 to $US40 billion.
The free lecture has almost reached its 120-seat capacity but organisers are expanding seating arrangements.
Ms Ellis has worked for Westpac in Australia as Head of Women's Markets and national manager for Women in Business, the NZ Ministry of Foreign Affairs, OECD in Paris and has managed NZ aid programmes in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.
Ms Ellis is also talking to the Master of Entrepreneurship class at the university's School of Business and on Monday will attend Columba College's annual Business Hall of Fame function for two new inductees, having last year been one of three inaugural inductees, alongside Miranda Caird and Sue Stevely-Cole.
