Women in Business November 2017

womeninbusiness

November 2017

WiB worldwide

At Home and Across the Globe Southern Police Equipment has been serving the Law Enforcement, Military and First responder marketplace since 1971. We chatted with Karen Allan Ballengee to talk about the company and the service it offers.

Plus...

Sarah Mudoti: An Executive You Can Bank On / Innovative Solutions For The Intricate World Of Compliance / Propel Media : Superior Performance with Measurable Results

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Welcome to the November edition of Women in Business Magazine, bringing you the insight and features on the greatest women in business and their vital contributions across the corporate landscape globally.

In this month’s issue, we discover more about how since 1971, Southern Police Equipment, have been serving the Law Enforcement, Military and First responder marketplace. Taking time to discuss with us more about the company, is Karen Allan Ballengee who goes into detail about the services Southern Police Equipment offers.

Elsewhere in this issue, we sit down with International Director of Sales, Jennifer Brunacini who discusses how Propel Media connects digital marketers with unique audiences through intent-based technology that delivers superior performance with measurable results.

Ending on this theme of success, Standard Chartered is a leading international bank, with more than a 150-year history in some of the world’s most dynamic markets. We profile the bank and Retail Product Manager Sarah Mudoti to find out how she came to be one of our ‘Female Executives of 2017 Here at Women in Business, we hope that you enjoy reading this insightful edition and look forward to hearing from you soon.

Jessica Daykin, Editor Phone: +44 (0) 203 725 6842 Email: jessica.daykin@ai-globalmedia.com Website: www.corp-vis.com

What’s Inside...

4. News 6. At Home and Across the Globe 8. Innovative Solutions For The Intricate World Of Compliance 10. Superior Performance with Measurable Results 12. Sarah Mudoti: An Executive You Can Bank On 14. The Alchemy of Financial Freedom 16. $50 Million Capital Commitment Will Connect More Women Entrepreneurs to Affordable Loans 18. Luxury Real Estate Specialist 20. Carnival Corporation Honoured for Supporting Women’s Leadership and Workplace Diversity 22. Creating Jobs, Helping Business Owner Success, and Fuelling the Economy 24. PJM Executive Selected as Woman of Distinction 26. Sandra Phillips Rogers Elected to MSA Board of Directors 28. Bank of the West appoints Beth Hale, Executive Vice President, Head of Product and Payments Solutions for the Retail Banking Group 30. Investment in Women is Key to Helping Boost Construction Industry

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News

Gender Savings Gap Leaves Half Of Female Workers Feeling Financially Unprepared For Retirement More than half of female employees (51%) admit to feeling financially unprepared for their retirement compared to 35% of male workers, research shows.

More than half of female employees admit to feeling financially unprepared for their retirement, as evidence emerges of a gender savings gap in new research from Close Brothers and the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association (PLSA). The research finds that 51% of female workers feel financially unprepared, compared to around a third (35%) of male workers.

The Lifetime Savings Challenge Report 2017, which seeks to understand how employees are saving, where they need help, and the level of support available, reveals that there is a clear and distinct gender savings crisis in the UK which needs

to be addressed. Only 23% of female employees feel well prepared for retirement, compared to more than a third of men (36%).

When it comes to pension saving, the average amount in a woman’s workplace pension scheme is less than half that of their male colleagues (£53,000 vs £120,000). Worryingly, women are twice as likely to have less than £5,000 in workplace savings compared to their male counterparts (29% vs 15%).

Looking at non-workplace savings, the research shows that while around a third of male employees have less than £5k in savings, this rises to two in five (41%) amongst

women. The findings also reveal that female employees are saving nearly a quarter less than men in non-pension savings (£221 vs £305 per month), a difference of over a thousand pounds a year.

This savings gap is perpetuated by a significant pay divide, with the mean annual salary of women surveyed being £27,379 compared to £37,655 for men, nearly thirty per cent less. And this is key; 42% of female workers don’t think that they get enough salary and workplace benefits to save.

This figure falls to 27% of men.

However, income is not the only relevant factor in savings activity. Financial confidence plays a significant role, with only a third (36%) of women feeling confident about choosing the right financial product compared to 45% of men. It is here that comprehensive financial education can have a real impact, but financial educators need to consider gender when planning their guidance.

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Jeanette Makings, Head of Financial Education at Close Brothers said: “The savings crisis is thrown into stark relief when looked at under the lens of gender imbalance. Women are not only earning less and therefore saving less, but are significantly less confident about the savings options available and how to choose what’s best for them. Women are more likely to trust friends and family or personal savings websites, which are unlikely to be able to provide suitable and comprehensive information across the entire savings landscape.

“Financial educators, like employers, are better placed to offer guidance and information, but they need to consider the diverse needs of their audience, including what style and content suits the individual members of their workplace.

We work closely with employers to deliver effective education incorporating different savings techniques, goals, and needs.”

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News

BBC Equal Pay Row Could Trigger Avalanche Of Claims The row over equal pay for BBC presenters could help start an avalanche of similar claims, says leading provider of legal services and advice to businesses, ARAG. The Supreme Court’s recent removal of the tribunal fees that had to be paid to make such claims, coupled with the publicity surrounding the potential, high profile case against the BBC, and others such as those involving major British supermarkets, could create a perfect storm for UK employers.

The number of equal pay claims received by the tribunal service dropped by 85% immediately after the introduction of tribunal fees in July 2013 and the annual number of claims is roughly a third of what it was five years ago.

Until the Supreme Court ruled that employment tribunal fees were indirectly discriminatory and thus unlawful in July this year, it cost up to GBP£1,200 to take an Equal Pay claim to a tribunal hearing, which was clearly enough to discourage many from pursuing a claim.

“We’re not expecting all types of employment tribunal claim to shoot back up to

pre-2013 levels immediately, following the Supreme Court decision,” comments Head of Underwriting & Marketing, David Haynes “But the publicity that equal pay claims are getting at the moment is going to make a lot of people ask themselves whether they are paid equally.”

The BBC recently commissioned a report into pay differences throughout the Corporation which revealed a gender pay gap of 9.3%, roughly half the national average, caused by underrepresentation of women in senior positions rather than a widespread failure to pay people equally for doing the same or equivalent work.

“The gender pay issue at the BBC appears to be focussed on a relatively small number of staff in particular roles,” continues Haynes, “but these statistics suggest that many other organisations have a much wider pay gap.”

“The media understandably focus on the very large cases

involving multiple employees at high profile organisations, but these cases are less likely to have been put off by the tribunal fee regime, because the fee burden could be shared. However, there are always many more smaller or individual claims that employers may now have to face again.

ARAG’s checklist for employers to minimise the risk of gender pay issues: • Evaluate - Organisations with more than 250 employees have legal reporting requirements, but any business with more than a handful of staff should evaluate whether any jobs involve ‘equal work’.

• Report - If any roles are found to entail equal work, then at least annual reporting should be set up to compare the average salaries of men and of women in equal roles.

• Investigate - Sometimes differences in pay can be justified objectively but any such reasons should

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be recorded for future reference.

Correct - If there are pay discrepancies that cannot be objectively justified, then they must be corrected and the causes addressed to avoid a gap reopening.

“Monitoring your gender pay gap may seem like another piece of difficult or even unnecessary bureaucracy,” sums up Haynes, “but it shouldn’t be too difficult an exercise to carry out. Besides, the cost of making sure that you are paying men and women equally is nothing compared to the risk and costs of getting it wrong.”

“Both ACAS and the Equality and Human Rights Commission publish good advice for businesses to help them ensure they are rewarding all of their staff fairly and equally.”

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At Home and Across the Globe Southern Police Equipment has been serving the Law Enforcement, Military and First responder marketplace since 1971. We chatted with Karen Allan Ballengee to talk about the company and the service it offers Southern Police Equipment carries a large assortment of equipment and supplies for the Public safety professional or the general shooter: body armor, tactical equipment, chemical products, gun cases, emergency equipment, law enforcement equipment, duty gear, used and new guns and much more. SPE provides all the equipment a Law Enforcement Officer or Soldier needs, with Ballistic Protection equipment being the company’s specialty.

SPE supply all levels of Law Enforcement (local, state, federal, and international).

Karen sets out the firm’s overall mission and what it aims to do, constantly mentioning how it is and aims to be the best in all sectors of the industry.

“Dedicated to putting our clients first, SPE provides the best quality products, at the best possible price, backed up by the best possible service available. We are constantly searching new sources for the products our customers need.”

To provide the best service, companies must be able to satisfy its customers and needs. The company’s customer service is something which helps set it apart from

its competitors according to Karen. Acting with integrity and as she said, implementing fantastic customer service.

Karen then goes on to talk about what percentage of her staff are women, noting that 40% of the work force are female and the company is 100% woman owned and operated, by Karen herself.

Always looking for large Prime Contractors which to establish partnerships.

Karen is excited to talk us through the recent developments and projects that the company has been working on. She talks about the global reach that the firm has, providing equipment to other countries in Asia and South America, as well as securing big contracts which help stand the company in good stead for the future.

“There have been lots of developments in the business recently and we have undertaken many projects!

We have been providing Ballistic Protective Equipment to Guatemala, Tunisia and Pakistan. We are the Federal Bureau of Prisons Stab Vest contract holder.

We recently provided an 8A Prime Contractor with Law Enforcement Night Vision

Equipment for the Columbian National Police. There is always a lot going on at Southern Police Equipment.”

Part of the firm’s motto and reasons for its success is Karen’s attitude towards work.

She possesses a never give up attitude and it is this advice which she would give to other women looking to succeed in her industry.

Ultimately, Karen is an enthusiastic owner who works hard to make sure her company and her staff provide its clients with the best possible service. Expanding its exports across the globe, there are many reasons as to why the company is becoming more successful Karen is a Founder, Longest Standing Member, and Past President of the National Association of Police Equipment Distributors (NAPED).

We do not sell guns out-ofcountry, but Southern Police Equipment offers 6 lines of Law Enforcement and Military firearms.

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Company: Southern Police Equipment Contact: Karen Allan Ballengee Email: karen@southernpoliceequipment.com Address: 7609 Midlothian Turnpike, North Chesterfield, VA, 23235, USA Phone: 18043231855 Website: www.southernpoliceequipment.com

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Innovative Solutions For The Intricate World Of Compliance Visual Compliance, the provider of the most sought-after export compliance software solutions on the market today, has won two international trade compliance awards, including an individual honour for company Executive Vice-President, Maria Sheppard.

In accepting the awards, Sheppard explained that the factors favouring Visual Compliance consisted of encouraging regular feedback from customers, engaging in an ongoing dialogue with government bodies dealing in international trade, and applying innovative technology.

“This strategic methodology has allowed the company to effectively apply technology, distribution and customer service best practices and, more importantly, refine them and invent new ones.” For those involved in international trade (exporters and importers, banks and financial institutions and technology providers), it is a major reassurance to know that the solutions they are using – including denied and restricted party screening, export classification, export documentation and filing, and license management and more – are constantly evolving to meet increasingly complex and always changing cross-border trade and customs regulations.

Visual Compliance was the recipient of two accolades from Women in Business Worldwide magazine – “Best International Trade Compliance Solution Provider 2017”, and Sheppard being named “Most Instrumental Customs Compliance VP – North America”.

Sheppard, who has been part of the lead management team at the company since its inception in 1981 when it became one of the earliest providers of compliance solutions, stressed that clearly understanding client requirements at all times was key to growing strong business relationships.

“A lot of companies, including those outside the compliance industry, go to great efforts to meet the requirements at the beginning of the relationship, but drop the ball once the sale is made. For us, the customer is always front and centre and we don’t let ourselves forget that. It is one of the reasons many of our customers have been with us for more than a decade,” said Sheppard.

To keep communication flowing between itself and its customers, Visual Compliance employs a team of knowledgeable customer service representatives, who are dedicated to the genuine care of customers and who respond to their needs efficiently and effectively.

Apart from the usual how-to questions, customers are encouraged to share product upgrade suggestions.

Sheppard said: “Our strategy to have customer-facing staff work closely with our internal support and development teams means

we can expedite the resolution of issues, and also quickly and systematically inform, promote and deploy solutions to our entire client database for new or revised domestic and foreign government compliance initiatives.

Visual Compliance also understands the importance of maintaining close relationships and open communications with relevant authorities including all applicable government agencies – such as in the U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the departments of State, Commerce and Treasury – to facilitate trade research and product development by seasoned technical, network and market subject matter experts.

“It goes without saying that knowing what’s coming down the pipeline facilitates technical planning and our information strategies for our client community,” Sheppard explained.

One of the most significant impacts Visual Compliance has had on the industry, is its use of advanced cloud and development technologies to make it easier to implement and adopt compliance solutions—helping make compliance more accessible, and easier to embed into every step of corporate

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compliance programs. As Sheppard stated: “The SaaS (software as a service) model used by most of our clients, for example, and the proprietary methodology we’ve developed allow us to quickly and seamlessly integrate our solutions into a wide range of business systems. In this way, our restricted and denied party screening solutions and workflow system, for example, are leading edge in terms of performance, reliability, configurability to a client’s exact requirements, integration with virtually all ERPs and CRMs, workflow, and audit logging.”

Even the user interface has been designed to be intuitive for faster time-saving navigation and to facilitate efficient and effective training.

The best proof that Visual Compliance has solutions that people want, lie in the fact that its thousands of clients continue to find its software, people, and integrated business systems to be best in class. Clients include all types of businesses: manufacturers, retailers, distributors in a range of sectors from highlyregulated industries such as aerospace, chemical and defence to office supplies and consumer products as well as government agencies, educational institutions, insurers, banks, and third party service providers.

Contact: Maria Sheppard Email: MSheppard@ecustoms.com Company: eCustoms Telephone: 647-201-5367 Web Address: www.VisualCompliance.com

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Superior Performance with Measurable Results Propel Media, founded in 2006, connects digital marketers with unique audiences through intent-based technology that delivers superior performance with measurable results. Recently, we sat down with International Director of Sales, Jennifer Brunacini, who discussed Propel Media’s success over the years as well as revealed to us what it meant to receive the accolade Best International Digital Media Sales Director – France.

Opening this interview, International Director of Sales, Jennifer Brunacini introduces us to Propel Media and the services that the company offers to their clients.

“In a world where consumers are inundated with so much digital noise, Propel Media gives advertisers the ability to break through, reach the right consumer, at the right time, with the right ad execution, enabling them to achieve their goals and truly do digital differently.

Our distinctive approach to digital marketing is powered by our proprietary contextualization technology and a unique supply of ad inventory with proven purchase intent. Our innovative ad products are specifically designed to drive engagement, performance and exceptional traffic across multiple

platforms. Combined with our highly-sophisticated customer intelligence data, Propel Media precisely connects customer intent to action and achieves outstanding ROI for our clients.”

critical to identify what the true needs/pain points are for each client and based on that, create a solution that revolves around best achieving that through the various options Propel has to offer.”

Staying on the topic of Propel Media, we ask Jennifer to inform us of what sets the firm apart from their competitors, marking them out as the best possible option for clients.

Jennifer begins by revealing to us that it is down to one thing, Results!

Continuing the theme of success, Jennifer was recently selected as the Best International Digital Media Sales Director – France.

Discussing this win, Jennifer highlights what it means to have received this award as well as reflects on how industry awards help firms, such as Propel Media, to thrive and prosper.

“As an organization, we are determined to provide a superior level of value to our clients that enables them to scale their business effectively and long-term. This is made possible by way of our unique technology, our leadership and ultimately the unity within our entire organization which is constantly striving to create and find a better way of satisfying our client and market demand.

While all my clients are looking to drive some sort of revenue, they all have different goals based on their individual offering and/or industry focus.

Therefore, in order to create success for both them as well as my organization, it is really

“Upon receiving this award, I felt both honoured and humbled. To be nominated by a client/s for the work that I do speaks volumes, not only about Propel Media and the solutions we offer to our clients, but further that I am holding true to my personal values of excellence as a business professional in the digital marketing space.

As a firm, to be awarded with any kind of industry recognition makes everyone within the organization have a deeper sense of pride for their company. Therefore, the level of confidence in what

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one does and what they can do to add value through their organization reaches greater heights of excellence both internally and externally.

Furthermore, prospective clients like knowing that they can move forward with an award-winning industry leader. This is often why we include such awards on our signatures, websites, brochures, etc. to make the statement that, ‘Yes, while there are many options to choose from, why not work with a company who has been recognized as the best!’”

Bringing the interview to a close, Jennifer takes time to reflect on how she will make the most of her success, as well as noting on the current challenges and influences that are facing the industry and how the Propel Media will adapt around them.

“There is, without question, a growing presence of digital media and tech companies, particularly here in Europe.

The amount of talent, innovation, intelligence and technology within our industry is truly inspiring.

The industry is constantly evolving which can pose

to be both exciting as well as a challenging being that technology innovations based on market demand require development, time and resources. So as the digital world shifts, the technology, infrastructure, solutions and ability to execute effectively based on market/advertiser demand, does as well. The challenge is to keep up with that and do it better than anyone else, which is one of the focuses we are tasked with on a global scale at Propel, something I think we do a pretty good job at!

How I intend to make the most of my success and grow further from here is by remaining teachable, innovating, taking risks, all while continuing to keep my own values of excellence and integrity intact, in everything I do, both professionally and personally.�

Company: Propel Media Inc Contact: Jennifer Brunacini Email: jennifer@propelmedia.com Address: 2010 Main St., Suite 900, Irvine, California, 92614, USA Telephone: 001 9492510640 Web Address: www.propelmedia.com

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Sarah Mudoti: An Executive You Can Bank On Standard Chartered is a leading international bank, with more than a 150-year history in some of the world’s most dynamic markets. We profile the bank and Retail Product Manager Sarah Mudoti to find out how she came to be one of our ‘Female Executives of 2017’.

Having operated for over 150 years in some of the world’s fastest-growing markets, across Asia, Africa and the Middle East, Standard Chartered has the experience and knowledge to offer its clients the very highest standards of service and support. It provides a vast array of personal and corporate banking services to clients around the world.

Through its vast network Standard Chartered combines global capabilities with deep local knowledge to provide innovative products and services to meet the needs of its customers and clients.

Its success is a result of being obsessed with the basics of banking - balancing the pursuit of growth with a disciplined management of costs and risks and keeping a firm grip on liquidity and capital.

Through Standard Chartered’s international network and expertise, the bank facilitates trade across markets, enable multinational clients to conduct complex business transactions and service the needs of an increasingly international consumer base.

With more than 1,100 branches and offices in 68 countries, the bank offers exciting and challenging international career opportunities. Among the firm’s dedicated staff is Sarah Mudoti, who draws on a wealth of experience in finance to support the bank and act as its Retail Product Manager, a role which she has held for eight months.

She is based in the bank’s UK office, which it opened in 1853 and currently employees 1,736 staff. London is home to the bank’s headquarters and is a key hub for the business. In addition, Standard Chartered also conducts significant Private Banking and International Banking operations from its London base.

Standard Chartered has a history of developing strong female leaders, with Tracy Clarke, Regional Chief Executive for Europe and Americas at the bank recently making Financial News’ ‘100 Most Influential Women in Finance’. As such, it is no surprise that Sarah has achieved the honour of being crowned one WIB Magazine’s ‘Female Executives of 2017’.

Moving forward, there are exciting times ahead for both Standard Chartered and Sarah Mudoti, as she seeks to help drive the bank to even greater success and help it to build upon the phenomenal achievements it has already made.

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Company: Standard Chartered Contact: Sarah Mudoti Address: Second Floor, AUSQ Building, 68 Nelson Mandela Av, Harare, Zimbabwe Phone: +263 (4) 253801-5 Email: Sarah.Mudoti@sc.com Website: www.sc.com

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The Alchemy of Financial Freedom By: Beatrice Bartlay, entrepreneur, author and business & life performance coach.

One of the most common causes of anxiety in our modern world is money worries.

Dealing with money can be very stressful and being under stress is known to make people more disorganised and less likely to make sound decisions.

Being stressed about finances is therefore a dangerous cycle as it’ll likely cause you to end up in worse situation.

In order to free yourself from these stresses, improve your financial situation and see noticeable differences, you must take practical steps.

Here are my top tips for securing financial independence: Spend less than you make Firstly, you must understand your current situation and figure out what is creating a challenge for you. The biggest barrier to any kind of change or success is yourself and every day I hear excuses from people as to why they can’t achieve something – the most common being ‘if I had more money’. It’s in fact this attitude that is standing in the way of your financial freedom and you should spend less money than you make.

Take a step back to assess your situation, create a budget sheet and compare this to

your actual outgoings from the previous month. You should then write down areas which can be changed and ensure you work towards these changes the following month - figure out the practical steps that you need to take.

Always continue your self-improvement and keep learning Although as outlined above, you should focus on spending less than you earn, the majority of people are always striving for more. In order to achieve this, you must think about how you can improve your skillset and work towards earning more. This is why continued personal development is crucial. Courses and training sessions are great for this but even if you don’t have money to spend on these courses, you can broaden your skillset.

These days, there is so much information available at the click of a button that people can continue their personal development for free either online or at their local library.

Implement a time saving and money making formula It’s important that you set yourself realistic goals and implementing a time saving and money making formula

will help you do this. What I mean by this is creating a plan to save a minimum of 10% of your or your family budget, regardless how big this budget is and how manage savings.

You should review all spending and figure out how you can live 10% below incomes. In a family, this results in 20% becoming available for savings and investments. Savings can be spent on personal development and short courses in order to obtain better qualifications and apply for better paid jobs.

Once this is achieved, you can then repeat the whole process.

Investments are made for the future and cannot be touched.

These can be long term investments and this money can pay for property or children’s education for example.

Practice the seven principles of a successful mind It’s no secret that successful minds have similar traits and you can in fact train yourself to follow these principles. If you follow steps to a more successful mind, you will begin to see more success coming your way. These principles are: 1. Passion – you should apply passion to everything you do. You’ll be surprised at the impact this will have on outcomes

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as others will see your passion and be more likely to invest in you, either as a person, financially or on behalf of a business Discipline – you need to be disciplined in your everyday activities. Find a routine that works for you and stick to this Faith – you need to have faith in yourself, which is often where many people come unstuck as many are held back by their selfdoubt. You should build your confidence through daily practice. Only practice makes perfect and if you repeat something every day, you will see improvements Accurateness – a keen attention detail is not easy to come by but again, if this doesn’t come naturally to you, practicing on a daily basis will improve this skill Creativity – you need to think differently and try new ways of doing things.

It is only through this creative thinking that you will find improvements Pleasant personality – the cliché of people doing business with people is very true and you need to ensure you’re approachable and personable to achieve success

7. Doing things now, three times better and faster – this is about striving for improving efficiencies and always looking at how you can do what you’re currently doing better Ultimately, financial freedom is a form of success and this is all about efficiency. It’s crucial that you find a formula that enables you to work productively. This may take time because everyone works in different ways and what works for me for example may not be right for you. You should therefore try different tactics regularly until you find the working method that’s right for you. That may be creating task lists, or it may be implementing your attitude to fitness to your working life.

There’s nothing to be lost from trying different methods and you’ll be surprised of the impact this can have.

I run regular seminars coaching others who are beginning their entrepreneurial journeys, communicating the ‘alchemy of financial freedom’ concept. To discover more about these seminars and to book a space on a future seminar, visit: http:// beatricebartlay.com/en/ seminars/

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$50 Million Capital Commitment Will Connect More Women Entrepreneurs to Affordable Loans The Bank of America announced on the 9th November 2017, that an additional $20 million in funding available through the Tory Burch Foundation Capital Program to connect more women entrepreneurs to affordable loans, administered by community development financial institutions (CDFIs).

On the 9th November, the Bank of America announced that an additional $20 million in funding available through the Tory Burch Foundation Capital Program to connect more women entrepreneurs to affordable loans, administered by community development financial institutions (CDFIs).

Since launching in January 2014, more than $30 million in capital has been deployed to more than 1,400 women entrepreneurs, bringing the total capital program commitment to $50 million.

“Our work with the Tory Burch Foundation Capital Program represents one way we are able to deploy capital in support of sustainable economic growth in our local communities,” said Anne Finucane, vice chairman, Bank of America. “The program elevates economic and social progress for women entrepreneurs and helps to grow small businesses in communities across the U.S.” Bank of America is the largest investor in CDFIs, with more than $1.5 billion in investments to more than 260 CDFIs across the U.S. and the District of Columbia. The Tory Burch Foundation Capital Program, powered by Bank of America, aims to increase the number

and size of businesses owned and led by women, creating communities of women entrepreneurs and advancing economic growth across the country.

“Access to capital is one of the biggest obstacles women entrepreneurs face today.

Just $1 in $23 in loans goes to women-owned businesses, and that needs to change,” said Tory Burch, founder of the Tory Burch Foundation. “Our capital program with Bank of America is helping to level the playing field, and we are absolutely thrilled to continue our partnership and build on our success with the bank’s increased commitment of capital.”

The capital program is currently operating in 16 U.S. states. The CDFIs listed below are participating in the capital program and offering a 2 percent interest rate reduction on loans for qualifying borrowers: • Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs (ACE): Georgia • Accion: Illinois (Chicago and surrounding areas), New York, Florida, Massachusetts, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico • Carolina Small Business Development Fund: North

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Carolina Entrepreneurs Works: Pennsylvania justinePETERSEN: Missouri (metro St. Louis), Illinois (downstate), Kansas Opportunity Fund: Northern California PeopleFund: Texas Union County Economic Development Corporation (UCEDC): New Jersey VEDC: Southern California, Nevada

One of the capital program’s success stories is that of entrepreneur and dance instructor Toni Ricci, who opened her Elite Dance and Performing Arts Center in Woodland Hills, Calif. Ricci needed working capital to grow her business, but with a low credit score and no savings, she couldn’t get a loan from traditional sources.

A Tory Burch Foundation Capital Program loan, administered through VEDC, a non-profit CDFI in L.A., was game-changing. “We started with 60 students; now, we have nearly 400 students and offer more than 100 weekly classes. We also train 15 competitive teams that travel across the country,” said Ricci, whose business now has 20 employees.

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Today, Bank of America is hosting a thought leadership event, “Women Driving Economic & Social Progress” (#WomenLead), at The Getty Center in Los Angeles, bringing together influential women leaders to discuss women’s empowerment.

Featured speakers include: Tory Burch, CEO and Chief Creative Officer of Tory Burch LLC and founder of the Tory Burch Foundation • Ruth Garcia-Corrales, executive director, VEDC Women’s Business Center • Anne Finucane, vice chairman, Bank of America • Maria Shriver, journalist, author and founder of The Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement • Melanne Verveer, Seneca Women co-founder and Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security executive director For more information about the Tory Burch Foundation Capital Program, please visit www.toryburchfoundation.org/ capital.

For information about Bank of America’s commitment to empowering women leaders, please visit www. bankofamerica.com/women

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Luxury Real Estate Specialist TransMedia Group is a full-service, award-winning, multilingual public relations firm serving clients worldwide since 1981. Recently, the company was retained by luxury realtor, Jennifer Susanne Sommers to grow her elite clientele seeking exclusive residences.

Luxury real estate specialist and fine home management specialist Jennifer Susanne Sommers has retained Transmedia Group to expand her mission to deliver the best results for her elite clientele.

“Our publicity will show that among the top agents in South Florida, with more than $80 million in luxury property sales, Jen Sommers’ incomparable level of service at Sotheby’s International Realty makes buying or selling the best homes seem quick and easy,” said TransMedia Group President Adrienne Mazzone (www.transmediagroup.com).

“Jen’s extensive background in marketing and her professional knowledge in real estate, allows her to pair her high-end clientele

with the most luxurious and exclusive homes on the market.

Jen has a keen sense for matching her clients’ desires.

“We’re honoured to represent one of the most successful women in the real estate industry whose outstanding and unique persona is sure to bring endless positive outcomes for those fortunate to be her client.”

TransMedia said it will emphasize Sommers devotion to serving South Florida’s luxury real estate market and on growing her impressive and successful reputation through strategic publicity.

“Our PR program will highlight how Jennifer’s ambition, hard work ethic, and

professionalism sets her apart from most agents. The team at TransMedia is excited to work with such an outstanding woman in the industry.”

Jen was born and raised in Ohio, but has made an impressionable mark in the City of Boca Raton where she now lives.

One publicity theme will answer the question: “Why oh, why did Jen ever leave Ohio?”

According to TransMedia Group CEO Tom Madden, “she came to make her mark in Florida’s luxury real estate business.” Real estate is something Madden knows about, having been a licensed real estate associate himself for many years, mostly to purchase his own properties like the TransMedia Building here.

“Jen’s generous and caring nature has driven her to give back to the community by volunteering to help many charitable organizations between tennis lessons at her club, the Boca Raton Resort and Club or boating with her husband, a prominent entertainment attorney.”

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Carnival Corporation Honoured for Supporting Women’s Leadership and Workplace Diversity Catalyst CEO Champions for Change recognizes world’s largest leisure travel company for its commitment to workplace diversity and advancing women into leadership position.

On the 7th November, the world’s largest leisure travel company, Carnival Corporation & plc announced it was recognised as a top organization supporting the advancement of women’s leadership and diversity in the workplace as part of the Catalyst CEO Champions for Change (Catalyst Champion) initiative.

Made up of a collective of more than 50 high-profile global CEOs, the Catalyst Champion initiative helps promote diversity, inclusion and gender equality within leading organizations, while driving change designed to accelerate the advancement of women into leadership.

Diversity and inclusion have long been priorities at Carnival Corporation with 120,000 employees representing more than 100 countries.

As CEO since July 2013, Arnold Donald has also been a strong champion of engineering “diversity of thinking” across the company, fostering innovation

through all forms of diversity, including gender, ethnicity, background, upbringing, education, geographic origin and experience. During the past five years, numerous diverse and dynamic leaders have been appointed to leadership roles as presidents of the company’s cruise line brands and in key roles within global port and destination development, human resources, marketing, sales, operations and procurement, while continuing to promote diversity and inclusion.

“It is a great honor for Carnival Corporation to be recognized as part of the Catalyst CEO Champions for Change initiative,” said Roger Frizzell, chief communications officer for Carnival Corporation.

“We are very proud of the diversity of our workforce and we believe strongly that diversity of thinking helps drive innovation. Time and time again, we have seen that leveraging the knowledge and creativity of our collective backgrounds, experiences and perspectives produces

smart, innovative solutions and approaches to our overall business and especially our top priority of consistently exceeding our guests’ expectations.”

Frizzell added: “We are proud to be named alongside other distinguished organizations that are champions for change in support of women leaders, and we applaud Catalyst’s global efforts to accelerate inclusion and diversity in the workplace.”

Additionally, Catalyst released a research report today showing that as a group Catalyst Champion organizations, including Carnival Corporation, outperform their peers in the S&P 500 in advancing more women into positions of leadership. Key findings of gender-equality efforts at participating companies include: • Catalyst Champion companies outperform the S&P 500 in advancing women into leadership, specifically among board

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•

seats (29.0% Catalyst Champion vs. 21.2% S&P 500), executive/seniorlevel positions (27.9% Catalyst Champion vs.

26.5% S&P 500) and first-/ mid-level positions (38.4% Catalyst Champion vs.

36.9% S&P 500).

Catalyst Champion companies outperform the S&P 500 in advancing women of colour into leadership, specifically among board seats (6.0% Catalyst Champion vs. 3.8% Fortune 500), executive/senior-level positions (5.2% Catalyst Champion vs. 4.7% S&P 500) and first-/mid-level positions (11.3% Catalyst Champion vs. 10.5% S&P 500).

“We commend Arnold Donald along with the other Catalyst Champion CEOs who represent a passionate group of change agents,” said Deborah Gillis, president and CEO, Catalyst. “They are already leaders and champions of gender equality and inclusion. Now

they are taking bold action, holding themselves publicly accountable for doing the right thing and inspiring all of us to do more.”

Together with Catalyst – a leading global non-profit organization working to advance diversity, inclusion and gender equality at work – and other global companies, Carnival Corporation has pledged to: • accelerate progress in the representation of women, including women of colour, in executive/senior level positions over five years.

• maintain (where strong) or accelerate representation of women, including women of colour, on the company’s board of directors (or equivalent) over five years.

Additionally, Carnival Corporation’s Donald will chair the Catalyst Awards dinner on 20th March 2018, during the annual Catalyst Awards Conference.

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Creating Jobs, Helping Business Owner Success, and Fuelling the Economy Empowering a Billion Women global summit launches and opens funding accelerator, with a goal to get $1b into the hands of women entrepreneurs worldwide.

Empowering a Billion Women by 2020, hosts its inaugural EBW Global Summit in Austin, TX on Nov 6-7. Also, they have announced the public opening of a new funding accelerator platform for women, The EBW Billion Dollar Funders Circle aimed at demystifying and democratizing access to financial resources for women worldwide. The goal of this platform is to work with funding partners and corporations to get $1B into the hands of women by 2020 through debt, equity, and corporate supplier diversity opportunities.

“Access to qualified deal flow for corporations and funders is one of the biggest hurdles funders and supplier diversity officers face to expanding their ability to fund women led companies,” says Ingrid Vanderveldt, Founder and CEO of EBW2020. “We aim to solve this problem by bringing access to women founders through EBW who have been mentored, trained, and have the financial knowledge to deliver the results the corporations and funders are seeking”.

10 innovative founders are piloting this platform. The

first class has been elected from applications submitted online with an emphasis on for-profit corporations creating social impact in line with the Sustainable Development Goals via the Global Agenda developed by the United Nations.

Finalists include: Drumfit (led

by Danielle Sherbo and Jennie Busing), Discover Pathwaze (Mary Kolbenschlag, Laura Hunsinger), The Renewal Workshop (Nicole Bassett), International School of Story (Emra Smith), VEERAH Public Benefit Corporation (Stacy Chang), Girls Auto Clinic (Patrice Banks), SourceBahn LLC (Charlotte Donoso and Lisette Donado), Folia Health Inc. (Nell Meosky Luo) and mentoring companies Techway Services (Cathi Coan) and The Santana Group (Rosa Santana).

Founders receive access to EBW’s solutions which provide access to education, community, technology, and financial training for the Founders as well as worldclass mentorship by the EBW Billion Dollar Funders Circle Board Members. Board

members include: Steve Felice, Former President & Chief Commercial Officer of Dell Inc., Tina Tchen, Former Assistant to President Obama, Former Chief of Staff to Michelle Obama, and Executive Director of The White House Council on Women and Girls; Arnold Baker, Board Member of The US Chamber of Commerce, Lili Hall, Founder and CEO of KNOCK, Ying McGuire, VP of TIG, Denise DeSimone CEO of C-Levelled, Anna McCoy, COO of Urban America and EBW’s Vanderveldt.

Vanderveldt adds, “Our vision is to be the go-to resource for women around the world seeking access to the know-how, relationships, and funding opportunities that will help women grow their businesses to the next level.” The goal of The EBW Billion Dollar Funders Circle is to have its funding matching platform fully automated by the spring of 2018. “Our investment and corporate partners are enabling us to achieve that goal and be the bridge between resources and women founders we envision at scale.”

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PJM Executive Selected as Woman of Distinction Honor recognizes professional achievement, dedication to mentorship and community involvement.

PJM Interconnection, operator of the nation’s largest power grid, congratulates Nora Swimm, senior vice president – Corporate Client Services, for being honoured among the 2017 Philadelphia Business Journal’s Women of Distinction.

Swimm is being honoured for her professional achievement, dedication to mentorship and community involvement.

new information architecture and infrastructure in her early days in information technology and continuing through many other strategic initiatives that guide PJM’s success. She has also been instrumental in building a culture at PJM that fosters growth for employees, promotes diversity and inclusion, and values giving back to the community.”

“Nora is well deserving of this honor,” said PJM President and CEO Andy Ott. “From the time she joined PJM in 2001, she has led PJM through many successes, including creating

“I am honoured to be recognized along with this strong network of women who are leading the way in businesses across the Philadelphia region,” Swimm

said. “I believe that there are many ways to give back to your community and helping to pave the way for other women in leadership is something that I’m passionate about.”

The Women of Distinction honor spotlights the region’s most influential business women from various industries and professions, corporate and non-profit. Swimm was selected for her professional achievements and for making a difference in her community and within PJM. The awards are presented at a dinner in Philadelphia on Nov. 16.

Swimm recently was selected to join The Forum of Executive Women, a distinguished organization of women leaders in the Greater Philadelphia area. The mission of The Forum of Executive Women is to encourage action to increase inclusion in the region through its members.

She also is on the board of directors for the American Association of People with Disabilities. AAPD is a national cross-disability civil rights organization dedicated to increasing the political and economic power of people with disabilities.

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Sandra Phillips Rogers Elected to MSA Board of Directors Established in 1914, MSA Safety Incorporated is the global leader in the development, manufacture and supply of safety products that protect people and facility infrastructures.

Recently, they announced that Sandra Phillips Rogers, Group Vice President, General Counsel, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary for Toyota Motor North America, Inc. (TMNA), has been elected to MSA’s Board of Directors.

On the 1st November, The Board of Directors of global safety equipment manufacturer MSA Safety Incorporated announced that Sandra Phillips Rogers, Group Vice President, General Counsel, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary for Toyota Motor North America, Inc. (TMNA), has been elected to MSA’s Board of Directors.

“We feel very fortunate to be able to add a person of Ms. Rogers’ calibre to the MSA Board,” said William M. Lambert, MSA Chairman and CEO. “Sandra brings to MSA a tremendous amount of experience strategically managing complex corporate issues, integrating business, legal and stakeholder relations into discussions and decision

making. Her knowledge and insight, gained from nearly 26 years in the legal field and as a business executive, will serve MSA very well as we continue to advance our corporate strategy, effectively manage risks and work toward our long-range goals.”

As Group Vice President, General Counsel and Chief Legal Officer, Ms. Rogers leads the legal services function for Toyota’s operations in North America. Previously, Ms. Rogers served as Vice President and Deputy General Counsel for Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. Prior to joining Toyota in 2012, Ms. Rogers was a partner at global law firm Morgan, Lewis & Bockius. She also served

as Senior Vice President, Associate General Counsel and Chief Litigation Counsel at Pfizer Inc., and as Managing Partner of the Houston office of Shook, Hardy & Bacon.

Impact Player of the Year. Also in 2017, she was named one of Black Enterprise’s 75 Most Powerful Women in Business and a Burton Foundation Legend in Law.

Ms. Rogers is a founding member of the Centre for Women in Law at The University of Texas School of Law, the recipient of the 2016 Legacy Award from the Brennan Centre for Justice at New York University School of Law, and received the 2017 Champion of Diversity Award from D CEO. She also serves on the Boards of YWCA USA, United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, and the University of Texas Law School Foundation. In 2017, Texas Lawyer recognized Ms. Rogers as General Counsel

Ms. Rogers received her Bachelor of Journalism and Doctor of Jurisprudence degrees from the University of Texas at Austin. A native of Texas, Ms. Rogers currently resides in Dallas.

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Bank of the West appoints Beth Hale, Executive Vice President, Head of Product and Payments Solutions for the Retail Banking Group.

Bank of the West is a regional financial services company headquartered in San Francisco with $86.9 billion in assets as of June 30, 2017. Recently, they announced e appointment of Beth Hale to the position of Executive Vice President, Head of Product and Payments Solutions in the Bank’s Retail Banking Group.

On the 1st November, Bank of the West the regional financial services company headquartered in San Francisco with $86.9 billion in assets as of June 30, 2017, announced the appointment of Beth Hale to the position of Executive Vice President, Head of Product and Payments Solutions in the Bank’s Retail Banking Group. In this role, Hale will be responsible for leading and managing the overall strategy focused on deepening and expanding banking solutions for retail and small business clients. Hale has over 15 years of banking experience and has worked more than 25 years in the financial services industry.

She will continue to be based out of Bank of the West’s San Francisco headquarters and will report to Ryan Bailey, Executive Vice President, Head of the Retail Banking Group.

Throughout Hale’s four years at Bank of the West, her roles and responsibilities at the bank have grown. She has been responsible for creating and implementing strategy for the Bank’s branch and ATM operations, overseeing the consumer bank’s first-line operational risk, compliance and credit risk, distribution channel analytics and branch staffing models. Hale’s focus on the customer has led to innovative solutions, particularly in distribution transformation, micro-market strategy and new branch activity. In addition, Hale led the reorganization of several of the Bank’s back office functions, establishing the highest standards of efficacy in operations, group finance and first line of defence.

“Beth’s established track record of success here at Bank of the West made her the ideal candidate to lead our

team in product and payment solutions,” said Bailey. “Her industry experience and the scope of her various roles, both within and outside of the Bank, make her an ideal leader of this team as we set our sights on the future growth and success of the retail banking and the Bank as a whole.” Along with leading and implementing overall strategy in her new role, Hale will be tasked with driving the implementation and delivery of the full breadth of products and services the Retail Banking Group has to offer.

Before joining Bank of The West, Hale spent four years with M&T Bank in Buffalo, New York, where she was a Group Vice President in Distribution Planning & Analysis, ATM Services and Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) initiatives. She spent eight years at JPMorgan Chase in Seattle as a Division

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Executive leading retail distribution strategy, analytics and marketing planning, and 11 years with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) in Washington, D.C. Hale was recognized as part of American Banker’s Most Powerful Women in Banking program in 2014. She holds a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, where she graduated with cum laude honours.

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Investment in Women is Key to Helping Boost Construction Industry New report based on 140 UK construction businesses reveals three key factors for growth in the construction industry, including increased investment in the development of women in the market.

CIL, the leading management consultancy, has unveiled its annual report on the UK construction industry. CIL is a leading management consultancy which enables management teams and investors to make optimal strategic decisions by providing evidence-based advice across a range of sectors. Its management support services include market studies, business planning, strategy and change. It supports investors in the private equity community with due diligence, industry mapping, acquisition strategy and search.

share decliners - businesses with declining sales, and third, non-movers - businesses with sales growth of 0-5% p.a.

The research amongst 140 companies, shows a very clear link between successful, growing companies and three key factors – employee engagement, strong relationships with subcontractors and the use of technology.

The ability to develop strong sub-contractor relationships through collaborative working is another key factor for success – 29% of market share winners strongly agreed that they have loyal subcontractors, compared to 10% in the share decliner category.

As part of the methodology, the research separates the 140 firms into three categories.

First, share winners businesses with sales growth of more than 5% p.a. Second,

In a sector which has an increasing skills shortage, which will be compounded by Brexit, those companies taking market share consistently reported a more engaged employee base compared to those who are losing ground.

41% of market share winners described their employees as highly engaged, compared to just 12% in the market share decliners. This is key to winning the battle for talent.

Those firms most willing to engage with technology and new building practices are better able to drive efficiencies and increase sales, thus

improving performance. The research showed that 31% of market share winners reported that their onsite processes are becoming much more efficient, compared to 15% of market share decliners.

The tight labour market in the sector also means that the more enlightened firms which focus on recruitment and retention of talent are best placed to succeed. 27% of market share winners have a well-structured apprenticeship scheme, compared to 13% of market share decliners.

When it comes to recruiting graduates, again the growing firms are ahead of the pack with 24% recruiting from higher education institutions compared to 7% of those in decline.

With just one in 20 construction workers being female, successful firms also place much greater emphasis on engaging with women, with 36% actively working to improve the work environment for women. Training is also crucial to develop expertise and improving productivity

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and again, the market share winners far outpace the lesserperforming firms in this regard.

Commenting on the report, Sebastian Chambers, Partner and head of the construction and building products practice at CIL Management Consultants, said: “Our report makes it very clear that executives and investors need to take KPIs around team engagement seriously as it is a crucial success factor.

For every initiative around technology, order book, sales pipeline, operations and productivity, there needs to be an equivalent emphasis on recruitment, diversity, career development and retention.”

To achieve these results, CIL and Barbour ABI conducted a survey of 140 companies in the UK construction industry during the summer of 2017.

Respondents were based across the UK and ranged from architects and other professional services firms to a broad range of skilled trades and contractors.

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