Company Champion award: Given to a company that supports women through leadership, mentoring and educational programs and has successfully increased the number of women in senior leadership and/or officer positions. Monica Frias, WellPoint’s Diversity Program Manager, accepted the award on behalf of her organization.
Wellpoint
Monica Frias, WellPoint’s Diversity Program Manager, accepted the award on behalf of her organization.WellPoint’s best practices around career and leadership development focusing on women and minorities have resulted in a significant number of women achieving top leadership positions. With almost 40% of all corporate executives being women and a female employee population of 77%, WellPoint is a true champion of women in business. WellPoint's most visible women leader is the President and CEO, Angela Braly, who has been recognized as one of the most powerful women in corporate America. Their commitment is reflected in numerous family-friendly benefits, development opportunities, education programs, and a work environment that promotes the advancement of women.
Individual Corporate Champion award: Given to a corporate executive who passionately supports, mentors and promotes women within and outside their company.
Christine St. Clare, Partner, KPMG
As a 32-year veteran of KPMG, Christine is a beacon for the advancement of women and has been instrumental in establishing KPMG's position as a leader in women's issues. She is a founding member of KPMG's Women's Advisory Board (WAB). Christine has officially mentored more than 25 women who have advanced their careers. Christine also advocates for women outside of KPMG. Additional, this past year she established KPMG's sponsorship of Women Corporate Directors (WCD), which facilitates the sharing of experience and knowledge that will help women become more effective board members. A firm believer in giving back to the community, Christine is a member of the Women's Leadership council of United Way, Metro Atlanta, and serves on the board for several other academic and non-profit organizations.
Entrepreneur Champion Award: Entrepreneur that demonstrates leadership qualities by supporting and mentoring women professionals within and outside their company.
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Lena West, Founder & CEO, xynoMedia Technology
Lena has done a lot of work with women owned businesses and she always makes time to mentor other women starting businesses. Eighty percent of her client base is women-owned companies. She's a woman of great integrity, compassion, and generosity. Not only does she have high business and moral standards in delivering quality services, she is also committed to helping women to be wildly successful. A dedication to women in business and helping them to find the best way to achieve their business goals is constantly being demonstrated as evidenced through Ms. West pro bono work, Board positions, numerous organization memberships and various speaking engagements.
Peggy Hollander, Managing Partner, The Succession Group
When I think of a woman in business who serves as a leader, a role model and an advocate for other women, I think of Peggy Hollander. Peggy’s company, The Succession Group, specializes in wealth-transfer and business succession planning for an exclusive roster of high net-worth individuals, families and affluent business owners. Having Peggy support the women advisors at AXA is critical for us because she arguably is the most well-known and most successful woman financial advisor affiliated with our company. As a member of our Women’s Leadership Council, Peggy is dedicated to fostering and mentoring other women, and has spoken for us frequently at local, regional and national events – each talk more inspirational than the one before, and each with key business building ideas for women that can make an impact on their success. Peggy is committed to providing opportunities for the advancement of her women employees, all currently women. Peggy is passionate about giving back to her community and serves on the United Way of America’s Planned Giving Committee; the United Way of Miami-Dade’s Board of Directors; and is a member of the United Way’s Alexis de Tocqueville Society.
Non-Profit Champion Award: Given to a non-profit executive or organization that supports women business professionals and owners through education, funding or outreach.
Sharon Vosmek, CEO AND Astia
Sharon has done a great deal through her work at Astia to address the issue of women’s access to capital. Through her work at Astia, Sharon upholds two fundamental principles: that gender should not be part of the equation of calculating business risk and that there is an objective of giving back. Sharon has worked tirelessly to foster the full participation and leadership of women in entrepreneurship and as accelerators of high growth businesses.
Astia is a unique organization that truly champions female entrepreneurs. I have not seen a more dedicated and effective non-profit that tirelessly champions women in business and delivers tangible results. Astia has developed, and actively taps, a powerful network of CEOs, executives, investors, lawyers and other service providers, which advises and mentors women-led companies. Astia helps to close a critical funding gap that enables women to get in the game and their two programs have resulted in over $250 million in funding for companies.
Humanitarian Champion award: Given to a non-profit executive or organization that empowers women worldwide to be self sustainable through education, funding and business support.
Marcia Odell, Director of WORTH/PACT
Marcia Odell has been a leader in helping envision, develop and execute a most extraordinary program reaching almost 200,000 women in Asia and Africa. This unique, self-sustaining project is grass roots at its best and follows on programs developed in Nepal that taught over 300,000 women to read and write in only a few years and tens of thousands to become financially productive. The WORTH program helps empower women in Africa and Asia by teaching them how to read, write and do math. The women use these skills to start their own village banks and lend money to each other to start their own businesses. It¹s a wonderful program to empower women in countries where women aren¹t usually given opportunities like this. It helps to increase the wealth of the entire village.
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Champions for Women in Business Awards
Champions for Women in Business Awards salutes outstanding women, men, companies and organizations that support and improve opportunities for up-and-coming women business leaders and business owners. Criteria for consideration include leadership, mentoring, outreach, education and/or funding of enterprises and corporate initiatives in support of women during 2007.
The ceremony honoring exceptional champions for women will be held at the event’s luncheon on Thursday, January 24, 2008 at the Miami Beach Convention Center. The lunch program is included with the Conference Program registration or attendees can purchase a lunch ticket separately with their Expo Only registration ($50.00 early bird).
Lisa Bodell, founder and CEO of futurethink, will be keynote speaker for the event. Bodell is a globally recognized innovation expert. Her company helps companies innovate more effectively and has developed the largest catalog of innovation research and tools in the world.
Champions for Women in Business Award categories include:
Corporate Champions for Women
- Company award: Given to a company that supports women through leadership, mentoring and educational programs and has successfully increased the number of women in senior leadership and/or officer positions.
- Individual awards (2): Given to corporate executives (female or male) who passionately support, mentor and promote women within the company.
- Supplier award: Given to a company or individual who is making procurement decisions that supports women-owned businesses through supplier diversity and other sourcing programs.
Entrepreneurial Champions for Women
- Business owner award: Given to a majority women-owned business that demonstrates leadership qualities by supporting women professionals and helping young women to achieve their goals.
- Emerging business award: Given to a majority women-owned small business demonstrating leadership initiative in promoting or supporting women.
Non-Profit Champion for Women
- Humanitarian award: Given to a non-profit executive or organization that supports women business professionals and owners through education, funding or outreach.
The award winners will be promoted on the event website and receive national media exposure from the event and its media partners. For more details and to download the nomination form, visit http://www.thewomenscongress.com/awards_form.asp.
About The Women’s Congress
The Women’s Congress combines a business exhibition, innovative matchmaking sessions in supplier diversity and recruiting, a venture fair workshop, and a conference designed to provide the education necessary for women to take their businesses and careers to the highest levels. Sessions focus on corporate leadership, entrepreneurial growth and today's hot business topics. The business expo features products and services to run businesses effectively and profitably. Women’s leadership is transforming business, and the Women’s Congress will accelerate that development through three days of business education and exchange.
Media contacts:
Patricia San Pedro Sascha Gardiner
San Pedro Productions The Women’s Congress
305-445-4979 203-795-8983 x105
Pat@SanPedroProductions.com SGardiner@theWomensCongress.com
