W Certified Company™ 2019 Report

w w w. W W h o L e a d . c o m

Annual Report

Our Members

Women Who Lead, LLC January 2020 CopyrightŠ Women Who Lead Designed by E the Center of Marketing, LLC www.WWhoLead.com 2

Annual Report 2019

“Aligning women in leadership roles with the top tier of your company, aligns your organization with your overall business results.”

Frances Rios

CEO, Women Who Lead, LLC

Omar Ishrak, CEO Medtronic and Frances Rios at the 7th Women Who Lead Summit™ 2020, one of the iconic programs created by the firm.

Contents

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Annual Report 2019

5

Who We Are

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Happiness & Business Results

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In Our Minds

15

What She Wants

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Women In Numbers

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Game Changers Strategies

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Five Years of Improvement

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What's Next?

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Strategic Partnerships

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Walking The Talk

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Women's Educaction Level

Who We Are When companies think of growing with the power of women, they connect with us. Not only do we help them understand how to attract, develop and retain the best female talent, they also trust us to help them prevent or manage crises situations related to topics like pay gap and harassment.

For 12 years, we have been creating unique solutions aimed at helping companies foster inclusive cultures in which women are in leadership roles.

Thousands of executive women and business owners in the Americas have taken advantage of the solutions we provide to impact their careers through greater earning potential. Large to midsize companies take advantage of our unique process to report results!

Assess

Strategize

Maximize your inclusion and diversity budget and meet key success indicators by discovering the real priorities and needs of your female talent. Find out how your women colleagues feel and think across generations and through other segments important for your organization.

Get a tailored and measurable strategy that fits your goals and budget!

Let’s create a measurable plan to promote the inclusion of women that will clearly have an impact on the employees’ engagement and company’s profits!

Measure your female talent’s engagement and satisfaction levels when it comes to your company, brand and leaders.

Register in the W Certified Company™ assessment program.

Develop Take advantage of our unique array of solutions that combine your business’ growth needs and your female talent as well.

Let the transformation begin! Hire our conferences and training for men and women, in English and Spanish, to improve and fast-forward your decision making processes across your company.

Women Who Lead Summit™ For seven years, thousands of women and men in leadership roles have attended this one-day summit to connect with other decision-making colleagues and discover best business practices from global experts.

Women Who Lead Academy™ Every month women get together to listen to international business experts who share strategies with immediate application and impact on their businesses.

Preferred employers for women receive this program as value added.

W Igniter™ Provide your female talent with an online program to help them take ownership of their careers and thrive.

Female 2 Female Coaching™ A unique coaching program exclusively for high potential female leaders who want to accelerate their careers and for men who want to establish inclusive cultures.

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In Our Minds which tens of thousands of employees around the world (men and women) diminished the company’s productivity at all levels.

Frances Rios & Damaris C. Sánchez

Corporate CEOs and leaders are bombarded with challenges. They are juggling their focus on economic success, pandemics, cybersecurity, attracting and retaining the best talent, and protecting their reputation as well.

In this day and age, more than ever, with social media influencing people’s opinions and decisions, senior leaders know that protecting their company’s reputation is as important as building a strong personal brand and generating revenue.

Business leaders are creating customercentric cultures (internal and external) where the voice of female talent and consumers is essential to keep productivity levels high.

Just ask Google about the walkout during

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If it happened to Google, it can happen to anyone. Just take a look at the massive protests in Puerto culminating with Governor Ricardo Rosselló’s resignation, which led to turmoil that attracted the world’s attention.

His misogynist comments about women and the insensitive remarks toward the LGBTQ communities—the so-called Telegramgate— cost him and the male members of his inner circle their positions and contracts while causing significant losses to their business interests.

Be it in the private sector or in public service, listening to what your female talent wants and needs is key to protect and elevate your reputation, productivity and earnings.

It is a fact: Women outnumber men in the workforce in the vast majority of industries and are in the driver’s seat making 85 percent of purchasing decisions at home.

That is why, savvy business leaders are paying close attention to their female talent, and not dwelling on the affirmative

action plans amended in 1967 to prohibit discrimination in employment based on gender. They are listening closely to what their female talent is saying when it comes to engagement, satisfaction, feelings toward their companies & leaders, and the benefits they are looking for to remain employed in a company, lest they make the jump to another to share their own million-dollar idea.

In the quest to recruit and retain the best talent, companies are offering benefits attractive to women, such as reimbursement for adoption processes and in-vitro fertilization, annual mobile mammogram service, flextime, maternity leave for up to 20 weeks and even beauty services on location.

Given those self-evident gender truths, we helped companies embrace the topic of women’s inclusion in their business conversations, which led to the creation of internal women’s networks and their increased participation in such events as the Women Who Lead Summit™.

W Certified Companies™: The companies in this special report have gone above and beyond laws and regulations regarding women. Instead of being bystanders, this group of

preferred employers have become gamechangers, setting the pace for participatory empowerment of women in the workforce.

How? W Certified Companies™ (WCC) are so committed to creating a healthy work environment that when it comes to raising awareness about the legal standards underpinning sexual harassment, each and every professional in their organization is— in no uncertain terms—clear and assertive in promoting a culture of zero tolerance of any violation, whether from a co-worker or a vendor.

Female talent: A generational perspective In this special report, we will help you take a closer look at the wants, needs and feelings of your female talent, based on their generation as well. Get ready to maximize your development budget with the data in this publication and showcase your efforts as a women-preferred employer.

Total transparency From the outset of 2015 when WCC was created, we have been demonstrating the same transparency expected from our clients and vendors. That is why, we self-imposed an audit of our certification program, led by

the team of world known audit firm, RSM (Puerto Rico).

In a historic first, the competitiveness of the participating companies came to the fore with the certification of two ties among the top five preferred employers selected by female talent. So, this year, instead of recognizing the top five, RSM certified the top seven! #BuyWomenOwned Companies that have participated in the W Certified Company™ program not only have shown their commitment to foster inclusive cultures, but are also taking equal pay and gender balance beyond their institutions’ walls.

Recognizing their impact on the economy and local businesses, these organizations are more aware about ensuring there is balance when it comes to the company’s vendors and sponsorships. Tax incentives are available to promote women-owned companies.

Indeed, Women Who Lead, LLC.—besides being a Certified Women Owned Company, is unique in its kind.

Thanks to all the leaders and companies that not only believe in the inclusion of women, but also in us as their trusted advisers, we have been able to have a positive economic impact through the empowerment of women.

We appreciate your trust and congratulate you for being a Preferred Employer for Women™!

From the co-creators of W Certified Company™ Frances Rios CEO, Women Who Lead, LLC Damaris C. Sánchez Chief Coaching Officer

As part of this fifth edition, one of our goals was to help organizations learn how supporting and hiring women-owned companies have an impact on their own bottom line.

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Women in Numbers In the time since the affirmative action plan was amended by President Lyndon Johnson to prohibit discrimination against women in the United States, the workforce has changed dramatically as pertains to gender.

Back then, some universities even dissuaded women from seeking degrees in architecture, engineering and medicine, suggesting instead that they veer from those career paths to pursue less scientific and technical careers.

Women who endured the gender affronts from that era have told me how they were bypassed by men with less knowledge and capabilities, just because they were women.

Today, we are witnessing a favorable tilt in gender balance not only in universities, but also in the workforce. Laws preventing discrimination and promoting equal pay have had a positive impact. Still, 50 years have passed and we continue to see significant disparities when it comes to the pay gap and women holding posts at the helm of companies.

I see major confusion when it comes to define the true meaning of women

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inclusion versus diversity. Yes, companies have demonstrated their capabilities to promote diverse cultures, but are lagging when it comes to inclusion. In essence, hardly enough women are holding seats in boardrooms or occupying posts at the corporate helm.

Taking organizations from Diversity to Inclusion In the case of W Certified Companies™ we have seen an outstanding rise in true inclusion reflected in the following tables.

The data gathered is segmented in three markets and seven industries. We chose to compare, Puerto Rico, Florida and the United States among the following industries: academia, banking, health, legal, manufacturing, retail, and technology.

Preferred employers by women in Puerto Rico demonstrated their capabilities to be game changers when it came to gender ratios, benefits, and the engagement level of their female talent. Why is that critical for companies?

Simple! In a time when women are key drivers

of the economy (leading 85% of purchasing decisions at home) companies must know what they want and need to serve them.

Companies that are not matching their percentage of women in leadership roles with their female consumers are leaving money on the table and un-tapped sources of income.

Organizations participating in the W Certified Company™ demonstrated a major difference when it comes to having female presidents (or general managers) and in leadership roles. In the Puerto Rico Market, 44 percent of the participating companies have women as top leaders, and in average those businesses have 41% of women in leadership positions.

The numbers tell a story of Puerto Rico’s tremendous progress in women inclusion as compared with the United States in general and Florida.

Two industries that caught our attention particularly were retail and those related to the realm of healthcare, which are heavily used by women.

And, a close look at those industries shows female inclusion in W Certified Companies™ is twice that of the average company in those sectors.

Still, the inclusion of women has a long road ahead as numbers demonstrate. What can be done?

It is critical, that W Certified Companies™ share their example and message with the government, their vendors and communities to start moving the needle.

Frances Rios and the Governor of Puerto Rico, Wanda Vazquez Garced at the 7th Women Who Lead Summit™ 2020 WWhoLead.com

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Five years demonstrating noticeable improvement!

For five years running, business leaders who understand the value women bring to the table, have demonstrated their commitment to their female talent by participating in the W Certified Company™ program.

Preferred employers for women do not limit themselves to meet the regulatory framework established by local and federal laws. Instead, they go above and beyond to attract, retain, develop, and promote women to leadership roles.

To measure the impact of inclusive strategies, they have been gauging the temperature when it comes to core topics that are key for women, among them: Commitment to women inclusion, learning and development, compensation and rewards, talent ID & succession planning, and corporate social responsibility.

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Women Who Lead, LLC Recognized as Significant Partners by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) During the W Certified Company™ 2019 recognition event, William Sánchez, director for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), recognized Women Who Lead, LLC as one of 15 Significant Partners in the United States, and the only one in Puerto Rico.

The Significant Partnership with Women Who Lead, LLC allows the EEOC to reach more companies and assist them in their commitment to: break the glass ceiling, promote work environments free of sexual harassment and comply with the law of equal pay for equal work.

William Sanchez from the EEOC recognizing Women Who Lead, LLC as a Significant Partner along with the Puerto Rico Secretary of Labor Briseida Torres, Esq..

President's Roundtable As part of Women Who Lead’s commitment to help organizations attract and retain the best female talent, the firm has conducted a series of roundtables with companies’ top leaders to share with them best practices and foster the conversation to identify actions and solutions.

The roundtables held in Puerto Rico and Orlando, have united leaders from a wide array of industries such as: Pharma, insurance, television, finance, beverages, fast foods, government, tech and advertising, among many others.

Michael Farrell, EEOC Director Florida, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, Gaby Ortigoni, CEO Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Metro Orlando and Paul Roldan, CEO, Allgen Financial Advisors, Inc. along with Frances Rios, CEO Women Who Lead.

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Preferred employers benefit from a highly educated female work force!

For the fifth edition we took a deep dive into what the female talent wants and needs, this time with a focus on their generation.

The reality is that today we have five generations working together in the workplace. The mitosis of age groups is driving leaders crazy, who are complaining about the differences that characterize each group, instead of viewing them all as contributors equipped with different skill sets in a formula for success.

One section of this investigation took a close look at the three generations with the highest presence in our companies who also had a strong impact on the bottom line of organizations due to their decision making level.

The top three generations with stronger presence in the W Certified Companies™ were:

18 34 ►

Generation: Y and Millennials

35 50 ►

Generation: X

Traditionally, W Certified Companies™, most of which have global reach, belong to highly regulated industries. These organizations are looking for the best talent, most of whom are highly educated, and possess a focus on innovation, strategic change and productivity.

(as is evident in this report).

In their search for that kind of talent, companies are focused on fostering great working environments, benefits and rewards

While women have surpassed men in terms of attaining secondary and post-secondary degrees in the U.S. -according to the National

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Two areas that caught our attention from the profiles submitted by the female talent employed by WCC’s is their high level of education in comparison with those employed by their non-certified competitors.

51 69 ►

Generation: Baby Boomers

Center of Education Statistics- only 11% of women occupy the position of president nationwide. In Florida, that percentage is zero. (Among academia, banking, health, legal, manufacturing, retail, and technology) In Puerto Rico, however, women seem to be going places, with 14% of them occupying presidential positions. That is a slightly higher percentage of women presidents in Puerto Rico than in the entire United States.

According to Doris Barroso, Managing Partner at RSM Puerto Rico, official government statistics reveal that education plays a significant role in pursuing career growth opportunities. Data from the Puerto Rico Department of Labor show a higher percentage of women than men attaining bachelor’s degrees (58% women, 42% men), as well as master’s degrees (66% women, 34% men).

Of course, an executive mindset that makes way for those opportunities must coexist with the pursuit of higher degrees of education. At W Certified Companies™, the level of education for women in leadership roles is above the average.

This year’s survey in Puerto Rico, reveals that 50% of women between ages 18 and 34 have a bachelor’s degree; and 35% of women in the same age range hold a master’s degree. Percentages are quite similar in the 35 to 50 age group (54% bachelor’s, 34% master’s). Interestingly, a higher percentage of women in the 51 to 69 age group hold a bachelor’s degree, with a slight decrease in master’s degree attainment for women in this age range (26%).

These statistics are quite most impressive if are compared with the population of Puerto Rico over 25 years which have a bachelor’s degree fluctuates from an average of 12% to 18% in the last 5 years in comparison with the 50% among W Certified Company’s™ female talent level of education.

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Happy Female Talent - Better Results!

Besides gauging women’s perception of their companies’ efforts to promote the inclusion of women, during the past two years we have been evaluating their feelings towards their companies, brands, and leaders. This piece of information is key in order to understand the level of partnership between employees and corporate leadership.

Overall, when asked if they felt happy with their employers, women working for W Certified Companies™ demonstrated high levels of engagement and commitment to their employer’s growth.

Their engagement is a key performance indicator that allows leaders to drive economic growth, navigate through change, and attract the best talent.

How surveyed women feel regarding the WCC they work for?

In a moment when human resources leaders are focused on attracting the best talent, from any place in the world, they need to make certain that their employees value the brand and reputation of their companies, to the point of recommending their employer to friends and colleagues based on work environment and benefits.

Let us take those precepts of loyalty even further. When you take an annual report from any Fortune 500 company, transparency is a concept repeated over and over.

Transparency is not only tied to the company’s reputation, but to the brand

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equity of its leaders as well. That is why the success level when handling a business crises is so closely tied to both.

Companies should be conscious that a crisis could hit at any moment without notice. That is why, it is critical not only to strengthen the company’s response preparedness, but more important still, to foster their employees’ admiration.

At the end of the day: Commitment, reputation, and economic results go hand-in-hand.

Imagine your company’s growth if your female talent:

95% 86%

feels committed to help their company grow wants to grow professionally

That is what the female talent, who participated in the survey, said during the 5th edition of the WCC certification program.

Why do they have these positive perceptions? Because their employers align their benefits, development, and work environment specifically with what women want and need to grow professionally, adding to the equation a deference to their personal life as well.

Regardless of their generational group, women want to keep growing professionally:

87%

of women surveyed said they feel very-happy and happy when asked about their quest to grow.

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When it comes to growing, women said:

91

%

18 ► 34

Generation: Y and Millennials

89

%

35 ► 50 Generation: X

78

%

51 ► 69

Generation: Baby Boomers

Whether they are starting their career or are already established, all surveyed women expressed a desire to keep growing. Now the question is: How do we align their desire to grow professionally with the company’s strategy to grow?

Salaries and benefits are key to retain talent, but with women it goes beyond these issues. It is crucial that companies take a deep look at what they want in order to stay in a particular organization. It is clear that they all want to grow, but the question begs: What do they need to keep growing?

As you can see from the chart below, the three generations evaluated in this report agreed that they want their employers to offer them: Development, equal pay, and flextime.

Whether they are starting their career or are already established, all interviewees expressed a desire to keep growing. Now the question is: How do we align their desire to grow professionally with the company’s strategy to grow?

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Development Imagine there is one thing that could have a serious positive impact on your company’s earnings… would you invest in it? Stop wondering. Discover what your females pointed out as their development needs and give it to them. Here’s why.

According to the Association for Talent Development (ATD), companies that offer comprehensive training programs have 218 percent higher income per employee than companies without formal training.

But wait, there is more!

These companies also enjoy a 24 percent higher profit margin than those who spend less on training. The math is simple. Even under economic downturns, it is wise to separate your company from the pack by investing in training and development. So, investing in development programs, that your female talent pinpointed as critical for them, is a wise and strategic decision on your part.

Excelling in leadership roles demands specific skills. The higher the position, the more skills in negotiation, strategy, decision

making, influence, and planning are needed.

The women surveyed in WCC made a clear call. In order to keep growing, they need to develop specific skill sets that will ignite their personal and professional growth.

Based on their actual and future roles, women voiced specific development areas, which will help them have a more significant contribution through their work and to the bottom line of their organizations.

When it comes to specific development topics, women emphasized that they want training in presentation and communication skills, and strategic planning.

On the other hand, companies are looking for talent with a strategic mindset when it comes to decisions that impact their finances.

While generation Y and Millennial employees are looking into salary negotiation and presentation skills, generation X and Baby Boomers are inclined towards strategic planning.

Equal Pay If there is a particular need on a topic that is affecting your company’s reputation and commitment from your people, would you

take the matter in your own hands? Of course, you would—just as did Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff.

“We don’t play does kind of shenanigans,” said Benioff when his Chief Human Recourses Officer brought to his attention the pay disparities in his company among men and women.

Pay gap is a global problem that companies are facing regardless industry and size. As a matter of fact, Salesforce was recognized as #1 among Fortune’s Best Places to Work in 2017.

Benioff’s transparency and level of commitment to women inclusion inspired him to take the story to the leading broadcast news magazine 60 Minutes in USA, during which he shared how he took the pay disparities into his own hands.

Besides conducting self-assessments internally to monitor pay disparities among gender, company’s can take bold moves and help their female talent overcome their fears when it comes to salary negotiation. Indeed, high-ranking executives and HR leaders have confided in me that, in most instances,

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when a man receives a job offer, they often negotiate it, in contrast with women who in most cases say ‘thanks,’ and accept things as they are.

Women are committed to help you grow, why not demonstrate your company’s commitment to help them make what they should earn, by offering salary negotiation skills? Bold, yes.

Will it help you eliminate salary disparities and comply with the law? Yes, as well.

Flex Time The business world has changed. From totally being dominated by men, viewed as the sole breadwinners and women the home caretakers, to now having women in leadership positions, performing on par with men.

The way we do business has changed as well, clocking in and out is a thing from the past.

Aware of this, companies that are preferred by women are allowing their female talent to take advantage of the flextime modality.

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The fact is that no one has a perfect life, not even CEOs. From 9 to 5 many situations regarding our personal lives occur that interrupt our work, thus making work flexibility crucial.

In a time when change is key, companies need to start transcendent change from the inside. Transforming organizational cultures is more relevant than ever. Closing a business deal during a round of golf is still prevalent, but allowing talent to produce results on their preferred working style is more relevant than ever.

According to a Gallup poll, 33 percent of companies offer flextime to their employees in the United States (2017).

This is not an exclusive benefit for women, it is extended to all, depending on the line of work. In the case of W Certified Companies™, 67 percent of women who participated in the survey of women who participated in the survey said that their companies offer opportunities to adjust work and personal life by reduced hours or by working remotely.

That contrasts with what human resources leaders pointed out (100 percent).

In the case of W Certified Companies™, 67 percent of women who participated in the survey said that their companies offer opportunities to adjust work and personal life by reduced hours or by working remotely.

That contrasts with what human resources leaders pointed out (100 percent).

The difference in results could be tied to various circumstances.

The person answering the question may not be able to take advantage of flextime, because her position is tied to being in a production line for example, or it could be due to a lack of knowledge when it comes to benefits.

In fact, we saw a leap of 11 points (56%) in the work remotely benefit from the year before (2018), after we made companies aware of the importance of workplace flexibility for women on the benefits front.

Business styles have changed as pertains to gender and generations’ lifestyles and needs. Listening to what your talent values according to the personal and professional desires is key to help you retain the best talent. Let’s evaluate their impact to the

bottom line and be flexible when it comes to their working styles. At the end of the day, is about the key performance indicators tied to results.

Inclusive Culture To create a culture of true inclusivity for women, leaders must pay close attention— not just lip service—to the MVPs (Most Valued Priorities) key to retain talent, be they men or women.

Just as companies are embracing a culture of change, they should also provide the skills for their leaders to be inclusive. It is all about commitment through and through— from top tier to entry level.

Every employee brings a different mindset when it comes to inclusion based on their upbringings, life experiences, culture, and religious believes. As a result, companies that truly embrace inclusion need to provide an array of trainings with acculturation that starts at the top.

president to be adopted by everyone in the company.

Three topics that we have found are extremely useful are focused on: Conscious and unconscious biases, emotional intelligence, mentoring & coaching. These will help provide perspective and level the playing field when it comes to working environment, promotions, and engagement.

As you will see from the table below, W Certified Companies™ offer those topics, but let in less proportions to the younger generation which will be the next high potentials and next in the succession plan.

Let’s get them closer to their readiness by extending these topics as part of their career paths.

Indeed it is proven that women inclusion is a mindset that should come from the CEO or

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W Certified Companiesâ„¢

GAME CHANGERS

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Preferred employers for women recognize that the way to engage and retain their best female talent, is by discovering what attracts them.

What do they consider of value when thinking about staying in that organization?

In 1967, President Lyndon B. Johnson recognized that he needed to expand the affirmative action initiative commenced under President John F. Kennedy in 1961. Thus, Johnson amended the law to go beyond civil rights to empower women and minorities.

As a result, Johnson supercharged the affirmative action plan created by Kennedy.

The amendment ultimately achieved full fair access to employment opportunities to create a workforce that is now an accurate reflection of the demographics of the qualified available

workforce in the relevant job market.

According to federal regulation 41 CFR § 60-2.10, “an affirmative action program is a management tool designed to ensure equal employment opportunity. A central premise underlying affirmative action is that, absent discrimination, over time a contractor’s workforce, generally, will reflect the gender, racial and ethnic profile of the labor pools from which the contractor recruits and selects.

Affirmative action programs contain a diagnostic component, which includes a number of quantitative analyses designed to evaluate the composition of the workforce of the contractor, while comparing it to the composition of the relevant labor pools.

If women and minorities are not being employed at a rate consistent with their availability in the relevant labor pool, the contractor’s affirmative action program includes specific practical steps designed to address this underutilization.

Effective affirmative action programs also include internal auditing and reporting systems as a means of measuring the contractor’s progress toward achieving the workforce that would be expected in the absence of discrimination.

In the case of W Certified Companies™, they go beyond laws and take advantage of the tool since it provides key information on what women want and needs to grow and how they feel regarding the working environment.

Discover what preferred employers for women do, placing them ahead the curve.

PERSONAL

• Flextime / Home office • Summer time • Beauty services on location

PARENTHOOD

• Maternity leave up to 19 weeks • Parental leave • Maternal milk transportation when traveling on business • Adoption and In-Vitro reimbursement (And others)

FINANCE

• Personal loans (not to sacrifice 401K)

DEVELOPMENT

• Internal women’s network • Executive programs • Tuition reimbursement • Business events like the Women Who Lead Summit™

WELLNESS

• Annual mobile mammogram services • Physical training

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From Work Environment to Compensation & Rewards: Latent on women’s minds Your female talent wants to grow and help your company grow as well. Together, we can create the perfect working environment and opportunities to let them do their magic!

From the outset, the W Certified Company™ included a domain—salary—that is ‘top of mind’ in every professional woman.

Most companies take it for granted that women are happy with their salaries. The reality is that, basically, few people feel completely satisfied with their pay grade.

Everyone, including CEOs, want to earn more.

The focus in the compensation domain typically centers on addressing perception of the company’s efforts to offer salaries based on merits and not on gender.

Although, the compensation and rewards domain has received the lowest scores on the value scale, along the five years of this survey it has improved.

Based on the results and the fact that companies are aware of the importance of offering equal pay, they have been more

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fluent when communicating the efforts they are making to allow women know that they are valued and respected when it comes to salary.

Compensation and rewards got scores between 58 percent and 67 percent when it came to the company’s efforts to implement processes to ensure that salaries and bonuses are equally awarded among men and women. Even though the numbers are significantly lower than other domains, there was an increase of 9 points from the first year the study was conducted (2015).

Companies are more assertive when it comes to self assessments, but still are lagging when it comes to communicating their efforts. It is easier to educate on what people should do, than what the company should do.

Another topic that is crucial to help women deliver results is work environment, particularly as pertains to sexual harassment and bullying. Since the insertion of the

#MeToo movement in our working culture, many companies have been very aggressive when it comes to educating everyone as to what is appropriate behavior in their organizations. The same holds true for their vendors as well.

Since the 2018 edition, when the work environment domain was included in the survey, the scores have been higher than other domains. According to company leaders, climbing importance on their sexual harassment and bullying questions trace to strategic campaigns aimed at everyone.

When asked about their companies’ commitment to prevent the aforementioned sexual slights and bullying, women gave their employers an almost perfect score, significantly lowering the risks for lawsuits.

Communication is key.

Leaders must behave as peacocks showing their true colors when it comes to their zero tolerance of sexual harassment and bullying.

If you as a leader discover an opportunity that could jeopardize the security of your systems, you would ask to be fixed immediately for fear that it could have a negative impact on your company’s reputation and financial position.

Don’t wait for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or the Labor Department to make a random visit. Make sure that your HR team conducts a self assessment to make certain the numbers add up and demonstrate how they feel.

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Women inclusion is not limited to your employees!

Your company’s values are not limited to your employees. They should be extended to your vendors and the organizations you support financially. That will not only protect a high level of productivity and results, but will also help you protect your organization from been impacted by third party crises.

After our first W Certified Company™ edition, the results-meetings concluded with leaders thanking us for making them aware of the importance of auditing their efforts when contracting women owned companies.

Since then we have seen an increase among those organizations when procuring a more balanced supply chain. Still companies remain reserved when communicating their positive actions to all their employees.

(Remember the peacock!).

In the United States, (except the territory of Puerto Rico) the federal government has allocated 25 percent of all its purchasing from women owned companies to promote this minority segment. (A similar rule applies to companies that are owned by black, veterans, and people with disabilities).

Companies have different allocations depending on location, market needs, and corporate social responsibility commitments.

Think about the companies you contract, the events you sponsor, the non-profit organizations that you support. The question is: Does your company promote equal pay to them and hire them in the same ratio as male owned companies?

Indeed, surveyed women said that their companies: 42% Ensure that sponsored non-profit or organizations have a gender-balanced board of directors.

89% Hold vendors and clients accountable when it comes to sexual harassment and bullying related situations.

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Does Your Company:

Yes - No - I Don’t know

Understand that women’s welfare is part of their corporate social responsibility?

90% Yes

Contract services and products from women-owned companies?

42% I Don’t Know - No

Support or sponsor external initiatives for the development of women?

84% Yes

Transparency and integrity: Key for companies By: Doris Barroso Managing Partner Employees want their companies and leaders to walk the talk. After years of becoming WCC, we got asked to become the official auditing firm and we immediately said, ‘Yes!’ Why? Because we know firsthand how important it is for companies to do business with trustworthy vendors that have the same values.

In the case of W Certified Companies™, women can rest assured that the processes have the confidentiality of their participation as priority No. 1. We have to commend Women Who Lead, LLC for self-imposing an audit that validates their commitment to transparency and integrity.

Every year companies have increased their competitiveness when it comes to improving their scores. Indeed we have seen total involvement of the leaders in the process and their organizational programs. As a result, this year, we saw a historical double tie, taking the Top 5 to Top 7!

As a former W Certified Company™*, my suggestion to my peers is to take ownership of their women inclusion strategies and tactics to be the force and inspiration to transform your organization into an inclusive one.

*For integrity purposes RSM Puerto Rico, just takes the survey to measure their impact, but not to compete in the certification process.

Moving the economy, accelerating equal pay By: Maite Medero, Esq. Labor Law Partnering with Women Who Lead, LLC, was an obvious move. Both organizations know the impact pay disparity has on women in the workforce and therefore the economy.

If companies want their female consumers to have a stronger impact on their bottom line, they must start in-house. In order for companies to keep up with the times, they need to pay special attention to the Fair Pay Act of 2019. Beyond a legal requirement, leaders should see it as something that will allow them to take the workplace and the business to the next level.

The employer that can say, ‘I do not have pay discrimination’ is the employer of the future. This law aims to help employers transition to an equal-pay business by letting them create a plan to gradually move forward. Employers need to see equal pay as an essential part of a business plan.

If we want our economies to move forward to close wage gaps, we need to move and act now. Unfortunately, this is not something that is going to happen overnight, because we are talking about a big problem carried since m,any years back, with sizable economic implications.

Thanks to W Certified Companies™ for paving the way!

WWhoLead.com

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Celebrate!

Being showcased as a W Certified Company™ is an achievement that belongs to everyone in your organization. Integrate everyone in the conversation. Male talent will be your ambassadors when promoting an inclusive culture and helping you attract the best professionals.

Segment your efforts

Now that you have an idea on how your female talent feels regarding your efforts, focus your training & development budget on the topic and skills that are crucial for their growth according to their gender and generation.

Self Audit

Promoting equal pay will not only have an impact on the economy, but in your business as well. Conduct a self audit, level and communicate your efforts openly.

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Communicate

You saw firsthand the power of communication in your results, mostly in the work environment. Be like a peacock and show your colors and accomplishments inside and outside your organization.

#BuyWomenOwned

Audit your vendors, the events and the non-profit organizations that you sponsor or support. Make sure your company hires at equal levels and promotes pay parity among them.

Top 5 W Certified Companiesâ„¢

WWhoLead.com

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MANUEL S. PALMA

General Manager Edwards Lifesciences Puerto Rico

Edwards Lifesciences: Where Women Lead the Way Progress for women in the work-force at Edwards Lifesciences has seen them become leaders in the company’s most significant departments, which has led to company growth, with women at the head of departments of finance, human resources, supply chain, quality and manufacturing operations.

“Their leadership has allowed us to handle changes in volumes, implementation of new systems and improvements in processes, among others,” said Manuel S. Palma, general manager of Edwards Life-Sciences in Puerto Rico.

“The economic results are seen in the effective administration of expenses, assertive transition of the changes and maintenance of the level of commitment by the employees.”

And, women are a significant part of the workforce at Edwards Lifesciences. In fact, women make up more than 40 percent of the company’s workforce at all levels of the organization. Furthermore, women occupy 56 percent of the leadership positions in the company’s management staff.

“Thanks to their contributions, we have improved productivity by more than 10 percent in recent years, and firmly believe their contributions are a source of cadence for the organization’s success and innovation,” Palma said.

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“Edwards Lifesciences’ reputation as a leader in inclusion and diversity is global, focusing on patients, our employees and the community. On each of these elements, Edwards Lifesciences is a global leader, and this is reflected in our market in the same way.”

Palma explained that adopting inclusion in business strategies is an imperative for avant-garde organizations and goes beyond being just being a metric, for when inclusion in organizations is adopted, success is promoted on a global scale. Palma said that the best way to attract women includes benefits such as “living” the equality of gender opportunities with respect to decision-making, development, compensation, growth opportunities, among others.

“For Edwards Lifesciences, it is important to participate in the W Certified Company™ because it is an external validation process to what we know we do, specifically in our organization,” Palma said. “Through the opinion survey, with the direct and voluntary participation of our female talent and the certification of information offered by human resources, W Certified Company™ objectively confirms that at Edwards Lifesciences, female talent is a [key] to our success.”

Facts • • • •

More than 40 percent of the company’s workforce is women at all levels of the organization, Women’s contribution has improved productivity by more than 10 percent in recent years, Equality in opportunities in decision-making, compensation and growth opportunities, among others, Inclusion has increased the level of employee commitment.

WWhoLead.com

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ILIETTE FRONTERA

Vice President of Operations Boston Scientific

Boston Scientific: Gender Inclusion at Heart of Company’s Success "Diversity and inclusion go hand in hand, for while you may have a diverse group of people working for you, the added value is whether they are integrated into the organization", said Iliette Frontera, vice president of Puerto Rico operations for Boston Scientific, a leader in advanced medical solutions.

“If you have many women, let’s say in our plant in Dorado, but none at the office level, then we are not including that voice in decisionmaking positions that may help in the company’s growth,” Frontera said.

In her 15 years with the company, Frontera said she can vouch for its commitment to diversity and inclusion, adding that included in “our strategies at Boston Scientific, there are initiatives to develop leadership opportunities for women.” In the case of the medical device manufacturer, 57 percent of the company’s directors are women, and on Frontera’s team, women comprise more than 40 percent of the management roles, above the corporate metric that Boston Scientific set as a goal for women’s inclusion.

Furthermore, the company has Employee Resource Groups to foster diversity and inclusion in the workplace, which includes the Boston Scientific Women’s Network that organizes events and activities to promote and advance personal and professional development.

Boston Scientific also has its EXCELerate program, a multiyear

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sponsorship focused on career development of female talent in a range of technical fields, including R&D, manufacturing, supply chain, clinical, quality, information technology, global business systems and security.

“Sponsorship is aimed at identifying and promoting talent that has leadership potential,” Frontera said. “We also provide resources that range from talks and workshops to mentorship programs.”

Frontera explained that being a W Certified Company™ (WCC) has been an invaluable resource as a bench-mark to gauge the organization’s success with its diversity and inclusion efforts and initiatives.

“It is very useful to have a third party take a look at our progress with these efforts, validate them and allow us to identify opportunities for growth in our commitment to diversity and inclusion,” Frontera added.

Facts • • • •

57 percent of the women are at the director level or higher at the Dorado site, Goal of 40 percent representation by women at the supervisory level and above, Diversity is key to create a winning team that drives high performance, and Firm commitment to having diverse, qualified candidate pools to fill open leadership roles.

WWhoLead.com

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MIGDALIA BONILLA

General Manager Microsoft Operations Puerto Rico

Microsoft Puerto Rico Fosters Women Talent in Tech Industry Diversity and inclusion are one of the cornerstones of corporate culture at Microsoft, according to Migdalia Bonilla, general manager of Microsoft Operations Puerto Rico.

“It is something that allows us to carry out our mission of... empowering all people and organizations so they can achieve their full potential,” Bonilla said. “So, if that is our mission—what we are telling our clients—we have to also make sure we allow our people to achieve their own potential, and our potential as a company, through inclusion.”

Bonilla said 50 percent of her staff with decision-making power are women, but that as a whole, there is still more room for inclusion because across the world, women have 35 percent participation in the tech industry, while in the United States it is 25 percent and 24 percent at Microsoft.

“We also have to take a look at education and academics, when you have only 35 percent of women choosing a career in technology, while you have projections that in the coming 10 years there will be 2.8 million jobs, and 80 percent will be in the technology industry,” Bonilla said.

With this latter point, she added, Microsoft has a series of initiatives to spark student interest in the possibilities of tech

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studies or careers such as the DigiGirlz program, through which schoolgirls visit the Microsoft facilities in Humacao; and alongside the Science, Technology & Research Trust, the Microsoft Girls STEAM Challenge, through which students are provided a chance to propose a solution for a social or community situation involving STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts or Math) fields.

Furthermore, Microsoft develops and nurtures talent by offering coaching, mentoring and job shadowing programs to support women’s career growth as well as their personal lives.

“Our benefits are probably one of the most [appealing] elements that allow us to attract, foster and retain women talent,” Bonilla said. These include maternity leave that extends up to 20 weeks with full salary; and a family caregiver license that supports women attending to a family member with a serious health condition for up to four weeks with full pay.

Facts • • • •

Offers coaching, mentoring and job shadowing programs, Maternity leave up to 20 weeks with full salary pay, Initiatives such as DigiGirlz and the Microsoft Girls STEAM Challenge, 50 percent of decision-making staff are women.

WWhoLead.com

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WENDY PERRY

Executive Managing Director Merck Puerto Rico

At Merck P.R., Women Play a Major Role in the Formula for Success The fact that 79 percent of Merck’s workforce in Puerto Rico comprises women speaks to the company’s dedication to employee needs at Merck, such as the League of Employees of African Descent (LEAD), Merck Hispanos Organization and the Merck Rainbow Alliance, among others. Every Merck subsidiary around the world—more than 140 locations around the globe—has a Merck Women’s Network (MWN) chapter.

“When we are searching for a candidate for a job position, we seek a person who has the best skills and preparation for that position,” Perry said. “But we are seeing more and more women applying for jobs, women who are well-prepared.”

This has been a trend in the healthcare segment, which was an industry dominated by men 30 years ago.

“While there is still more work to be done, in these years, more women are pursuing studies in science, technology, engineering and mathematics and choosing careers related to these fields,” Perry said. “Thus, we have seen their numbers increase in such sectors as health, biopharma and manufacturing.”

Perry explained that as a W Certified Company™, Merck Puerto Rico has one more valuable resource to assess the company’s performance when it comes to its gender equity.

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“A company may have internal resources to determine where it stands on inclusion, but it is always healthy to have an external resource to validate that information,” Perry said. “It is a very effective tool and we go over the results carefully...to develop action plans that help us solidify our position regarding women’s progress at Merck.”

Facts • • • •

79 percent of Merck’s workforce in Puerto Rico comprises women, Training, mentoring, coaching and sponsor programs, More than 140 locations around the globe, Searches candidates for jobs, based on best skills and preparation.

WWhoLead.com

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RICARDO MORALES

General Manager BASF Puerto Rico

Women at BASF: Agents of Change This year, BASF in Puerto Rico launched a group called “Women” to provide company employees another means through which they can network, do development work and learn about community activities that have an impact on women.

“Through this initiative, we are strengthening the development of skills and experiences necessary for your continued development in our company,” said Ricardo Morales, general manager of BASF in Puerto Rico. “The development opportunities offered to our employees have transformed into a greater commitment to our operations.”

Such example is the women employees at BASF in Puerto Rico, who have been certified in Lean Six Sigma, the work method that aims to stream-line business operations.

One of these women employees has been leading an Operational Excellence initiative to foster “Lean,” or more efficient, company processes. This initiative has led to the implementation of more than 50 improvement projects, which in turn resulted in economic benefits for BASF in Puerto Rico, with an impact of more than $4 million a year, and having a positive impact on the working culture of the personnel at BASF on the island.

“The employees who have worked with Lean Six Sigma have worked on the projects from start to finish, making sure all the

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improvements have been implemented and the proposed benefits have been achieved,” Morales said. “These employees’ commitment was key to achieving economic benefits and fostering a culture of improvement.”

Morales explained that taking part in the W Certified Company™ demonstrates the commitment a business has in the development of its employees,” allowing us to know what they think about the effectiveness of the initiatives and programs the company offers them and strengthens our branding in the market for the recruitment of women.”

“Also, W Certified Company™ provides firms with other learning and development opportunities for their employees by participating in the activities they carry out throughout the year,” Morales said.

“It also helps companies see other perspectives to encourage the participation and opinions of employees in the continuous improvement of existing initiatives and programs for employees [ongoing] development.”

Facts • Women employees have been certified in Lean Six Sigma • Inclusion through programs to attract, develop and retain employees • Among the Top 50 companies by Women Engineers Magazine

WWhoLead.com

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CARLOS RIVERA VELEZ

Director Stryker Puerto Rico

Stryker Puts Words into Action When it Comes to Inclusion When it comes to diversity and inclusion, Stryker, the medical technology manufacturer that has its plant in Arroyo, walks the talk.

“Branding creates reputation and through our efforts and initiatives in the areas of diversity and inclusion, especially the inclusion of women, people know we practice what we preach,” said Carlos Rivera Vélez, senior director of Stryker in Puerto Rico, who also heads company operations in Mexico and the rest of Latin America.

“But more than this branding, the essential fact is that through inclusion and diversity, we are promoting the best environment for our professionals to thrive in and offer the best of their talents to the company.”

Specifically for women, Stryker has its Stryker’s Women’s Network, a vision to foster a culture of growth and inclusion for women through a purposeful strategy that focuses on: Influence of change, which aims to promote several initiatives for cultural and organizational change for the development and positioning of women; educational plans to reduce barriers that may limit participation or opportunities for women; and development to identify areas of growth for and retention of women.

In this area, the company has launched excellent coaching, mentoring and networking programs, customized for the local markets in which Stryker operates. In the case of Puerto Rico, five

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out of 11, or 45 percent, of company leaders who report to Rivera Vélez are women, and when it comes to plant managers, 67 percent are women. “Inclusion is essential for an operations’ success because every person is a world onto himself or herself and can bring a new perspective, a new take, whether it is to problem-solve, or developing solutions or strategic plans,” Rivera Vélez said.

She added that Stryker has put benefits in place that aim to attract diverse talent and create an uplifiting work environment.

“For example, on Fridays, [employees] can work remotely or take a half-day off, and our employees can bring their children or family to work. We are more than 1,000 employees and our inclusion efforts and benefits make working at Stryker feel like we are working for a large family or a small town where everybody knows everyone.”

Facts • • • •

Stryker’s Women’s Network fosters a culture of growth and inclusion, 67 percent of plant managers are women, Inclusion allows for new perspectives in planning and decision-making Benefits include working remotely and working half a day on Fridays.

WWhoLead.com

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MARISOL VEGA COUTO

Managing Director Arcos Dorados Puerto Rico & U.S. Virgin Islands

Inclusion, Diversity Come Natural to Arcos Dorados Issues such as inclusion, equity, and diversity are nothing new at Arcos Dorados, the franchise under which the McDonald’s chain of restaurants operates in Puerto Rico, as well as in the Caribbean region and Latin America, and the largest franchise within the company.

“McDonald’s is a company where progress is based on meritocracy,” said Marisol Vega Couto, managing director of Arcos Dorados in Puerto Rico & the U.S. Virgin Islands. “Man, woman, person of color, white, gay or straight, young or old, it does not matter. What matters is what defines your position and growth in the company, that you have the qualities, skills and attributes that make you the best person for that position.”

As for management, 50 of the 66 restaurants in Puerto Rico are supervised by female general managers, and seven of the 11 business departments in the company are directed by women leaders.

As part of Arcos Dorados’ inclusion initiatives, the company launched the Women Network in Latin America, under the lead of Yuisa Jiménez Pérez, legal director of the Caribbean Division. Vega Couto explained that Arcos Dorados’ mission of promoting equal growth opportunities and progress for men and women involves a commitment to respect the balance between work and personal life.

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“We decided it was time to participate in W Certified Company™ because it relates to an issue that is very important for the company, and is the basis of the company’s success,” said Vega Couto, who is the first Puerto Rican woman to lead the operation. “Even though, due to our meritocratic approach, we are well-ahead in terms of diversity and inclusion, especially in Puerto Rico, being a WCC sends a message throughout the company of our achievements and opportunities for growth with these issues.”

While this is the first year Arcos Dorados in Puerto Rico has participated in the WCC, it landed among the top-five WCC companies.

“That is huge for us,” Vega Couto said. “It is a validation of something that comes natural to us, in terms of inclusion and diversity, as well as helping identify areas where there is even more room for progress.”

Facts • 50 of the 66 Puerto Rico McDonald’s have women general managers, • Meritocracy is at the heart of growth opportunities with Arcos Dorados, • Seven of the 11 Business Departments in Arcos Dorados in Puerto Rico are led by women.

*RSM validated that there were two ties, elevating the top five positions to top seven.

Interviews conducted by Caribbean Business newspaper.

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AIG is proud to have women who bring value and innovative perspectives to the company’s business strategies. By means of a culture of inclusion, along with global programs addressing diversity at all levels. AIG company demonstrates the enthusiasm of contributing to an avant-garde corporate vision. With a common interest in professional development, we capture the interest of women inside our organization.

Having received this award for five years in a row demonstrates our commitment with diversity and inclusion as an important part of the value proposition that AIG presents to its employees and leaders.

Baxter Guayama is proud to be a W Certified Company™ 2019. Our strategy is to provide attractive internal and external opportunities to support and advance women in their careers.

We are constantly identifying the right opportunities for our female talent, that range from short-term assignments, rotational development programs and cross-trainings, to networking/benchmarking events.

In our effort to support future professionals, Baxter female executives provided a conference to the Society of Women Engineers from the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez campus. They shared their personal success story and inspired students to pursue their degree to become future leaders.

In Baxter Guayama, we have a strong partnership with our female employees—they are key to our continued success and future.

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At CooperVision, we are committed to celebrating and investing in our talented women professionals. This year, we designed a formal Women Inclusion Strategy to focus our efforts of unleashing our women’s capabilities to their highest level through four pillars: Continuous Development, Professional Networking, Well-being, and Community.

Recently, CooperVision Puerto Rico held its inaugural Women’s Conference focused on these four pillars. During this meeting, we highlighted the contributions made by our women professionals and our action plan. For their continuous education, we will continue to invest on professional networking activities and external/internal training in technical and soft skills.

In addition, we enhanced their well-being through a state-of-the-art Wellness Center with monthly wellness activities and two personal fitness coaches. We embrace community building by participating and sponsoring different events throughout the year. Some of them are focused on women such as: GET by STEM in partnership with University Puerto Rico at Ponce.

It is our belief that there is no professional difference between men and women.

Going further, we have a strong conviction that women are an extraordinary source of talent and commitment because in the professional arena, they are obligated to compete with men, but not under the same conditions.

Therefore, their efforts to succeed are often greater.

Without discriminating against men, we have found that results from women in the same position, have allowed us to obtain better results.

In L’Oréal Caribe, we are focused on the advancement of women in top leadership positions, ensuring equal pay for equal work and community engagement in support of women’s issues. Women represent over 60 percent of the management committee and over 70 percent of our senior management positions.

L’Oréal Caribe actively engages with its female employees to assess how they can best support them and is constantly evaluating plans and policies to ensure a best-in-class work environment. As an example, enhancements were recently made to Maternity & Parental Leave policies to increase maternal leave from 14 to 16 weeks paid leave and parental leave from 15 days to 8 weeks of paid leave. We also offer financial support and paid leave for adoptions. Overall, our goal is to create an environment where all people, regardless of ethnicity, social background, religion, age or disability are welcomed, empowered and have the opportunity to excel.

ManpowerGroup hires people who value people who are prone to figure out how to optimize human potential, including women. They are open to strategies that support balancing life, measuring success on performance and quality of output. At ManpowerGroup, top leadership is expected to own this talent legacy—by what they say, what they do and how they lead.

Succession planning requires a more deliberate and more purposeful approach to creating a culture that includes women. We set a goal to reach 40 percent by 2020 of women in executive leadership teams. We are an equal opportunity organization, male or female, regardless of age, gender or race. Conscious inclusion is about ensuring all people feel welcome and valued.

A t McCain’s Calatin Region, we are honored to be inducted in the recognized Women Who Lead™ Platform in 2019, our first year participating as a W Certified Company™.

We are the largest frozen potato & appetizers company in the world with more than 20,000 employees and over 53 production facilities on six continents around the globe. We are committed to diversity and inclusion (D&I) globally. We are honored with this distinction of our Calatin region, which is composed of 32 countries (where we have employees in Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama, Honduras and El Salvador).

Our employee distribution by gender is 53 percent women and 47 percent men. Most importantly, our Senior Executive Leadership Team is evenly balanced. We are dedicated and proud of offering working solutions to our customers and consumers through innovation, high engagement service and proximity to the markets, while staying true to our values.

In less than a year, the Medtronic Puerto Rico Hub grew its membership by 97 percent, becoming the third largest Medtronic Women’s Network (MWN) hub globally, with more than 1,250 members (44 percent of the membership is male).

With a governance structure representing each location and aligned to one strategy, the hub developed programs and events to support the MWN pillars: supporting women’s career development, developing capabilities of leaders to influence female development, and being recognized as a place where women grow. In May 2019 we held our Ignite MWN Summit, in which we hosted over 280 Medtronic employees, 70 percent women and 30 percent men—for a day focused on highlighting the strategic importance of gender diversity. Several Medtronic Executive leaders attended and shared their career and professional insights. The event served as the platform to align our population and leadership teams with the MWN strategies.

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At Danaher and Pall, we are dedicated to building and sustaining a truly diverse and inclusive culture. These are not just words on a page—Diversity & Inclusion is a top priority for the company and is tied deeply to each of our core values. Our mission is to establish an inclusive culture, in which women believe they can be their authentic selves and achieve their aspirations.

In 2018, Danaher and Pall launched our first Associate Resource Groups (ARGs), beginning with Women & Friends, to help further strengthen inclusion within our culture. The ARGs are sponsored networks for associates across all operating companies to come together, share, learn and develop with each other. They help our associates realize their full potential and increase the representation of high-potential, diverse talent at all levels of the organization.

PepsiCo has a strong agenda to retain and boost female talent across the globe.

In Central America and the Caribbean, specifically, thanks to our compensation policies, women and men earn the same in every position, ensuring equal conditions.

Additionally, to create development opportunities for our female talent, we have established different initiatives to promote the growth and professional development of our employees such as the INSPIRA program, which seeks to strengthen the female leadership team or the 2B program, an integrated platform that provides our women with the right tools, knowledge and experience to reach their potential and accelerate their growth. In the Dominican Republic, the Women with Purpose program with FUNDES, seeks to empower women by providing them with the necessary skills to generate income—impacting more than 500 women.

Data provided by the companies.

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At Santander, we strongly believe in equality, diversity and inclusion, a belief that has led us to establish employee programs that promote cultural diversity and ensure that all groups are represented through local networks.

Amongst these programs, the Women’s Network promotes personal and professional development opportunities for our female talent and provides outreach to our communities to help women achieve their goals and foster their well-being.

Santander’s female talent in Puerto Rico currently represents 50 percent of senior management and 54 percent of leadership positions, evidencing the development and growth opportunities we currently offer and the strong commitment we have towards an inclusive organization.

We are very proud to be recognized for a second consecutive year. We will continue our active support towards an environment that fosters diversity and inclusion in our organization.

Want your company to be showcased as a Preferred Employer for Women?

Register in the W Certified Company™ 2020 Edition

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Annual Report