With Women’s History Month just drawn to a close, NeuGroup spotlights one of its most important, most unique groups.
In late 2018, after years of servicing a broad (but majority male) membership of corporate finance and treasury professionals, NeuGroup created an initiative for the growing—now roughly 30% of our membership—but not specifically served minority of the NeuGroup community: women.
Under the guidance of peer group leaders Anne Friberg and Julie Zawacki-Lucci, WiNG was created to service:
- NeuGroup alumnae
- Current women members
- Women colleagues of current members
- Women member prospects and guests
Looking back. The group started out as physical events timed to coincide with peer group meetings of large groups, with venues selected in areas with a concentration of members and prospects, initially in NYC and the San Francisco Bay Area.
- The inaugural event, hosted by NeuGroup member Mastercard, was timed to be held the day before the Treasurers’ Group of Mega-Caps (now known as NeuGroup for Mega-Cap Treasurers) meeting, and invited NYC-based members, colleagues and prospects. Also invited were women members of the Treasurers’ Group of Thirty (now known as NeuGroup for Mid-Cap Treasurers) which also had its H1 meeting the next day in New York City. It opened with a keynote presentation from a NeuGroup alumna on her own tried-and-tested career tips for women, followed by three 15-min rounds of small-group conversations around three tables chaired by senior members of NeuGroup.
- The second meeting, later in 2019, had a similar setup as the first event, but was held in San Francisco the day before the Tech20 H1 meeting in early May. Hosted by Salesforce, also a NeuGroup member, the meeting’s theme was focused on being broader diversity than just women’s careers.
- The third event, hosted by Expedia in Seattle, featured career tips from an alumna who has gone on to become a CFO, and coincided with the peer group meeting of the group with the highest percentage of women, the Global Cash and Banking Group (now known as NeuGroup for Global Cash and Banking).
Looking forward. Much has changed since WiNG first took flight, but NeuGroup’s mission remains the same in this new, virtual world: To offer women in treasury and finance functions opportunities to engage in discussion on career development with peers and hear from senior executives.
- In the first half of 2020, WiNG met for a virtual “Power Panel” of guests from Walmart, and just last September, WiNG set a new attendance record in a Zoom-only meeting, discussing sponsorship and the benefits of tough love.
Stay tuned to What’s Neu for more on WiNG and NeuGroup’s initiatives.
