WASHINGTON–A belief among young women that “I can be anything” has become “I can become everything,” and that has one person concerned about burnout even as she’s encouraged about the future.
Speaking to the Global Women’s Leadership Network breakfast here, Kristen Soltis Anderson, co-founder of Echelon Insights and author of The Selfie Vote, highlighted data and trends driving female consumers and how credit unions can leverage this data to maintain their competitive advantage.
“Today we are asking women who are already leaders in so many areas of their professional and personal lives to save the world, too,” said Soltis Anderson. “Help people make that conversion in your organizations and behave in a way that meets the expectations women have for you, empower them, do not have a one-size-fits-all answer for things and act in a way that is ethical and respectful.
Soltis Anderson stressed it is key for the credit union movement to understand the pressures for women in this arena and to find ways to better equip and prepare women to meet the expectations that they and others have placed upon them.
Susan Mitchell, chair of the Network and CEO of Mitchell, Stankovic and Associates, encouraged credit union leaders to engage men in the movement and raise visibility, focus on diversity, work within their credit unions to mentor and develop talent and get involved with World Council international development programs.
“This is not a women’s issue. It is a human issue and we must think globally and act locally,” said Mitchell.
“Globally, women control 65% of consumer discretionary spending, yet women’s complaints about financial services range from a lack of respect to blanket solutions that leave them behind. Without more women in leadership, credit unions struggle to understand and win over this crucial customer demographic. We believe diversity and inclusion is the driver of innovation,” said Calyn Ostrowski, executive director, Global Women’s Leadership Network.
During the event, Liz Winninger, CEO of Xtend, Inc., was awarded the 2017 Global Women Emerging Leader award, recognizing young women active within the field, making a significant impact on the industry and advancing the values of our mission. Winninger attributed her involvement in advancing the Michigan Sister Society as a direct result of her fellow Global Women sisters and encouraged participants to be a global sibling.
The networking breakfast was sponsored by CO-OP Financial Services; Mitchell, Stankovic & Associates; PSCU and Xtend.
Global Women is a World Council program that was established in 2009 to address and facilitate the industry’s gender gap while also leveraging resources to strengthen the economic security of women and their families.