27 Apr Women in Wholesale Launches STAR Awards at Speed Event
Woman in Wholesale (WiW) is inviting talented individuals and teams to step up and be counted with the launch of its first STAR Awards.
The awards will cover five categories: Best Initiative to Retain and Develop Talent; Best Inclusive Leader; Woman of the Year; Best Newcomer, and Best Marketing Campaign, to be presented at the 4th WiW Conference on 10 October in London.
“WiW is delighted to be launching the WiW STAR Awards. One of the best paths to progression is through peer recognition and this is a great way to showcase outstanding talent throughout the industry,” says WiW founder Elit Rowland.
Two of the awards (Best Inclusive Leader and Best Newcomer) are open to both men and women and will celebrate those who have championed diversity throughout their business, or newcomers who have made an impact on sales, customer service or through customer or employee engagement.
Using all the award entries, WiW will collate examples of best practice to form a free resource to be shared at October’s event.
“There’s a real opportunity for women to learn from others and to make visible female role models – something women often tell us the wholesale industry is lacking,” added Rowland.
The announcement follows a successful speed networking event on 25 April which saw around 130 women gather in central London to enjoy ten mentoring sessions, delivered by industry experts.
Hosting the event, Melanie Hannay, Regional Director, London Commercial Sectors, Royal Bank Of Scotland said: “Networking events like WiW, being mentored and having industry sponsors are key to where women draw their energy, so events like this are invaluable.”
The 15 minute sessions covered a range of topics: resilience training with Carlsberg’s National Account Controller Helen Rimmer; How to Stand Out in Meetings with Tanya Pepin, Director of the Whole Sale Co; Managing Difficult People and Situations with RBS’s Melanie Hannay; Effective Negotiation with Sugro UK’s Head of Trading and Marketing Yulia Goodwin; Time Management with Executive Coach Carol Glover; Communicating with Confidence with Clare Bocking, Commercial Director at Tulip; Winning in Wholesale with FWD chief executive James Bielby, and How to Empower Your Female Network with Stefan Appleby, Trade Consultant at Hanover.
“Women in Wholesale is now in its 4th year and we continue to develop our programme to suit the evolving needs of women in the industry,” said Rowland.
To enter the Awards, simply scroll down OR visit: http://www.newerapr.co.uk/women-in-wholesale/wiw-star-awards/
The WiW annual conference takes place on 10 October at the Royal Society of Medicine, 1 Wimpole Street, W1G 0AE
And the categories are…
Best Initiative to Attract and Retain Talent
Attracting, retaining and progressing talent is one of the biggest challenges our industry faces. This category is open to businesses that have put a specific initiative in place to retain and develop staff, while demonstrating the diversity of talent it has benefitted. The nomination should focus on one or a few key initiatives, with measurable results shown.
Best Inclusive Manager
It is vital for leaders to have an inclusive approach to help support and progress talent. This category is open to an individual (male or female) who has put specific methods or initiatives in place to attract, support and develop staff and champion diversity within their business. Specific examples of people supported are welcome.
Woman of the Year
This category is open to an individual who has been a positive role model to other females in the industry and in their business through championing diversity at all levels, sponsoring or mentoring men or women, and making diversity a priority at senior level with a measurable results. People can be self-nominated or put forward by others.
Best Newcomer
Encouraging and supporting newcomers to the channel is key to inspiring loyalty and a long-term career in wholesale. This Award will recognise an individual (male or female, regardless of age) who has worked in wholesale for less than 18 months and is making a measurable impact on sales, customer service or customer / employee engagement.
Best Marketing Campaign
Attracting a greater diversity of people into our channel is one way of making UK foodservice and grocery wholesale a more diverse and attractive career destination. This category will reward people campaigns and other initiatives that portray wholesale to be an exciting, attractive long-term career choice using a multitude of platforms and channels including digital and social media. Results must include engagement figures.
Ends
About Women in Wholesale
WiW is an educational networking event set up in 2016 to inspire, support and progress women working in wholesale on both the wholesale and FMCG side. Following a successful conference, a mid-conference event was launched to support peer networking and launch useful resources. A WiW Steering Committee was set up in 2017 to support the growth and development of the initiative. WiW delegates are 80% female and 20% male. The majority of attendees are UK grocery and foodservice wholesalers, followed by FMCG brands. WiW has launched two reports – Six Steps to Advance Talent in Wholesale and How to Market Wholesale Jobs to Women. In 2018 WiW was awarded Best Business Initiative of the Year at the Grocer Gold Awards. For more information visit: http://www.newerapr.co.uk/women-in-wholesale/
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