|
WPEO awards breakfast
draws a crowd
Corporations and WBEs were recognized for their work; the economy was a hot discussion topic
On a late winter morning, women business owners and their corporate supporters gathered at New York’s Mandarin Oriental hotel. They were there for the annual awards breakfast of the Women Presidents’ Educational Organization (WPEO), a regional partner organization of the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC). WPEO-NY includes WBEs in New York and northern New Jersey; WPEO-DC serves WBEs in the Washington, DC area.
The main business of the morning was recognizing corporations that have done outstanding work in supplier diversity, along with outstanding WBEs. Corporate awards went to Freddie Mac, Capital One, Ernst & Young and Avis Budget Group.
The hot topic in both formal speeches and informal conversation was, of course, the national economic situation. WPEO-NY executive director Marsha Firestone encouraged WBEs to focus on areas that remain active: government contracting, healthcare and IT. A panel of supplier diversity execs from Pfizer, Merrill Lynch and Capital One, sponsors of the event, also addressed the topic.
D/C
|
