FCA US to Host Networking Event for More Than 100 Female Entrepreneurs and Leaders

More than 100 female entrepreneurs and industry leaders are expected to attend a new networking event hosted by FCA US LLC, designed to link women business owners with the automaker's top female leadership.

The "W2W Mixer," taking place today at the FCA US headquarters in Auburn Hills, Michigan, features women representing 85 different businesses ranging from a maker of high-quality lubricants to an award-winning marketing firm. Participants have the opportunity to pitch their businesses and ideas to a number of FCA executives.

"FCA US is committed to empowering women inside our Company and to increasing the impact women-owned businesses have on our supply base," said Barb Pilarski, Head of Human Resources, FCA US LLC. "Opportunities to connect our women leaders with accomplished women business owners fuel the connections and build the momentum that will move the automotive industry forward."

The event will take place in a speed-networking format, giving attendees the opportunity to network with FCA women leaders from:
Business development
Dealer operations
Finance
Mopar
Purchasing

Representatives from the Great Lakes Women's Business Council (WBC), a nonprofit champion for women, minority and small-business owners, will also be on-hand.

The Women's Alliance, one of seven FCA business resource groups working to elevate inclusiveness, created the event as a way to build meaningful connections with our supplier community.

"To be invited by FCA to network and connect with other business owners in the automotive industry is a sign that our industry is pushing toward gender equity," said Brittany Stovall, co-founder and CEO of Assured Quality Systems. "I applaud FCA for bringing us together to advocate for women-owned businesses."

The W2W Alliance Mixer is part of FCA's 19th annual MatchMaker event, which provides more than 250 minority-owned, women-owned and veteran-owned businesses access to FCA US leaders, buyers, tier-one suppliers and leaders from advocacy and certifying organizations.

In 2017, FCA US spent $8.2 billion with approximately 300 minority-, women- and veteran-owned suppliers, representing more than 18 percent of the Company's total annual purchasing.

Since 1983, the Company has purchased nearly $62 billion from diverse suppliers.

In recent years, FCA US received key leadership awards for its supplier diversity programs, including:
National Minority Supplier Development Council – Corporation of the Year, Top Tier II Diversity Program Award, Innovation, Impact Award
Michigan Minority Supplier Development Council – Corporation of the Year Award
Women's Business Enterprise National Council – Top Corporation for six consecutive years
Great Lakes Women's Business Council – Corporation of the Year
Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce – Top Corporation
Asian Pacific American Chamber of Commerce – Corporation of the Year
WBC – Great Lakes Excellence in Supplier Diversity Award

The Company recently earned meaningful acknowledgement of its diversity leadership when the editors of the respected DiversityInc magazine named FCA US to the magazine's 2018 list of "Noteworthy Companies for Diversity" and to the list of "Top Companies for Veterans."


SOURCE FCA US LLC
Related Links

http://www.fcanorthamerica.com