CHICAGO, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Today, NextUp, formerly the Network of Executive Women (NEW), announced the launch of a powerful brand transformation. The transformation has been sparked by the ongoing underrepresentation of women, particularly women of color, in corporate leadership roles, which has been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. For 20 years, NextUp, the largest non-profit organization dedicated to achieving gender equality in the workplace and advancing women in leadership roles, has championed equal opportunity for women in corporate America through leadership development opportunities and access to a community of people that enable them to thrive in their careers.
NextUp is committed to diversifying its community across gender identity, ethnicity, age, and industry to ensure that everyone feels that they belong. Its members and partners are a collective force for progress, building allyship to support women's careers, eliminating barriers for women in the workplace, championing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEI&B) initiatives, and ultimately transforming corporate cultures. Whether getting board-ready or preparing for the next career move, NextUp supports every community member. This is particularly important as data shows that of the nearly 2.9 million losses of jobs since February 2020, women account for an astounding 63.3% of those losses.
"NextUp is at a pivotal moment, and we are committed to growing and removing obstacles to equality faced by women in the workplace, especially women of color. The pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on women and has widened the equality gap, so the time to transform the norm and evolve is now. That is why we have chosen this exact moment to make this transition," said Sarah Alter, CEO of NextUp. "The most successful leaders and organizations tackle the now by anticipating and preparing for what needs to come next."
By offering proprietary programming to its corporate partners, NextUp is helping business leaders and their organizations advance DEI&B commitments. Today, only 23% of C-suite roles in America's top 1,000 companies are held by women. NextUp is on a mission to raise that statistic, advocating for every C-suite and board room to achieve equity and values diversity. This mission is not only good for women, but for the bottom line, too. Research shows that companies in the top quartile for gender diversity in their executive teams were 21% more likely to have above-average profitability than those in the bottom quartile.
"At Accenture, our commitment to DEI&B starts at the top. We expect leaders at all levels to help create and sustain a culture of equality where everyone can advance and thrive," said Beth Marrion, managing director, global retail consulting practice, Accenture. "I am thrilled to serve on the board of NextUp, where we build allyship, create opportunities, and amplify women's voices. I am proud to work with them to make every workplace equitable. We lift up women's careers at every stage - supporting them in the now and preparing them for what comes next."
Currently, NextUp serves more than 14,000 community members and more than 300 national and regional corporate partners. To learn more about NextUp, or to get involved, visit its new website, and follow along on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok at @NextUpIsNow.
Media Contact
Briana Holmes, NextUp, 312.414.0276, [email protected]
SOURCE NextUp
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