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WEConnect Women in Enterprise Connecting to Contracts Newslink 4 August 2008 |
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Welcome WEConnect has much to celebrate and share with you. Our corporate membership continues to grow – we welcome IBM as our newest member. Our certified WBE’s are growing and contract opportunities are being shared. There is great excitement in our team as we plan for our first conference ‘Get Connected 08’ generously hosted by Merrill Lynch in their central London conference suite. We look forward to sharing the information and inspiration with you on October 31st 2008 and as it is Halloween plan on sharing a little enterprise magic! Sue Lawton Director of Development, WEConnect |
Join WEConnect at our 2008 Annual Conference - Government says WEConnect critical to Enterprise Stategy WEConnect announces new Chair of board Celebrating the success of inspirational women MP backs WEConnect at high-profile US conference Learning from experience: UK WBE reports back from major US supplier diversity conference WEConnect gears up for 2012 Olympics WEConnect teams up with Business Link London to inspire women in the capital J.P. Morgan put responsible procurement at the heart of contracting |
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Join WEConnect at our 2008 Annual Conference Booking is now open for the first WEConnect conference which will take place on 31st October in central London. We gratefully acknowledge the support of conference host and WEConnect corporate member Merrill Lynch. Join us in October to:
The full conference programme and booking form can be downloaded at http://www.weconnect.org.uk/conference2008 Book before 30 September to claim the early bird booking rate. For further information contact Julia O'Rourke or Kati Wakefield on +44 (0)8456 187302 or email events@weconnect.org.uk Host of the WEConnect Annual Conference
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Government says WEConnect critical to Enterprise Stategy
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WEConnect announces new Chair of board
We are delighted to announce our new Chair Victoria Hardie, EMEA Regional Supplier Diversity Manager Procurement from Citi Business Services. Meet Victoria and hear about her dedication to supplier diversity and the vision she shares with her WEConnect Board members at our 2008 Annual Conference. |
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WEConnect was delighted to sponsor the prestigious Prowess Award in the 'Inspirational Woman' category. The award was won by Suzanne Liversidge, Managing Partner of Sheffield Halliwells LLP. In the entire time Suzanne has been at the organisation she has never lost a client. She also established 'Inspiring Women' - a division of the Sheffield Chamber of Commerce to connect business women in the city. The award was presented at a high-profile celebration, at the Regency Hyattt Birmingham, by Victoria Hardie of Citi and new WEConnect Chair. Sue Lawton, WEConnect Director of Development, who was on the award judging panel said "Suzanne is enormously dynamic, enthusistic and postive, she has worked hard to promote women in business because she recognizes them as a powerful regional economic force". For a full list of award winners and finalists visit: http://www.prowess.org.uk/awards/aboutawards.asp Back to the top |
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MP backs WEConnect at high-profile US conference
WEConnect supporter Lorely Burt MP was the keynote speaker during the International day of the WBENC (Women's Business Enterprise National Council) conference in Atlanta. WBENC is the certifying body for WBEs in the United States. Lorely addressed the 2500 delegates and shared her commitment to supplier diversity in the UK and her firm support for WEConnect. Conference themes included the emerging potential of supplier diversity in the UK, Canada, India and China. Lorely and WEConnect Director of Development Sue Lawton met with leading corporations who understand the importance of supply chain diversity and encouraged them to extend thier contract opportunities to UK based WBEs. Lorely said: ‘including women business owners in contract opportunities is essential to the enterprise growth of the UK. We now need public and corporate Britain to report on their diversity in their supply chain activity as well as within the body of their organisation as a routine part of their annual report. This will give quantifiable evidence of both their activity and the added value it has brought to their supply chain. I will continue to work cross party to ensure this remains a priority.’ If you can help Lorely champion this in any way she can be contacted on burtl@parliament.uk Back to the top |
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| Learning from experience: UK WBE reports back from major US supplier diversity conference
Madeleine White, one of our latest certified WBE's recently attended the WBENC Conference in Atlanta. She was struck by the potential for supplier diversity in the UK, seeing how in the US certification can tangibly affect your botttom line. Here she shares her highlights: "After meeting Linda Denny – CEO of WBENC and Nell Merlino of Count Me In - in the UK back in February I was determined to experience the Power of Progress 2008 WBENC conference for myself. There are three key impressions I wanted to share: What being a US WBE means Certification in the States is something that can tangibly affect your bottom line. Not just in terms of contracts with corporations, but also in terms of the infectious, positive modelling amongst the WBEs themselves. Indeed, the fact that I am certified in the UK, has meant that several opportunities have arisen for creativeuk solutions from US companies who are looking to explore expansion within the UK. The cultural of success Our percpetion of success in the UK is not based on real women yet, instead it is often defined by mass-media soundbites. In the US, WBE successes are celebrated as being part of an agenda that has strengthened the national business arena. Women such as Jarlin Fox, the African American Head of the influential MBNUSA, Sharon Avent, the matriarch of Smead Enterprises and Pamela O’Rourke of Icon prove this point. Working with WBENC has meant that their successes (measured in $millions) and leadership styles can be shared with other WBEs (it also shows corporations why a diversity agenda is a business imperative). Finally, Bernice King - Martin Luther King's daughter - told us: 'Freedom is never really won, you earn it and win it with every generation'. It is about making money, but what we’re doing is also about leaving a legacy. That is probably the most important thing I learnt and thus what I leave you with. " Footnote Astra will be extending their market fair in 2009 to include UK based WBE's and Corporations. We will keep you informed of the planning of this exciting business opportunity as it develops. Back to the top |
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WEConnect gears up for 2012 Olympics WEConnect is supporting women-owned businesses to capitalise on the huge procurement opportunities presented by the London Olympic 2012 games. In partnership with the Department of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) and the national Women's Enterprise Task Force, WEConnect is delivering a series of procurement road shows across the UK. Road shows have taken place in Bristol, Manchester, Glasgow and Sheffield and have been a fantastic opportunity for women owned companies to catch up with WEConnect and learn from other procurement experts. For details of future events contact Kati at k.wakefield@weconnect.org.uk |
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Sarah McPherson, WBE Develoment Associate has been out on the road meeting hundreds of business women looking at becoming certified WBEs (Women Business Enterprises). WEConnect recently teamed up with Business Link London for a celebration of women in business held at the fabulous Guoman Town Hotel at Tower Bridge. Over 200 women attended the event for workshops, inspirational speakers and plenty of networking. To get in touch with Sarah, your WBE Development Associate contact: s.mcpherson@weconnect.org.uk |
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| J.P. Morgan put responsible procurement at the heart of contracting
J.P. Morgan’s recent ‘Responsible Procurement’ conference indicated just how procurement contracting in the U.K. is changing, as far greater emphasis is placed on supplier diversity. J.P. Morgan has long been committed to supplier diversity and used this conference to bring the firm’s tier one suppliers together, along with certified women business owners in WEConnect, including Sophie Moore of Comtec, and representatives from a wide range of corporations to discuss the importance of diversity in supply chains. In outlining its own procurement priorities for 2009, J. P. Morgan, a leading global financial services firm with assets of $1.6 trillion, made clear how it requires all of its tier one suppliers to provide details of their own supply chain diversity practices as part of their bid application process. To learn more about the responsible procurement conference, please contact: Jane Isles at supplier.diversity.emea@jpmchase.com | |
WEConnect team head to Northern Ireland The WEConnect team is heading to Northern Ireland for a certification workshop on 14th October. WEConnect are partnering with Invest Northern Ireland and will be meeting local business women eager to find out about certification and strengthen their links with multinationals in the region. For details of the event contact Kati Wakefield on +44 (0)8456 187302 or email k.wakefield@weconnect.org.uk
At WEConnect we are committed to representing and supporting women owned businesses across the UK we will partner with organisations and run workshops wherever there is demand. If you think you could bring together 15 or more potential Women Business Enterprises (WBEs) and would like us to come and run a certification workshop, give us a call on +44 (0)8456 187302 |
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The applications to become fully certified Women Business Enterprises (WBEs) are flooding in and we have over 40 new women owned and operated businesses currently going through the application process, in addition to our already certified WBEs. Meet two of the latest businesses to complete the application process and join the certified WBE database below:
NSN Productions are based in Hertfordshire and operate nationally. They were established in 2005 and are a live musical entertainment and team building management company. NSN are suppliers of live musical entertainment for corporate events, including business dinners, corporate entertainment, award ceremonies, conferences and product launches. Their team building services focus on music related activities. See www.nsn-productions.com
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If you already have women owned businesses in your supply chain we want to know about them! We would like to encourage all those women business owners already active in your contract activity to join WEConnect. This will enable you to count them in your diversity spend in the knowledge that they truly are women owned. It will also give WEConnect role models and examples of success to encourage other women business owners to step forward and join our database. The certification fee is currently £500 but you may choose to sponsor your existing suppliers to demonstrate your confidence in them. Please send any potential WBE’s details to Kati Wakefield k.wakefield@weconnect.org.uk |
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Julia O'Rourke has also been seconded from Prowess to specifically coordinate the WEConnect October Conference 'Get Connected 2008'. Julia can be contacted at: events@weconnect.org.uk |
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Independent Freight Solutions Ltd Independent Freight Solutions Ltd is a specialist supplier of freight and transport services, providing customised freight forwarding, both import and export, that recognises clients’ individual needs and provides a personal, competitive, no-nonsense approach. Customers range from major companies exporting or importing components and finished goods to and from their overseas markets, to individuals needing to send personal effects overseas. All volumes of freight are handled, from documents and packages to pallets and containers. http://www.independent-freight.com/
To meet some more of our certified Women Business Enterprises visit: http://www.weconnect.org.uk/wbe-profiles/ Click here for more information on how to become certified Women Business Enterprise |
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WEConnect Corporate Membership
Charter Member (eligible for board seat, first sponsorship opportunities) £10,000 plus VAT (value added tax at 17.5%)
Standard Member £6,000 plus VAT
Members now include: Founding Members Accenture, Bank of America , Hewlett Packard, Microsoft, New Technology Steel, Pfizer Charter Members: Cisco, Merrill Lynch Europe Plc and Citi
Standard Members: Marriott, Mastercard, Credit Suisse Securities (Europe) Ltd, Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan, IBM
WBE Supporters Terri McNally – Global Capital Ltd and Lisa Hanlon - Teltech National and Multi National Corporations wishing to become members of WEConnect can find full details of member benefits and fees on our website at: http://www.weconnect.org.uk/corporate-membership
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WEConnect - women in enterprise connecting to contracts.Please send comments and news or information sources to k.wakefield@weconnect.org.uk by the 28th of the month. If this newsletter has been forwarded to you and you would like to be kept informed about WEConnect please e-mail your contact details to k.wakefield@weconnect.org.uk Let us know too if you want to be taken off the mailing list at any time. This newsletter is produced for information only. While we believe the content is accurate we can accept no responsibility for any errors or omissions. WEConnect is happy for recipients to forward and redistribute items in this Ezine, however we ask that WEConnect is credited as the source and that where appropriate there is a link to our website. © WEConnect (part of Prowess Ltd) 2008. Lion House, 20-28 Muspole Street, Norwich NR3 1DJ Tel 08456 187302 Fax 01603 227090 www.weconnect.org.uk |
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Brynels Hats and Accessories are based in the West Midlands and were established in 2007. Brynels carry a wonderful selection of hats and accessories, of which many are one off pieces. They also provide a specialist service for those suffering hair loss and and also specialist service for deceased and bereaved. See 
