Business Awards Program to Celebrate Excellence Worldwide at Vienna Event

High-achieving organizations and executives around the world have been recognized as Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie® Award winners in The 16th Annual International Business Awards®, the world's only international, all-encompassing business awards program.

Nicknamed the Stevies from the Greek word for "crowned," the awards will be presented at a gala event on Saturday, 19 October at the Andaz Vienna am Belvedere Hotel in Vienna, Austria. Tickets for the event are on sale now at www.StevieAwards.com/IBA.

Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie winners were selected from more than 4,000 nominations received from organizations and individuals in 74 nations. All organizations worldwide are eligible to compete in The International Business Awards, and can submit entries in a wide range of categories, including management awards, company of the year awards, marketing awards, public relations awards, customer service awards, human resources awards, new product awards, IT awards, web site awards, and more. 

More than 250 executives worldwide participated on 12 juries this year to determine the Stevie winners.

LLYC, a global communications and public affairs consulting firm headquartered in Madrid, Spain won 17 Gold Stevie Awards, more than any organization has ever won in a single edition of the IBAs.

Among the other top winners of Gold Stevie Awards are MSLGROUP, USA with 10; IBM, USA (nine), ASDA’A BCW, United Arab Emirates (seven); Ooredoo, Qatar (six); Thai Life Insurance Plc., Thailand (six), Dan Lok Education, Canada (five); Jeunesse Global, USA (five), PT Petrokimia Gresik, Indonesia (five); The Audacious Agency, Australia (four), Makers Nutrition, USA (four), The XD Agency, USA (four), and Zeep Medical, Australia (four).

Deutsche Post DHL, with nominations submitted by affiliates worldwide, won eight Gold Stevies and 45 Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevies in total.

Other organizations with eight or more Stevie wins include Dell Technologies Ltd., worldwide; KocSistem Bilgi ve Iletisim Hizm. A.S., Turkey; PJ Lhuillier, Inc (PJLI), Philippines; SM Supermalls, Philippines; Strategic Public Relations Group, China; Switching-Time, China; Ulled Asociados C.R.P. S.A., Spain; Viettel Group, Vietnam; WNS Holdings (P) Ltd., India; and Yapi Kredi Bank, Turkey. The five nations that have the most winning nominations are the United States, Turkey, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the Philippines.

A complete list of all 2019 Gold, Silver and Bronze Stevie Award winners by category is available at www.StevieAwards.com/IBA.

During the week of 19 August the winners of the Best of the IBA Awards, five best-of-competition prizes, will be announced.  Winners will be determined by a tally of the total number of Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevies won by organizations, and will be presented with Grand Stevie Award trophies in Vienna.

For high-resolution photos of the Stevie Award trophy or International Business Awards logo, visit http://stevieawards.com/iba/photos-and-logos. Other information and resources for press are available at http://stevieawards.com/iba/media-inquiries-news-service-list

The seven judging committee chairs for the 2019 Stevie Awards for Women in Business have been announced. Judging will take place from August 26 - September 30. 

Nominations are still being accepted through August 21 and late entries will be accepted through September 18.

REVIEW THE ENTRY KIT HERE.

Natasha Bansgopaul is the Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of the FinTech Platform, DarcMatter. She is a part of the founding team of both DarcMatter and Konstellation, and co-founded and launched Konstellation, DarcMatter’s blockchain consulting and development division, to leverage blockchain technology to continue to accelerate further efficiencies in the asset management marketplace. Natasha was recognized as Female Entrepreneur of the Year and Female Executive of the Year-Business Service up to 2,500 Employees in the 2018 Stevie Awards for Women in Business. In addition to her various awards and accolades, she is also a distinguished international keynote speaker, presenting at financial services, FinTech, and blockchain conferences throughout Asia and the United States.

Individual/Executive Categories:

Lori VanDyke, Director Client Engagement  

Access One, Chicago, IL

 

Lori has been in the customer service industry for over 20 years, with an emphasis in telecommunications and technology-based industry for the past 14 years. She worked
at US Cellular for eight years and during that time worked within various departments, including the Quality Assurance department, which monitored the interactions with customers to coaching and leading the front line customer service and technical support teams.
 
Lori has worked at Access One for the past six years and currently focuses on overseeing the front line for Access One. Additional duties are creating the onboarding plans for new employees and consistent training for career development for team members. In addition, she assists with training customers with Access One’s call center application service and to go on site to assist with onboarding.

 

Company/Organization Categories:

Angela Hughes, CEO

The Welsh Air Ambulance Charitable Trust, Llanelli, Wales, United Kingdom

 

Angela Hughes was the first employee of the Wales Air Ambulance Charity (WAAC) in 2002. She was previously Finance Director and then European HR and Quality
Manager in the construction and technology industry. As a cancer survivor, at the age of 34, Angela embarked on a new career in fundraising using the transferable business
skills of finance, quality and HR. There was no business plan, no office, no staff, and limited funds. In 2019 WAAC now has 4 offices, 4 airbases, 18 shops, a café, and a heliport. This busy heliport in Cardiff, the capital of Wales, was a pioneering opportunity for WAAC to take on a new venture to generate funds for the lifesaving cause.

 

WAAC is the largest air ambulance charity in the UK. Through a creative, community-
focused strategy, Angela has led the charity in raising more than £101 million to keep
the 4 air ambulances flying for Wales. This has transformed pre-hospital care in Wales.
’The Welsh Model’ is becoming a familiar term as organisations worldwide engage with
WAAC to replicate its model, including the USA, New Zealand and Ireland. Angela has
been recognised nationally and internationally through winning 17 awards, including 2
lifetime achievements, 4 Silver, and a Gold Stevie Award. Angela states “Although I do
not normally seek recognition for my role, these awards have been poignant moments
to reflect on how far we’ve come and they drive me to be the best I can, serving Wales,
saving lives.”

Angela’s recommendation for applicants to this year’s Women in Business Awards is as
follows: “The Stevie Awards have several categories applicable across the world to all
organisations. By selecting the category carefully you can create a niche and generate
good news stories that make you stand out from your competitors. If you exploit the
short-term and long-term benefits of winning a Stevie Award, then all the credibility of
your accomplishments can contribute to improved competitiveness or increased support for non-profits such as ours.”

 

New Product and Service Categories:

Natalia Michael, Founder

No Nasties Kids & Roar Success, Peregian Springs, QLD, Australia

 

Natalia Michael is a multi-award-winning Australian entrepreneur. She is the owner of No Nasties Kids and SLiCK KiDS natural children's brands, and the co-owner of Roar Success, a platform for women in business. No Nasties Kids and SLiCK KiDS products are sold across the globe with distribution and licensee partners in nine countries and growing.

Communications & Marketing Categories:

Hai Yen Le, General Director

Newday Media JSC, Hanoi, Vietnam

 

Hai Yen Le, General Director of Newday Media JSC, is the Leader of Hanoi Young
Women Entrepreneurs Club (HYWE), Vice-chairwoman of Vietnam Media &Tourism Club, and Vice-chairwoman of Hanoi Network of Women Entrepreneurs. After 4 years working in PR at FPT, the largest corporation in technology & science in Vietnam, she started her own business in event management at the age of 27. Within 8 years, from a small business with only 1 employee and $1,000 of operating capital, Newday Media JSC has grown to become an expert in the field with 37 full-time employees and a turnover of over $1 million per annum. The company has a healthy growth rate of 20% every year and has created and directed many successful national festivals working with a number of established businesses and organisations.

Newday Media JSC under Hai Yen’s direction has received multiple certificates and
accolades from local governments and clients and the business goes from strength to
strength. In addition to running her own company Hai Yen believes it’s important to
share her knowledge and experience and is now a senior member of Business Network
International.

Hai Yen was born and raised in Hanoi. Finishing her studies at Hanoi College of Art,
she obtained a degree in Music & Culture Management from the University of Culture Studies.

Media Categories:

Natalie Runyon, Director, Enterprise Content

Thomson Reuters, New York, New York, United States

 

Natalie Runyon has over 20 years of experience working and volunteering for multinational corporations, non profits, and the US Government–Thomson Reuters, Goldman Sachs, and the Central Intelligence Agency.

 

Currently, she is the director of enterprise content for talent, inclusion, and culture within the brand marketing function of Thomson Reuters. Before her current role, she ran the strategy and operations team supporting key account programs within the Legal business. Before that, she ran global security in the Americas for 3 years. As a volunteer leader, she has led strategic leadership and change initiatives on the global and local levels for business resource groups at Thomson Reuters.

Natalie is a conference speaker and an author of articles for the Legal Executive
Institute , The Glass Hammer , Security magazine , and CSO Online . Natalie was
named one of top 20 under 40 in Security Director News in 2013. She also serves on
the board of She Should Run , a non partisan nonprofit focused on building the pipeline
of women to run for elected public office in the US; and the board of Middle Church , a
faith institution in the East Village dedicated to nurturing souls, advocating for social
justice, and standing up for those within marginalized communities.

She earned her MBA from The George Washington University and her BS Degree in
International Trade and Finance from Louisiana State University. She completed an
Organization Development & Leadership certificate from NYU in April 2016 and is a Certified Leadership Coach and Certified Protection Professional. She currently resides in New York City with her husband and two sons.

Achievement Categories:

Vicky Marrack,  Co-Founder & CFO

Tangible Words, Ottawa, Canada  

 

Vicky is Co-Founder and Chief Financial Officer of Tangible Words, a Sales & Marketing Growth Agency. Under Vicky's leadership, the company has grown into a 10-person agency. Tangible Words helps organizations who need to grow their revenue by $1 million or more by increasing customer lifetime value, getting net new profitable leads, and building repeatable, predictable sales processes.  

Vicky's determination to help her staff achieve greatness for their clients while living their best life led to Tangible Words winning the Gold Stevie Award for Achievement in Promoting Work-Life Balance in 2018. In the same year, and in recognition of the results Tangible Words gets for their clients, Tangible Words also won The Hubspot Integrations Innovation Award and a Gold Quill Award of Merit for Communication Management.

On being asked to Chair this year’s Achievement Awards Committee, Vicky told us:
“These Awards are an important recognition for women all over the world. It was a
highlight of our company’s year winning a Gold Stevie Award for Achievement in the
2018 Women in Business Awards. I am very happy to contribute in 2019 as a participant in recognizing the achievements of other women in business.”

Während die Bewerbungsphase der 16. Stevie® Awards for Women in Business auf Hochtouren läuft, geben die Stevie Awards nun das hochkarätige Programm für die zweitägige 2. Women|Future Conference bekannt.

Wer sich frühzeitig registriert, dem winken spezielle Rabatte und eine ganz besondere Verlosung.

Das zweitägige Event für berufstätige Frauen adressiert die drängendsten geschäftlichen Themen von morgen. Von Robotik und Cybersicherheit über die Zukunft von Arbeit bis hin zu künstlicher Intelligenz bietet die Veranstaltung Informationen aus der Perspektive von Frauen aus diesen Bereichen und wie sie die Karrieren berufstätiger Frauen in allen Branchen und Unternehmen beeinflussen werden.

Die Konferenz findet vom 14. bis 15. November 2019 im Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City anlässlich der Preisverleihung der 16. Stevie Awards for Women in Business statt.

Das Programm mit zahlreichen Top-Rednerinnen steht bereits fest. Den ersten Tag der Konferenz wird Sheryl Connelly, Corporate Futurist bei der Ford Motor Company, mit ihrer Keynote „Bekenntnisse eines Corporate Futurist: Kommende Trends, die Ihr Geschäft revolutionieren werden“ eröffnen. Connelly war Rednerin bei TED Global auf CBS Today Morning, CNBCs Fast Money und NPR’s All Things Considered with Robert Siegel.

Eine schnelle Buchung fürs Event lohnt sich. Denn bis zum 13. September 2019 gibt es spezielle Frühbucherrabatte. Außerdem werden aus den ersten 100 bezahlten Registrierungen 20 Teilnehmerinnen ausgelost, die am Donnerstagmorgen an einem exklusiven privaten Frühstück mit Sheryl Connelly teilnehmen dürfen.

Ein weiteres Highlight ist die Keynote von Selena Rezvani von Be Leaderly mit dem Titel „Die Zukunft der Arbeit ist weiblich“. Selena Rezvani ist Autorin einer preisgekrönten Kolumne in der Washington Post und eine beliebte Kolumnistin zum Thema Frauen und Arbeit bei Forbes. Sie spricht jedes Jahr zu Tausenden berufstätiger Frauen und wurde in der LA Times, Oprah.com, Todayshow.com und NPR vorgestellt.

Neben den Keynotes finden Podiumsdiskussionen und Breakout-Sessions zu verschiedenen Branchen und Themen statt, die am Arbeitsplatz relevant sind. Außerdem können die Teilnehmerinnen an verschiedenen Networking-Sessions teilnehmen, die sich ganz unterschiedlichen Themen widmen. Mehrere Finalistinnen der diesjährigen Stevie Awards for Women in Business präsentieren zudem ihre Fallstudien.

Bestätigte Rednerinnen sind unter anderem:

• Ashley Brundage, Vice President, Diversity & Inclusion, PNC
• Alessia Falsarone, Managing Director, SASB FSA,PineBridge Investments
• Catherine Gacad, SVP, Partnerships,Wells Fargo
• Jagathi Gururajan, Global Technology Executive
• Heather Kernahan, President, North America, Hotwire
• Gwen Murphy, Executive Director, Business Technology Services,KPMG 
• Kris Pugsley,Director Global Communications, ON Semiconductor
• Ajeta Sinha, Senior Vice President, Sales and Services,Net2Source
• Michelle Strier, Chief Strategy Officer,Spectrum

Das komplette Programm und die Übersicht über alle Rednerinnen finden Sie unter www.WomenFutureConference.com.

Alle Informationen zur Teilnahme an den 16. Stevie Awards for Women in Business finden Sie unter www.StevieAwards.com/Women.

Full program for two-day November conference in New York announced

The second annual Women|Future Conference is a two-day event for professional women that will address the most pressing business issues of tomorrow. From robotics and cybersecurity, to the future of work and artificial intelligence, the conference will provide information on these topics from the perspectives of women in those fields on how they will affect professional women in all industries – their careers and businesses.

The conference will be presented by the Stevie® Awards in conjunction with the 16^th annual Stevie Awards for Women in Business on November 14-15, 2019 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City. 

See the full agenda and list of speakers at www.WomenFutureConference.com.

Sheryl Connelly, corporate futurist with the Ford Motor Company, will open the first day of the conference with her keynote entitled “Confessions of a Corporate Futurist: Coming Trends That Will Revolutionize Your Business.” Connelly has been a featured speaker at TED Global, appeared on CBS This Morning , CNBC’s Fast Money, and NPR’s All Things Considered with Robert Siegel.

Special early-bird registration rates are available now through September 13. The first 100 paid registrants will be eligible for a drawing from which 20 will be selected at random for an exclusive private breakfast with Sheryl Connelly before her Thursday-morning keynote.

Selena Rezvani of Be Leaderly will present the Friday-morning keynote, called “The Future of Work is Female.” Selena addresses thousands of professional women each year and has been featured in The LA Times, Oprah.com, Todayshow.com, and NPR. She wrote an award-winning column for The Washington Post, and today serves as a popular columnist on women and the workplace for Forbes.

Morning keynote addresses will be followed by panel discussions and breakout sessions on workplace and industry topics, structured networking based on topics of interest, and case studies presented by Stevie Awards for Women in Business finalists.  Each attendee’s experience at the Women|Future Conference will be unique.

There are 12 breakout sessions to select from, looking at how to grow your business online and off, the power of influence, international trade, and more.

Panel sessions featuring 20 industry experts over the two days will explore how artificial intelligence is transforming industries, how to navigate careers through challenging times, diversity and inclusion, and more.

The structured networking sessions are designed to group attendees at tables of like-minded women to discuss issues on the front burner of today – and tomorrow. Attendees will select their topics of interest during the registration process to be paired with a networking leader.

Confirmed conference speakers include, among others:

• Ashley Brundage, Vice President, Diversity & Inclusion, PNC
• Alessia Falsarone, Managing Director, SASB FSA,PineBridge Investments
• Catherine Gacad, SVP, Partnerships, Wells Fargo
• Jagathi Gururajan, Global Technology Executive
• Heather Kernahan, President, North America, Hotwire
• Gwen Murphy, Executive Director, Business Technology Services,KPMG 
• Kris Pugsley,Director Global Communications, ON Semiconductor
• Ajeta Sinha, Senior Vice President, Sales and Services, Net2Source
• Michelle Strier, Chief Strategy Officer, Spectrum

See the full list of speakers here, and the full conference agenda here.

Enterprising Women is the Media Sponsor of the Women|Future Conference. Enterprising Women magazine is the voice of women entrepreneurs---reaching more than one million readers in 185 countries.  Published quarterly, the print magazine is available by subscription at www.enterprisingwomen.com or download the digital edition in the Apple Store or at Google Play free. 

As the travel industry continuously works to meet travelers’ demands, this sector’s technological aspect is becoming increasingly important. When it comes to understanding what a diverse set of travelers are looking for when getting from point A to Z, data is truly king. Gone are the days of customers simply being mesmerized by how quickly they can arrive at the other side of the world; now it’s all about how great their experiences were getting there.

FCM Travel Solutions believes its staff can circumvent any of these new industry obstacles by providing its team members with the best tools available. This means supporting them, either online or off-line, at all times. The company’s expertise, supplier relations, unrivaled negotiating strength, and innovative technology solutions position FCM as a leading business travel partner for large national, multinational, and global corporations. It also gives them the resources necessary to confront these new industry trends.

New Days, New Challenges

Global business travel is expected to bring in $1.4 trillion by 2020, with “bleisure” (business and leisure) projected to be a big chunk of sky activity. FCM attributes strong corporate values to its ability to adapt to this kind of change, as well as any other emerging customer trends.

“We pride ourselves on being both global and locally connected,” says Jaime Kuek, the corporate communication manager for FCM. “Deep in our DNA is the local connection. For example, in China, 100 percent of our staff is Chinese. There is, therefore, a strong culture and connection with the local ecosystem in the local industry, which is important when serving our customers.”

Kuek goes on to say that, even in the field of artificial intelligence or machine learning, it’s imperative to streamline and to categorize useful data to anticipate the needs of a diverse set of customers.

For example, a growing trend among travelers is the ability to leave wallets and boarding passes at home since people can now use their smartphones to check in. This introduces new protocols and privacy issues that travel management teams are still debating and testing. These companies want smooth transitions into new policies so they can have more time to anticipate additional changes on the horizon.

If you’re looking to design leadership habits and work culture values in your organization, take a look at how FCM recognizes its employees:

• Fostering open communication during question-and-answer panel sessions
• Offering regular business updates and daily updates from operations leaders
• Holding quarterly buzz night recognitions for top performers and operations
• Recognizing unsung heroes
• Delivering excellence service awards that recognize things like a customer’s complimentary email or letter to his or her travel consultant and operations team
• Implementing health and well-being initiatives
• Celebrating diversity

FCM is committed to upholding these values in order to keep its staff educated about new trends and to support its customers. If your organization deals with constant changes in an ever-expanding field, consistently review your team members’ needs to ensure you’re providing them with the best tools available. This approach is what helped FCM win the Gold Stevie® Award for Innovative Use of Technology in the Customer Service category of the 2019 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards.

Are you interested in winning a Stevie Award in 2020?

Startschuss für die Stevie® Awards for Sales and Customer Service 2020  

Zum 14. Mal rufen die Stevie® Awards zu dem jährlich ausgelobten Wirtschaftspreis für Kundenservice und Vertrieb auf. Ab sofort können Abteilungen, Teams und Fachkräfte aus den Bereichen Kundenservice, Kontaktzentrum, Unternehmens-entwicklung und Vertrieb weltweit ihre Nominierungen einreichen. Auch externe Lösungsanbieter dürfen sich mit ihren Produkten und Dienstleistungen bewerben.

Den Teilnehmern stehen über 150 Kategorien für Awards im Bereich Verkauf, Kundenservice, Unternehmensentwicklung, Produkte und Lösungsanbieter zur Verfügung und sie können beliebig viele Nominierungen in beliebig vielen Kategorien einreichen.

Neu in diesem Jahr sind

• drei Kategorien im Bereich Sales Achievement: Sales Enablement Program of the Year, Sales Incentive Program of the Year undWhite Paper or Research Report of the Year,
• eine Kategorie im Bereich Customer Service & Contact Center Individual: Customer Service Training Professional of the Year,
• zwei neue Kategorien im Bereich Customer Service & Contact Center Team: Customer Service Training Team of the Year - External undCustomer Service Training Team of the Year – Internal,
• und zwei neue Kategorien im Bereich Customer Service & Contact Center Achievement: Best Customer Engagement Initiative undCustomer Service Training or Coaching Program of the Year.

Die größte Neuerung in diesem Jahr ist, dass anstelle des Essays zur Beschreibung der erbrachten Leistung auch ein bis zu fünf Minuten langes Video eingereicht werden kann. Dabei gilt, dass die nominierten Leistungen seit dem 1. Juli 2018 erbracht worden sein müssen.

Für die Awards gibt es drei Teilnahmefristen. Teilnehmer, die ihre Nominierungen bis zum 16. Oktober 2019 einreichen, profitieren dabei von reduzierten Teilnahmegebühren. Die reguläre Teilnahmefrist endet am 13. November 2019, verspätete Anmeldungen werden jedoch noch bis zum 9. Januar 2020 mit einer Nachgebühr entgegengenommen.

Die Finalisten werden Mitte Januar bekanntgegeben. Die Gold, Silber und Bronze Stevie Award Platzierungen erfahren die Preisträger im Rahmen eines Galadinners am 28. Februar 2020 im Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

Im vergangenen Jahr waren über 2.700 Nominierungen von Unternehmen aus 45 Nationen und jeder Branche und Größe bei den Stevie Awards for Sales and Customer Service eingegangen. Aus Deutschland hatten der Software-Riese SAP SE aus Walldorf und der Berliner Chauffeur & Limousinen Service Blacklane die international besetzte Jury überzeugt. Deutsche Post DHL gewann zahlreiche Gold, Silver und Bronze Stevie Awards für seine internationalen Aktivitäten und gewann das sechste Jahr in Folge den Grand Stevie Award als die meist geschätzte Organisation des Jahres.

Mehr über die Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service 2020 erfahren Sie im Videointerview mit Michael Gallagher: 

Generous employee benefits can be very attractive to sought-after talent, and these benefits can also keep employees happy and satisfied at work. For smaller businesses, though, providing them is easier said than done.

This challenge often forces entrepreneurs, freelancers, and gig workers to avoid businesses that aren’t able to take on those responsibilities. However, there’s something many of those companies don’t know: They can afford benefits that rival those offered by Fortune 500 companies; they can become RewardJet members.

RewardJet was the dream of two partners who wanted to help hardworking entrepreneurs. As entrepreneurs themselves, they saw a huge, underserved market and an opportunity to truly make a difference in the lives of millions.

Look and You Shall Find

The future looks quite bright for RewardJet as new partnerships will see them expanding globally over the next two years. From two men with a dream to a multinational platform, RewardJet is poised to change the world of company benefits.

“One founder’s wife works for a Fortune 500 company,” says cofounder Kevin Dory, “and the perks she gets through her company are often not nearly as good as the ones we offer through RewardJet.”

The founder and his wife realized how good these offers were when they planned a weekend getaway to Miami and were able to save hundreds of dollars on their hotel room, which wasn’t bad for a short trip.

RewardJet is not, however, just another perks site offering discounts. They want small businesses and independent workers to feel as if they have the power of thousands of people in their corners, even if they’re only a team of two.

“RewardJet advocates for the millions of people who drive our economy yet still don't have health care, retirement plans, or any of the other perks and benefits large companies offer.”

Trying to Fulfill All Kinds of Needs

Employees and employers are increasingly searching for personalized perks and benefits, but millennials and Gen X customers don’t always look for the same thing. These kinds of changes in workforce demographics require employees to adapt and to adjust their benefit offerings constantly.

“What we are really passionate about is the ability to provide access to health care for a huge number of people who otherwise would not have health insurance,” says Dory. “This is life changing, and this is why we exist.”

The company offers a wide range of health services, which start at $10 per month for a single person and go to less than $90 per month for fully ACA-compliant health insurance. Depending on the plan selected, the individual will have access to over 900,000 providers and will get a real prescription drug plan (not a discount card), with only a $10 co-pay for generics and huge discounts on brand-name drugs.

RewardJet also recently teamed up with Goldman Sachs to make it easy for members to save for retirement.

Small businesses across the United States can now make the decision to offer benefits and, most importantly, can choose the offerings that are desirable for potential new hires.

Sara Wolkwitz, Vice President of Partnerships at RewardJet, recently won the Bronze Stevie® Award for Female Executive of the Year in the Business Services category of the Stevie Awards for Women in Business.

Interested in winning a Stevie Award for Women in Business?

For a lot of consumers, owning a home is the ultimate symbol of freedom, affording you the opportunity to customize to your heart’s content.

When it’s time to sell, though, real estate ownership can start to feel like the exact opposite of freedom. Suddenly, many find themselves preparing for countless showings while waiting for offers and potentially making last-minute renovations to lure buyers.

Offerpad is among a crop of U.S. companies trying to fundamentally change that process. The firm, which is based in Chandler, Arizona, USA, allows home sellers to upload information about their properties, including optional photos. Home sellers then get their purchase offers within 24 hours. The company bases its pricing on a custom algorithm, which compares the home against similar properties that recently changed hands in the area.

After the customer signs the necessary documents online and Offerpad conducts a home inspection, the seller is ready to set a closing date. According to the company, it can close in as little as 10 days or as many as 90 days. Clients don’t have to worry about showings or open houses, and they don’t have to make any headache-inducing concessions to buyers.

“Traditionally, selling or buying real estate is wrapped up in so much hassle that people often avoid it altogether,” says Offerpad spokesperson David Stephan. “By making it easy, Offerpad hopes to eliminate the stress from people’s milestone moves.”

Support from Venture Capital

Offerpad, which real estate veterans Brian Bair and Jerry Coleman started in 2015, is part of a growing group of companies trying to use technology to reshape the market. So-called “iBuyers,” such as Opendoor and Zillow, are using proprietary pricing algorithms to purchase and to resell homes, and the national brokerage firm Keller Williams is set to launch its own home-buying operative in May.

In the case of Offerpad, Stephan says the company is trying to appeal to people who are disillusioned with the more conventional home-selling approach.

“Real estate doesn’t need to be the frustrating, messy ordeal it’s been for decades,” says Stephan. “With our service, home sellers and buyers now have the better option of closing and moving at their convenience, without the hassle.”

Unlike older companies that paid cut-rate prices for mostly dilapidated housing, iBuyers serve a more mainstream client base. There is a flip side to the convenience they offer their customers, though. With Offerpad, for example, home sellers pay a service fee between 6 and 10 percent, which is higher than what traditional agents charge. However, once the home is sold, the company pays for any concessions to the buyer, as well as maintenance and other associated fees.

To date, iBuyers represent a small part of the residential real estate industry. Opendoor purchased just over 11,000 homes in 2018, and MarketWatch estimates Offerpad bought roughly 3,600 properties last year. The firm hasn’t officially confirmed that number, but whatever the actual amount, it could soar soon, especially with an influx of cash from venture capital and other funding sources. As of March, Offerpad, which garnered five Stevie® Awards this year for customer service and sales, brought in a staggering $975 million in equity and debt financing. The company doubled its home purchases in each of the past two years and is looking to expand on the 12 cities it currently serves.

For Stephan, the sky’s the limit when it comes to algorithm-based home purchasing.

“The world of real estate is rapidly changing,” he says. “Offerpad is at the forefront of its transformation, defining the modern approach to buying and selling a home. In the future, we’ll likely see this approach adapted in markets throughout the world.”

The Stevie® Awards, organizer of the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, announced today that the public voting in the Employer of the Year categories for the fourth annual competition is now open through August 12. The Stevie Awards for Great Employers honors the world’s best companies to work for and the HR teams and professionals, HR achievements, new products and services and suppliers that help to create and drive great workplaces.

The final entry deadline has been extended through Wednesday, August 7. There are no extra fees for entering through the extended deadline.

Stevie Award winners in the 35 Employer of the Year categories will be determined by a unique blending of the ratings of professionals and the votes of the general public, and the scores of industry experts.  Nominees in these categories may encourage their employees, customers, fans and followers to vote for them.

REVIEW THE ENTRY KIT HERE.

The public may vote for the nominees in these categories on the Stevie Awards website.

Categories to be voted on include:

• Employer of the Year – Accounting
• Employer of the Year – Advertising, Marketing, and Public Relations
• Employer of the Year – Aerospace & Defense
• Employer of the Year – Automotive & Transport
• Employer of the Year – Banking
• Employer of the Year – Business Services
• …and many more

More than 100 professionals worldwide, working on several juries, will determine the Stevie Award winners. Finalists will be announced on August 15. Gold, Silver and Bronze Stevie Award winners will be announced at a gala event in New York City on September 20.

The Stevie® Awards, organizer of the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, announced today that the final entry deadline for the fourth annual competition has been extended to Wednesday, August 7. The Stevie Awards for Great Employers honors the world’s best companies to work for and the HR teams and professionals, HR achievements, new products and services and suppliers that help to create and drive great workplaces.

“We’ve received so many requests for individual deadline extensions that we’ve decided to extend the deadline for everyone,” said Stevie Awards president Michael Gallagher. The original final deadline was July 17. Gallagher emphasizes that no additional late fees will be charged for entries submitted through August 7, and late entries will not be penalized in the judging process. All organizations now have three more weeks to prepare and submit their entries.

All individuals and organizations worldwide—public and private, for-profit and non-profit, large and small—may submit nominations to the Stevie Awards for Great Employers. The 2019 awards will honor achievements since the beginning of 2018. Entry details are available at www.StevieAwards.com/HR.

Stevie Award winners in the 35 Employer of the Year categories will be determined by a unique blending of the ratings of professionals and the votes of the general public. Public voting will open on July 23.

The Stevie Awards for Great Employers will recognize achievement in many facets of the workplace. Categories include:

• Employer of the Year
• HR Achievements
• HR Individual Awards
• HR Team Categories
• Solution Provider Awards
• More than 50 New Product & Service Categories

More than 100 professionals worldwide, working on several juries, will determine the Stevie Award winners. Finalists will be announced on August 15. Gold, Silver and Bronze Stevie Award winners will be announced at a gala event in New York City on September 20.