Kristin Luck, president of Decipher, Inc., in Fresno, California, USA, won a Gold Stevie® Award for Women Helping Women in Business at the 2012 Stevie® Awards for Women in Business in connection with the organization that she founded, Women in Research (WIRe). (Entries for the 2013 Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the world's top honors for female entrepreneurs, executives and the organizations they run, will open in May. Join our mailing list and the entry kit for the 2013 awards will be emailed to you when entries open.)

In 2007, after more than a decade in the market research industry, Kristin Luck founded Women in Research (WIRe) as a means of introducing friends and research colleagues to other industry women in the Los Angeles research community. The group began informally when Kristin invited about 20 of her business colleagues to join her for cocktails.

Since then, WIRe has grown to an organization with more than 300 members worldwide. WIRe events are now hosted quarterly in Los Angeles, New York, and London. Here Kristin describes in her own words how WIRe is helping women succeed.

Networking
Says Kristin: “WIRe events facilitate networking, leadership, entrepreneurship, and other career development goals to meet the needs of professional women in the market research industry. Today, our mission is to encourage the establishment of empowering and nurturing relationships among women in market research.”

What started off as a few informal cocktail hours among female research colleagues has evolved into a non-profit industry organization that provides women in market research with a support network that includes mentoring and education opportunities.

Industry-wide Study
Although WIRe originated as an informal way of connecting women in the industry, most recently the group has garnered attention for conducting, in partnership with Lieberman Research Worldwide, Decipher, and Research-live.com, the first industry-wide study on gender and diversity in the workplace.

Gender inequality, especially as it relates to compensation, has been under scrutiny for several decades; particularly in the United States where on average women are paid 77 cents to the dollar that men are paid for the same work.

WIRe’s industry gender and diversity study, which was released in October 2012, uncovered data that helped provide insight not only into the disparity between male and female earnings in the market research industry, but also the underlying reasons behind that disparity.

Commented Kristin: “With this study, we wanted to explore earnings inequality specifically within our industry.  What we found was interesting: the study suggests that companies need to focus on salary parity and to make a shift to equalize the balance between personal life and work for their employees. This is especially important for women with children, who are less likely to progress into senior management positions.”

Gender Diversity=Success
Why should businesses care about gender diversity in senior level roles? Because studies have confirmed that companies with more women in senior management meet with greater financial success.

• McKinsey’s Organizational Health Index (OHI) reports that “firms with three or more women in top positions score higher than their peers—findings supported by studies by Columbia Business School and University of Maryland, among others.”
• Fast Company recently reported that Catalyst, a nonprofit focused on expanding opportunities for women in business, “found a 26% boost in return on invested capital in companies with lots of women on their boards versus companies with no women.”
• A study conducted by MIT also found that diversity leads to better products and services.

In short, diversity improves performance, morale, and end product. Women are perceived as more empathetic and emotionally driven and they have a unique perspective on how products and services should be developed.

Concludes Kristin: “Considering these studies, if you take women out of the equation, out of the board room, out of the research process, there’s a fundamental perspective that’s being seriously missed. This WIRe study serves as a reminder that employers, no matter the industry, need to find ways to help ALL employees find a better work/life balance in order to be successful.

“Employers need to focus on creating working environments that are conducive to a healthy family life—whether or not that includes children, and regardless of an employee’s gender. “

Dialogue
Adds Kristin: “Make no mistake: Men are an important part of this dialogue. Men are welcome at all WIRe events—our most recent event in Los Angeles boasted double-digit male attendees in a group of over 60 women—and our biggest corporate sponsors (ESOMAR, The Advertising Research Foundation, uSamp, MRops) are organizations led by men. A big part of creating awareness about gender inequity in the industry is to educate BOTH men and women that it exists. We need to collectively support and encourage more women to progress to senior positions.”

Mentoring
WIRe’s first industry-wide mentoring program launched earlier this year and pairs female mentors and mentees based on their goals, interests, experience, and location.

Says Kristin: “64% of businesswomen see the absence of female role models as a barrier to their development. We need to encourage and invest in the leadership of women; mentor; and personify the characteristics you hope to see in the world around you.”

You can learn more about WIRe at www.womeninresearch.com, where you can also find detailed results from the gender and diversity study, as well as additional information about the mentoring program.

About Kristin Luck:
Kristin Luck has conquered several challenges over the years, initiating significant change in an industry steeped in tradition. She was a pioneer in the multi-media online research business, heading the fastest-growing research company in the world in the early 2000s and starting her own company in 2005. She currently serves as president of Decipher, which has appeared as one of the INC. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies, a GRIT Top 50 Innovative Firm, and on the Lead411 Tech 200 List.

In addition to founding WIRe, Luck is active in multiple industry and charitable organizations, constantly pushing the envelope to create products, solutions, and methods that benefit her industry. Luck shares this passion by speaking at events around the world, writing in-depth articles for international publications, and teaching as a guest lecturer at university level.

About Decipher:
A marketing research services provider, Decipher specializes in online survey programming, data collection, data processing/reporting, and custom technology development. Utilizing Web-based applications, Decipher integrates state of the art technology with traditional research techniques. For more information, go to www.decipherinc.com.

We are pleased to share that video clips from the 2012 (9th annual) Stevie® Awards for Women in Business awards dinner are now available to view on YouTube. Recognized as the world's premier business awards for women executives, entrepreneurs, and the organizations they run, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business were celebrated on November 9 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City.

Watch the 2012 Stevie Awards for Women in Business awards presentations here.

More than 345 entrepreneurs, executives, and their guests from around the world attended the November 9th gala. Our Stevie Awards for Women in Business video clips from November 9 showcase business award acceptance speeches made by individuals and organizations from around the world, including:

Leverage a Lawyer LLC, Winner of a 2012 Gold Stevie® Award for New Company of the Year
Founder and CEO, Jessica Eaves Mathews, gracefully accepts the award and starts the evening off by reminding the audience about the powerful impact of women owned businesses.

Deborah Mitchell of Heaven by Deborah Mitchell, Winner of a 2012 Gold Stevie® Award for Female Entrepreneur of the Year in Europe, The Middle East & Africa
All the way from Shifnal, Shropshire, United Kingdom, Deborah thanks the Stevie Awards and her American suppliers for contributing to her success.

MAC Presents, Winner of a 2012 Gold Stevie® Award for Small Budget Marketing Campaign of the Year
MAC Presents of New York, NY, USA, humbly accepts the Gold Stevie Award and expresses gratitude for their strong partnerships.

Christiane Schulz of Ketchum Pleon, Winner of a 2012 Gold Stevie® Award for Maverick of the Year - Advertising, Marketing, and Public Relations
Christiane thanks her company and family for supporting her throughout her business endeavors.

Kim Petersen of DHL Global Forwarding, Winner of a 2012 Gold Stevie® Award for Female Employee of the Year – All Other Industries
Giving the final speech of the night, Kim thanks her company, her team, and her family for all of their support.

Want more resources from the Stevie Awards for Women in Business celebration? Watch all acceptance speeches, listen to the live recording, view photos from the event, and download the awards dinner program book.

New York, NY – November 12, 2012 – Shining a spotlight on women executives, entrepreneurs, and organizations run by women, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business announced the results of its 2012 competition on Friday, November 9.

The Stevie Awards for Women in Business is an international competition produced by the creators of the prestigious International Business Awards and American Business Awards. The Stevie is widely considered to be the world’s premier business award.

With more than 340 businesswomen and their guests in attendance, the awards were announced at a gala dinner at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City.  Nations represented at the event include Australia, Canada, Ecuador, Germany, Hungary, India, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, Nigeria, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the U.S.A.  The presentations were broadcast live across the U.S.A. by the Business TalkRadio Network.

More than 1,200 nominations from organizations and individuals in 17 nations were submitted to the awards this year for consideration in categories including Entrepreneur of the Year, Executive of the Year, Most Innovative Company of the Year, and Best New Company of the Year, among others.  More than 250 professionals around the world participated in the judging process to determine the Finalists and then the Gold, Silver and Bronze Stevie Award placements.

Notable Gold Stevie Award winners from this year’s competition include:

- Kanchan Naikawadi, Director of Indus Health Plus Pvt. Ltd., Maharashtra, India - Female Entrepreneur of the Year – Consumer Services – Up to 2,500 Employees

- Dr. Akudo Anyanwu Ikemba, Founder and CEO of Friends of the Global Fund Africa, Lagos, Nigeria - Female Innovator of the Year – Government or Non-Profit – 10 or Less Employees

- Brooke Denihan Barrett, co-CEO of Denihan Hospitality Group, New York, NY - Female Executive of the Year – Business Products – 11 to 2,500 Employees

- Bethany Mayer, Senior VP and General Manager of HP Networking, HP, Palo Alto, CA - Female Executive of the Year – Business Products – More Than 2,500 Employees

- Emer Timmons, President of BT Global Services UK, BT, London, United Kingdom - Female Executive of the Year – Business Services – More Than 2,500 Employees

- Linda Clement-Holmes, Senior Vice President of The Procter & Gamble Company, Cincinnati, OH - Female Executive of the Year– Consumer Products – More Than 2,500 Employees

- Christiane Schulz, Member of the German Executive Board, Global Partner, MD of Ketchum Pleon, Berlin, Germany - Maverick of the Year - Advertising, Marketing, and Public Relations

- Mitchell Baker, Chairperson of the Mozilla Foundation and Mozilla Corporation, Mozilla, Mountain View, CA - Lifetime Achievement

- Weili Dai, Co-Founder, Vice President and General Manager of Communications and Consumer Business of Marvell Technology Group Ltd, San Francisco, CA - Technology Innovator of the Year

- LittlePINKBook.com, Atlanta, GA - Website of the Year

- Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market, Inc., El Segundo, CA - Communications or PR Campaign of the Year - Social Media Focused

- Vodafone Istanbul, Turkey - Communications or PR Campaign of the Year - Marketing – Consumer Services

The 2012 Gold, Silver and Bronze Stevie Award winners reflect a diverse group of large and small organizations from around the globe. Organizations that won more than one Gold Stevie Award include Accenture, Creative Catapult, LLC, eCycle LLC, Friends of the Global Fund Africa, Oncology Rehab Partners, Sentis Pty Ltd, Susan Davis International, and Vaco Los Angeles.

For a complete list of Stevie Award winners and more information, visit www.StevieAwards.com/Women.

Entries for the 2013 edition of the awards will open next May.

About the Stevie Awards
Stevie Awards are conferred in four programs: The American Business Awards, The International Business Awards, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service.  Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide.  Learn more about the Stevie Awards at www.stevieawards.com.

The Stevie® Awards have just published the full PDF of the 2012 (9th annual) Stevie Awards for Women in Business awards dinner program online, at http://www.stevieawards.com/uploads/file/SAWIB12Program.pdf.

Recognized as the world's premier business awards for women executives, entrepreneurs, and the organizations they run, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business will be celebrated on November 9 at the Marriott Marquis in New York City. (Click here to order tickets.)

The program will be distributed to all attendees of the November 9 awards dinner, and to an additional 10,000+ executives over the coming year as a download from the awards' web site. 

Can't make the awards dinner? Download the full program here and listen live to the 9th annual awards presentations on November 9th from 7:30PM EST on Business Talk Radio Network.

The following professionals participated on the five final judging committees of the 2012 (9th annual) Stevie® Awards for Women in Business, the world's premier business awards for women executives, entrepreneurs, and the organizations they run. Their average scores determined the 2012 Stevie Awards winners. We thank them for their time, insights, and support. For a complete list of Finalists by category, visit www.StevieAwards.com/Women. (2012 winners will be announced at an awards dinner on November 9 at the Marriott Marquis in New York. Click here to order tickets.)

2012 Communications & Marketing Awards Categories Final Judging Committee

Committee Chair:
Martha Saunders, Distinguished Professor of Communication, The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, USA     

Mona A. Amodeo, Ph.D, President, idgroupUSA, Pensacola, FL, USA      
Liza Cirlot Looser, CEO, The Cirlot Agency, Jackson, MS, USA       
Tena Clark, Founder & CEO, DMI Music & Media Solutions, Los Angeles, CA, USA             
Teresa Dos Santos, Director, Business Interiors, Pensacola, FL, USA         
Julia Forsyth, Senior Global Marketing Manager, GSMA, Atlanta, GA, USA           
Ann F. Guice, SVP/Trust, The Peoples Bank, Biloxi, MS, USA       
Jennifer Hrycyszyn, Vice President, Greenough Communications, Boston, MA, USA       
Louise W. Johns, VP/Trust, The Peoples Bank, Biloxi, MS, USA   
Sharon A. Jones, FAHP, CFRE, VP Development, Chapters Health System, Temple Terrace, FL, USA         
Patty Klein, APR, Senior PR Specialist, Chapters Health System, Temple Terrace, FL, USA               
Sara Kuhl, Director, University Marketing & Media Relations, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, Whitewater, WI, USA               
Mary Anne Lanier, Trustee, Ray C. Anderson Foundation, Marietta, GA, USA     
Joanne Meredith, Senior Associate Director, Direct Response Marketing, Office of Annual Giving, Johns Hopkins Institutions, Baltimore, MD, USA             
Danny Mitchell, Chairman, GodwinGroup, Jackson, MS, USA      
Jill Mosteller, Assistant Professor of Marketing, Portland State University, Portland, OR, USA     
Julie Sheppard, General Counsel, Florida Institute for Human & Machine Cognition (IHMC), Pensacola, FL, USA 
Ann Wead Kimbrough, Dean, School of Journalism & Graphic Communication, Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, FL, USA               
Sheldon Wolf, CEO & President, Spellex Corporation, Tampa, FL, USA    
Brenda J. Wrigley, APR, Associate Professor, Department of Public Relations, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, USA     

Committee Chair:
Kimberly Webb, Founder, Rockin’ Green, LLC, San Antonio, TX, USA

Stacey Clover, CEO, iCreative Media, Jackson, MO, USA
Tereson Dupuy, Founder, FuzziBunz Diapers, Lafayette, LA, USA              
Jill Farrand, Director of Public Relations, QuiBids, Oklahoma City, OK, USA            
Donna Hinkelman, VP Corporate Communications, Harland Clarke, San Antonio, TX, USA             
Nancy Justice, Global Director Customer Service, Braiform, Asheville, NC, USA  
Maria Mattsson, Manager, Guest Services, Royal Caribbean International & Azamara Club Cruises, Miami, FL, USA          
Hannah Montroy, Enterprise BPI Manager, Shamrock Foods Company, Commerce City, CO, USA             
Karen Osper, Owner, The Nautical Dog, Andover, MA, USA        
Bernice Maria Paolozzi, International Consultant, Dublin, Ireland              
Lesley Rotole, CEO, Great Lakes Promotions, Lake Orion, MI, USA           
Lisa Versaci, Cofounder, Emergent Order LLC, Austin, TX, USA   

Committee Chair:
Sandra Richardson, Co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer, Métier, Ltd., Healdsburg, CA, USA

Susan Barnes, CEO, Barnes & Company, Dixon, CA, USA               
Patricia Boggs, President and General Manager, Harmony Social Services, Reston, VA, USA         
Delinda Fitzgerald, IS Project Management Office Director, Federal Aviation Administration, Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA              
Vicki Ann Frawley, Director, Operations & Client Excellence, Blackbaud, Inc., Melrose, MA, USA
Victoria Gallegos, Owner, Save the Planet Pets, Albuquerque, NM, USA               
Yolanda Gallegos, Owner/Principal, Gallegos Legal Group, Albuquerque, NM, USA          
Ellen Ginsberg, Vice President, Nuclear Energy Institute, Washington, DC, USA 
Barb Girson, President, My Sales Tactics, New Albany, OH, USA
Julie N. Jakopic, President/CEO, iLead Strategies, Alexandria, VA, USA   
Kimberly Kaselionis, Chairman/CEO, Circle Bank, Novato, CA, USA           
Janet LeBlanc, Owner, Janet LeBlanc & Associates, Toronto, Canada       
Julie Lenzer Kirk, Executive Director, Maryland Center for Entrepreneurship, Columbia, MD, USA             
Mary MacPherson, President, M2Works LLC, Reston, VA, USA  
Brad McManus, Senior Consultant & Executive Coach, Integral Development, Perth, Western Australia, Australia            
Elaine Metlin, Senior Partner, Dickstein Shapiro, Washington, DC, USA  
Sharyn Morris, VP, Relationship Manager, Eagle Investment Systems, LLC, Wellesley, MA, USA 
Cynthia Murray, President & CEO, North Bay Leadership Council, Petaluna, CA, USA       
Dotti Patton, Project Management Office Director, Federal Aviation Administration, Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA              
April Young, Managing Director, Hercules Technology Growth Capital, Mclean, VA, USA   

Committee Chair:
Julia Zamorska, VP of Corporate Communications, iolo technologies, LLC, Los Angeles, CA, USA 

Anurag Abinashi*, Consultant, Strategy and Decision Sciences, PA Consulting Group, Amersham, UK        
Eline Altenburgh-van den Bruek, Executive Director, Quid Novi Foundation, Atlanta, GA, USA    
Neda Azarfar, Senior Director, Communications & Strategy, MySpace, Irvine, CA, USA   
Malika Bounaira-Siraji, Cofounder, Access International, Inc., Los Angeles, CA, USA         
Joanna Gorska, Trainee Solicitor, Latham & Watkins LLP, London, UK      
Kim Haley Small, General Manager, Pepsico, Purchase, NY, USA               
Laura Howe, Productions Supervisor, DreamWorks Animation, Los Angeles, CA, USA     
Peter Justen, CEO, Five Plus, Middleburg, VA, USA         
Vanessa Montes Gubin, VP, Digital and Marketing Strategy, The Madison Square Garden Company, Brooklyn, NY, USA
Chris Moschovitis, CEO, iTMG, New York, NY, USA           
Adrian Pollner, Counsel, O’Melveny and Myers, Los Angeles, CA, USA   
Mustafizur Rahman, Director, S.S. Shipping and Chartering Ltd, London, UK        
Colin Smith, Founder & Director, Trade Chase, Oxford, OX, UK  
Brandon Wells, Marketing Manager, Microsoft, Sammamish, WA, USA 

Committee Chair:
Anna Murray, President, emedia, llc, New York, NY, USA   

Kirsten Bischoff, Cofounder, HatchedIt, LLC, Springfield, NJ, USA             
Megan Brown, Founding Partner, HATCHEDit.com, LLC, Westfield, NJ, USA         
John W. Cary, Director of Digital Products, The Nation, New York, NY, USA           
Camilla Colegrave, Consultant, New York, NY, USA          
Lindsay Frucci, Principal, Lindsay Frucci Consulting, Brooklyn, NY, USA    
Kristina Garcia Rivera, Digital Ad Product Director, Hearst Digital Media, Bronx, NY, USA 
Regina Glick, Director of Marketing, Summit Business Media, New York, NY, USA             
Keith Goggin, Partner, Integral Derivatives LLC, New York, NY, USA         
Hannah Howard, Director of Copywriting and Product Marketing, Fairway Market, New York, NY, USA  
Sheryl Jones, Managing Director, Ozuro Fine Jewelry, New York, NY, USA            
Nicole Meola, VP Sports Digital Content and Strategy, Showtime Networks, New York, NY, USA
Denise Olding, Creative Director, Ingrid Design, Louisville, KY, USA           
Colette Sartor, Professor, UCLA Writers Extension Program, Los Angeles, CA, USA           
Lisanne Sartor, Writer/Director, Gemelle Films, Los Angeles, CA, USA    
Annie Shields, Community Editor, The Nation, New York, NY, USA           
Cynthia Stillwell, Executive Director, The International Women's Writing Guild, New York, NY, USA          
Charlene Weisler, CEO, Weisler Media, LLC, New York, NY, USA
Marci Weisler, COO, Eachscape, New York, NY, USA       
Samantha Wolfe, Consultant, SGWB Consulting, New York, NY, USA       

*Statements and decisions by Judges are not made on behalf of PA Consulting and do not reflect any representations or endorsements by PA Consulting.

The following professionals participated in the preliminary judging of the 2012 (9th annual) Stevie® Awards for Women in Business, the world's premier business awards for women executives, entrepreneurs, and the organizations they run. Their average scores determined the 2012 Finalists, which were announced on October 11. We thank them for their time, insights, and support. (For a complete list of Finalists by category, visit www.StevieAwards.com/Women. 2012 winners will be announced at an awards dinner on November 9 at the Marriott Marquis in New York. Click here to order tickets.)

Husam Mahmoud Abdallah, Sr. Specialist Strategy & Business Excellence, Dubai Airport Free Zone, Dubai, United Arab Emirates             
Laurie Albo, Asset Manager, H & R Retail, Inc., a ChainLinks Company, Baltimore, MD, United States               
Ahmed Alhai, BRM Specialist, ADCO, Dubai, United Arab Emirates           
Kerry Allen, Principal, Santa Barbara Studio, Santa Barbara, CA, United States     
Amal Al-Najjar, Human Resources Manager, Fluor Corporation - Kuwait, Ahmadi, Kuwait               
Kausar Asif, Sr. Manager Marketing Services, Cupola Pakistan Limited, Karachi, Pakistan               
Ani Atanasova, CEO, Pixelhunters, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Maria Bailey, CEO, Blue Suit Mom Media, Pompano Beach, FL, United States               
Charlotte Ball, Program Director, The PUSH Academy, Norwich, United Kingdom               
Mona Baset, Senior VP - Digital Sales & Marketing, Bank of America, Charlotte, NC, United States               
Nevena Batselova, Marketing and strategic planning manager, BNP Paribas, Sofia, Bulgaria               
Heather Bayfield, President, Life Management Advisors, Jacksonville Beach, FL, United States               
Janet Beale, Manager, Platform Investment Implementation, MLC Limited, East Lindfield, NSW, Australia               
Denise Bentele, President & CEO, Common Ground Public Relations, Chesterfield, MO, United States               
Tya Bolton, CEO, Exceptional Business Solutions, LLC, Waldorf, MD, United States               
Erin Bolton, VP Strategic Services, Pivot Communications, Salt Lake City, UT, United States               
Vanessa Borg, Director, Consultancy & Training Acumen Centre Ltd., Gudja, Malta          
Fran Bosecker, Account Director, Vantage Communications, Thiells, NY, United States   
Margo Boster, CEO, ImpaQ Solutions, LLC, Scottsdale, AZ, United States               
Marcia  Brand, President, Creative Marketing Concepts, Inc., Alexandria, VA, United States               
Tina Brooks, VP Marketing, Brooks Pepperfire Foods, Rigaud, Canada    
Crystal Brown-Tatum, CEO/President, Crystal Clear Communications, Shreveport, LA, United States               
Jane Bryant, Director, Spire Communications, Potomac Falls, VA, United States               
Julie Calzone, CEO, Calzone & Associates, Lafayette, LA, United States  
Diana Carrico, Director, Liderplas, Sobreda, Portugal, Portugal    
Denise Clancey, President, Teledirect Partners, Boston, MA, United States               
Pamela  Clark, Founder/Director, New Heights Educational Group, Inc, Defiance, OH, United States               
David Clarke, Managing Partner, BGT Partners, Miami, FL, United States               
Marla Coffin, President & CEO, MARDA Management Inc., Windsor, Canada      
Etta Cohen, Founder, Forward Ladies, Leeds, United Kingdom  
Kimberly Cooley, Communications Director, Henderson Hutcherson & McCullough, Chattanooga, TN, United States               
Irene Corpuz, Senior Analyst, Change Masters International, Abu Dhabi, UAE, United Arab Emirates               
Kate Darcy Hohenthal, Founder, The Birthday Club, Manchester, CT, United States         
Susan Davis, President, Susan Davis International, Washington, DC, United States           
Robyn Davis, Owner, When I Need Help, Columbus, OH, United States  
Danielle Di-Masi, Business Etiquette Expert, Click! Training & Consulting, Sydney, Australia               
Rochelle Ekanayake, Managing Director, MrPierce Studios International Asia (pvt) LTD, Colombo, Sri Lanka               
Lori Ericson, Product Planning and Development, Epicor Software, Denver, CO, United States    
Jennifer Finke, CEO, Red Jeweled Media, Denver, CO, United States      
Silke Fleischer, CEO, ATIV Software, San Francisco, CA, United States     
Julia Forsyth, Senior Global Marketing Manager, GSMA, Atlanta, GA, United States        
Lisa Frank, Product Manager, NFPA, Quincy, MA, United States
Lorretta Gasper, Owner/Principal, Wind Rose Communications, Atlanta, GA, United States               
Barb Girson, President, My Sales Tactics, New Albany, OH, United States             
Marina Go, Publisher, Private Media, Alexandria, NSW, Australia             
Karen Greco, Director, Business Optimization, Unified, Sewell, NJ, United States               
Sheila Green, Founder and CEO, Green Productivity Solutions, Jacksonville Beach, FL, United States       
Linda Groarke, Digital Project Manager, Morgan Stanley, New York, NY, United States               
Marcia Hall, President & CEO, Marcia Hall & Associates, LLC, Severna Park, MD, United States               
Renda Hawwa, Corporate Communications, IntelligentMDx, Boston, MA, United States               
Qetesha Haynes, Marketing Professional, HQCI, Chicago, IL, United States          
Charity Herb, Online Content Administrator, American Greetings, Cleveland, OH, United States               
Ronford Howell, CEO, Bottle Service, New York, NY, United States          
Idelle Howitt, Managing Director, Howitt & Associates, New York, NY, United States               
Sumaiya Hussain, Asst. Manager, Compensation & Benefits, Dubai Electricity & Water Authority, Dubai, United Arab Emirates   
Clara HY Wang, Founder & President, KAI Communication (China) Co., Ltd., Beijing, China               
Anne Jefferies, GVM Scorecard and Business Reporting, AT&T Global Vendor Management, Biggar, United Kingdom               
Keum Jin Woo, Professor, Department Chair, Division of Design, Kosin University, Busan 606-701, South Korea               
Jane Johnson, Director Content Development, Pivot Communications, Salt Lake City, UT, United States               
Rebecca Jones, Owner, bScene Marketing Solutions, Miami, FL, United States  
Rose Jurczewski, Owner, Funxion Fuzion, Roselle, IL, United States        
Barbara Kasoff, COO, Women Impacting Public Policy, Washington, DC, United States    
Craig Kavicky, Director, Business Development-North America n, FITCH, Inc., Columbus, OH, United States               
Patricia Marie Kelly, Owner, Marie Kelly Unlimited, Algonquin, IL, United States
Shamina Krishna, Curriculum Development, Research & Advanced Training He, Smart Reader® Worldwide Sdn. Bhd., Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia               
Kristen Kuhns, EVP, TierSolution, Brentwood, CA, United States               
Jean Madden, Managing Director, Street Swags Ltd, Upper Brookfield, Australia               
Lynne Marcus, President, Marcus + Company, Albuquerque, NM, United States               
Kristin Marquet, President, Marquet Media, LLC, New York, NY, United States  
Linda Marshall-Smith, Founder & CEO, Soapdom, Inc., Santa Monica, CA, United States               
Carol Marx, Past President, American Agri-Women, Rickreall, OR, United States               
Maria Mattsson, Manager, Guest Services, Royal Caribbean International & Azamara Club Cruises, Miami, FL, United States               
Renie McClay, Founder, Learning consultant, Inspired Learning LLC, Wheeling, IL, United States               
Jeannine McHenry, Art Director/Principle, J. McHenry Design, Marina Del Rey, CA, United States               
Colin  McKillop, CEO, Butcher Enterprises, Windsor, ON, Canada             
Joanne Meredith, Senior Associate Director, Direct Response Marketing, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States  
Jon Michail, CEO, Image Group International, South Yarra, Australia        
Varvara Milovanova, Entrepreneur, Tyne and Wear, United Kingdom  
Jane Morgan, Product Line Director, APC by Schneider Electric, Galway, Ireland
Angela Morgan, Founder, Lead Star LLC, Fairfax, VA, United States         
Pat Mussieux, Founder, Wealthy Women Leaders, Ontario, Canada       
Leslie O'Connor, Owner, Search Wizards, Atlanta, GA, United States      
Gabriela Olaru, Lecturer, Yeditepe University, Istanbul, Turkey 
Erica Olsen, Co-Founder, M3 Planning, Reno, NV, United States               
Kirsten Osolind, Founding CEO, Re:invention, Chicago, IL, United States
Mark O'Toole, Senior vice president, H|B, Newton, MA, United States  
Kaan Ozokmen, Agent Manager, K-Tex Sourcing & Buying Agency, Istanbul, Turkey        
Patricia Pereira, Director of Advertising, The Chemical Company, Jamestown, RI, United States               
Shalini Perera Bandaranayake, Director, Saladura (Pvt) Ltd, Colombo, Sri Lanka  
Heather Petersen, CEO, National Merchants Association, Temecula, CA, United States               
Harish Pillai, COO, Indus health plus pvt ltd, Pune, India 
Penny Pompei, National Executive Director, Women Construction Owners & Executives USA, Alexandria, VA, United States               
Fabi Preslar, President, SPARK Publications, Matthew, NC, United States             
Jesintha Rajaratnam, Managing Partner, Joje India Consultants - Finance and HR, Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates               
Emma Real, Corporate Communications Specialist, AECOM, Chicago, IL, United States   
Erica Rehberg, Regional Administrator, ConAm, Federal Way, WA, United States              
Lena Requist, Chief Operating Officer, Ontraport, Santa Barbara, CA, United States        
Sandra Rinomato, Broker, Sandra Rinomato Realty, Toronto, ON, Canada             
Christina Robinson, Patient Care Representative, Group Health Coop, Seattle, WA, United States               
Liz Rowell, Managing Director, Red Ark, St Leonards, NSW, Australia       
Mary Jo Rulnick, Author, Warner Books, Pittsburgh, PA, United States 
Lesley Salinero, Principal/ ESE Director, MCSD, Marathon, FL, United States 
Parna Sarkar-Basu, Vice President, Marketing Communications, Verivo Software, Waltham, MA, United States               
Amy Scarlino, President & CEO, Catchpole Corporation, Boston, MA, United States               
Katja Schroeder, President, Expedition PR, Brooklyn, NY, United States
Aysegul Seferoglu, External Communications Director, Effect PR/ e.a. Edelman Worldwide, Istanbul, Turkey               
Bae Seog Bong, Director, KCU, Seoul, South Korea          
William Sheridan, President, Cynosure Productions, Ltd., Jupiter, FL, United States               
Gary Shumaker, Senior Consultant, Gary E. Shumaker, Inc., Fairfax, VA, United States   
Susan Smith, AVP Bus. Process Mgmt & Change Delivery, Aviva Canada, Toronto, Canada               
Darci Steranko, COO, Footsteps to Family, Las Vegas, NV, United States               
Kim Stiglitz, Director of Lifecycle Marketing, VerticalResponse Inc., San Francisco, CA, United States               
Rosemary Stockdale, Managing Director, Sterling Marketing Ltd, London, United Kingdom               
Tyrus Sturgis, Business Development & Corporate Strategist, Purry Communications Group, Los Angeles, CA, United States               
Natalija Sudina, Chief Executive, Best4Kid LTD, London, United Kingdom               
Heena Sunil Bulchandani, Specialist-Training & Development, HR training, DEWA, Dubai, United Arab Emirates               
Letty Swank, Founder, Giftwrapperz, Los Gatos, CA, United States         
Veronique Topping, Web Developer, WomanOwnedNewYork.com, Rockville Centre, NY, United States               
Theresa Ulyatt, President, Smarter Systems, Charlotte, NC, United States           
Robin Vaitonis, Senior VP, Tanis Communications, San Jose, CA, United States   
Anne Walker, Founder & CEO, International Dance Supplies Ltd, Newton Abbot, United Kingdom               
K H Wang, Group Executive Director, Smart Reader® Worldwide Sdn. Bhd., Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia               
Antonie Whittier, Founder, Whittier Legal Consulting, Dallas, TX, United States 
Floor Wijburg, CEO, Yes We Care, Rotterdam, Netherlands         
Leah Wilkinson, Partner, Wilkinson Shein Communications, Baltimore, MD, United States               
Melissa Wilson, Owner, Wilson Monnig Creative, St. Peters, MO, United States
Laureen Wishom, President, Masterpiece Solutions, LLC, Houston, TX, United States               
Glenn Wohl, Marketing Manager, AT&T, Bedminster, NJ, United States
Pam Young, President, Unique Innovations Inc., Lancaster, PA, United States  

We invite you to apply to be a preliminary-round judge for the 9th annual Stevie® Awards for Women in Business, the world's premier business awards for women executives, entrepreneurs, and the organizations they run.  Interested?  Apply here.

How does preliminary-round judging work?

• All judging is done online so judges will be able to review nominations on their own time and at their own pace.
• Judges will be assigned categories based on their experience, function, and industry.
• There is no limit to how many (or how few) nominations judges can review.

What are the benefits of being a Stevie Awards judge?

• Judges get an inside look at how other organizations and individuals are achieving success and confronting challenges. 
• All active judges will receive a certificate of appreciation, suitable for framing.
• All judges will have a chance to win two free tickets to the November 2012 awards dinner in New York City.

Need more information?

• Get the application form.
• Learn more about the judging and awards process.
• Meet the 2011 preliminary-round judges.
• Contact us at help@stevieawards.com.

Apply to be a judge and be a part of a worldwide coalition of business heroes.

What's your top reason for applying to be a 2012 Stevie Awards for Women in Business  judge?