Gold, Silver, and Bronze winners in the 2021 (18^th annual) Stevie® Awards for Women in Business, an international competition, were announced on September 23. The awards shine a spotlight on women executives, entrepreneurs, employees and organizations run by women.

Winners of five Grand Stevie Award trophies, the highest honor in the competition, were announced today.

Grand Stevie Award trophies are presented to five organizations that submitted the best body of nominations to the competition, in their own names or in the names of one or more clients. Winners were determined by the number of Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Awards won in the competition, with three points earned for each Gold Stevie win, two for each Silver win, and one-and-a-half points for each Bronze Stevie win. The Grand Stevie Award winners for 2021 are:

1. The Audacious Agency, Gold Coast, Australia, with 56 award points. The agency was also a Grand Stevie Award winner in 2020 and 2019.
2. IBM, worldwide (24.5 points)
3. New American Funding, Tustin, CA USA (21.5 points)
4. AlterContacts, Amsterdam, the Netherlands (19.5 points)
5. Melissa Sones Consulting, New York, NY USA (17.5 points) was also among the Grand Stevie honorees in 2020 and 2019.

More than 1,500 nominations from organizations and individuals around the world were submitted this year for consideration in categories such as COVID-19 Response, Entrepreneur of the Year, Executive of the Year, Most Innovative Company of the Year, and Startup of the Year, among others. More than 160 business professionals working in eight specialized judging committees determined the Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Award winners.

Visit http://www.StevieAwards.com/Women for a complete list of Stevie winners by category. Winners will be celebrated during a virtual ceremony on January 13, 2022.

The 2021 Stevie Awards for Women in Business event will be complemented by the fourth annual Women|Future Conference, a five-day networking and learning event for female founders, business owners, entrepreneurs and women looking to move forward in their careers, also held virtually November 1-5. Registration is just $115, or $49 for current students with an active student ID. Details and registration are available at www.WomenFutureConference.com.

Weibliche Führungskräfte, Unternehmerinnen angestellte und von Frauen geführte Unternehmen - am 23. September gaben die Stevie Awards alle die starken Frauen und Organisationen bekannt, die bei den Stevie® Awards for Women in Business ausgezeichnet wurden. 

Die Stevie Awards for Women in Business sind ein internationaler Wettbewerb, der von den Schöpfern der renommierten International Business Awards® und American Business Awards® ins Leben gerufen wurde. Der Stevie Award gilt weithin als weltweit führender Wirtschaftspreis.

Großartige und herausragende Frauen und  Organisationen 

Mehr als 1.500 Nominierungen von Organisationen und Einzelpersonen aus der ganzen Welt wurden in diesem Jahr für die Preisverleihung eingereicht, unter anderem in den Kategorien zur Reaktion auf COVID-19, Unternehmerin des Jahres, weibliche Führungskraft des Jahres, Innovativstes Unternehmen des Jahres und Startup des Jahres. Mehr als 160 Geschäftsleute, die in acht spezialisierten Jurys arbeiten, haben die Gewinnerinnen der Stevie Awards in Gold, Silber und Bronze ermittelt.

Die diesjährigen Gold-, Silber- und Bronze-Gewinnerinnen des Stevie Awards werden am Donnerstag, dem 13. Januar 2022, im Rahmen einer virtuellen Preisverleihung geehrt. Mehr als 450 Frauen und ihre Gäste aus der ganzen Welt werden erwartet.

Anmeldungen für die Preisverleihung sind ab sofort möglich.

Deutsche und schweizerische Frauen im Rampenlicht

Auch drei Organisationen aus Deutschland und drei aus der Schweiz waren unter den vielen außergewöhnlichen Organisationen und Frauen, die als Stevie-Gewinnerinnen anerkannt wurden. Mit starken Frauen und tollen Projekten konnten sie die Jury überzeugen.

• DHL Global Forwarding mit Sitz in Bonn, Deutschland wurde mit einem Gold und einem Bronze Award in den Kategorien für besondere Leistungen für Erfolge bei der Entwicklung und Förderung von Frauen und Human Resources geehrt. 
• DHL Supply Chain aus Bonn, Deutschland wurde mit einem Gold Award für die Frau des Jahres, einem Silber Award für die Weibliche Führungskraft des Jahres - Regierung oder Non-Profit-Organisation und einem Bronze Award für den Podcast des Jahres ausgezeichnet.
• Hoffmann-La Roche aus Basel, Schweiz erhielt einen Gold und zwei Bronze Stevies für die Mitarbeiterin des Jahres, die Vorreiterin des Jahres und für die innovativste Frau des Jahres im Gesundheitswesen.
• Philipp Morris International aus Lausanne, Schweiz wurde in den Thought Leadership Kategorien mit einem Silber Stevie für die Thought Leaderin des Jahres im Bereich Konsumgüter geehrt.
• Veeam mit Sitz in Baar, Schweiz erhielt zwei Silber Awards für die Mitarbeiterin des Jahres im Bereich Wirtschaft und die innovativste Frau des Jahres im Bereich Technologie.
• Zalando aus Berlin, Deutschland gewann einen Gold Stevie für die innovativste Frau des Jahres im Bereich Werbung, Marketing und Öffentlichkeitsarbeit.
  
  

Stolze Gewinnerinnen

Eva Mattheeussen, Head of Human Resources bei DHL Global Forwarding Middle East und Africa und Global Project Lead von ‘Women at DHL Global Forwarding, Freight’, freut sich über den Gewinn:

„Wir sind sehr stolz auf das, was wir mit Women at DHL Global Forwarding, Freight erreicht haben, das über den Aufbau einer starken Frauengemeinschaft hinausgeht. Es konzentriert sich auch darauf, Verbündete einzubinden, die sich aktiv an der Schaffung eines ausgewogenen Arbeitsplatzes beteiligen. Die Förderung von talentierten Frauen in unserem Unternehmen ist ein Schwerpunkt für uns alle bei Deutsche Post DHL und DHL Global Forwarding, Freight. Unser Ziel ist es, mehr Frauen in Führungspositionen zu bringen, und unsere Initiative ist der Hauptantrieb dafür. Vielfalt, Inklusion und Zugehörigkeit sind Teil der Grundwerte unseres Unternehmens, und wir freuen uns darauf, weiterhin ein großartiges Unternehmen aufzubauen, in dem alle arbeiten können.“

Auch Jessica Bensch, die mit allen drei Awards für La Roche ausgezeichnet wurde, ist begeistert: „Ich setze mich mit Leidenschaft und Herz für werteorientierte Arbeitsplätze ein. Ich fühle mich geehrt, von den Stevie Awards for Women in Business ausgezeichnet zu werden.“

Nominierungen für den Stevie Award wurden von Organisationen aus Australien, Belgien, Brasilien, Deutschland, Estland, Frankreich, Großbritannien, Hongkong, Indien, Irland, Israel, Italien, Kanada, Kenia, den Niederlanden, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, den Philippinen, Russland, Schweden, der Schweiz, Singapur, Südafrika, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, der Türkei, der Ukraine, den Vereinigten Arabischen Emiraten, den USA und Vietnam eingereicht.

Eine vollständige Liste der Gold-, Silber-, und Bronze-Stevie-Gewinnerinnen finden Sie hier.

Die Gewinnerinnen in den drei Red Ladder Women in Technology-Kategorien, die von HCL Technologies gesponsert werden, sowie die fünf Grand Stevie Award-Gewinnerinnen des Wettbewerbs werden noch bekannt gegeben. Die Grand-Stevie-Gewinnerinnen werden am 5. Oktober bekannt gegeben. Die Gewinnerinnen der HCL-Kategorien werden Ende November bekannt gegeben. 

The Stevie® Awards for Women in Business, which shine a spotlight on female executives, entrepreneurs, employees, and organizations run by women, announced the 2021 winners today.

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 regarded as the world’s premier business award.

This year’s Gold, Silver and Bronze Stevie Award winners will be honored during a virtual awards ceremony on Thursday, January 13, 2022. More than 450 women and their guests from around the world are expected to participate.

The Stevie Awards for Women in Business event will be complemented by the fourth annual Women|Future Conference, a five-day networking and learning event for female founders, business owners, entrepreneurs and women looking to move forward in their careers, also held virtually November 1-5. Registration is just $115, or $49 for current students with an active student ID. Details and registration are available at www.WomenFutureConference.com.

Registration for both the conference and the awards ceremony are now on sale.

More than 1,500 nominations from organizations and individuals around the world were submitted to the awards this year for consideration in categories including COVID-19 Response, Entrepreneur of the Year, Executive of the Year, Most Innovative Company of the Year, and Startup of the Year, among others. More than 160 business professionals working in eight specialized judging committees determined the Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Award winners.

Among the many extraordinary organizations and women who have been recognized as Stevie winners, the following organizations stand out as those with three or more winning nominations:

AlterContacts (Amsterdam, the Netherlands), Bug Bite Thing (Port St. Lucie, FL USA), City of Philadelphia - Division of Aviation (Philadelphia, PA USA), Conde Nast (NY, New York USA), Curator24 (Solana Beach, CA USA), DevelopHer (Dallas, TX USA), Deutsche Post DHL (Bonn, Germany and affiliates worldwide), EMBERS (Vancouver, Canada), EY (London, United Kingdom), IBM (Armonk, NY USA), Iris Du of Careerists and YouWantGroup (Dockland, VIC Australia), Jeunesse Global (Lake Mary, FL USA), Kids on the Spectrum (Melbourne, VIC Australia), Leaderology (Santa Ana, CA USA), Lisa Cox (Hamilton, VIC Australia), Living Security (Austin, TX USA), MIG Living (Colorado Springs, CO USA), New American Funding (Tustin, CA USA), Newberry Executive Solutions, LLC (Dallas, TX USA), Ocean Rescue Alliance (Apollo Beach, FL USA), Olivia Jenkins (Adelaide, SA Australia), PeopleReady (Tacoma, WA USA), Publicis Health (New York, NY USA), Replicon (Red Wood City, CA USA), Serving Our Superheroes (Uxbridge, United Kingdom), Sleepm Global, Inc. (Toronto, ON Canada), Southern Company Gas (New York, NY USA), STEMi Makers Africa (Lagos, Nigeria), and Tavuun Welfare Association (Lahore, Pakistan).

The 2021 Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Award winners reflect a diverse group of large and small organizations from around the globe. Notable Gold Stevie Award winners in this year’s competition include:

• Sarah Kate Ellis, President & CEO, GLAAD, New York, NY - Female Executive of the Year – Government or Non-Profit
• Mani Thiru, Space Industry Development Asia-Pacific, AWS, Singapore - Female Entrepreneur of the Year in Asia, Australia or New Zealand
• Forbes, Jersey City, NJ – Event of the Year - 2020 Forbes Power Women’s Summit
• Natalie Brennan, General Manager, Muffin Break, Sydney, Australia – Most Innovative Woman of the Year - Franchising and Women of the Year – Franchising
• Mona Bharadwaj, Global University Programs - India Leader at IBM Research, India - Education Hero of the Year
• Lisa Dyson, Co-Founder and CEO, Air Protein, San Francisco Bay Area, CA - Most Innovative Woman of the Year – Technology and Female Thought Leader of the Year - Consumer Products
• The Roundtable, Toronto ON, Canada - Achievement in Customer Satisfaction
• OPET, Istanbul, Turkey - Achievement in Women-related Corporate Social Responsibility and Communications or PR Campaign of the Year - Corporate Responsibility
• John Hancock, Boston, MA - Achievement in Promoting Work-Life Balance

Stevie Award-winning nominations were submitted by organizations in Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Estonia, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Kenya, Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, and Vietnam.

Visit http://www.StevieAwards.com/Women for a list of Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie winners by category.

Yet to be announced are the winners in three Red Ladder Women in Technology categories, sponsored by HCL Technologies, as well as five Grand Stevie Award winners in the competition.   Grand Stevie winners will be announced on October 5. HCL category winners will be announced in late November.

The Stevie® Awards, organizer of the world’s premier business awards programs, is accepting final nominations its 2021 (18^th annual) Stevie Awards for Women in Business program through August 25. Entries will not be accepted past this deadline.

Entry kits and complete details on the competition are available at http://www.StevieAwards.com/Women.

The awards are produced by the creators of the prestigious American Business Awards® and International Business Awards®.

The Stevie Awards for Women in Business honor the achievements of working women in more than 100 categories, including Entrepreneur of the Year, Executive of the Year, Mentor or Coach of the Year, Lifetime Achievement Award, Achievement in Equal Pay, Women Helping Women, Employee of the Year, Woman-Owned or -Run Company of the Year and Innovator of the Year. All female entrepreneurs, executives, employees, and the organizations they run, worldwide, are eligible to be nominated.

Finalists will be announced on September 23, and the Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on November 6 in Las Vegas (health conditions permitting) or at a virtual ceremony.

New categories this year include Most Innovative Woman of the Year in Accounting and Healthcare, Mentor or Coach of the Year - Consumer, Women Helping Women - Social Change, Social Change Maker of the Year, and many more.

The Stevie Awards has partnered with Thought Leadership Leverage to offer Thought Leadership awards categories. These categories include:

• Thought Leadership Campaign of the Year
• Achievement in Thought Leadership
• Female Thought Leader of The Year

Stevie Awards President Maggie Gallagher says “We are excited to welcome the final round of nominees this year. The judges are already impressed with the body of work submitted by female entrepreneurs, executives, employees, mentors, and more. We encourage anyone who is considering nominating for the Stevie Awards for Women in Business to create their entry account at www.StevieAwards.com/Women.”

The 2021 Stevie Awards for Women in Business will be judged by more than 200 leading professionals around the world, and nominees will have access to all the judges’ comments and suggestions about their nominations.

Interested in entering the 2021 Stevie Awards for Women in Business?

The Stevie® Awards, organizer of the world’s premier business awards programs, has issued the call for entries for its 2021 (18^th annual) Stevie Awards for Women in Business.

Entry kits and complete details on the competition are available at http://www.StevieAwards.com/Women.

The awards are produced by the creators of the prestigious American Business Awards® and International Business Awards®.

The Stevie Awards for Women in Business honor the achievements of working women in more than 100 categories, including Entrepreneur of the Year, Executive of the Year, Mentor or Coach of the Year, Lifetime Achievement Award, Achievement in Equal Pay, Women Helping Women, Employee of the Year, Woman-Owned or -Run Company of the Year and Innovator of the Year. All female entrepreneurs, executives, employees, and the organizations they run, worldwide, are eligible to be nominated.

The early-bird entry deadline is June 30, the final entry deadline is July 28, and late entries will be accepted through August 25 with payment of a late fee. Finalists will be announced on September 23, and the Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on November 6 in Las Vegas.

New categories this year include Most Innovative Woman of the Year in Accounting and Healthcare, Mentor or Coach of the Year - Consumer, Women Helping Women - Social Change, Social Change Maker of the Year, and many more.

The Stevie Awards has partnered with Thought Leadership Leverage to offer Thought Leadership awards categories. These categories include:

• Thought Leadership Campaign of the Year
• Achievement in Thought Leadership
• Female Thought Leader of The Year

The 2020 Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Award winners reflected a diverse group of large and small organizations around the globe. Winners included, among others: 

• Clare Riches, Group Chief Commercial Officer, thebigword group, New York, NY USA
• Casey Coleman, Senior Vice President, Global Government Solutions, Salesforce, San Francisco, CA USA
• Rebecca Wetherly, Principal Sales Executive, Amazon Web Services, Arlington, VA USA
• Katherine Relle, Private Equity Portfolio Manager, Firmwide Business Resource Group Leader, JPMorgan Chase & Co., New York, NY USA
• Reem AlAfaliq, Sales Planning and Development Manager, DHL Express Saudi Arabia, Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia
• Eunice Wong, Chief Growth Officer for Greater China markets, Ketchum, Hong Kong
• Deana Scott, Founder and CEO, VMORE, Brisbane, QLD Australia
• Gina Qiao, Senior Vice President, Chief Strategy Officer and Chief Marketing Officer, Lenovo, Beijing, China
• Terri Khonsari, Founder and Executive Director, Families Without Borders, Moraga, CA USA
• Robin Toft, Founder and CEO, Toft Group, San Francisco, CA USA
• Project Box, Pacific Pines, QLD Australia
• Bug Bite Thing, Port St. Lucie, FL USA
• Hegen Singapore, Singapore
• LinkedIn Corp, Sunnyvale, CA USA
• REMAP Network, Toronto, ON Canada
• John Hancock, Boston, MA
• Burger King, Miami, FL

The 2021 Stevie Awards for Women in Business will be judged by more than 200 leading professionals around the world, and nominees will have access to all the judges’ comments and suggestions about their nominations.

Interested in the 2021 Stevie Awards for Women in Business?

• Megaphone Marketing helps businesses grow in competitive markets
• Though the industry is male-dominated, Megaphone Marketing has 70% women representation in leadership roles
• CEO Lauren Oakes works closely with members of the company to promote wellbeing

About Megaphone Marketing 

Megaphone Marketing is an award-winning agency implementing proven digital marketing solutions to help businesses accelerate growth and gain a competitive advantage in rapidly evolving markets. Founded in 2013 and led by a female CEO, Megaphone Marketing has 45 employees based in Australia, and soon Los Angeles. They are known for their authentic client relationships, expert team, and fun workplace culture.

About Lauren Oakes 

Lauren Oakes started as an Account Manager at Megaphone Marketing, and through innovative ideas and initiative, she was quickly promoted to Head of Accounts. After just eight months in this senior leadership role, she was appointed CEO in 2018. Lauren has accelerated client growth, set up a mentorship program to develop candidates with potential into the best talent in the industry, and has grown Megaphone from just four people into the full-service agency it is today. 

Lauren’s clear processes, innovative strategies, and close work with teams to increase productivity while promoting well-being has strengthened the company’s base in Melbourne, resulting in recent interstate and international growth. She implemented a twelve-week internship training program to help bridge the gap between university and working life and has hired four permanent team members through this program. 

Megaphone Marketing has achieved 70% female representation in leadership roles in an often male-dominated industry through its focus on training, equity, and support. The team had the opportunity to give back as part of a manageable workload and empower four not-for-profit organizations this year through pro bono marketing services.

Megaphone Marketing won a Silver Stevie for Company/Organization Awards Categories - Women-Run Workplace of the Year - More than 10 Employees in The 2020 Stevie Awards for Women in Business®.

Interested in the 2021 Stevie Awards for Women in Business?

• Kids Code Jeunesse is a charity organization that offers Canadian kids the opportunity to learn digital skills
• They aim to educate 1 million children in coding, digital citizenship, and creativity by 2030

About Kids Code Jeunesse

Kids Code Jeunesse is a bilingual Canadian charity determined to give every Canadian child access to digital skills education, with a focus on girls and underserved communities. KCJ teaches kids and their educators about artificial intelligence, code, digital citizenship, and how these integrate with the Global Goals so that children have the confidence and creative tools they need to build a better future.

KCJ delivers education through four pillars of service virtually and in-person:

• Code Create Teach includes teacher training and in-class workshops
• Code Create Celebrate hosts international events that relate to STEM, including Hour of Code and Astro Pi
• Code Create Play has extracurricular workshops that focus on kids’ hobbies like arts and sports
• Code Club Canada is a national network of over 1,000 clubs where kids can learn to code in small groups outside of school hours

After much discussion with international researchers, in 2019, KCJ launched #kids2030, a long-term initiative that brings together artificial intelligence, algorithm literacy, digital citizenship, and sustainable development goals to all of its programs and to the forefront of children’s education. It aims to educate 1 million kids and 50,000 educators by 2030. 

As of 2019, KCJ was the first national organization to offer free AI education in the classroom. Its services are frequently in demand from schools, caregivers, and communities. Between September and December of 2019, over 1,000 classroom workshops were booked. The BC Ministry of Education invited KCJ to consult on their curriculum, the Ontario Ministry of Education had KCJ advise on their math curriculum, and KCJ’s Chief Knowledge Officer was a senior advisor on the Pan-Canadian Computer Science Framework. 

In March of 2020, KCJ launched the Algorithm Literacy Project, a collaboration with the Canadian Commission for UNESCO, which is supported by the Canadian Council of the Arts, Microsoft, and RBC. The project teaches kids how algorithms work and provides materials to facilitate conversations about the role algorithms play in our world. 

In the first month of the COVID-19 emergency, KCJ reached out to over 1,000 educators, parents, and children through virtual workshops and resources. It was the first CanCode-funded organization to adapt in-person services to completely virtual offerings. Within days of school closures, KCJ was running virtual Code Club sessions that coached kids through coding projects, and within 2 weeks, it was offering virtual Code Create Play workshops on topics including space, nature, art, and sports. 

KCJ’s Foundation for the Future

Kids Code Jeunesse focuses on creating quality and inclusive educational experiences that support the needs of communities. It teaches concepts of collaboration, computational thinking, creativity, and digital citizenship. This approach is pedagogically driven, more similar to the humanistic approach of Renaissance learning than the post-industrial model that focuses on vocation. 

KCJ is a charity that operates like a startup: it is agile, striving to learn, and fostering a nurturing culture that encourages team members to innovate. Its big-picture thinking enables KCJ to offer influential change on an international scale. It is committed to serving underserved communities by focusing on public schools and co-ed classes. 

As KCJ continues to adapt to the changing world, it is focusing on leaving a meaningful impact. It doesn’t just teach kids how to code; kids are armed with the curiosity, creativity, and collaborative skills they need to apply knowledge to a digitally-driven and evolving world. KCJ’s work isn’t about preparing the next cohort of programmers; it’s equipping a generation with the ability to solve major global issues and the confidence to thrive in an unpredictable future. 

Kids Code Jeunesse won a Gold Stevie for Company/Organization Awards Categories - Organization of the Year - Government or Non-Profit - More Than 10 Employees in the 2020 Stevie Awards for Women in Business®. 

Interested in the 2021 Stevie Awards for Women in Business?

• Alexandra Paxinos has multiple areas of interest in tourism, marketing, and policy
• Her work with TheSouth Australian Tourism Commission elevates tourism and events in Australia and helps areas impacted by crises

About Alexandra Paxinos 

Alexandra (Alexi) Paxinos is a marketing manager, Asia specialist, partnerships strategist, professional development advocate, and policy advisor. From the age of 9, Alexi has been the sole caregiver of her mother following an accident that left her paraplegic. At 10 years old, she performed for Pope John Paul II with the Australian Youth Choir in Italy and has since gone on to host the current Prime Minister of Singapore, and meet with the Duke of Cambridge, Prince William, after being nominated as a Young Community Leader of South Australia by Carers SA. Alexi’s first promotion came at age 14 when she became Corporal in the Australian Air Force Cadets, before graduating high school at 16 and purchasing her first investment property at 19. Her first international influencer campaign won four international awards including the Silver Award for ‘Best Influencer Strategy’ in the 2016 Marketing Magazine Hong Kong PR Awards; a position second only to Procter & Gamble, and 'Social Media Influencer of the Year' at the 2016 Mumbrella Awards Singapore. Her work has been published in globally distributed magazines, on bus-wraps in Hong Kong, across train stations and live-streams in China, and on live-feeds in South Korea.

Alexi is the Senior Marketing Executive of The South Australian Tourism Commission (SATC), a state tourism organization focused on marketing South Australia to national and international audiences, and bringing new and exciting events, conferences, and festivals to South Australia. 

In February 2020, Alexi was promoted to Senior Marketing Executive, North Asia, and simultaneously Marketing Manager, Hong Kong at the South Australian Tourism Commission (SATC) – her fourth promotion in four years at the organization. In July, Alexi was appointed to the Board of Directors–and in September, Chair of Events Committee–for Spence Club Inc, a networking not-for-profit aimed at developing and retaining female talent in South Australia. In August, Alexi was seconded, in addition to her two marketing roles, as Government Affairs Advisor where she leads policy initiatives and responses on behalf of the SATC. She was also promoted to Vice Chair of Young Australian Tourism Export Council of South Australia (YATEC SA), after becoming a general committee member in January. Alexi has managed this while crisis-managing SATC activities in Hong Kong due to the anti-extradition protests, South Australian bushfires, and global COVID-19 pandemic.

Alexandra Paxinos won two Bronze Stevie Awards for Female Employee of the Year - Government or Non-Profit and Woman of the Year - Government or Non-Profit in The 2020 Stevie Awards for Women in Business®.

Interested in entering the 2021 Stevie Awards for women in Business?

In 1990, Jane Johnson launched a technology consulting business; and, like most entrepreneurs, she eventually decided to sell it.

Then came the proverbial “wake up call”: just because you want to sell your business does not mean you will. Most U.S. entrepreneurs - 85% - decide at some point to sell and only 15% can do so.

Enter Johnson, who in 2013 inaugurated Business Transition Academy (BTA), the first U.S. business dedicated to educating business owners on how to prepare themselves and their businesses to sell - at the right time, to the right buyer, for the best price and without the anxiety, poor advice and high fees that usually come with it.

As Johnson knows, the missing link is education and a strategic exit plan.

“Without a plan, success on your terms is unlikely and consequences can be pretty serious. It’s not unusual for that free time you’ve dreamed of to be replaced by a job working for someone else because you didn’t get enough for your business.”

It was Johnson’s experience selling her own company that inspired her to spend her life helping others avoid the pitfalls of exiting. In Johnson’s case, the business broker she had hired withheld information during the negotiation so that she and her partners would sell quickly for a lot less than the business was worth.

Johnson fired the broker; the sale was ultimately successful; and Johnson’s passion to help owners avoid this and many other pitfalls was ignited.

Enter BTA, which stands alone in taking a “holistic” approach to a business sale at a time when the norm is for owners to hire multiple experts – a broker, wealth manager, attorney and/or CPA - each of whom handles one aspect of it. All BTA exit plans are multi-faceted; and if you are working one-on-one with Johnson, there’s a quarterback to execute the plan for you. If you need an expert, Johnson will tell you and if necessary, recommend the best one(s).

And while the norm is often to get a fast commission, Johnson takes the time to recommend whatever you need. Many times – and especially during COVID-19 – owners need to rebuild their businesses before they can sell on their terms and timeline. Johnson is there for you throughout the process, even if that means five years from start to closing your deal.

As for that future filled with free time, Johnson knows that your life choices are a critical and possibly the most important part of your exit planning. For that reason, every BTA client begins by answering questions related to their exit goals. If you choose to retire, do you know what you want to do next? “Without answering this fundamental question,” emphasizes Johnson, “you can easily wind up with seller’s remorse.”

And, if you are in a family-based business, Johnson will ask you this to prevent serious “damage” that may take place down the road: do you know how to split the assets between adult children who are in the business and those who are not so as to avoid the “sibling strife” that often results, and can sometimes linger for generations? Johnson does.

BTA has a 100% completion rate. Every client can construct a strategic plan that results in a sale – to either insiders or an outside third party.

And at a time when many owners cannot afford to pay the usual $20,000 or more in advisory fees an exit can cost, Johnson had the foresight (right before COVID) to launch the country’s first digital platform aimed at giving owners everything they need – an “exit education” and the templates - to construct a strategic exit plan.

The first level of membership – 100% free-of-charge - helps you, in six steps, understand everything you need to do to exit; the next gives you what you need to put together your own exit plan. As Johnson says, “I care about owners – especially now when opportunistic buyers are ‘dialing for dollars’ in search of businesses to acquire for pennies-on-the-dollar.” During COVID, sign-ups for the free level soared.

As 2021 dawned, Johnson added another crucial program to the digital platform: an interactive “Expert” level that gives small groups of owners everything they need to plan and execute their individual strategic exit plans under the watchful eyes of Johnson and BTA transition mentors who have successfully gone through the process themselves - to advise and answer questions.

This new CEO peer-group offering features live webinars three times/month with Johnson centerstage teaching best practices, answering owners’ questions and interviewing innovative entrepreneurs who have successfully sold their businesses to insiders as well as to external third parties.

You may be wondering – as Johnson admittedly does every day - how is it possible in 2021 that the entrepreneurs who make up this country’s innovative business landscape know so much about business and so little about the one thing they will all seek to do one day – Exit?

With Johnson at the helm, those days are on their way to fading away.

For more information on exit planning and BTA’s educational memberships, please visit BusinessTransitionAcademy.com. Visit the home page for a free copy of Johnson’s Book “Cashing Out of Your Business” and upcoming live webinars showcasing the six steps to exiting well and achieving your goals.

Jane Johnson won a Silver Stevie Award for Female Entrepreneur of the Year – Business Services in the 2020 Stevie Awards for Women in Business.

Interested in the 2021 Stevie Awards for Women in Business?

• StarCompliance is a global provider of financial compliance software
• CEO Jennifer Sun’s experience in the industry has propelled StarCompliance to the forefront of the industry
• Jennifer’s dedication to the company and its employees puts people first

About StarCompliance

StarCompliance is a leading provider of compliance software to the global financial industry. Their scalable, easy-to-use solutions provide a 360-degree view of employee and business activity to help firms monitor and reduce risk, meet regulatory obligations, gain efficiencies, and drive employee adoption.

Star has over 20 years of experience supporting a global client base in more than 83 countries and across a range of financial service disciplines—including asset managers, broker-dealers, private equity firms, insurance providers, investment banks, and diversified financial institutions.

A well-timed agile transformation at the beginning of 2020 allowed Star to pivot quickly to the new remote-work environment of COVID-19. Their software has helped compliance teams stay globally connected. While the pandemic has forced many companies to take a wait-and-see approach, Star’s leadership team and CEO Jennifer Sun have continued to drive the business forward by rolling out even more new products, creating successful virtual events, and publishing the only survey to date that has specifically delivered insights around financial compliance and the challenges of COVID-19. 

About Jennifer Sun

CEO of StarCompliance, Jennifer Sun has more than 20 years of experience in traditional finance and fintech and a passion for helping companies reach their ultimate potential. She began her career as a financial analyst at Goldman Sachs. After a few years, Jennifer left Goldman to help launch Epoch Partners: a technology-enabled investment bank. After just 18 months, Epoch was acquired by Goldman Sachs. For the next 17 years, Jennifer dedicated her knowledge of the industry and fast-growth tactics to Ipreo: a global provider of software solutions, data, and analytics to investment banks, PE firms, and venture capital firms. In search of a new opportunity where she could again make a significant impact, Jennifer joined Star in September 2018, excited by the growth opportunities and potential she saw in Star and its employees. 

By putting employees first, Jennifer Sun helps guarantee Star's continued success. Every Star employee knows how the company is performing financially and knows why decisions are made. Jennifer’s frequent Town Halls and firm-wide communications ensure that important information is passed along to everyone. Her continued focus on streamlining internal operations is making Star a well-oiled machine that transcends geography and time zones.

StarCompliance won a Gold Stevie for Company of the Year - Business Products and a Bronze Stevie for Female Executive of the Year - Business Services - 11 to 2,500 Employees in the 2020 Stevie Awards for Women in Business®.

Interested in the 2021 Stevie Awards for Women in Business?