A year ago, NS2’s CEO Mark Testoni sent a company-wide email in honor of International Women’s Day. He had no idea the impact that email would make—and in many ways it sparked a sea change in NS2’s culture.
In his email, Mark acknowledged that when it comes to gender equality in the workplace, there’s still more work to do. And his colleagues agreed. Even better, they raised their hands to help lead change within the organization.
Within a few weeks, the wheels were in motion. In a series of committee meetings, women shared the challenges they’ve faced in their careers. Together, NS2 employees brainstormed ways the organization could take meaningful action to support the advancement of women.
As a result, NS2’s Women’s Initiative Network (WIN) was formed, led by co-chairs Kristina Goumas, VP of Support Sales, and Joan Heald, VP of IC Sales, backed by executive sponsor Mark Testoni, CEO.
Ever since, WIN focused on its mission of “advancing NS2 women to advance NS2” through three key areas:
- Professional skills enablement
- Mentorship
- Quarterly speaker series
In honor of this year’s International Women’s Day, we’re looking back on our favorite WIN moments from the past year.
Women in Leadership Speaker Series
Our speaker series featured top leaders in the industry, including Fran Townsend (Chairman of the Board, SAP NS2), Carmen Middleton (Former Deputy Chief Operating Officer, Central Intelligence Agency), and Melissa Stockwell (two-time Paralympian, Team USA; U.S. Army, Ret.).
Workshops
Mentorship
Networking and Meetups
It’s incredible what WIN has accomplished in such a short time—and we are only getting started. We’ve also welcomed several women into leadership positions in the past six months—including our Chief Information Officer Kim Brannon, NS2 Mission Chief Operating Officer Kim Kasprow, and our first-ever Chief Culture Officer Mary Beth Hardy.
Diversity is our strength, and we are proud to “walk the talk” by turning those words from one year ago into action.
