By Andrea Rusnak
Women’s History Month is dedicated to highlighting the contributions of women to events in history and connecting them with contemporary society. It is celebrated during March in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia, corresponding with International Women’s Day on March 8, and during October in Canada, corresponding with the celebration of Persons Day on Oct. 18.
The incredible individuals listed below have paved the way for women to become changemakers and are shining examples proving that women everywhere – across all industries and disciplines – can have a voice.
- Anne Frank. Anne Frank was a brave teenager who hid from the Nazis for most of World War II and ultimately died at their hands in 1945. Her diary, which was published after the war, offered a glimpse into life during the Holocaust.
- Mother Teresa. A Nobel Prize winner in 1979, Mother Teresa worked tirelessly in Calcutta to care for the poor and disadvantaged.
- Billie Jean King. A U.S. tennis legend and winner of 20 Wimbledon titles, Billie Jean famously beat Bobby Riggs in 1973 for a $100,000 prize in the “Battle of the Sexes” after he proclaimed men were superior athletes.
- Princess Diana. The “people’s princess” once said, “Everyone needs to be valued. Everyone has the potential to give something back.” She devoted her life to charity work and led a Nobel Peace Prize–winning campaign to ban land mines.
- Michelle Obama. A former First Lady, Mrs. Obama is a role model for women, an advocate for a variety of causes, including education and healthy eating, and a fashion icon.
- Oprah Winfrey. Oprah is a talk show pioneer and media mogul. She is known worldwide for her philanthropic efforts, particularly those aimed at educating girls and young women.
- Madonna. Madonna has achieved an unprecedented level of power and control in the entertainment industry. She has sold over 300 million records and is a songwriter, actor, film director and producer, fashion designer and children’s book author.
Tackling the Gender Gap in Credit Unions
In 2009, the World Council of Credit Unions established the Global Women’s Leadership Network (GWLN) to tackle the industry’s gender gap while also leveraging resources to strengthen the economic security of women and their families. According to a recent report from the World Council of Credit Unions and Filene Research Institute, women in the credit union industry are more likely to start out in lower-level posts and – despite similar stated ambition – are less likely to achieve executive-level status.
The GWLN is the industry’s only international platform dedicated to addressing and facilitating greater gender balance in leadership positions. Its programs provide women who work in the credit union industry with the tangible skills, tools and resources they need to lead, and it gives organizations actionable steps to follow. PSCU is proud to support the efforts of the GWLN as a platinum sponsor.
The GWLN now has 44 Sister Society chapters in 16 countries – a 45 percent increase in one year alone. As a result of these expanding chapters, communities across the United States and internationally have been positively impacted. The GWLN held its leadership forum in conjunction with the World Council of Credit Unions Conference in Vienna, Austria, in July 2017. Over 110 women were in attendance, representing 22 countries.
Heart & Backbone
The leadership forum included keynote speakers Sandra McDowell, who spoke on leading with heart and backbone, and Dr. Brandi Stankovic, who focused on leveraging emotional intelligence. During the conference, the GWLN was presented with the industry’s highest honor, the Distinguished Service Award, for great contribution to the global credit union industry. Calyn Ostrowski, Worldwide Foundation Executive Director, and Susan Mitchell, CEO of Mitchell, Stankovic & Associates, accepted this award on behalf of 2,000 members from 78 countries.
Through its sponsorship of the GWLN, PSCU participated in the Executive Readiness Summit in Chicago in November 2017. The goal of the summit was to increase the female executive pipeline by equipping emerging leaders with various skills, knowledge, networks and action plans. The summit hosted 51 emerging leaders, 10 CEOs, and some executive recruiters as well. It was such a success that the GWLN is hosting this event again later this year.
PSCU was pleased to host the Sister Society leaders from around the world at its Phoenix, Ariz., office in January 2018 for the GWLN annual strategic planning session. Over 30 leaders from 17 chapters in the United States and Brazil were in attendance.
Promoting Diversity
PSCU continues to evolve and promote diversity within its workforce, with a laser focus on promoting its mission to fearlessly lead the charge to make gender equality a reality. The company strives to be a changemaker not only within PSCU but also externally by looking for opportunities to collaborate with partners, such as CUNA (Credit Union National Association) and Filene, to promote and support women on a larger scale. The company’s ultimate vision is to create a community in which gender equality is a natural state, and women everywhere finally have the voice they deserve.
Andrea Rusnak is VP Account Management for PSCU and responsible for managing a team of account executives that assists credit unions with their strategic portfolio growth goals and objectives. She joined PSCU in 2015 and has over 18 years of experience in account management. Andrea currently serves as PSCU’s External Executive Sponsor for women’s leadership in partnership with the Global Women’s Leadership Network. She also serves as a Co-chair on the San Francisco Sister Society Chapter board and is the Vice Chair for the CUES Southern California/Nevada Council.