The Financial Women's Association of New York (FWA) Empowers Individuals to Restart Their Careers Through the Back2Business™ Initiative

BMO CAPITAL MARKETS, BNY MELLON, NEW YORK LIFE & PGIM
SUPPORT DYNAMIC RE-ENTRY PROGRAM

NEW YORK, Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ - The Financial Women's Association of New York (FWA) has been dedicated to accelerating the leadership and success of women across the financial community for over 60 years. In support of this important mission, the FWA is proud to announce today the third installment of its successful Back2Business return-to-work program. This unique program offers individuals, both women and men, an opportunity to restart their careers and transition back to professional life in financial services after taking a break for reasons such as, but not limited to, providing childcare or eldercare, or serving in the armed forces.

"The FWA is honored to support the individuals in both the development and advancement of their careers through the Back2Business program. Sheryl Sandberg's recent book shares that 74% of professional women rejoin the workforce after taking time off to have families. The FWA and the extraordinary group of corporate Back2Business sponsors are proud to provide a solid platform for these women (and men) to re-enter the workforce," said Karen Elinski, President of the FWA. "We're excited to be in our third year of the program and aim to build upon the momentum from last year. Our goal is to help even more men and women re-establish their careers in financial services."

The comprehensive FWA Back2Business program provides chosen participants with a re-entry opportunity at one of four sponsoring companies – BMO Capital Markets, BNY Mellon, New York Life and PGIM, the Global Investment Management Businesses of Prudential, - and, in most cases, the chance to work on a significant assignment or project at that organization that could lead to a full time position.

Back2Business will accept applications for a wide variety of functions including, but not limited to, Marketing, Sales & Relationship Management, Accounting, Investment Banking and Corporate & Commercial Banking. Back2Business applicants must be located in New York, New Jersey or Connecticut or be able to work in the New York-metro area, have had a minimum of five years' experience in the financial services industry and have been out of the workforce for at least two years. Complete program information and requirements can be found here.

Informational workshops will be offered in March to provide interested individuals with a chance to learn more about Back2Business, discuss re-entry challenges and meet participating organizations. There are two workshop opportunities, the first is on Thursday, March 21 at the New York Life offices in New York and the second is on Tuesday, March 26 at the BMO offices in New York.

"Diversity and inclusion are core values at BMO Capital Markets and our participation in the Back2Business program for the past three years as founding sponsor supports this commitment," said Dan Barclay, CEO of BMO Capital Markets. "BMO Capital Markets recognizes the value of talented women at all stages of their careers, and has been deliberate about leveraging returnship programs like Back2Business as a key driver to achieving our talent strategies.  It's not only the right thing to do but it absolutely makes good business sense.  It enables BMO Capital Markets to better serve our clients, and support the growth of our business in a competitive industry."

"The FWA Back2Business Program provides an excellent resource for talent looking to re-enter the workforce," noted Yau Cheng, Global Head of Diversity and Inclusion, BNY Mellon. "With FWA's guidance, candidates are able to better position themselves to continue their careers. We commend FWA's efforts and value the opportunity to engage with ambitious talent with diverse life experiences."

"We look forward to partnering with the FWA and the other participating companies to provide an opportunity for individuals to restart their careers in financial services through the Back2Business program," said Karen Niessink, Managing Director and Head of International Business Development, New York Life Investments. "We are invested in long-term relationships, alongside our employees and clients and it's gratifying to sponsor a platform that provides the tools and resources to support women as they transition back into the workplace. 

"At PGIM, we appreciate the Back2Business program for giving us visibility to a largely untapped talent pool, and providing a framework of support and mentoring to help ensure the participant's success," said Wendy Strutt, CIMA®, SVP, Head of US National Accounts, PGIM Investments LLC. "PGIM aspires to be a premier destination for asset management talent, regardless of whether those qualified, motivated individuals may have experienced a break in their career path."

Selected Back2Business participants are expected to begin their assignments in the coming months. Each sponsoring company will determine the number of participants they accept and how long the program lasts. Those chosen for Back2Business will receive support for relevant coursework or to re-establish certifications; mentorship support from both the FWA and the company they are working with; and a one-year paid FWA membership to attend skill-building events, re-establish professional networks and develop a support group of individuals in the financial industry.

About Financial Women's Association (FWA):

Founded in 1956, the Financial Women's Association works collaboratively with leading firms to advance mutual goals of retention and the advancement of female professionals. The FWA presents key thought leadership events, builds performance skills and promotes valuable business connections. It produces annual international conferences facilitating exposure to global business and economic opportunities. In addition, the FWA gives back to the community by providing scholarships and mentoring to young professionals and students, reaching more than 6,000 individuals over the past 40 years, which helps to develop a diverse pipeline of talent.

About BMO Capital Markets:

BMO Capital Markets is a leading, full-service North American-based financial services provider offering corporate, institutional and government clients access to a complete range of products and services including equity and debt underwriting, corporate lending and project financing, mergers and acquisitions advisory services, securitization, treasury management, market risk management, debt and equity research and institutional sales and trading. With approximately 2,500 professionals in 30 locations around the world, including 16 offices in North America, BMO Capital Markets works proactively with clients to provide innovative and integrated financial solutions.

BMO Capital Markets is a member of BMO Financial Group (NYSE, TSX: BMO) one of the largest diversified financial services providers in North America with $774 billion total assets as at October 31, 2018.

About BNY Mellon: 

BNY Mellon is a global investments company dedicated to helping its clients manage and service their financial assets throughout the investment lifecycle. Whether providing financial services for institutions, corporations or individual investors, BNY Mellon delivers informed investment management and investment services in 35 countries. As of December 31, 2018, BNY Mellon had $33.1 trillion in assets under custody and/or administration, and $1.7 trillion in assets under management. BNY Mellon can act as a single point of contact for clients looking to create, trade, hold, manage, service, distribute or restructure investments. BNY Mellon is the corporate brand of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation (NYSE: BK). Additional information is available on www.bnymellon.com. Follow us on Twitter @BNYMellon or visit our newsroom at www.bnymellon.com/newsroom for the latest company news. 

About New York Life: 

New York Life Insurance Company (www.newyorklife.com), a Fortune 100 company founded in 1845, is the largest mutual life insurance company in the United States* and one of the largest life insurers in the world.  Headquartered in New York City, New York Life's family of companies offers life insurance, retirement income, investments and long-term care insurance. New York Life has the highest financial strength ratings currently awarded to any U.S. life insurer from all four of the major credit rating agencies**.

*Based on revenue as reported by "Fortune 500 ranked within Industries, Insurance: Life, Health (Mutual)," Fortune magazine, 6/1/18.  For methodology, please see http://fortune.com/fortune500/

**Individual independent rating agency commentary as of 8/1/2017: A.M. Best (A++), Fitch (AAA), Moody's Investors Service (Aaa), Standard & Poor's (AA+)

About PGIM: 

With 15 consecutive years of positive third-party institutional net flows, PGIM, the global asset management business of Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE: PRU), ranks among the top 10 largest asset managers in the world, with more than $1 trillion in assets under management as of Sept. 30, 2018. PGIM's businesses offer a range of investment solutions for retail and institutional investors around the world across a broad range of asset classes, including fundamental equity, quantitative equity, public fixed income, private fixed income, real estate and commercial mortgages. Its businesses have offices in 15 countries across five continents. For more information about PGIM, visit pgim.com. 

SOURCE Financial Women's Association