WPEO Announces Award Winning Done Deals™ Completed This Year With Women Business Enterprises

NEW YORK, Oct. 6, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A total of 16,229 contracts worth over $402 million, completed with certified Women Business Enterprises (WBEs) in the New York region, were announced at the Breakthrough Breakfast held today by the Women Presidents' Educational Organization (WPEO).  This annual event showcases winners of the Done Deals™ challenge (representing deals completed from April 2016 through March 2017) and helps measure the impact WPEO has achieved in increasing business opportunities and contracting activity between WBEs and WBEs, as well as WBEs and WPEO Corporate Members.

Being officially certified as a woman-owned diverse supplier can result in opportunities previously inaccessible to women's businesses. WPEO provides WBENC certification, the most widely-recognized and respected third-party national certification in the U.S. for WBEs. WPEO serves two northeast regions: WPEO-NY (New York State, Northern and Central New Jersey -- through Trenton -- and counties on the Southern Connecticut shoreline – including Fairfield, New Haven, Middlesex and New London) and WPEO-DC (Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia).

WPEO corporate members who received this year's awards talked about the importance of supply chain diversity in their business strategies. Michael Hoffman, VP and Chief Procurement Officer, Pfizer Inc., which won the Corporate Champion Award, said, "Pfizer is committed to growing and developing women entrepreneurs, whose innovation and creativity help benefit our communities and our customers." Maura Colleary, Chief Procurement Officer, Vice President - Corporate Finance, New York Life, which won the Corporate Opportunity Award, said, "The continuous growth of the program is attributable to implementing and adjusting strategies tailored to adapt to the company's changing demands and the industry's emerging trends. Our core focus is centered on initiatives that deliver value to the diverse suppliers, procurement, and advocates."

WPEO Board Chair Eliseo Rojas, Vice President and Chief Procurement Officer, The Interpublic Group, said, "The theme of this year's Breakthrough Breakfast focuses on the impact that disruptive technology is having on the supply chain and procurement. Diverse women-owned companies who offer the flexibility to adapt to transformative changes underway are the partners with whom we want to do business."

The 2017 WPEO Done Deals Award Winners are:

• Corporate Opportunity Award – New York Life Insurance Company
• Corporate Champion Award - Pfizer
• WBE Connection Award – Stackable Sensations
• WBE Done Deals Champion Award – Eriksen Translations
• Access New York City Award – Copy Graphics, DBA Mrs. Paper
• Access New York State Award – Copy Graphics, DBA Mrs. Paper

Dr. Marsha Firestone, WPEO President and Founder, said, "The continued growth in the number of contracts signed this year indicates increased opportunities for certified women-owned businesses in the rapidly changing business ecosystem."

WPEO gratefully acknowledges the support of the following companies:

Dominion Energy; AARP; Ampcus; Avis Budget Group; Capital One; Interpublic Group; Microsoft Corporation; Wells Fargo; Guggenheim Partners; Pfizer Inc.; Atlas; Broadleaf; Coranet; Meadows Office Interiors; TCGI; Highroad Press; The Studio.

About The Women Presidents' Educational Organization:

The Women Presidents' Educational Organization (WPEO) is a regional affiliate of the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), the nation's premier third-party certification organization for women-owned businesses. The mission of the WPEO is to create increased access to business opportunities for WBEs. Its programs develop skills and knowledge for WBEs, advocate in the public and private sectors, foster relationships between WBEs, corporations and the government, and provide certification services.

WPEO provides full service third-party certification to women entrepreneurs in the New York, Northern New Jersey, Southern Connecticut and the Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia areas.  WPEO is incorporated in the state of New York and is recognized as a 501(c) (3) organization. For more information please visit www.wpeo.us. Follow us on Twitter@WPEONYDC; like us on Facebook@TheWPEO.

SOURCE Women Presidents' Educational Organization