BBVA Compass launches Birmingham chapter of Women in Leadership Business Resource Group

As the bank’s first-ever BRG, Women in Leadership underpins the bank’s Workplace Diversity and Inclusion initiatives which seek to leverage diversity and inclusion to create a culture that values the contributions of all employees and provides equal opportunity for professional development and career advancement. To support the creation of this culture, Women in Leadership looks to provide the tools and training needed to prepare women for career advancement, promote greater retention of female team members and create more opportunities for development and mentorship for all women at the bank.

According to Chief Talent and Culture Executive Rosilyn Houston, accomplishing these goals will have a positive impact on the bank as team members actively involved in the group become more engaged and empowered.

Houston: We’re...looking to show that this effort can drive real business impact.

“Business Resource Groups are valuable to companies, with studies showing that they lead to an increase in acquisition, promotion and retention in institutions that have used them,” Houston said. “We chose Women in Leadership to be the first BRG for the bank because team member feedback showed us that we have opportunities in the area of career development for qualified and professional women. So, we’re embracing that and looking to show that this effort can drive real business impact.”

Leveraging BRGs to affect change is a concept whose time has come, and doing so with women in leadership is a good place to start. According to Pew Research Center’s Women and Leadership 2018 study a majority of Americans (59%) say there are too few women in top leadership positions - including business and politics - and six-in-ten of those surveyed saying that a major reason why women are underrepresented in top executive positions in business is that women have to do more to prove themselves than men. Half say gender discrimination is a major barrier for women in business.

To accomplish its goals around women in leadership, the group is organized around four pillars, including critical issue resolution, community service, driving business and an annual summit to foster leadership development. By ensuring its activities adhere to these pillars, the group intends to be a forum where women - and the men that support the development of female leaders - can connect with one another in order to develop and enhance their skills and experience, but also use the talents of the same individuals to deliver business results.

Smith: As a female leader at BBVA Compass, I’m proud of the steps we are taking to recognize and address the challenges women face in the workplace.

“As a female leader at BBVA Compass, I’m proud of the steps we are taking to recognize and address the challenges women face in the workplace,” said Andrea Smith, BBVA Compass Birmingham Market CEO and Executive Sponsor of Women in Leadership’s Birmingham Chapter. “The intentional commitment to do better in this area underscores the bank’s overall pledge to listen, understand and act on employee needs.”

The Birmingham chapter of BBVA Compass Women in Leadership is the second at the bank. The effort kicked off last year in Houston, which boasts 70 Charter members. In Birmingham, more than 300 attended the kickoff event.