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By Nikki Cabus

Ryder Systems women are celebrated for supply chain leadership

Read Time 3 Minutes

Ryder System, Inc. (NYSE: R)celebrates three female leaders as recipients of the 2023 Women in Supply Chain awards from Supply & Demand Chain Executive and Food Logistics magazines.

The 4th annual award honors female supply chain leaders whose accomplishments, mentorship, and examples set a foundation for women in all levels of a company’s supply chain network.

Ryder System, Inc. is a leading logistics and transportation company. It provides supply chain, dedicated transportation, and fleet management solutions, including warehousing and distribution, e-commerce fulfillment, last-mile delivery, managed transportation, professional drivers, freight brokerage, full-service leasing, maintenance, commercial truck rental, and used vehicle sales to some of the world’s most-recognized brands. Ryder provides services throughout the United States, Mexico, and Canada. In addition, Ryder manages nearly 260,000 commercial vehicles and operates approximately 300 warehouses encompassing more than 95 million square feet.

This year’s honorees from Ryder are:

  • Cherie Brinkerhoff, vice president of supply chain solutions, for championing a new workforce development initiative within the retail, technology, and healthcare vertical at Ryder. With logistics engineers in short supply, Brinkerhoff is piloting an internship program for employees interested in exploring supply chain engineering. By temporarily backfilling the interns’ regular positions, it’s a risk-free opportunity to develop new skills and showcase them in a way that provides additional opportunities for growth.
  • Cristy Gallo-Aquino, senior vice president, controller, and principal accounting officer, for building the women’s leadership and support network at Ryder. A founding member of Ryder Women Leadership (RWL) in 2010 and a 13-year executive sponsor of the group, Gallo-Aquino continues to reach deeper into the company to identify female leaders in customer warehouses and truck maintenance, rental, and lease locations, as well as central support service locations, across North America. And, she’s expanded the educational component of RWL, because she believes that knowledge is power.
  • Mauryo Jones, vice president for safety, health, and security, for building leading indicators for proactive safety measurements rather than relying on lagging indicators, such as injury and crash frequency rates, to measure the effectiveness of safety performance. Working with Ryder’s strategic analytics and data science team, Jones is utilizing vehicle safety technology, incident management systems and apps, as well as driver training to build the leading indicators that help Ryder focus on key injury and crash mitigation areas, predict future trends, and prevent undesired outcomes.

“If you want to bring about new ideas and innovative approaches to tackling challenges and solving problems, then you have to bring together people with different backgrounds and experiences,” says Diana Anderson, vice president of talent management and human resources at Ryder.

“That’s why talent development is central to everything we do at Ryder.”

Diana Anderson currently leads the Talent Management operations for Ryder System, Inc. She is responsible for leading succession planning, performance management and leadership development practices. Diana also provides human resources business support to the executive team. Prior to this position, Diana worked with AutoNation for 10 years within the Human Resources function.

Ryder is regularly recognized for its industry-leading practices in recruitment and hiring of a diverse workforce to develop, promote, and retain the best talent to engage employees and drive innovation.

For the full list of the 2023 Women in Supply Chain award winners from Supply & Demand Chain Executive and Food Logistics magazines, click here.

By Nikki Cabus

ModMed doubles down on efforts to empower young girls in tech with Pace Center for Girls Broward

Read Time 4 Minutes

ModMed and Pace Center for Girls Broward double down on their efforts to empower high school girls and promote the technology industry. This collaboration seeks to inspire the next generation of female technologists and expand their horizons when it comes to career opportunities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

ModMed’s Women in Innovation & Technology, or “mmWIT,” is focused on advancing women in STEM fields by fostering diversity and inclusion within the tech sector. mmWIT is an Employee Resource Group that provides support, mentorship, and resources to empower women in technology-related careers. This program develops and enables women to lead and innovate as they grow in their professional careers. mmWIT hosts educational panel discussions, mentoring events, networking gatherings, book clubs and community outreach programs. Through mmWIT, ModMed strives to establish a strong community for women to reach their highest potential.

Pace Center for Girls envisions a world where all girls and young women have power, in a just and equitable society. Founded in 1985, Pace provides free year-round middle and high school academics, case management, counseling, and life skills development in a safe and supportive environment that recognizes and deals with past trauma and builds upon girls’ individual strengths. Dedicated to meeting the social, emotional, and educational needs of girls, Pace has a successful and proven program model that has changed the life trajectory of more than 40,000 girls and is recognized as one of the nation’s leading advocates for girls in need.

For more than four years, mmWIT and Pace Center for Girls Broward have worked hand in hand to champion women in STEM.

An early effort was mmWIT’s 2018 Fashion Show to raise funds for the Pace Center for Girls Broward. ModMed’s employees received a casting call and the response was amazing. As if strutting their stuff down the catwalk for a good cause wasn’t enough, the model who sold the most raffle tickets won a prize: an outfit they wore on the runway. That event raised over $4000 for the Pace Center for Girls.

Their joint efforts are designed to introduce high school girls to the vast potential of a tech career and encourage more women to pursue opportunities in this dynamic industry. By broadening the perspectives of young women, this collaboration not only advances women in STEM but also motivates them to explore the myriad of possibilities available at forward-thinking companies like ModMed®.

Headquartered in Boca Raton, ModMed is transforming healthcare around the countryy by placing doctors and patients at the center of care through an intelligent, specialty-specific cloud platform. With our electronic health records (EHR) and practice management (PM) systems, and our patient engagement and revenue cycle management (RCM) services, our all-in-one solution empowers specialty medical practices by providing clinical, financial and operational software solutions. Our staff physicians help to develop products and services for allergy, dermatology, gastroenterology, OBGYN, ophthalmology, orthopedics, otolaryngology, pain management, plastic surgery, podiatry and urology practices, as well as ambulatory surgery centers.

The “Life After High School” Event: Inspiring and Equipping the Next Generation

The “Life After High School” event is a standout collaboration between mmWIT and Pace Center for Girls Broward. Esteemed women from the technology industry come together to share their insights and personal journeys with the students. The panel discussion covers a wide range of essential topics, including effective communication skills, professionalism in the tech industry, the transition from high school to the professional world, and the art of collaboration with individuals from diverse backgrounds. Through these discussions, the aim is to provide the young audience with the valuable knowledge they need to seize limitless opportunities and excel in their chosen paths.

Rose Anderson, Career & College Readiness Coordinator at Pace Center for Girls Broward, expressed her enthusiasm for the collaboration with mmWIT, saying, “This event perfectly aligns with our mission to empower girls and equip them with the necessary skills and confidence to thrive in their future careers. We are immensely grateful to ModMed for their unwavering support and commitment to advancing women in STEM.”

The panelists, accomplished women with diverse backgrounds in technology, will leverage their expertise and experiences to engage and inspire the Pace girls. Through this event, ModMed and Pace Center for Girls Broward aim to provide young women with the skills and confidence they need to flourish in their future careers.

Breaking Barriers

Girls aspiring to enter the tech field sometimes struggle due to factors such as the lack of visible role models, gender stereotypes and biases, a lack of support and encouragement, and the challenge of maintaining work-life balance. To address these issues, it is important to provide girls with mentorship, promote diversity and inclusivity and ensure equal access to education and resources.

The collaboration between mmWIT and Pace Center for Girls Broward represents a significant stride toward creating a more inclusive and diverse tech industry. By inspiring and empowering high school girls, this collaboration aims to pave the way for a new generation of female technologists who will drive innovation and contribute to a more equitable future. Together, they are dismantling barriers, breaking stereotypes, and creating a brighter and more inclusive tomorrow for women in technology.

Jodi Sherman, senior manager of customer success operations at ModMed and the President of mmWIT, shared her views on how the collaboration with the Pace Center for Girls Broward is making a difference. Sherman stated, “By sharing our experiences and knowledge, we hope to ignite the passion and curiosity of these high school girls, encouraging them to pursue careers in the technology industry. We firmly believe that by increasing the representation of women in STEM, we can drive innovation and create a more inclusive and diverse future.”

Ryder Systems women are celebrated for supply chain leadership
ModMed doubles down on efforts to empower young girls in tech with Pace Center for Girls Broward