WIN Recognized for Industry Leadership
In spring of 2022, Women In Nutraceuticals (WIN) had its ‘soft launch’ around Vitafoods Europe and the NBJ Summit, sharing our vision of achieving economic and societal equity to change the global nutraceutical industry. This cohort of industry leaders and advocates for gender parity sought support from organizations and individuals who believe in our mission of empowering women in nutraceuticals to unlock their personal and professional potential. And what a year it has been!
- 300+ individual members
- 30+ volunteers including our board and committee chairs
- 2,000 LinkedIn followers
- 55 sponsors & partners
This year at Vitafoods Europe, we debuted findings from the WIN Gender Representation in Leadership Survey, conducted by NEXT Data & Insights, which reported that only 37% of senior leadership positions in the industry are held by women, and only 22% of CEOs are female. In addition, WIN has collaborated with our media partners around the globe, providing expert insights and connections to WIN members to further the message on why we need more women in leadership, funding for women-led business, and women in science and research.
Caitlyn Vanderhaeghe, president, CEO and co-founder of KidStar Nutrients, and a member of WIN, commented: “Being a part of the WIN network is important not just for women but also men in the industry. We have a long way to go to achieve gender parity in the nutraceutical industry, and the dialogue needs to continue. It’s important that women are fully represented, including in leadership roles and other areas where historically we have not had a strong presence. More women in these roles can lead to better networking opportunities–better ways for other women to connect, learn, and grow, and pursue similar roles. I believe each generation has taken steps to increase the visibility of women in senior roles; we have made progress, but we still have work to do. My personal goal is that my daughters do not have to encounter the same challenges related to equity or representation when they are older, and that they can instead focus on building their confidence and skills.”
As we come to this year’s NBJ Summit—taking place July 25 to 27 in California—we have even more to celebrate. WIN is honored to be recognized for meaningful contributions to the nutraceuticals industry with the Nutrition Business Journal (NBJ) award for Efforts on Behalf of Industry in 2022.
NBJ Editor in Chief Rick Polito stated: “Explaining how more women in leadership positions could be a viable boost for the industry’s slowing sales growth was not why Women in Nutraceuticals (WIN) was founded, but the fact that women have insights pivotal to how products are developed and marketed is certainly an attention-grabbing argument for 2022 and 2023. Showing how women are essential in leadership, no matter the economic conditions, and then working to put them there made WIN an easy pick for the Efforts on Behalf of Industry Award.”
It’s not only WIN that is talking about the power of diversity and inclusion—and the benefits that comes with it. Entrepreneur reported that executive teams with gender diversity are 21% more likely to report above-average profitability. And Deloitte Review noted organizations that promote an inclusive culture are six times more likely to be adaptive and innovative, and eight times more likely to produce better business results. Imagine what that could look like in terms of the growth of the nutraceutical industry if we all embraced the power of gender equity.
The importance of a collaborative approach is key; it’s not only women who benefit from change, but men as well. Kenn Israel, the founder and manager of Innovation Nutrition Consulting LLC, was an early member and champion of WIN. He commented: “WINning is an essential attribute of “Bro” culture, “Machismo”, and many of the “Male” paradigms that define some of the pre-ESG models for organizations. This is why the recognition of WIN by NBJ for Efforts on Behalf of Industry is so important. WINning this award acknowledges and valorizes the understanding that our industry serves all people, and to do this at the highest possible level demands a progressive agenda of elevating the unique perspective of women, women leaders, and science serving women. WIN is a platform that supports our best organizational performance and industry wide outcomes, this is a WIN for all members of the industry.”
The positive feedback and recognition is buoying to our spirits; however, we know there is much more to be done. With the trust and support of our members and sponsors, we have an obligation to deliver value to them and the broader industry. There is so much for us to accomplish, from rolling out programming and toolkits for driving change, to piloting a mentoring program for senior level leaders, to identifying ways to support women in STEM to advance in science and research teams. And all of this will take engaged, willing volunteers and members.
In fact, WIN has evolved to this point fueled by volunteer power—from the board of directors to committees and event support. We are grateful to the founding board members including Board Chair Karen E. Todd, Vice President Global Brand Marketing, Kyowa Hakko (USA); President Heather Granato, VP, Partnerships & Sustainability, Food EMEA at Informa Markets (UK); Vice President Jan Mills, CEO, Artemis International, Inc. (USA); Chief Financial Officer/Treasurer Doug Reader, CEO, Arizona Nutritional Supplements (USA); Secretary Lynda Doyle, President & CEO, Avant Nutrition, LLC. (USA); and Directors at Large Karen Howard, CEO & Executive Director, Organic and Natural Health Association (USA); and Julia Wiebe PhD, Managing Director, red otc – a Finzelberg company (EU). Our Founding Committee Chairs including Marketing Committee Chair Gillian Fish (AU); Programming Committee Chair Traci Kantowski (USA); Engagement Committee Chair Michelle Martin (USA); PR Committee Chair Suzanne Shelton (USA); and Volunteer Chair Mary Ann Nation-Greenwall (USA).
We’d be remiss to not also recognize the amazing support of our Founding Sponsors and Partners, including industry associations and media organizations. Truly, they have provided the financial support to allow us to invest in the baseline survey, in technology and structure, and meeting our needs for administrative support. Click here to see the full list of sponsors and partners, with special gratitude to our Founding Platinum Sponsors: Artemis International Inc., IngredientsOnline.com and Informa.
A wise man once said, ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country. What could we do together that would be truly fulfilling for you to drive change in this industry? Reach out to [email protected] and let’s find ways to #WINtogether.
