More than 250 women from throughout Vermont gathered at Sheraton in South Burlington on Thursday for the 2010 Key4Women Forum. All proceeds from the 2010 Key4Women Forum were donated to the Vermont Women’s Fund.
‘The Vermont Women’s Fund is thrilled to once again be the beneficiary of the 9th annual Key4Women Forum. The funds we have received through this event allow us to invest in programs throughout the state that promote leadership, equality, economic independence and opportunities for personal and professional growth for Vermont’s women and girls’, said Catherine Kalkstein, Vermont Women’s Fund executive director. ‘We’re so grateful to Key and to the women who support us by attending this inspiring event!’
The forum, ‘The Customer of the Future: The Art of Creating True Customer Loyalty,’ featured customer service expert Cindy Solomon, president of Solomon & Associates Inc. and one of the most sought-after leadership and customer loyalty speakers in the country. Over the past two decades, she has helped hundreds of organizations build bottom line results by creating profitable, long-term relationships with customers, leaders and employees.
‘We know that customer service can make or break a company,’ said Scott Carpenter, KeyBank Vermont District President. ‘Cindy’s presentation was both entertaining and informative, providing clear explanations of the trends driving customer behavior today and the need for businesses to adjust to them.’
Lisa Ventriss, president of the Vermont Business Roundtable, received the Key Achieve Award at the event. The award recognizes a woman who has successfully led her business or organization and who has contributed significantly to her community.
"KeyBank has a wonderful tradition of supporting women's professional development and empowerment through its Key4Women Forums, and I'm honored to receive this year's Key Achieve Award,’ said Ventriss. ‘I look forward to celebrating this distinction with the many talented and diverse women in our community who also strive to make a difference every day."
Key4Women is a comprehensive bank program dedicated to helping women business owners achieve success. It has lent $3 billion to qualified women business owners since 2005, and last year committed to lending another $3 billion by 2012.The Key4Women Forums, which are being held in 15 cities across the United State in 2010, are designed to educate and empower women through the insight and advice of a dynamic national speaker.
KeyBank N.A. is one of Vermont’s largest financial services companies. A strong proponent for local economic growth, Key companies provide investment management, retail and commercial banking, retirement, consumer finance, and investment banking products and services to individuals and companies throughout the United States and, for certain businesses, internationally. The company's businesses deliver their products and services through Branches and offices; a network of approximately 1,500 ATMs; telephone banking centers (1.800.KEY2YOU); and a Web site, Key.com, that provides account access and financial products 24 hours a day.
Source: KeyBank. South Burlington, VT , October 29, 2010 ‘
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