KeyBank (NYSE:KEY) has appointed Cindy Delaney, owner of Delaney Meeting and Events in Burlington, Vermont, to the national Key4Women Advisory Board, which is a Key Bank program for women business owners.
After holding management positions in hotels and resorts, Delaney began her own business in 1997. The company now includes nine employees and manages more than 60 events nationwide each year. Delaney joins 22 other new advisory board members to form the 2011 board, comprised of women business owners, leaders and experts from a cross section of industries across Key’s footprint. It includes representatives from the Women Presidents’ Organization, the Center for Women's Business Research, Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP), and ForbesWoman.
Originally formed in 2006, the advisory board work informs the Key4Women program to understand new challenges women business owners face in today’s economy. It also offers these women an opportunity to share experiences and offer advice to one another. The insights garnered from advisory board members help drive Key4Women’s strategy and program enhancements.
According to the Center for Women’s Business Research, 10 million firms are majority-owned by women. As of 2008, these firms accounted for 40 percent of all privately held companies, employing more than 13 million people and generating $1.9 trillion in sales.
“The Key4Women program encourages women business owners to share ideas and business experiences,” said Melanie Brown, Key Private Bank and Key4Women Relationship Manager. “Listening to our board’s candid feedback and implementing those actionable insights is critical to our business and enables us to provide the best service and insight to our clients. Cindy is an excellent addition to our board, helping us to accomplish this goal.”
As one of the nation’s largest financial services companies and top small business lenders, Key provides financial services to thousands of women-owned businesses in 14 states.
Founded in 2005, Key4Women helps women business owners achieve their goals by providing access to capital, customized service, networking events, and educational opportunities. Key4Women has lent $3 billion to qualified women business owners since 2005 and committed to lending another $3 billion by 2012.
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.