The Financial Women's Association of New York (FWA) Continues its Commitment of the Back2Business™ Return to Work Program

BMO CAPITAL MARKETS, NEW YORK LIFE & PGIM SUPPORT DYNAMIC RE-ENTRY PROGRAM

NEW YORK, Feb. 19, 2020 /CNW/ - The Financial Women's Association of New York (FWA) has been dedicated to accelerating the leadership and success of women across the financial community for over 60 years. In support of this important mission, the FWA is proud to announce today the fourth installment of its successful Back2Business return-to-work program. This unique program offers individuals, both women and men, an opportunity to restart their careers and transition back to professional life in financial services after taking a break for reasons such as, but not limited to, providing childcare or eldercare, or serving in the armed forces.

"The Back2Business program is now in its fourth year and the FWA is thrilled to continue to support a variety of individuals in both their development and advancement of their careers through this re-entry program," said Simone G. Vinocour, President of the FWA. "The FWA and the remarkable group of corporate Back2Business sponsors are dedicated to supporting today's professionals and advancing tomorrow's leaders."

The extensive FWA Back2Business program provides selected participants with a re-entry opportunity at one of three sponsoring companies – BMO Capital Markets, New York Life and PGIM, the Global Investment Management Businesses of Prudential, - and, in most cases, the chance to work on a significant assignment or project at that organization that could lead to a full time position.

Back2Business will accept applications for a wide variety of functions including, but not limited to Investment & Corporate Banking, Sales & Trading, Capital Markets, Sales & Relationship Management, Product & Project Management, Operations & Technology, Credit Risk & Compliance, Finance, Accounting and Actuarial. Back2Business applicants must be located in New York, New Jersey or Connecticut or be able to work in the New York-metro area, have had a minimum of five years' experience in the financial services industry and have been out of the full-time workforce for at least two years. Complete program information and requirements can be found here.

An informational workshop will be offered in the spring to provide interested individuals with a chance to learn more about Back2Business, discuss re-entry challenges and meet participating organizations. There is a workshop available to learn more about this initiative on Thursday evening, April 2 in New York, NY. Details to be provided at a later date.

"As we look towards launching the fourth cohort of Back2Business, BMO Capital Markets is reminded every day of the talent that we were privileged to bring into our organization through this program", said Dan Barclay, CEO of BMO Capital Markets. "As founding sponsor, our commitment remains stronger than ever to supporting women in their path to re-entry in the workforce. When you consider the war for talent, these women are a gold mine of resources that should not be overlooked. Back2Business is but one of the initiatives at BMO Capital Markets that support our commitment to Diversity and Inclusion and to closing the gap on gender equity in the workplace."

"We are thrilled to be partnering with the FWA, for the fourth consecutive year, providing valuable opportunities for women to reignite their careers in financial services through the Back2Business program," said Jomil Guerrero, Managing Director and Head of Marketing Operations, New York Life Investments. "At New York Life Investments we are invested in long-term relationships, alongside our employees and clients, and it's gratifying to sponsor a platform that provides the tools and resources to support women as they transition back into the workplace." 

"Financial services firms will continue to be impacted by global talent shortages", says Kathy Sayko, Chief Inclusion and Diversity Officer at PGIM. "Accessing and engaging the men and women looking for return to work opportunities and creating the space to ensure that this talent rises within each organization will be important to the future of our industry."

Selected Back2Business participants are expected to begin their assignments in the coming months. Each sponsoring company will determine the number of participants they accept and how long the program lasts. Those chosen for Back2Business will receive support for relevant coursework or to re-establish certifications; mentorship support from both the FWA and the company they are working with; and a one-year paid FWA membership to attend skill-building events, re-establish professional networks and develop a support group of individuals in the financial industry.

About Financial Women's Association (FWA):
Founded in 1956, the Financial Women's Association works collaboratively with leading firms to advance mutual goals of retention and the advancement of female professionals. The FWA presents key thought leadership events, builds performance skills and promotes valuable business connections. It produces annual international conferences facilitating exposure to global business and economic opportunities. In addition, the FWA gives back to the community by providing scholarships and mentoring to young professionals and students, reaching more than 6,000 individuals over the past 40 years, which helps to develop a diverse pipeline of talent.

About BMO Capital Markets:
BMO Capital Markets is a leading, full-service North American-based financial services provider offering corporate, institutional and government clients access to a complete range of products and services including equity and debt underwriting, corporate lending and project financing, mergers and acquisitions advisory services, securitization, treasury management, market risk management, debt and equity research and institutional sales and trading. With approximately 2,500 professionals in 30 locations around the world, including 16 offices in North America, BMO Capital Markets works proactively with clients to provide innovative and integrated financial solutions.

BMO Capital Markets is a member of BMO Financial Group (NYSE, TSX: BMO) one of the largest diversified financial services providers in North America with $774 billion total assets as at October 31, 2018.

About New York Life: 
New York Life Insurance Company (www.newyorklife.com), a Fortune 100 company founded in 1845, is the largest mutual life insurance company in the United States* and one of the largest life insurers in the world.  Headquartered in New York City, New York Life's family of companies offers life insurance, retirement income, investments and long-term care insurance. New York Life has the highest financial strength ratings currently awarded to any U.S. life insurer from all four of the major credit rating agencies**.

*Based on revenue as reported by "Fortune 500 ranked within Industries, Insurance: Life, Health (Mutual)," Fortune magazine, 6/1/18.  For methodology, please see http://fortune.com/fortune500/  

**Individual independent rating agency commentary as of 7/30/2018: A.M. Best (A++), Fitch (AAA), Moody's Investors Service (Aaa), Standard & Poor's (AA+)

About PGIM: 
PGIM, the global asset management business of Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE: PRU), ranks among the top 10 largest asset managers in the world* with more than $1.3 trillion in assets under management as of Dec. 31, 2019. With offices in 16 countries, PGIM's businesses offer a range of investment solutions for retail and institutional investors around the world across a broad range of asset classes, including public fixed income, private fixed income, fundamental equity, quantitative equity, real estate and alternatives. For more information about PGIM, visit pgim.com.

*Pensions & Investments' Top Money Managers list, May 27, 2019; based on Prudential Financial total worldwide institutional assets under management as of Dec. 31, 2018. Assets under management (AUM) are based on company estimates and are subject to change.

SOURCE BMO Financial Group

Press Contacts: FWA, [e-mail], 203-536-1966; BMO Capital Markets, Julie Smithers, [e-mail], 416-643-9180; New York Life, Lacey Siegel, [e-mail], 212-576-7937; PGIM, Julia O'Brien, [e-mail], 973 367 7098