Today is International Women’s Day. I’d like to take a moment to salute the women whose work directly or indirectly makes Radio World possible.
According to census.gov, IWD has its roots on March 8, 1857, when female textile workers marched in protest of unfair working conditions and unequal rights for women. It was one of the first organized strikes by working women. On March 8 in 1908, workers in the needle trades marched in New York City to protest child labor, sweatshop working conditions and demand women’s suffrage. Beginning in 1910, the date became observed as International Women’s Day.
When I joined Radio World and IMAS Publishing in 1996, my boss was a woman, and her boss was a woman, and HER boss was a woman. I liked this; I wanted to be in a forward-looking workplace, and I felt I’d landed at a company where opportunity was equal and advancement based on merit.
Radio World has seen two ownership changes since then. Future, our parent company today, has 30 times as many employees as IMAS did when I started. Women comprise half of this huge workforce. And though many of the faces have changed, I just realized that in 2023, it is again true that my boss is a woman, and her boss is a woman, and HER boss — the big cheese — is a woman. Our dynamic CEO Zillah Byng-Thorne has been a vocal proponent of creating an inclusive culture.
I’m pleased and honored today to salute the professionals at all levels of our organization who play a role in bringing Radio World to you. Their roles are listed below the collage.
Shown, first row, are Zillah Byng-Thorne, chief executive officer; Raffaela Calabrese, account director Europe, Media Technology; Nicole Cobban, group art director, B2B; Rachael Diemert, director, product marketing, B2B Content; Jamie Franc, AVTech account manager, B2B Client Success; and Martha Karmali, senior product content manager, SmartBrief.
Second row: Elle Kehres, content producer and Radio World SmartBrief editor; and Carmel King, managing director, B2B Tech & Entertainment Group.
Third row: Courtney Krull, audience development manager; Lisa McIntosh, senior design director; Shana Murik, director, audience growth; Sarah Rees, senior vice president, Wealth, B2B & Events; Nicole Schilling, production manager; and Terry Scutt , content director, Contract/Special Projects, and content manager, TV Tech.
Not shown: Maria Beckett, senior vice president, finance, North America; Tanya Marshall, management accountant; and Heather Tatrow, production manager.
International Women’s Day (IWD) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity.
My thanks to Lisa McIntosh and Cindy Davis, content and brand director of AV Technology, for their help with this post.