|
WALNUT CREEK, CA, February 13, 2006 -- For its role as one of the top three companies in California for women in leadership roles, Westaff, Inc. (NASDAQ: WSTF), a leading provider of staffing services, was honored by the UC Davis Graduate School of Business.
"The strength of our leadership team is in its balance," said Westaff President and Chief Executive Officer Trish Newman. "It's not necessarily about a balance of gender, although I am very proud of the fact that women are in positions of influence at Westaff. Throughout our organization, we hire and promote people based on their abilities, experience and drive to succeed. We're a company with a lot of opportunity for both men and women with skill and drive."
Westaff was singled out from among California's 200 largest publicly traded companies for its service as a role model in using the talents of women in leadership positions. The UC Davis Graduate School of Business honored Westaff as one of four companies that has more than 35 percent women directors and executive officers. Twenty other companies had 20 percent women directors and executive officers, and one company had equal representation in the boardroom and executive suites.
The honor came at a gathering of elected officials and women directors and executive officers in downtown Sacramento on February 9. It followed the release of a groundbreaking study that took a critical look at the participation of women in California's corporate leadership. Researchers from the Graduate School of Business found that, in general, women hold only 10.2 percent of the combined board seats and highest-paid executive officer positions in California's 200 largest publicly traded companies.
Some companies like Westaff, however, are leaders in reversing the trend, said Graduate School of Management Professor Kim Elsbach: "The good news is that we have some role models for what a company can do in attracting and mentoring women in leadership."
Founded in 1948, Westaff continues to grow and evolve, offering new opportunities for talented employees. In March 2005, Ms. Newman took the helm at Westaff after serving as Managing Director of Westaff's business operations in the United Kingdom. Today, 56% of those in supervisory and management roles within the Westaff organization are women.
"This report lets the CEOs of the world know that women are business leaders in California -- they are not only up to the task, they set the task," said State Sen. Jackie Speier, D-San Francisco/San Mateo.
Click here to see Trish Newman - CEO of Westaff - accepting the award from Dean Nicole Biggart of UC Davis Graduate School of Management.
About Westaff
Westaff provides staffing services and employment opportunities for businesses in global markets, servicing more than 15,000 client accounts from more than 230 offices located throughout the U.S., the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. Westaff provides client companies with 150,000 temporary and permanent placement employees annually in the areas of administration, call centers and light industry. For more information, please visit our Web site at www.westaff.com .
|
