Editor’s note: In celebration of International Women’s Day 2022, we’re looking back at our 2021 Women in Print and Promo special feature. Stay tuned to our website and magazine for the 2022 edition of Women in Print and Promo, set to debut in May.
From gender pay gaps to systemic issues, the challenges facing women in the workplace have been well-chronicled. In our own industry it was once rare to see women walking the floors of major trade shows. But so much progress has been made surrounding female representation in print and promo, and there are more women than ever before creating dynamic marketing campaigns, generating sales dollars, running machinery and leading multimillion-dollar companies.
The pandemic threatened all of that. Unemployment numbers reached alarming rates, and according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, women accounted for 55% of the 20.5 million jobs lost in April 2020. Even today, as jobs recover and employees prepare for a phased return to on-site work, questions remain about how that will look. Gender disparities still exist and tough choices will have to be made.
One thing is certain, though: COVID also reinforced how resilient women in business can be. They learned to trust their gut and how to survive a calamity unseen in our lifetime, making them exemplary role models for the next generation of women. Need proof? It’s all here in our eighth annual “Women in Print and Promo” feature.
As readers will note, the 2021 list highlights women of varying professional backgrounds—from account executives to CEOs. Their love of customer service is just one of many things that unite them. We asked each of these women to tell us about their experiences, how they motivate team members, what they’re proud of having accomplished and where they hope to be going forward. Click the links below to read the full profiles on each of these remarkable women.
Deborah Lanigan, Proforma Mega Marketing Solutions
Haley Lasseter, City Paper Company
Margo Yohner, RRD Commercial and Digital Print
Judith B. Friedman, Sonoma Promotional Solutions
