TMG CEO to other female leaders: Share your story to inspire global advancement of more women
Shazia Manus moderates panel discussion at Global Women’s Leadership Network Breakfast, part of the 2016 World Credit Union Conference in Northern Ireland
DES MOINES, IA (July 21, 2016) — “Although progress has been made toward gender equality in the workforce over the past several decades, it has been minimal at best,” said Shazia Manus. The CEO of payments processor TMG and an advocate for more women in leadership, Manus served as moderator of this week’s Global Women’s Leadership Network (GWLN) panel discussion on gender equality in the global credit union movement.
Despite making up more than 70 percent of credit union employment in the U.S., only 41 percent of women hold senior level positions.
The GWLN organized this week’s panel discussion to address the leadership gap. Participants included Sandra McDowell, vice president of communication and culture for First Credit Union of British Columbia, Canada; Elenita San Roque, manager of member services for the Asian Confederation of Credit Unions; and Kim Sponem, CEO and president of Summit Credit Union in Wisconsin.
“We must ask ourselves – how can each of us make a difference for women everywhere? It begins with these types of events. Each of us has been provided this platform to share stories and inspire others,” Manus said before an audience of international credit union leaders.
“As I look around this room, it is filled with the best and brightest leaders within the credit union movement,” she continued. “I know each of you has your own story of struggles and triumphs.
Our words have great power. Let’s begin sharing our stories to support and inspire hundreds of leaders in the credit union movement to support the advancement of women on a global scale.”
Manus, who was raised in Bangladesh, spent her formative years pushing against societal and familial pressures to achieve her goals. Her tenacity, in combination with the encouragement of her grandfather, allowed her to take challenging entrance exams, apply for highly competitive scholarships and even start a business at the age of 17.
Now a U.S. citizen and two-time CEO – first of Greater Iowa Credit Union, now of TMG – Manus is passionate about mentoring other young professionals. Since taking the helm at TMG, she has led the company through significant growth, formed industry-first partnerships and become a highly regarded leader in the financial services industry.
This week’s GWLN panel addressed topics including: what credit unions can do to put more women on a path toward senior management; how work and personal lives fit together; and what leaders of both genders can do to create greater gender parity in the credit union industry.
Audience members also heard from a series of credit union leaders Manus called “active change agents for women throughout the movement” in a series of video interviews. Produced by Mike Lawson of CU Broadcast, the video is part of a special project organized by the GWLN and TMG to keep the need for greater gender equality top of mind for leaders throughout the industry.
About TMG
TMG is dedicated to creating customized, technology-driven card processing and payment solutions for credit unions and community-based financial institutions across North America. Innovations in fraud management, loyalty programs, alternative payment systems and analytic reporting, and the competitive advantages they create, have helped TMG forge a new standard in offering cutting-edge credit, debit, ATM, prepaid card products and a P2P payment solution. For more information, visit www.tmg.global.
