Dow Named to 2016 Working Mother 100 Best Companies for Women, Announces 2016 Working Mother of the Year
2016 List Recognizes Dow for Progressive Workplace Programs
MIDLAND, Mich.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Working Mother magazine today named The Dow Chemical Company
(NYSE: DOW) to the 2016 Working Mother 100 Best Companies list,
marking the twelfth time in the award’s 31 year history that Dow has
received this prestigious recognition. This award honors companies
committed to addressing the core issues of working moms and women’s
advancement through progressive workplace programs including
development, flexibility, child care and paid parental leave.
Johanna Soderstrom, corporate vice president, Human Resources and
Aviation said, “We recently made significant changes to our global
policies to better accommodate working mothers by offering a minimum of
12 weeks paid parental leave for the eligible birthmother, and up to two
weeks for the non-birthing parent. The changes also include flexible
work arrangement options, request to limit business travel, and shipment
of breast milk back home during travel. This award recognizes the
actions Dow has taken specifically to assist new parents with adjusting
to a new addition in their lives while simultaneously providing an
opportunity to remain engaged in the workplace.”
Dow also announced today its 2016 Working Mother of the Year, Adriana
Ratterman, regional sales leader, Dow AgroSciences. The Working Mother
of the Year honor recognizes a working mom who is a great mentor to
other women, who succeeds in combining work and family, serves as
positive role model and mentor, and distinguishes herself in the
workplace and community.
“Dow remains committed to a workplace that values diversity and
inclusion, and working mothers are a critical part of this equation,”
said Pedro Suarez, president of Dow USA. “Dow is proud to be
recognized as a company that implements policies to enable all employees
to reach their fullest potential.”
Dow’s 2016 Working Mother of the Year
Adriana Ratterman, a leader in the Ag Business and within the
Indianapolis Community, began her Dow career in 1995 as a sales
representative in Fresno, CA. Ratterman currently serves as a regional
sales leader at Dow AgroSciences with a team of over 100 direct and
in-direct reports. She lives in Indianapolis, IN with her husband, Drew
and they are the proud parents of two daughters, Grayson (9) and Garrett
(8). She prides herself on work performance and balancing the
expectations of being a mother. Ratterman mentors and advises both men
and women within Dow, including employees outside of her team. She is
involved with WIN at Dow and supports the community through her
volunteer activities. She is a sustaining Junior League member and is
extremely involved in her church and school, recently elected to the
school commission (Immaculate Heart of Mary). Wherever possible,
Ratterman engages her children in her volunteer activities to instill
the importance and values of giving back and philanthropy.
“At Dow, we value the diverse perspectives that our working mothers and
all employees bring to work each and every day,” adds Jane Palmieri,
business president, Dow Building & Construction and North American
chairperson for the Women’s Innovation Network (WIN), one of eight
Company supported employee resource groups. “Their diversity of thought
fuels our innovation and is essential to Dow’s success.”
Jennifer Owens, editorial director of Working Mother Media, says, “For
31 years, Working Mother has tracked the progress of companies
that lead in creating a supportive workplace for America’s families. Now
more than ever, with changing family dynamics, parental benefits are a
key weapon in the war for talent. These companies aim to create the
culture that attract the best talent.”
This year Dow and Ratterman will attend the Working Mothers 100 Best
Companies Work Life Congress on October 17-18 at the New York Marriott
Marquis in Times Square. Dow and Ratterman will also attend the 100 Best
Companies Gala Awards Dinner and participate in an awards presentation
ceremony. The 100 Best Companies are featured in the October/November
issue of Working Mother and on workingmother.com.
For over 30 years the Working Mother Best Companies initiative has been
one of the most credible measures of family-friendly companies.
For more information on Dow’s inclusive culture, including information
on working at Dow, visit www.dow.com/careers.
About Dow
Dow (NYSE: DOW) combines the power of science and technology to
passionately innovate what is essential to human progress. The Company
is driving innovations that extract value from material, polymer,
chemical and biological science to help address many of the world’s most
challenging problems such as the need for clean water, clean energy
generation and conservation, and increasing agricultural productivity.
Dow’s integrated, market-driven, industry-leading portfolio of specialty
chemical, advanced materials, agrosciences and plastics businesses
delivers a broad range of technology-based products and solutions to
customers in approximately 180 countries and in high-growth sectors such
as packaging, electronics, water, coatings and agriculture. In 2015, Dow
had annual sales of nearly $49 billion and employed approximately 49,500
people worldwide. The Company’s more than 6,000 product families are
manufactured at 179 sites in 35 countries across the globe. On June 1,
2016, Dow became the 100 percent owner of Dow Corning Corporation’s
silicones business, a global company with sales of greater than $4.5
billion in 2015, 25 manufacturing sites in 9 countries and approximately
10,000 employees worldwide. References to “Dow” or the “Company” mean
The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries unless
otherwise expressly noted. More information about Dow can be found at www.dow.com.
About Working Mother Media
Working Mother Media (WMM), a division of Bonnier Corporation (bonnier.com),
publishes Working Mother magazine and its companion website, workingmother.com.
The Working Mother Research Institute (workingmother.com/wmri),
the National Association for Female Executives (nafe.com)
and Diversity Best Practices (diversitybestpractices.com)
are also units within WMM. WMM’s mission is to serve as a champion of
culture change. Working Mother magazine is the only national
magazine for career-committed mothers. Follow us on Facebook,
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and Pinterest.
®TM Trademark of The Dow Chemical Company (“Dow”) or an
affiliated company of Dow
Contacts
The Dow Chemical Company
Sarah Blodgett
989-636-9323
SSBlodgett@dow.com
or
Carie
E.K. LaFond
989-636-2680
CELafond@dow.com
