Ricoh Celebrates Contributions of Women With 5th Annual International Women's Day Events

Ricoh USA, Inc. announced its 5^th annual International Women’s Day celebrations that champion the contributions and successes of women. Customers, employees, community partners and suppliers will join together in virtual events around the world, and with this year’s theme – #ChooseToChallenge – it’s an important reminder that we all must challenge gender inequality to translate awareness into action and change.

"At Ricoh, we champion diversity. Our celebration of International Women's Day has grown exponentially in just the past few years and reinforces our commitment to diversity and inclusion as a central tenet to our overall personal and business success," said Donna Venable, Executive Vice President, Human Resources and Deputy General Manager, Ricoh North America. "Embracing and promoting our employees', customers' and communities' diverse compositions, experiences and perspectives inspires understanding and growth, and empowers us to move forward stronger and more equipped to create new ideas and innovations that continue to challenge the status quo."

Since 2016 Ricoh has supported International Women's Day by hosting events in 35 countries throughout the U.S., Canada, Latin America, Europe, Asia and South Africa. This year's invitation-only virtual events further expand Ricoh's impact, with eight different sessions taking place in the U.S. and Canada alone. The event includes inspirational global messages from customers and partners—including long-time Ricoh customer and partner, the American Cancer Society—and Ricoh leadership.

Speakers and participants at this year's International Women's Day event have praised Ricoh's commitment to diversity and inclusion:

• "We're delighted to stand with Ricoh on International Women's Day, celebrating the many contributions of women and combining efforts to raise awareness about gender inequality. This year's theme, Choose to Challenge, is particularly poignant for all of us as we come together to learn from one another and pave the way forward as champions for inclusion, understanding and change." Karen Cecilio, Director, Diligence & Integration, Cetera Financial Group and event panelist
• "When companies like Ricoh 'choose to challenge' the status quo, create inclusive spaces where all voices are heard and celebrated, and seek allies throughout the legal and business communities, that's what will create real opportunities for gender equity. Morgan Lewis is excited to stand next to Ricoh at this year's International Women's Day event, celebrating the achievements of women and working on a roadmap for even more progress." Grace Speights, Partner, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, LLP and keynote speaker
• "We value our relationship with Ricoh, a company that seeks out ways to engage its employees and customers on issues that matter. Diversity, inclusion and understanding of one another are imperative to everything we do personally and as business leaders. Through participation in events like International Women's Day, we challenge ourselves and each other to keep appreciation of diversity front and center, where it belongs." Michelle Steinberg, CEO, Sepire and event panelist
• "Texas Athletics is honored and grateful to partner with Ricoh to celebrate International Women's Day. Female student athletes certainly 'choose to challenge' and focus on achieving excellence every day in their studies, athletic competitions, personal character development and career preparation. Advancing women leaders is inherent in the collegiate experience." Christine Plonsky, University of Texas, Executive Sr. Associate Athletic Director, Chief of Staff and guest speaker
• "International Women's Day is about raising awareness for women's equality, celebrating their achievements and focusing on our future. It's a reminder to all of us that action must come before change, and we're proud to be championing change with Ricoh." Susan Rothwell, Chief Revenue Officer; Vericast, Ricoh Strategic customer and guest speaker

Ricoh's annual support of International Women's Day is an important example of the company's focus on diversity and inclusion as essential drivers to personal fulfillment and collective success among its community members. The growth of the company's diversity programming in general—and support of International Women's Day, in particular—have elicited public recognition. These more recent acknowledgements include being named a recipient of a Diversity Impact Award from the Association of ERGs & Councils and Christina Morrow of Ricoh being named among the "Best of the Best" by DiversityPlus Magazine.

To learn more about International Women's Day 2021, click here. For more information about Ricoh's International Women's Day activities, click here or follow the company's social media channels on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Source: Ricoh