March 26, 2026 /3BL/ – Product of the Year™ (POY) is the world’s largest consumer-voted award for product innovation, awarded in over 40 countries across the globe each year. The purpose of the award is to guide consumers to the best products in their market and reward manufacturers for quality and innovation. Each year, POY accepts entries for consumer products that demonstrate advancement within their industries. The POY seal is backed by a survey of 40,000 people by Kantar, a global leader in product innovation research.

Congratulations to the Dial® brand for winning a 2026 Product of the Year USA Award, and to the Snuggle®, and göt2b® brands for winning 2026 Product of the Year Canada Awards!

Dial® Antibacterial + Hydrating Liquid Hand Soap

Dial® Antibacterial + Hydrating Liquid Hand Soap – Winner in the Hand Soap Category USA

The Dial® Antibacterial + Hydrating Liquid Hand Soap provides lasting moisturization until the next wash. Clinically proven to kill 99.9% of bacteria1, this hand soap delivers 2x more moisturization2 per wash. Its gentle, creamy formula soothes dry skin while being free from SLS/SLES, parabens, phthalates, and silicones. This new hand soap from Dial is available in three scents: Shea Butter, Coconut Milk, and Chamomile. Dial® represents the gold standard of clean that ensures you’re ready for whatever life throws your way, giving you the confidence to move forward.

“Dial Antibacterial + Hydrating Liquid Hand Soap represents a meaningful step forward for the hand soap category. By delivering trusted antibacterial alongside superior hydration3, we’re meeting consumers where they are, without asking them to compromise on care or efficacy,” says Allison Feldman, Vice President of Personal Care & Fabric Softener at Henkel. “The Product of the Year seal is a trusted signal for shoppers, and we look forward to leveraging this recognition to highlight a product that thousands of consumers have identified as both innovative and dependable.”

göt2b®glued® 2-in-1 Brow & Edge Gel

göt2b®glued® 2-in-1 Brow & Edge Gel – Winner in the Hair Styling and Finishing Category Canada

göt2b® Glued® 2-in-1 Brow & Edge Gel is a multipurpose solution for your brows and edges. The fast-drying, no-sticky feel, transparent styling gel is made to create strong and lasting hold at home or on the go. The innovative product design features a wide side for applying the gel and a narrow side for styling and fixing your brow and hair contours.

“göt2b as a brand has always stood for innovation and self-expression, with a portfolio of hair coloring and styling products that empower consumers to be whoever they want to be,” says Linda Lin, Head of Hair, North America at Henkel. “It is an honor to have göt2b®glued® 2-in-1 Brow & Edge Gel endorsed by Product of the Year organization and consumers across Canada; this distinction will now be a symbol to consumers of göt2b’s credible, reliable, innovative products for all hair colors, types, and textures!”

Snuggle® Crystals In-Wash Scent Boosters

Snuggle® Crystals In-Wash Scent Boosters – Winner in the Fabric Care Category Canada 

Snuggle® Crystals Blue Sparkle ®In-Wash Scent Boosters and Snuggle® Crystals Lavender Breeze® In-Wash Scent Boosters add the fresh scent of home to your clothes and fabrics. These beads dissolve to provide long-lasting fragrance: up to 12 weeks of freshness out of storage. They dissolve in all water temperatures, are great to use on all types of clothing – including activewear and sleepwear – and contain 95% naturally-derived ingredients, plus fragrance and other ingredients. The Snuggle® Blue Sparkle® scent brings a blend of white floral and green citrus notes, while the Snuggle® Lavender Breeze® crystals add a bouquet of fresh lavender and white florals; both blended with aromas of warm wood and soft musk.

“Snuggle recognizes that our consumers place high value in the comfort of home, and are proud that the Snuggle® Crystals In-Wash Scent Boosters and the long-lasting scents they provide for all types of clothing have been recognized as a consumer favorite for fabric care in Canada,” said Margarita Bajzelj, Marketing Director, Canada, Henkel Consumer Brands, North America. “Product of the Year recognition is a testament to Snuggle’s customer-first approach to product innovation and performance while staying true to the brand’s core principles and purpose to provide a sense of comfort, encourage togetherness, and deliver scents that are both fresh and familiar.”

Encountered in household settings
2 vs Dial® antibacterial defense liquid hand soap
Overall in 3+ hour clinical testing of top 85% of antibacterial liquid & foaming hand soaps with moisturizers

Related Reading:
Henkel product winners: Product of the Year™ 2025

Inogen Alliance is pleased to announce the addition of a new Associate company, Sustainable Strategies operating throughout LATAM and based out of Guatemala. This strategic addition strengthens our presence in the LATAM region, further expanding our ability to deliver high-quality environmental, health, safety, and sustainability (EHS&S) services through a truly global network of local experts. As our multinational clients continue to grow and evolve, expanding our geographic reach remains a key priority to ensure consistent, on-the-ground support wherever they operate.

With more than 70 Associate companies and over 6,000 consultants worldwide, the Alliance continues to grow as a trusted global partner, connecting regional expertise with global coordination to solve complex challenges. The addition of Sustainable Strategies reflects our ongoing commitment to strengthening coverage in key markets, enhancing collaboration across regions, and delivering innovative, locally informed solutions that support sustainable business practices at scale.

Sustainable Strategies is a boutique consulting firm that has been operating throughout Latin America for over 16 years, providing a wide range of consulting to engineering services – Sustainability Strategy and Management Consulting Services, EHS Due Diligence for International Mergers and Acquisitions for financial institutions, Global Sustainability Reporting Services, ESG Responsible Investments, Energy Transition, among others to companies, developers, financial institutions, and other leaders seeking to invest and be competitive in Latin America

“We’re proud to announce our integration into Inogen Alliance — a strategic step that strengthens our commitment to building a better tomorrow by harnessing business for positive impact. Together, we bring global expertise to Latin America, helping companies become more competitive, bankable, and sustainable,” Nikki Bahr, CEO Sustainable Strategies.

In choosing new Associate companies to join the Alliance, we follow a thorough due diligence process to ensure alignment in values, service offerings, and complementary geographic coverage with our existing companies, with final approval by the Board of Directors. This careful approach ensures that every new Associate enhances the strength, consistency, and collaborative culture that defines Inogen Alliance.

Inogen Alliance is a global network made up of over 70 of independent local businesses and over 6,000 consultants around the world who can help make your project a success. Our Associates collaborate closely to serve multinational corporations, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations, and we share knowledge and industry experience to provide the highest quality service to our clients. If you want to learn more about how you can work with Inogen Alliance, you can explore our Associates or Contact Us. Watch for more News & Blog updates, listen to our podcast and follow us on LinkedIn.

Inogen Alliance is pleased to announce the addition of a new Associate company, Sustainable Strategies operating throughout LATAM and based out of Guatemala. This strategic addition strengthens our presence in the LATAM region, further expanding our ability to deliver high-quality environmental, health, safety, and sustainability (EHS&S) services through a truly global network of local experts. As our multinational clients continue to grow and evolve, expanding our geographic reach remains a key priority to ensure consistent, on-the-ground support wherever they operate.

With more than 70 Associate companies and over 6,000 consultants worldwide, the Alliance continues to grow as a trusted global partner, connecting regional expertise with global coordination to solve complex challenges. The addition of Sustainable Strategies reflects our ongoing commitment to strengthening coverage in key markets, enhancing collaboration across regions, and delivering innovative, locally informed solutions that support sustainable business practices at scale.

Sustainable Strategies is a boutique consulting firm that has been operating throughout Latin America for over 16 years, providing a wide range of consulting to engineering services – Sustainability Strategy and Management Consulting Services, EHS Due Diligence for International Mergers and Acquisitions for financial institutions, Global Sustainability Reporting Services, ESG Responsible Investments, Energy Transition, among others to companies, developers, financial institutions, and other leaders seeking to invest and be competitive in Latin America

“We’re proud to announce our integration into Inogen Alliance — a strategic step that strengthens our commitment to building a better tomorrow by harnessing business for positive impact. Together, we bring global expertise to Latin America, helping companies become more competitive, bankable, and sustainable,” Nikki Bahr, CEO Sustainable Strategies.

In choosing new Associate companies to join the Alliance, we follow a thorough due diligence process to ensure alignment in values, service offerings, and complementary geographic coverage with our existing companies, with final approval by the Board of Directors. This careful approach ensures that every new Associate enhances the strength, consistency, and collaborative culture that defines Inogen Alliance.

Inogen Alliance is a global network made up of over 70 of independent local businesses and over 6,000 consultants around the world who can help make your project a success. Our Associates collaborate closely to serve multinational corporations, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations, and we share knowledge and industry experience to provide the highest quality service to our clients. If you want to learn more about how you can work with Inogen Alliance, you can explore our Associates or Contact Us. Watch for more News & Blog updates, listen to our podcast and follow us on LinkedIn.

NEW YORK, March 26, 2026 /3BL/ – Governance & Accountability Institute (G&A), a leading sustainability consulting and research firm, has issued a new quick reference guide on the Voluntary Standard for Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises (VSME). The new guide, which is available here, is designed to help sustainability practitioners understand the new sustainability reporting framework which has been recommended by the European Commission.

“Large companies subject to the CSRD are working to disclose required information on their value chains,” said Louis Coppola, CEO & Co-Founder at G&A Institute. “The VSME offers a framework to help suppliers respond to data requests and provide a structure for their disclosures.”

The new quick reference guide includes:

  • An outline of the new Standard’s purpose, scope, and disclosure requirements
  • A clear summary of the two disclosure paths (the Basic Module and the optional Comprehensive Module) to support practical decision-making around value chain data requests and voluntary reporting
  • Highlights of the VSME’s connection to CSRD and ESRS, and how it is intended to be used
  • Context on how the VSME fits within the broader EU sustainability regulatory landscape
  • Why a standardized approach for SMEs is important for supply chain data quality and resilience

This guide supports sustainability, supply chain, and procurement teams at large companies managing CSRD value chain obligations, as well as SMEs operating within those supply chains.

Coppola said, “The VSME helps ensure the reporting burden for SMEs is proportional to their size and capacity to provide ESG information. G&A is available to help companies with strategic planning to help navigate the evolving regulatory reporting requirements in Europe.”

G&A’s new Quick Reference Guide is available for download on the company website.

About G&A Institute, Inc.
Founded in 2006, Governance & Accountability Institute, Inc. (G&A) is a sustainability consulting and research firm headquartered in New York City. G&A helps corporate and investor clients recognize, understand, and develop winning strategies for sustainability and ESG issues to address stakeholder and shareholder concerns. G&A’s proprietary, comprehensive full-suite process for sustainability reporting is designed to help organizations achieve sustainability leadership in their industry and sector and maximize return on investment for sustainability initiatives.

Since 2011, G&A has been building and expanding a comprehensive database of corporate sustainability reporting data based on analysis of thousands of ESG and sustainability reports to help steer strategy for our clients and improve their disclosure and reporting. More information is available on our website at ga-institute.com.

FOR MEDIA INQUIRIES & INTERVIEWS, CONTACT
Louis D. Coppola
CEO & Co-Founder 
Governance & Accountability Institute, Inc. 
Tel 646.430.8230 ext 14 
Email lcoppola@ga-institute.com

NEW YORK, March 26, 2026 /3BL/ – Governance & Accountability Institute (G&A), a leading sustainability consulting and research firm, has issued a new quick reference guide on the Voluntary Standard for Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises (VSME). The new guide, which is available here, is designed to help sustainability practitioners understand the new sustainability reporting framework which has been recommended by the European Commission.

“Large companies subject to the CSRD are working to disclose required information on their value chains,” said Louis Coppola, CEO & Co-Founder at G&A Institute. “The VSME offers a framework to help suppliers respond to data requests and provide a structure for their disclosures.”

The new quick reference guide includes:

  • An outline of the new Standard’s purpose, scope, and disclosure requirements
  • A clear summary of the two disclosure paths (the Basic Module and the optional Comprehensive Module) to support practical decision-making around value chain data requests and voluntary reporting
  • Highlights of the VSME’s connection to CSRD and ESRS, and how it is intended to be used
  • Context on how the VSME fits within the broader EU sustainability regulatory landscape
  • Why a standardized approach for SMEs is important for supply chain data quality and resilience

This guide supports sustainability, supply chain, and procurement teams at large companies managing CSRD value chain obligations, as well as SMEs operating within those supply chains.

Coppola said, “The VSME helps ensure the reporting burden for SMEs is proportional to their size and capacity to provide ESG information. G&A is available to help companies with strategic planning to help navigate the evolving regulatory reporting requirements in Europe.”

G&A’s new Quick Reference Guide is available for download on the company website.

About G&A Institute, Inc.
Founded in 2006, Governance & Accountability Institute, Inc. (G&A) is a sustainability consulting and research firm headquartered in New York City. G&A helps corporate and investor clients recognize, understand, and develop winning strategies for sustainability and ESG issues to address stakeholder and shareholder concerns. G&A’s proprietary, comprehensive full-suite process for sustainability reporting is designed to help organizations achieve sustainability leadership in their industry and sector and maximize return on investment for sustainability initiatives.

Since 2011, G&A has been building and expanding a comprehensive database of corporate sustainability reporting data based on analysis of thousands of ESG and sustainability reports to help steer strategy for our clients and improve their disclosure and reporting. More information is available on our website at ga-institute.com.

FOR MEDIA INQUIRIES & INTERVIEWS, CONTACT
Louis D. Coppola
CEO & Co-Founder 
Governance & Accountability Institute, Inc. 
Tel 646.430.8230 ext 14 
Email lcoppola@ga-institute.com

As BIER enters its 20th year, the Spring Roundtable in Leuven, Belgium, brought members together at a moment that feels both reflective and forward-looking.

Hosted by AB InBev, the Roundtable created space for what BIER has always done best: bringing industry leaders together in a pre-competitive environment to work through complex environmental challenges with honesty, rigor, and a shared commitment to progress.

That spirit was present throughout, not just in what was discussed but also in how members showed up: open, engaged, and willing to move beyond high-level ambition to practical, collective action.

Grounded in Reality: From Challenges to Action

The Roundtable opened with a clear focus on regenerative agriculture, recognizing real-world systems shaped by constraints, trade-offs, and competing priorities.

Members engaged directly with the challenges: supplier engagement, execution complexity, and the realities of scaling across diverse geographies. What emerged was a shared understanding of what is actually getting in the way. From there, the conversation shifted into action.

Small group discussions focused on co-creating practical approaches to address the most pressing challenges. This is where BIER’s model becomes tangible: scientific rigor paired with shared expertise, resulting in solutions that no single company could develop in isolation.

The dialogue then expanded to farmer wellbeing and zero-deforestation alignment: two areas where definitions, frameworks, and expectations continue to evolve. By examining leading approaches and early regulatory signals, members worked toward greater consistency, while also acknowledging where gaps remain.

Systems Thinking in Practice: Climate, Water, and Regulation

Day two reinforced that environmental challenges do not sit neatly in silos.

Discussions on water security highlighted the direct link between catchment-level stewardship and long-term business resilience. Members explored the trade-offs involved in managing water-related risks while maintaining growth and community trust, a balance that requires both technical understanding and practical decision-making.

On climate, the focus turned to the forthcoming updates to the SBTi Net-Zero Standard (V2.0) and the Greenhouse Gas Protocol’s land-sector guidance. These frameworks are actively shaping how companies measure, manage, and communicate emissions across increasingly complex value chains.

At the same time, regulatory developments, from the CSRD Omnibus to UK Sustainability Reporting Standards and California Climate Rules, underscored the importance of shared interpretation and alignment. In a rapidly evolving landscape, clarity is built through dialogue.

Emerging from these sessions was a shift from information-sharing to coordination, including refining how ideas are proposed, prioritized, and advanced to enable collective initiatives to scale effectively across the membership.

Leadership That Reflects the Moment

This year’s Roundtable also reflected the leadership guiding BIER into its next chapter.

We were pleased to welcome David Grant of PepsiCo and Harriet Cullum of Diageo as BIER’s 2026 Steering Committee Chair and Co-Chair, respectively.

David Grant steps into the role of Chair with a steady, pragmatic lens shaped by deep experience across BIER and the broader beverage sector. His focus on accountability, prioritization, and translating intention into measurable outcomes has already strengthened the organization’s approach to collective work.

Along with him, Harriet brings a systems-level perspective across water, agriculture, nature, and ESG performance, grounded in both corporate and not-for-profit experience. Her emphasis on data, transparency, and communication aligns closely with BIER’s approach and the increasing need to translate complexity into action.

Together, their leadership reflects clarity, discipline, and a continued commitment to meaningful collaboration.

From Roundtable to Resources: How the Work Moves Forward

The Roundtables, alongside BIER’s workstreams, are where shared challenges are surfaced, debated, and refined, and where the foundation is built for the tools and resources that support the broader membership.

From GHG guidance to water stewardship frameworks, benchmarking studies, and playbooks, BIER’s resources are shaped by the conversations and insights that emerge through this collective process.

This is how progress scales:

  • Dialogue becomes alignment
  • Alignment becomes guidance
  • Guidance becomes action

And over time, that action becomes a measurable improvement across the sector.

20 Years of Collaboration — and What Comes Next

Established in 2006, BIER has spent two decades bringing globally recognized beverage companies together to improve environmental performance across water, climate, reporting, circularity, and nature.

What has remained consistent is the belief that no single company can solve these challenges alone.

The Spring 2026 Roundtable was a clear reflection of that; not just in the topics discussed, but in the willingness to engage, question, and move forward together.

As BIER enters its next chapter, the path ahead is not about more conversation for its own sake. It is about continuing to translate shared expertise into practical, science-based solutions that deliver real impact.

As BIER enters its 20th year, the Spring Roundtable in Leuven, Belgium, brought members together at a moment that feels both reflective and forward-looking.

Hosted by AB InBev, the Roundtable created space for what BIER has always done best: bringing industry leaders together in a pre-competitive environment to work through complex environmental challenges with honesty, rigor, and a shared commitment to progress.

That spirit was present throughout, not just in what was discussed but also in how members showed up: open, engaged, and willing to move beyond high-level ambition to practical, collective action.

Grounded in Reality: From Challenges to Action

The Roundtable opened with a clear focus on regenerative agriculture, recognizing real-world systems shaped by constraints, trade-offs, and competing priorities.

Members engaged directly with the challenges: supplier engagement, execution complexity, and the realities of scaling across diverse geographies. What emerged was a shared understanding of what is actually getting in the way. From there, the conversation shifted into action.

Small group discussions focused on co-creating practical approaches to address the most pressing challenges. This is where BIER’s model becomes tangible: scientific rigor paired with shared expertise, resulting in solutions that no single company could develop in isolation.

The dialogue then expanded to farmer wellbeing and zero-deforestation alignment: two areas where definitions, frameworks, and expectations continue to evolve. By examining leading approaches and early regulatory signals, members worked toward greater consistency, while also acknowledging where gaps remain.

Systems Thinking in Practice: Climate, Water, and Regulation

Day two reinforced that environmental challenges do not sit neatly in silos.

Discussions on water security highlighted the direct link between catchment-level stewardship and long-term business resilience. Members explored the trade-offs involved in managing water-related risks while maintaining growth and community trust, a balance that requires both technical understanding and practical decision-making.

On climate, the focus turned to the forthcoming updates to the SBTi Net-Zero Standard (V2.0) and the Greenhouse Gas Protocol’s land-sector guidance. These frameworks are actively shaping how companies measure, manage, and communicate emissions across increasingly complex value chains.

At the same time, regulatory developments, from the CSRD Omnibus to UK Sustainability Reporting Standards and California Climate Rules, underscored the importance of shared interpretation and alignment. In a rapidly evolving landscape, clarity is built through dialogue.

Emerging from these sessions was a shift from information-sharing to coordination, including refining how ideas are proposed, prioritized, and advanced to enable collective initiatives to scale effectively across the membership.

Leadership That Reflects the Moment

This year’s Roundtable also reflected the leadership guiding BIER into its next chapter.

We were pleased to welcome David Grant of PepsiCo and Harriet Cullum of Diageo as BIER’s 2026 Steering Committee Chair and Co-Chair, respectively.

David Grant steps into the role of Chair with a steady, pragmatic lens shaped by deep experience across BIER and the broader beverage sector. His focus on accountability, prioritization, and translating intention into measurable outcomes has already strengthened the organization’s approach to collective work.

Along with him, Harriet brings a systems-level perspective across water, agriculture, nature, and ESG performance, grounded in both corporate and not-for-profit experience. Her emphasis on data, transparency, and communication aligns closely with BIER’s approach and the increasing need to translate complexity into action.

Together, their leadership reflects clarity, discipline, and a continued commitment to meaningful collaboration.

From Roundtable to Resources: How the Work Moves Forward

The Roundtables, alongside BIER’s workstreams, are where shared challenges are surfaced, debated, and refined, and where the foundation is built for the tools and resources that support the broader membership.

From GHG guidance to water stewardship frameworks, benchmarking studies, and playbooks, BIER’s resources are shaped by the conversations and insights that emerge through this collective process.

This is how progress scales:

  • Dialogue becomes alignment
  • Alignment becomes guidance
  • Guidance becomes action

And over time, that action becomes a measurable improvement across the sector.

20 Years of Collaboration — and What Comes Next

Established in 2006, BIER has spent two decades bringing globally recognized beverage companies together to improve environmental performance across water, climate, reporting, circularity, and nature.

What has remained consistent is the belief that no single company can solve these challenges alone.

The Spring 2026 Roundtable was a clear reflection of that; not just in the topics discussed, but in the willingness to engage, question, and move forward together.

As BIER enters its next chapter, the path ahead is not about more conversation for its own sake. It is about continuing to translate shared expertise into practical, science-based solutions that deliver real impact.

With nearly 40% of carbon emissions coming from the built environment, the construction industry is building and renovating more and more sustainably. With innovative solutions and new construction methods, we have a whole new vocabulary that this podcast is going to decipher for you!

Offsite construction is a model based on the prefabrication of building elements at a location other than the worksite. Instead of building on site, individual modules or components are designed and manufactured at a workshop or plant before they are transported to and assembled on the worksite. The benefits are significant: quality, speed, safety, smaller carbon footprint… offsite construction has the potential to revolutionize the building industry! 

Listen here, O…for Offsite Construction, a Saint-Gobain Podcast

About Saint-Gobain

Worldwide leader in light and sustainable construction, Saint-Gobain designs, manufactures and distributes materials and services adapted to the residential, non-residential and infrastructure markets. Its integrated and innovative solutions provide sustainability, performance and well-being for its customers. The Group is guided by its purpose, “MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER HOME”.

€46.5 billion in sales in 2025
162,000 employees, locations in 80 countries
Committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050

For more information about Saint-Gobain, visit www.saint-gobain.com and follow us on X @saintgobain

WASHINGTON, March 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — In AAUW’s report, The (Not So) Simple Truth About the Gender Pay Gap, new analysis makes clear that pay inequity is not abstract — it affects women’s earnings in every congressional district across the country and costs women, families, and the economy.

Women working full-time in the United States earn just 81 cents for every dollar earned by men, leading to an estimated $542,800 in lost earnings over a 40-year career. While the size of the gap varies, women earn less than men in nearly every congressional district. Those losses make it harder for women to pay bills, build wealth, support families, save for retirement, and achieve economic security. For women of color, mothers, LGBTQ+ women, and women with disabilities, the gaps are even wider.

AAUW’s research shows that the pay gap is driven by many factors, including occupational segregation, unequal access to high-quality jobs, caregiving responsibilities, and persistent discrimination. The report also highlights the role education plays in women’s economic mobility. Women with higher levels of education earn more over their lifetimes, yet pay gaps remain even among college graduates and those with advanced degrees.

“The data shows that women’s economic security depends on more than individual choices — it depends on policy choices,” said Gloria L. Blackwell, AAUW CEO. “If we want to close the pay gap, we need to protect pathways to education, enforce fair pay and anti-discrimination laws, and remove the barriers that keep too many women from being paid what they deserve.”

Equal Pay Day illustrates the gender pay gap and the reality that women, on average, are paid less than men. Additional Equal Pay Days throughout the year highlight the even deeper inequities experienced by many communities of women, including Black women, Latina women, Native women, and others.

Read The (Not So) Simple Truth About the Gender Pay Gap, and explore pay gap data for every state and congressional district here.

AAUW (American Association of University Women) is one of the nation’s leading organizations for equity in higher education and women’s economic empowerment. Founded in 1881 by women who defied society’s conventions by earning college degrees, AAUW has since worked to increase women’s access, opportunity, and equity in higher education through research, advocacy, and philanthropy of over $146 million, supporting thousands of women scholars. Learn more at aauw.org.

Contact: media@aauw.org 

Cision View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-aauw-data-shows-gender-pay-gap-in-every-congressional-district-on-equal-pay-day-302726259.html

SOURCE American Association of University Women

Client background

Several senior living providers, including skilled nursing facilities and assisted living communities, were facing significant back-office and financial leadership gaps. Many operated in rural markets where recruiting experienced accounting professionals was difficult.

Even when organizations filled CFO roles, leaders often lacked health care-specific financial knowledge, creating challenges in financial reporting, revenue cycle, regulatory compliance and operational decision-making.

This resulted in delayed reporting, inefficient processes and limited financial visibility at a time when third-party payor reimbursement pressure and rising costs demanded greater precision and control.

The situation

The organizations needed to:

  • Fill critical accounting and finance talent gaps
  • Improve the accuracy and timeliness of monthly financial reporting
  • Strengthen internal controls and accounting processes
  • Gain healthcare-specific financial expertise at the CFO level
  • Support board education and strategic decision-making

Recruiting and retaining in-house talent with both accounting expertise and healthcare industry knowledge proved to be costly and time-consuming—particularly in these rural markets.

The solution & results

Baker Tilly deployed its Accounting and Finance Services (AFS) team to provide scalable back-office accounting and CFO advisory support tailored to senior living providers.

Our approach included:

  • Monthly financial statement preparation and accounting support
  • Interim and ongoing CFO advisory services
  • Restructuring charts of accounts for greater efficiency and clarity
  • Internal control assessments resulting in accounting process improvements
  • Implementing Sage Intacct designed for senior living organizations
  • Support from specialized teams including accounts payable, payroll and human resources
  • Access to healthcare-focused professionals, including MDS nurses and billing and collections specialists

By combining deep accounting expertise with healthcare industry knowledge, Baker Tilly delivered both operational stability and strategic insight.

Through this comprehensive approach, the senior living providers achieved:

  • Improved financial reporting accuracy and timeliness
  • Greater visibility into operational performance
  • Streamlined general ledger structures and accounting workflows
  • Enhanced internal controls and process efficiencies
  • Improved cash flow through billing and collections support
  • Education and strategic guidance for boards and executive leadership
  • Cost savings compared to hiring full-time, in-house finance personnel

With support from Baker Tilly, these senior living providers strengthened financial oversight, improved operational performance and increased overall efficiency and cost‑effectiveness.

Most importantly, the organizations gained a holistic financial partnership, strengthening both day-to-day operations and their long-term strategy. The senior living providers are now well-positioned for the future.

We’re here to help

For more information on how our Accounting and Financial Services team can help your health care organization improve its operations, please contact us.