Tag: 3BL

Aisho’s Story

Aisho Abdi, a 25-year-old mother of three, always dreamed of keeping her children safe and healthy. She knew the dangers of measles (called “Jadeeco” in Somali) and wanted to protect her children from it.

Illnesses like measles are especially dangerous in communities where malnutrition rates are high because malnutrition and illness go hand in hand. When a child is malnourished, their immune system is weakened, and they face increased risks when ill. With measles, for example, malnutrition can aggravate Vitamin A deficiency, which is a key factor in causing measles-related blindness. Illnesses that should be relatively simple to treat can quickly become dangerous or have lifelong impacts for malnourished children.

Vaccination is one of the best protective measures malnourished children can have against health risks, helping to prevent recurrent illness and improve nutritional status. In Somalia, where an estimated 1.85 million children under 5 are expected to suffer from malnutrition between July 2025 and June 2026, increasing access to preventative measures like vaccination is critical for protecting the health of children.

Aisho had heard about vaccines and understood their importance, but she struggled to access them. Like many people in Somalia, Aisho lived too far from healthcare services to access them — the nearest clinic being 46 miles away.

Despite this, Aisho was determined. She managed to get two of her sons vaccinated in Kismayo, but not easily. It involved a long journey and high transportation costs that many families cannot afford.

Several years later, floods swept across the region where Aisho lived. She and her family made the decision to relocate to Kismayo for safety and better economic opportunities, but for Aisho, the move meant much more. In Kismayo, Aisho could give her children better access to education, food, and most importantly, healthcare.

“The most important thing I can give my children is protection,” Aisho said, holding her youngest daughter, Hawa, in her arms at the health center in Kismayo. Hawa was there to receive her measles vaccine—a crucial step for protection, since 98.3% of measles cases in Somalia occur among unvaccinated individuals.

The health center is run by Action Against Hunger through the Cross-Border Emergency Relief Project, funded by the French Embassy in Somalia. This project provides maternal and child healthcare, as well as clean water and sanitation services, to vulnerable families.

Aisho expanded her passion for keeping her children healthy and safe to action to support her broader community. She has become an Action Against Hunger volunteer, connecting parents in her community with health workers. At times, she brings children to the health facility herself. She speaks at community meetings, sharing her experience and encouraging other parents to vaccinate their children. Aisho’s efforts have inspired many, and she has become a role model in her neighborhood.

Improving Vaccination Rates in Somalia

Somalia has one of the lowest vaccine coverage rates in the world for a variety of factors, including limited access to healthcare, cultural beliefs, and misinformation about vaccines. According to a recent study, Somalia’s immunization coverage against six major childhood diseases —tuberculosis, diptheria, pertussis, tetanus, polio, and measles — stands at only 30-40 per cent.

One of the greatest obstacles to both increasing vaccination rates and providing malnutrition treatment in Somalia is that access to healthcare can be limited. The Global Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM) Cluster reports that nearly 40% of people in Somalia’s Baidoa District do not have reliable access to a healthcare facility or have no access at all.

Action Against Hunger is the second largest Ministry of Health partner in Somalia, directly supporting 112 health units and 1,500 health workers, working to reach the most rural neighborhoods and get vulnerable populations the services they need. To spread word of the clinic and the services available, Community Health Workers go door-to-door, searching for children who have not received any vaccines. They particularly visit vulnerable areas, such as refugee camps and rural neighborhoods.

“They are always busy making sure no child is left behind,” observes Aisho.

Through Action Against Hunger’s program, more children in Kismayo are getting vaccinated. The availability of vaccines, the dedication of healthcare workers, and the commitment of mothers like Aisho are making a real difference. Step by step, they are building a healthier future for their children and their community.

***

Action Against Hunger leads the global movement to end hunger. We innovate solutions, advocate for change, and reach 26.5 million people every year with proven hunger prevention and treatment programs. As a nonprofit that works across over 55 countries, our 8,500+ dedicated staff members partner with communities to address the root causes of hunger, including climate change, conflict, inequity, and emergencies. We strive to create a world free from hunger, for everyone, for good.

Aisho’s Story

Aisho Abdi, a 25-year-old mother of three, always dreamed of keeping her children safe and healthy. She knew the dangers of measles (called “Jadeeco” in Somali) and wanted to protect her children from it.

Illnesses like measles are especially dangerous in communities where malnutrition rates are high because malnutrition and illness go hand in hand. When a child is malnourished, their immune system is weakened, and they face increased risks when ill. With measles, for example, malnutrition can aggravate Vitamin A deficiency, which is a key factor in causing measles-related blindness. Illnesses that should be relatively simple to treat can quickly become dangerous or have lifelong impacts for malnourished children.

Vaccination is one of the best protective measures malnourished children can have against health risks, helping to prevent recurrent illness and improve nutritional status. In Somalia, where an estimated 1.85 million children under 5 are expected to suffer from malnutrition between July 2025 and June 2026, increasing access to preventative measures like vaccination is critical for protecting the health of children.

Aisho had heard about vaccines and understood their importance, but she struggled to access them. Like many people in Somalia, Aisho lived too far from healthcare services to access them — the nearest clinic being 46 miles away.

Despite this, Aisho was determined. She managed to get two of her sons vaccinated in Kismayo, but not easily. It involved a long journey and high transportation costs that many families cannot afford.

Several years later, floods swept across the region where Aisho lived. She and her family made the decision to relocate to Kismayo for safety and better economic opportunities, but for Aisho, the move meant much more. In Kismayo, Aisho could give her children better access to education, food, and most importantly, healthcare.

“The most important thing I can give my children is protection,” Aisho said, holding her youngest daughter, Hawa, in her arms at the health center in Kismayo. Hawa was there to receive her measles vaccine—a crucial step for protection, since 98.3% of measles cases in Somalia occur among unvaccinated individuals.

The health center is run by Action Against Hunger through the Cross-Border Emergency Relief Project, funded by the French Embassy in Somalia. This project provides maternal and child healthcare, as well as clean water and sanitation services, to vulnerable families.

Aisho expanded her passion for keeping her children healthy and safe to action to support her broader community. She has become an Action Against Hunger volunteer, connecting parents in her community with health workers. At times, she brings children to the health facility herself. She speaks at community meetings, sharing her experience and encouraging other parents to vaccinate their children. Aisho’s efforts have inspired many, and she has become a role model in her neighborhood.

Improving Vaccination Rates in Somalia

Somalia has one of the lowest vaccine coverage rates in the world for a variety of factors, including limited access to healthcare, cultural beliefs, and misinformation about vaccines. According to a recent study, Somalia’s immunization coverage against six major childhood diseases —tuberculosis, diptheria, pertussis, tetanus, polio, and measles — stands at only 30-40 per cent.

One of the greatest obstacles to both increasing vaccination rates and providing malnutrition treatment in Somalia is that access to healthcare can be limited. The Global Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM) Cluster reports that nearly 40% of people in Somalia’s Baidoa District do not have reliable access to a healthcare facility or have no access at all.

Action Against Hunger is the second largest Ministry of Health partner in Somalia, directly supporting 112 health units and 1,500 health workers, working to reach the most rural neighborhoods and get vulnerable populations the services they need. To spread word of the clinic and the services available, Community Health Workers go door-to-door, searching for children who have not received any vaccines. They particularly visit vulnerable areas, such as refugee camps and rural neighborhoods.

“They are always busy making sure no child is left behind,” observes Aisho.

Through Action Against Hunger’s program, more children in Kismayo are getting vaccinated. The availability of vaccines, the dedication of healthcare workers, and the commitment of mothers like Aisho are making a real difference. Step by step, they are building a healthier future for their children and their community.

***

Action Against Hunger leads the global movement to end hunger. We innovate solutions, advocate for change, and reach 26.5 million people every year with proven hunger prevention and treatment programs. As a nonprofit that works across over 55 countries, our 8,500+ dedicated staff members partner with communities to address the root causes of hunger, including climate change, conflict, inequity, and emergencies. We strive to create a world free from hunger, for everyone, for good.

Climate change is increasingly shaping business decisions at the executive level. From workers’ safety to supply chain disruptions, effects of rising temperatures and extreme weather patterns have proven to be a financial risk.

In 2024 alone, 84% of S&P 500 companies aligned with the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosure, marking a 62% increase since 2021. It’s no wonder that climate risk assessments have become essential for protecting the longevity and value of a company, as well as maintaining customer and stakeholder trust.

What Is a Climate Risk Assessment?

Climate risk assessment is a process of analyzing a company’s operations, assets, and value chain to identify the most significant climate risks it could face, both now and in the future. The evaluation looks at a company through the lens of climate change, parsing how staff, operations, resources, product delivery, and finances could be affected by these external events. Overall, you want to walk away from a climate risk assessment with a clear view of what climate-related risks your business is exposed to.

Different Types of Climate Risks

Typically, climate risk assessment evaluates a business’ risks in two categories: physical and transition risks.

Physical risks are the ways in which climate change could disrupt a company’s physical assets, facilities, employees, and operations in short-term (acute) or ongoing (chronic) changes to weather. For example, excessive heat conditions could harm workers, or repeated flooding could lead to the decommissioning of a facility.

Transition risks encompass policy and law, technology, reputation, market, and more. These risks arise from the shift toward a lower‑carbon economy as policies, technologies, and market expectations evolve to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. While setting targets such as carbon neutrality or net zero can be relatively straightforward, achieving them often requires significant investment in new technologies, operational changes, and value‑chain adjustments, which can introduce unexpected costs and competitive pressures. Transition risks may also include legal and regulatory exposure if companies fail to comply with emerging climate‑related requirements, or if public disclosures about climate commitments and performance are misleading or incomplete.

How Are Climate Risk Assessments Conducted?

Climate risk assessments are complex processes that require data gathering, predictive modeling, prioritization, and ultimately, action to address what’s been uncovered in the assessment. Support from expert practitioners and consultants ensures that each step is carried out thoroughly and effectively.

Climate risk assessment begins with identifying a company’s physical and transition risks, as well as its vulnerabilities to these risks under different futures scenarios. Physical and transition risks like those outlined above can be identified through geophysical analysis, desktop research, and/or stakeholder engagement.

Vulnerability mapping, the other key component of this part of the process, assesses potential climate-related hazards and draws connections to how and where risk exposures are most likely to affect the company and its stakeholders if they are realized. This forecasts how employees, protocols, resources, communities, and investments will be directly affected by climate-related risks. Impact will vary between different arms of your business.

Vulnerability and risk exposure mapping will uncover countless risks. But because it’s not possible to tackle all of them at once, companies must prioritize identified risks. You’ll want to assess which matters the most based on urgency, possible financial losses, safety concerns, and reputational damage. Take each risk and identify those that are both highly probable (exposure) and will have the most significant impact on your company (vulnerability). Those are the ones to address first.

From there, you can develop an action plan to correct these internal issues. You can also revisit prioritizing impacts over time. Just as regulations change, so will what is most important to your business. Ongoing climate risk assessment will ensure that your company is always on the cutting edge of sustainability. It is recommended that the full climate risk assessment process be completed every 2-3 years or as the company faces large changes in geography or structure, such that may arise with mergers & acquisitions, closures, and market prioritization shifts.

Benefits of Climate Risk Assessments

Climate risk assessments are a that delivers returns to both your company and the community it serves. Here are four of the most significant ways an assessment can empower your business:

1. Strengthening resilience. As the saying goes: an ounce of preparation is worth a pound of cure. Climate risk assessments prepare companies to be adaptable to the ongoing effects of climate change. It reduces moments of surprise, ensures action plans for risk-related events, and gives businesses more fortitude to bounce back from disruptions.
2. Identifying opportunities. The holistic nature of a climate risk assessment means that it identifies both risks and opportunities in one exercise. The kind of deep analysis required to complete an assessment provides a fresh point of view for discovering new potential and rethinking existing work, making a compelling business case for the undertaking, beyond just addressing potential threats.
3. Informing investments. With a clear view of climate risks, companies can budget for long-term climate-friendly planning. This could mean upgrading technologies, reinforcing facilities, protecting assets, and more. Either way, a business can invest to minimize future risk with confidence.
4. Supporting Enterprise Risk Management (ERM). ERM is all about anticipating future mishaps. Conducting a climate risk assessment will only strengthen a company’s ERM strategy. All findings should be integrated into ERM so that climate-related risks are given the same attention as others.

Guidance on How To Get Started

While you may be on board with performing a climate risk assessment, it may take some work to get proper funding and support from executives. The first step to getting there is to engage key stakeholders within your company. Identify departments that could be affected by assessment findings, and start documenting relevant information. Enterprise-wide collaboration will be essential to the process. Teaming up with legal, finance, operations, and more will bolster your case. Additionally, when department leadership invests in climate risk assessment, it’s easier to get executives to follow. A cross-functional workshop, led by your external partner in conducting the CRA, is another opportunity to engage executives and other leaders in understanding the business value of an assessment.

However, don’t just rely on internal resources. While your company’s leaders are experts in their field, they may not be experts in climate risk assessment. Connecting with external partners who have experience in risk assessment will take the guesswork out of the process. Having an objective external expert to guide you not only through the assessment, but also through internal conversations with leaders, makes the process more efficient and effective.

Building a better future

Climate risk assessment isn’t just a tool to help you navigate the now. It’s an investment in resilience that will only enhance the long-term value of your company. If you are ready to take the next step in your commitment to sustainability and the environment, get in touch today. We offer a variety of climate-related risk assessment services to help your business stay strong and agile, no matter what extreme weather comes your way.

Climate change is increasingly shaping business decisions at the executive level. From workers’ safety to supply chain disruptions, effects of rising temperatures and extreme weather patterns have proven to be a financial risk.

In 2024 alone, 84% of S&P 500 companies aligned with the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosure, marking a 62% increase since 2021. It’s no wonder that climate risk assessments have become essential for protecting the longevity and value of a company, as well as maintaining customer and stakeholder trust.

What Is a Climate Risk Assessment?

Climate risk assessment is a process of analyzing a company’s operations, assets, and value chain to identify the most significant climate risks it could face, both now and in the future. The evaluation looks at a company through the lens of climate change, parsing how staff, operations, resources, product delivery, and finances could be affected by these external events. Overall, you want to walk away from a climate risk assessment with a clear view of what climate-related risks your business is exposed to.

Different Types of Climate Risks

Typically, climate risk assessment evaluates a business’ risks in two categories: physical and transition risks.

Physical risks are the ways in which climate change could disrupt a company’s physical assets, facilities, employees, and operations in short-term (acute) or ongoing (chronic) changes to weather. For example, excessive heat conditions could harm workers, or repeated flooding could lead to the decommissioning of a facility.

Transition risks encompass policy and law, technology, reputation, market, and more. These risks arise from the shift toward a lower‑carbon economy as policies, technologies, and market expectations evolve to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. While setting targets such as carbon neutrality or net zero can be relatively straightforward, achieving them often requires significant investment in new technologies, operational changes, and value‑chain adjustments, which can introduce unexpected costs and competitive pressures. Transition risks may also include legal and regulatory exposure if companies fail to comply with emerging climate‑related requirements, or if public disclosures about climate commitments and performance are misleading or incomplete.

How Are Climate Risk Assessments Conducted?

Climate risk assessments are complex processes that require data gathering, predictive modeling, prioritization, and ultimately, action to address what’s been uncovered in the assessment. Support from expert practitioners and consultants ensures that each step is carried out thoroughly and effectively.

Climate risk assessment begins with identifying a company’s physical and transition risks, as well as its vulnerabilities to these risks under different futures scenarios. Physical and transition risks like those outlined above can be identified through geophysical analysis, desktop research, and/or stakeholder engagement.

Vulnerability mapping, the other key component of this part of the process, assesses potential climate-related hazards and draws connections to how and where risk exposures are most likely to affect the company and its stakeholders if they are realized. This forecasts how employees, protocols, resources, communities, and investments will be directly affected by climate-related risks. Impact will vary between different arms of your business.

Vulnerability and risk exposure mapping will uncover countless risks. But because it’s not possible to tackle all of them at once, companies must prioritize identified risks. You’ll want to assess which matters the most based on urgency, possible financial losses, safety concerns, and reputational damage. Take each risk and identify those that are both highly probable (exposure) and will have the most significant impact on your company (vulnerability). Those are the ones to address first.

From there, you can develop an action plan to correct these internal issues. You can also revisit prioritizing impacts over time. Just as regulations change, so will what is most important to your business. Ongoing climate risk assessment will ensure that your company is always on the cutting edge of sustainability. It is recommended that the full climate risk assessment process be completed every 2-3 years or as the company faces large changes in geography or structure, such that may arise with mergers & acquisitions, closures, and market prioritization shifts.

Benefits of Climate Risk Assessments

Climate risk assessments are a that delivers returns to both your company and the community it serves. Here are four of the most significant ways an assessment can empower your business:

1. Strengthening resilience. As the saying goes: an ounce of preparation is worth a pound of cure. Climate risk assessments prepare companies to be adaptable to the ongoing effects of climate change. It reduces moments of surprise, ensures action plans for risk-related events, and gives businesses more fortitude to bounce back from disruptions.
2. Identifying opportunities. The holistic nature of a climate risk assessment means that it identifies both risks and opportunities in one exercise. The kind of deep analysis required to complete an assessment provides a fresh point of view for discovering new potential and rethinking existing work, making a compelling business case for the undertaking, beyond just addressing potential threats.
3. Informing investments. With a clear view of climate risks, companies can budget for long-term climate-friendly planning. This could mean upgrading technologies, reinforcing facilities, protecting assets, and more. Either way, a business can invest to minimize future risk with confidence.
4. Supporting Enterprise Risk Management (ERM). ERM is all about anticipating future mishaps. Conducting a climate risk assessment will only strengthen a company’s ERM strategy. All findings should be integrated into ERM so that climate-related risks are given the same attention as others.

Guidance on How To Get Started

While you may be on board with performing a climate risk assessment, it may take some work to get proper funding and support from executives. The first step to getting there is to engage key stakeholders within your company. Identify departments that could be affected by assessment findings, and start documenting relevant information. Enterprise-wide collaboration will be essential to the process. Teaming up with legal, finance, operations, and more will bolster your case. Additionally, when department leadership invests in climate risk assessment, it’s easier to get executives to follow. A cross-functional workshop, led by your external partner in conducting the CRA, is another opportunity to engage executives and other leaders in understanding the business value of an assessment.

However, don’t just rely on internal resources. While your company’s leaders are experts in their field, they may not be experts in climate risk assessment. Connecting with external partners who have experience in risk assessment will take the guesswork out of the process. Having an objective external expert to guide you not only through the assessment, but also through internal conversations with leaders, makes the process more efficient and effective.

Building a better future

Climate risk assessment isn’t just a tool to help you navigate the now. It’s an investment in resilience that will only enhance the long-term value of your company. If you are ready to take the next step in your commitment to sustainability and the environment, get in touch today. We offer a variety of climate-related risk assessment services to help your business stay strong and agile, no matter what extreme weather comes your way.

On March 11, 2026, CVS Health proudly celebrated the Grand Opening of Gussie Belle Commons in Salem, Oregon, alongside our valued colleagues, local leaders, community organizations, development partners, and residents. The event marked the opening of a new community featuring 120 intentionally designed affordable housing units for families earning up to 30% and 60% of the Area Median Income (AMI).

Co-developers Home First and Green Light Development have created a beautiful and welcoming community for families, offering energy-efficient apartments and a wide range of amenities. These include a clubhouse with a kitchen, a playground, courtyards, on-site parking with EV charging, bike storage, and on-site management and supportive services. Resident services, provided by Seed of Faith Ministries and the Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency, are designed to support long-term housing stability by connecting residents to employment opportunities, benefits, and resources that promote overall well-being.

It was truly inspiring to celebrate this achievement with everyone who helped bring this vision to life, including CREA, Home First, Green Light Development, Seed of Faith Ministries, the Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency, First Commercial Real Estate, the Oregon Housing and Community Services Department, and our dedicated colleagues from CVS Health and Aetna.

Additionally, in the days leading up to the Grand Opening, volunteers creatively wrapped useful household items and distributed them to the residents of Gussie Belle Commons in beautiful welcome home baskets. 

Thank you to everyone who joined us in celebrating this milestone. We deeply appreciate these moments and are grateful to all who contributed to making the Grand Opening possible. This achievement reflects the unwavering commitment and collaboration of our colleagues across CVS Health and Aetna.

On March 11, 2026, CVS Health proudly celebrated the Grand Opening of Gussie Belle Commons in Salem, Oregon, alongside our valued colleagues, local leaders, community organizations, development partners, and residents. The event marked the opening of a new community featuring 120 intentionally designed affordable housing units for families earning up to 30% and 60% of the Area Median Income (AMI).

Co-developers Home First and Green Light Development have created a beautiful and welcoming community for families, offering energy-efficient apartments and a wide range of amenities. These include a clubhouse with a kitchen, a playground, courtyards, on-site parking with EV charging, bike storage, and on-site management and supportive services. Resident services, provided by Seed of Faith Ministries and the Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency, are designed to support long-term housing stability by connecting residents to employment opportunities, benefits, and resources that promote overall well-being.

It was truly inspiring to celebrate this achievement with everyone who helped bring this vision to life, including CREA, Home First, Green Light Development, Seed of Faith Ministries, the Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency, First Commercial Real Estate, the Oregon Housing and Community Services Department, and our dedicated colleagues from CVS Health and Aetna.

Additionally, in the days leading up to the Grand Opening, volunteers creatively wrapped useful household items and distributed them to the residents of Gussie Belle Commons in beautiful welcome home baskets. 

Thank you to everyone who joined us in celebrating this milestone. We deeply appreciate these moments and are grateful to all who contributed to making the Grand Opening possible. This achievement reflects the unwavering commitment and collaboration of our colleagues across CVS Health and Aetna.

CINCINNATI, April 9, 2026 /3BL/ – For the fifth consecutive year, Fifth Third (Nasdaq: FITB) is honored to have earned the 2026 USA TODAY Top Workplaces award. Fifth Third also received Top Workplaces Culture Excellence Awards in the following categories: Appreciation, Employee Well-Being, Innovation, Leadership, Professional Development, Purpose & Values and Work-Life Flexibility. The Culture Excellence Awards showcase where an organization’s people-first culture excels to boost brand reputation and attract talent that aligns with organizational values.

“Being recognized as a Top Workplace is especially meaningful because it’s rooted in feedback from our employees,” said Nancy Pinckney, chief human resources officer at Fifth Third. “Earning this recognition for the fifth year reflects the dedication our employees show to each other, our customers and the communities we serve. Their commitment is the foundation of our strong culture and what makes Fifth Third a great place to work.”

Top Workplaces USA honors organizations with 150 or more employees that have created exceptional, people-first cultures. This year, more than 42,000 organizations were invited to participate. Winners are recognized for their commitment to fostering a workplace environment that values employee listening and engagement.

“Earning a USA TODAY Top Workplaces award is a testament to an organization’s credibility and commitment to a people-first culture,” said Eric Rubino, CEO of Energage. “This award, driven by real employee feedback, is more than just a recognition — it’s proof that your employees believe in the organization and its leadership. Job seekers and customers look for this trusted badge of credibility and excellence. It signals a company that values its people, and that kind of culture resonates in today’s competitive market.”

###

About Fifth Third

Fifth Third is a bank that’s as long on innovation as it is on history. Since 1858, we’ve been helping individuals, families, businesses and communities grow through smart financial services that improve lives. Our list of firsts is extensive, and it’s one that continues to expand as we explore the intersection of tech driven innovation, dedicated people and focused community impact. Fifth Third is one of the few U.S.-based banks to have been named among Ethisphere’s World’s Most Ethical Companies^® for several years. With a commitment to taking care of our customers, employees, communities and shareholders, our goal is not only to be the nation’s highest performing regional bank, but to be the bank people most value and trust.

Fifth Third Bank, National Association is a federally chartered institution. Fifth Third Bancorp is the indirect parent company of Fifth Third Bank and its common stock is traded on the NASDAQ^® Global Select Market under the symbol “FITB.” Investor information and press releases can be viewed at www.53.com. Deposit and credit products provided by Fifth Third Bank, National Association. Member FDIC.

ABOUT Energage

Making the world a better place to work together.^TM

Energage is a purpose-driven company that helps organizations turn employee feedback into useful business intelligence and credible employer recognition through Top Workplaces. Built on 20 years of culture research and the results from 30 million employees surveyed across more than 80,000 organizations,  Energage delivers the most accurate competitive benchmark available. With access to a unique combination of patented analytic tools and expert guidance, Energage customers lead the competition with an engaged workforce and an opportunity to gain recognition for their people-first approach to culture. For more information or to nominate your organization, visit energage.com or topworkplaces.com.

CONTACT

Jordan DuShane (Media Relations)
jordan.dushane@53.com

Matt Curoe (Investor Relations)
matt.curoe@53.com | 513-534-2345

CINCINNATI, April 9, 2026 /3BL/ – For the fifth consecutive year, Fifth Third (Nasdaq: FITB) is honored to have earned the 2026 USA TODAY Top Workplaces award. Fifth Third also received Top Workplaces Culture Excellence Awards in the following categories: Appreciation, Employee Well-Being, Innovation, Leadership, Professional Development, Purpose & Values and Work-Life Flexibility. The Culture Excellence Awards showcase where an organization’s people-first culture excels to boost brand reputation and attract talent that aligns with organizational values.

“Being recognized as a Top Workplace is especially meaningful because it’s rooted in feedback from our employees,” said Nancy Pinckney, chief human resources officer at Fifth Third. “Earning this recognition for the fifth year reflects the dedication our employees show to each other, our customers and the communities we serve. Their commitment is the foundation of our strong culture and what makes Fifth Third a great place to work.”

Top Workplaces USA honors organizations with 150 or more employees that have created exceptional, people-first cultures. This year, more than 42,000 organizations were invited to participate. Winners are recognized for their commitment to fostering a workplace environment that values employee listening and engagement.

“Earning a USA TODAY Top Workplaces award is a testament to an organization’s credibility and commitment to a people-first culture,” said Eric Rubino, CEO of Energage. “This award, driven by real employee feedback, is more than just a recognition — it’s proof that your employees believe in the organization and its leadership. Job seekers and customers look for this trusted badge of credibility and excellence. It signals a company that values its people, and that kind of culture resonates in today’s competitive market.”

###

About Fifth Third

Fifth Third is a bank that’s as long on innovation as it is on history. Since 1858, we’ve been helping individuals, families, businesses and communities grow through smart financial services that improve lives. Our list of firsts is extensive, and it’s one that continues to expand as we explore the intersection of tech driven innovation, dedicated people and focused community impact. Fifth Third is one of the few U.S.-based banks to have been named among Ethisphere’s World’s Most Ethical Companies^® for several years. With a commitment to taking care of our customers, employees, communities and shareholders, our goal is not only to be the nation’s highest performing regional bank, but to be the bank people most value and trust.

Fifth Third Bank, National Association is a federally chartered institution. Fifth Third Bancorp is the indirect parent company of Fifth Third Bank and its common stock is traded on the NASDAQ^® Global Select Market under the symbol “FITB.” Investor information and press releases can be viewed at www.53.com. Deposit and credit products provided by Fifth Third Bank, National Association. Member FDIC.

ABOUT Energage

Making the world a better place to work together.^TM

Energage is a purpose-driven company that helps organizations turn employee feedback into useful business intelligence and credible employer recognition through Top Workplaces. Built on 20 years of culture research and the results from 30 million employees surveyed across more than 80,000 organizations,  Energage delivers the most accurate competitive benchmark available. With access to a unique combination of patented analytic tools and expert guidance, Energage customers lead the competition with an engaged workforce and an opportunity to gain recognition for their people-first approach to culture. For more information or to nominate your organization, visit energage.com or topworkplaces.com.

CONTACT

Jordan DuShane (Media Relations)
jordan.dushane@53.com

Matt Curoe (Investor Relations)
matt.curoe@53.com | 513-534-2345

Originally published on newsroom.marykay.com

Today, Chief Information Officers (CIOs) are redefining what it means to lead in tech by moving beyond systems and infrastructure to advance enterprise strategy, culture, and growth. CIOs are not just technology stewards, but business leaders who translate innovation into value, aligning data, AI, cybersecurity, and platforms with clear outcomes that matter to employees and customers.

Fresh off a feature in CIO Dive and named a 2026 Dallas CIO Orbie Award finalist, James Whatley and his team, are leading a digital and tech transformation that’s reshaping how Mary Kay operates and empowering Beauty Consultants to run their businesses online and in person, anytime, anywhere. We met with James at Mary Kay’s global headquarters in Addison, Texas, to talk CIO leadership: what it takes to drive change at scale and what’s next for Mary Kay entrepreneurs worldwide.

Q. James, tell us a bit about you and your role. Why do you love your job?

• I have been with Mary Kay for 27 years during which I have had the honor to play an instrumental role in developing Information Technology (IT) systems that ensure our Independent Beauty Consultants (IBC) can run their businesses anytime, anywhere.
• My role is to align technology, data, processes, and skills to the company’s strategic ambitions, ensuring every platform and investment reinforces how the business operates and grows. I see the Mary Kay enterprise as an interconnected system, designed to perform, scale, and adapt. Together with my team we connect the front office to the back office, innovation to execution, and speed to stability.
• I am passionate first and foremost about finding solutions for our Mary Kay Beauty Consultants. At the same time, I want to help create a workplace environment that fosters teamwork, trust, and strong partnerships among the company’s global partners where we operate.

Q. Can you share about the major digital and cloud transformation at Mary Kay?

• Over the past years, I have had the opportunity to lead or co-lead many of our largest transformations, and our transition to a “cloud-first” model is one of them.
• For a global direct sales beauty leader like Mary Kay, accelerating digital transformation is business‑critical because in a digitally driven marketplace, the competitive edge of our business model depends on speed, relevance, and scale.
• We have also gone through an Organizational Transformation, forming a “Global IT Organization,” creating great efficiencies and cost savings while balancing global core systems, market nuances, and local regulations.
• Our founder, Mary Kay Ash, once said: “Standing still is the same thing as moving backward.” This is my favorite quote from her, and it is a philosophy I take with me to work every day.

Q. Can you describe the key steps of this “global rewiring” of Mary Kay?

• We have made a structural shift with a complete tech stack* replacement, moving us away from a 100% custom development shop in record time. This is unprecedented for a global company of our size.
• Our cloud-first strategy was just as much a mindset shift as it was a tech stack change. This change was not only significant for our Independent Beauty Consultants but also for our global IT organization. During this project, we evolved how IT and other groups run cross-functional projects making more informed and faster decisions.
• We closed five data centers worldwide, moving over 95% of custom applications to powerful, integrated SaaS platforms** or hosted in a Cloud environment, managing the scale of our peak commerce volumes each month. This included our business-critical applications from eCommerce to supply chain. In other words, all our systems which manage our complex business model as well as our global Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Solutions.***
• Our digital transformation involved modernizing all the applications our Independent Beauty Consultants use to manage and run their own businesses in more than twenty-five countries. This includes our new Consumer to IBC Commerce solution, creating online commerce shops for our Beauty Consultants. We launched in Germany and in the United States in 2025 and we are rolling the new system out globally in 2026.
• These investments in modern platforms, analytics, and digital enablement allow us to focus more on the last mile to unlock new growth opportunities, strengthen user engagement, and futureproof the Mary Kay business against disruption, staying ahead of the curve rather than reacting to it.

Q. Is Leveraging AI and eCommerce functionalities truly compatible with the Mary Kay business model based on relationships?

• 100% compatible! I like this question because it emphasizes how crucial it is to align IT with business goals and advance our business model while staying true to our mission of enriching women’s lives. Our obsession is “How do we continue to deliver a world-class opportunity to our Independent Beauty Consultants around the world?”
• Consumer expectations shift toward seamless, on-demand, and transparent buying journeys, and our goal has been to create a seamless online experience for our IBCs to become truly omnichannel and enable commerce at every touchpoint.
• With mobile commerce accounting for over 62% of beauty sales^[1] in key markets, integrating AI into digital strategies is no longer optional, it is essential for growth.^[2]
• To us, digital business success blends the irreplaceable customer service Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultants are known for with technology. I always think about this quote from Steve Jobs: “You’ve got to start with the customer experience and work backwards to the technology.”
• We leverage digital transformation to enhance and expand the way she runs her business using the right tools from e-commerce, smart reporting, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), and many other applications. Digital tools enable her to engage customers where they already are, across social, mobile, and e‑commerce channels, while using data, AI, and automation to personalize experiences, optimize inventory, and improve productivity.

Q. What’s Mary Kay’s approach to Artificial Intelligence and how do you leverage it?

• It is all about the right use case. We are gradually integrating AI based on a proven return on investment (ROI) approach. We have reviewed repeatable manual tasks and assessed opportunities to leverage AI spanning from IT, Marketing and Creative, to R&D, Manufacturing and Supply Chain.
• We integrated AI governance from the beginning because we knew it would make our use of generative AI better. We created a Mary Kay AI Committee which is responsible for implementing the vision and strategy for AI within the organization. The AI Committee oversees all new implementations of AI into our global environment to ensure compliance with our internal risk tolerance, legal requirements, moral implications, security concerns, and proving the ROI of the implemented tools. The committee helped us prioritize, and better and faster integrate the use of our approved AI tools.
• Education about the risk and power of AI is key. Our AI Committee and AI Champions are leading in-depth training of our teams to understand the capabilities of the available AI platforms and models, promote the use of AI, and help generate new ideas as well as a culture of innovation within our user base.
• In addition to enterprise AI-driven solutions, we are also integrating our digital tools like the Mary Kay® Skin Analyzer App, Mirror Me™, our real-time makeover app using augmented reality (supporting Virtual Try On) and our latest tool – the AI Foundation Finder. A first in the direct selling industry, this AI Foundation Finder uses advanced artificial intelligence to scan a customer’s face on their mobile phone and provide personalized foundation shade recommendations in just seconds allowing the precise detection of 151 facial feature points.
• Our blended technology portfolio of generative and agentic AI is helping to build the digital toolset we want to provide for our Beauty Consultants, customers, and our staff.

Q. CIOs today are not only tech experts – they are also culture shapers. What is your own experience with culture?

• Our digital acceleration was powered by a “One Team Mindset,” building cross functional partnerships to serve our Mary Kay markets and beauty consultants around the world.
• I have learned that a key factor in success is culture: it is essential to treat internal teams, market partners, vendors, and customers as key stakeholders in the transformation process, not just end-users. Change is a journey; culture helps shift from uncertainty into excitement and disruption into possibility.
• AI can process data at lightning speed, but culture determines whether people trust it, use it, and let it optimize the way they work. I look at it as a multiplier. Reinforcing our strong purpose-driven culture, encouraging experimentation, and modeling openness to change, helps us move faster, and ensure that digital progress translates into sustainable business and human outcomes. Technology alone does not drive change, people do.

Tech Glossary:

• *Tech Stack or technology stack refers to the comprehensive collection of technologies, tools, and frameworks utilized to develop and operate a software application. This includes components such as frontend and backend systems, databases, and supporting infrastructure.
• **A SaaS platform solution is a cloud-based software model that allows users to access applications remotely via the internet.
• ***Global ERP Solutions are specialized resource planning systems designed to manage multinational operations across multiple countries, regions, currencies, and languages, business processes such as finance, HR, sales, and inventory management into a single platform, enabling seamless data flow and real-time analytics.

***

About Mary Kay

One of the original glass ceiling breakers, Mary Kay Ash founded her dream beauty brand in Texas in 1963 with one goal: to enrich women’s lives. Learn more at marykayglobal.com. Find us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, or follow us on X.

# # #

---

^[1] What is Mobile Commerce? Benefits & Trends | Blog Miquido

^[2] Generative AI in Beauty Industry: Use Cases | Blog Miquido

Originally published on newsroom.marykay.com

Today, Chief Information Officers (CIOs) are redefining what it means to lead in tech by moving beyond systems and infrastructure to advance enterprise strategy, culture, and growth. CIOs are not just technology stewards, but business leaders who translate innovation into value, aligning data, AI, cybersecurity, and platforms with clear outcomes that matter to employees and customers.

Fresh off a feature in CIO Dive and named a 2026 Dallas CIO Orbie Award finalist, James Whatley and his team, are leading a digital and tech transformation that’s reshaping how Mary Kay operates and empowering Beauty Consultants to run their businesses online and in person, anytime, anywhere. We met with James at Mary Kay’s global headquarters in Addison, Texas, to talk CIO leadership: what it takes to drive change at scale and what’s next for Mary Kay entrepreneurs worldwide.

Q. James, tell us a bit about you and your role. Why do you love your job?

• I have been with Mary Kay for 27 years during which I have had the honor to play an instrumental role in developing Information Technology (IT) systems that ensure our Independent Beauty Consultants (IBC) can run their businesses anytime, anywhere.
• My role is to align technology, data, processes, and skills to the company’s strategic ambitions, ensuring every platform and investment reinforces how the business operates and grows. I see the Mary Kay enterprise as an interconnected system, designed to perform, scale, and adapt. Together with my team we connect the front office to the back office, innovation to execution, and speed to stability.
• I am passionate first and foremost about finding solutions for our Mary Kay Beauty Consultants. At the same time, I want to help create a workplace environment that fosters teamwork, trust, and strong partnerships among the company’s global partners where we operate.

Q. Can you share about the major digital and cloud transformation at Mary Kay?

• Over the past years, I have had the opportunity to lead or co-lead many of our largest transformations, and our transition to a “cloud-first” model is one of them.
• For a global direct sales beauty leader like Mary Kay, accelerating digital transformation is business‑critical because in a digitally driven marketplace, the competitive edge of our business model depends on speed, relevance, and scale.
• We have also gone through an Organizational Transformation, forming a “Global IT Organization,” creating great efficiencies and cost savings while balancing global core systems, market nuances, and local regulations.
• Our founder, Mary Kay Ash, once said: “Standing still is the same thing as moving backward.” This is my favorite quote from her, and it is a philosophy I take with me to work every day.

Q. Can you describe the key steps of this “global rewiring” of Mary Kay?

• We have made a structural shift with a complete tech stack* replacement, moving us away from a 100% custom development shop in record time. This is unprecedented for a global company of our size.
• Our cloud-first strategy was just as much a mindset shift as it was a tech stack change. This change was not only significant for our Independent Beauty Consultants but also for our global IT organization. During this project, we evolved how IT and other groups run cross-functional projects making more informed and faster decisions.
• We closed five data centers worldwide, moving over 95% of custom applications to powerful, integrated SaaS platforms** or hosted in a Cloud environment, managing the scale of our peak commerce volumes each month. This included our business-critical applications from eCommerce to supply chain. In other words, all our systems which manage our complex business model as well as our global Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Solutions.***
• Our digital transformation involved modernizing all the applications our Independent Beauty Consultants use to manage and run their own businesses in more than twenty-five countries. This includes our new Consumer to IBC Commerce solution, creating online commerce shops for our Beauty Consultants. We launched in Germany and in the United States in 2025 and we are rolling the new system out globally in 2026.
• These investments in modern platforms, analytics, and digital enablement allow us to focus more on the last mile to unlock new growth opportunities, strengthen user engagement, and futureproof the Mary Kay business against disruption, staying ahead of the curve rather than reacting to it.

Q. Is Leveraging AI and eCommerce functionalities truly compatible with the Mary Kay business model based on relationships?

• 100% compatible! I like this question because it emphasizes how crucial it is to align IT with business goals and advance our business model while staying true to our mission of enriching women’s lives. Our obsession is “How do we continue to deliver a world-class opportunity to our Independent Beauty Consultants around the world?”
• Consumer expectations shift toward seamless, on-demand, and transparent buying journeys, and our goal has been to create a seamless online experience for our IBCs to become truly omnichannel and enable commerce at every touchpoint.
• With mobile commerce accounting for over 62% of beauty sales^[1] in key markets, integrating AI into digital strategies is no longer optional, it is essential for growth.^[2]
• To us, digital business success blends the irreplaceable customer service Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultants are known for with technology. I always think about this quote from Steve Jobs: “You’ve got to start with the customer experience and work backwards to the technology.”
• We leverage digital transformation to enhance and expand the way she runs her business using the right tools from e-commerce, smart reporting, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), and many other applications. Digital tools enable her to engage customers where they already are, across social, mobile, and e‑commerce channels, while using data, AI, and automation to personalize experiences, optimize inventory, and improve productivity.

Q. What’s Mary Kay’s approach to Artificial Intelligence and how do you leverage it?

• It is all about the right use case. We are gradually integrating AI based on a proven return on investment (ROI) approach. We have reviewed repeatable manual tasks and assessed opportunities to leverage AI spanning from IT, Marketing and Creative, to R&D, Manufacturing and Supply Chain.
• We integrated AI governance from the beginning because we knew it would make our use of generative AI better. We created a Mary Kay AI Committee which is responsible for implementing the vision and strategy for AI within the organization. The AI Committee oversees all new implementations of AI into our global environment to ensure compliance with our internal risk tolerance, legal requirements, moral implications, security concerns, and proving the ROI of the implemented tools. The committee helped us prioritize, and better and faster integrate the use of our approved AI tools.
• Education about the risk and power of AI is key. Our AI Committee and AI Champions are leading in-depth training of our teams to understand the capabilities of the available AI platforms and models, promote the use of AI, and help generate new ideas as well as a culture of innovation within our user base.
• In addition to enterprise AI-driven solutions, we are also integrating our digital tools like the Mary Kay® Skin Analyzer App, Mirror Me™, our real-time makeover app using augmented reality (supporting Virtual Try On) and our latest tool – the AI Foundation Finder. A first in the direct selling industry, this AI Foundation Finder uses advanced artificial intelligence to scan a customer’s face on their mobile phone and provide personalized foundation shade recommendations in just seconds allowing the precise detection of 151 facial feature points.
• Our blended technology portfolio of generative and agentic AI is helping to build the digital toolset we want to provide for our Beauty Consultants, customers, and our staff.

Q. CIOs today are not only tech experts – they are also culture shapers. What is your own experience with culture?

• Our digital acceleration was powered by a “One Team Mindset,” building cross functional partnerships to serve our Mary Kay markets and beauty consultants around the world.
• I have learned that a key factor in success is culture: it is essential to treat internal teams, market partners, vendors, and customers as key stakeholders in the transformation process, not just end-users. Change is a journey; culture helps shift from uncertainty into excitement and disruption into possibility.
• AI can process data at lightning speed, but culture determines whether people trust it, use it, and let it optimize the way they work. I look at it as a multiplier. Reinforcing our strong purpose-driven culture, encouraging experimentation, and modeling openness to change, helps us move faster, and ensure that digital progress translates into sustainable business and human outcomes. Technology alone does not drive change, people do.

Tech Glossary:

• *Tech Stack or technology stack refers to the comprehensive collection of technologies, tools, and frameworks utilized to develop and operate a software application. This includes components such as frontend and backend systems, databases, and supporting infrastructure.
• **A SaaS platform solution is a cloud-based software model that allows users to access applications remotely via the internet.
• ***Global ERP Solutions are specialized resource planning systems designed to manage multinational operations across multiple countries, regions, currencies, and languages, business processes such as finance, HR, sales, and inventory management into a single platform, enabling seamless data flow and real-time analytics.

***

About Mary Kay

One of the original glass ceiling breakers, Mary Kay Ash founded her dream beauty brand in Texas in 1963 with one goal: to enrich women’s lives. Learn more at marykayglobal.com. Find us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, or follow us on X.

# # #

---

^[1] What is Mobile Commerce? Benefits & Trends | Blog Miquido

^[2] Generative AI in Beauty Industry: Use Cases | Blog Miquido