Bank of America - Employment

Commitment to Women Fact Sheet

Top 10 examples Bank of America demonstrates its commitment to women:

• Being named one of 100 best companies for working mothers

  This year, for the 15th consecutive time, Working Mother magazine named Bank of America one of the 100 Best Companies for Working Mothers for its flexibility, advancement opportunities; leave options for new parents (both women and men); child care; and work/life programs.

• Sponsoring Bank of America Colonial, where Sorenstam made history

  In 2003, Bank of America sponsored the Bank of America Colonial golf tournament, which showcases one of the top-rated fields on the PGA TOUR. This year’s Bank of America Colonial made sports history when Annika Sorenstam, 42-time winner on the Ladies Professional Golf Association Tour, became the first female to participate in a men’s professional golf tournament in 58 years.

• Employing acclaimed female executives

  Fortune magazine named Credit Risk Officer Amy Brinkley one of the "50 Most Powerful Women in Business." US Banker named Cathy Bessant, chief marketing executive as No. 1 chief marketing officer. Lynn Reaser, PhD., who has appeared on several financial news television and radio programs, is the bank’s chief economist and senior strategist.

• Building a workforce of female leaders

  Women represent nearly 70% of the Bank of America associate base and make up 55% of the company’s leadership and management. Women sit on two of the seven seats on the Risk and Capital Committee, the company’s primary executive management group. Of the 47 members on the company’s extended Management Operating Committee, 21 percent (or 10 total) are female.

• Offering innovative work/life programs

  The company offers its associates an adoption reimbursement program with up to $4,000 per legally adopted child; Child Care Plus, which reimburses associates for child care costs up to $175 per month per child; flexible work arrangements, such as flextime, job sharing, part time and telecommuting; and world-class Bank of America childcare center programs for associates in Charlotte, Jacksonville, Miami and Atlanta.

• Donating more than $4 million to women and girls’ non-profit organizations

  This year, the Bank of America Foundation will give more than $4 million to hundreds of non-profit organizations that are focused on improving the lives, health and well being of women and girls. Past year donations include $500,000 to the Women’s Museum in Dallas, the first of its kind, which strives to make visible the unique, diverse stories of America’s women.

• Supporting women-owned businesses

  Last year, for the third time, Bank of America was listed as one of America’s Top Corporations for Women’s Business Enterprises and named as one of the Elite Eight corporations that have developed programs to help woman-owned businesses. Bank of America strives to spend 15% of procurement dollars with businesses owned by minorities, women and people with disabilities.

• Sponsoring the Olympic Games

  Since 1992, Bank of America has sponsored the Olympic movement. Last year, Bank of America was the Official Bank of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games and the 2002 U.S. Olympic Team. Gold-medal winning Olympic athletes Bonnie Blair, Cammi Granato and Kristi Yamaguchi served as the company’s Olympic Champions and made appearances in local communities on behalf of Bank of America.

• Sponsoring Women’s Tennis Association Tour Championships

  This year, Bank of America is the title sponsor of the Women’s Tennis Association Tour Championships, which features the top eight singles players and the top four doubles teams in women’s professional tennis. It will be played at the Staples Center in Los Angeles from November 5-10.

• Offering banking for women in 1847

  In 1847, 70 years before women won the right to vote, the newly founded Boatman’s Bank (a Bank of America predecessor) set aside Fridays for banking by "the female community," so that women would feel comfortable doing the family banking while their husbands were at work. The first female customer, Mrs. Eliza Colton, marched in with a $100 deposit on a Saturday. From then on, women ignored the rules and banked every day. By the end of its first year, Boatmen’s Bank had 186 customers, 22 of them women, thanks in part to its comfortable "ladies wing."