Nominations now open for the 2019 Mercedes-Benz Emerging Leaders Award

• The Mercedes-Benz Emerging Leaders Award celebrates the professional achievements of women aged 30 to 45 who have demonstrated vision, leadership, and innovative thinking
• Winners will be announced at the annual WXN (Women’s Executive Network) Top 100 Most Powerful Women Gala on November 21, 2019
• The submission deadline is 5 p.m. on July 1, 2019. Learn more and submit nominations at: wxnetwork.com/wxn/top100awards  
• This is the second year of the award category. Mercedes-Benz invited last year’s inaugural award recipients for a day of networking and high-performance racing at "Women on the Fast Track" at Circuit Mt. Tremblant. Watch videos from that event: bit.ly/2NKPQ4J

On International Women’s Day, Mercedes-Benz is issuing a call to Canadians to recognize the professional women in their lives by nominating them for the Mercedes-Benz Emerging Leaders Award. Developed in partnership with the Women’s Executive Network (WXN), the award celebrates the professional achievements of women aged 30 to 45 who are at the mid-level stage of their careers. These women are seen as high-potential contributors within their organizations and have been targeted for successive leadership positions. They are passionate about learning and innovating and have accomplished a great deal in their chosen fields.

"Our ongoing partnership with WXN is a reflection of Mercedes-Benz Canada’s commitment to the advancement of women in the workplace – not just within the company, but across Canadian industries," said Virginie Aubert, Vice President, Marketing, Mercedes-Benz Canada. "The response to this new award category last year was truly remarkable. The quality of our 2018 winners speaks to the extraordinary talent of Canada’s female leaders, and we are looking forward to receiving nominations for the 2019 award."

To qualify for a Mercedes-Benz Emerging Leaders Award, a nominee must have been employed by the same organization for a minimum of three years and have been between 30 and 45 years old as of December 31, 2018. The candidate may come from any professional background or discipline. She cannot be a President or CEO, or an entrepreneur or founder of her own business (these roles are recognized by other categories within the Top 100 Awards).

Nominees will be judged on the following criteria:

• Vision and Leadership
  How has the nominee demonstrated vision and leadership at her current organization? What part have her contributions played in taking her organization to the next level?

• Authentic Leadership
  How does the nominee demonstrate a strong sense of purpose? How has she earned the trust of her peers and driven engagement within her organization?

• Innovative Thinking
  Is the nominee willing to take risks in order to achieve her goals and does she demonstrate continuous learning and improvement?

• Recognition
  Have the nominee’s contributions been recognized by senior leadership and has she been identified as a promising talent within her organization?

The deadline to apply for the award is 5 p.m. on July 1, 2019  Canadians who want to learn more or to submit a nomination may visit wxnetwork.com/wxn/top100awards.

Mercedes-Benz celebrates "Women on the Fast Track"
2019 marks the second year of the Mercedes-Benz Emerging Leaders Award category. Last year’s inaugural winners were invited to celebrate their achievement at "Women on the Fast Track," a unique experience that combined women’s achievements with high-performance vehicles. The program served to expose the winners to a different kind of high-performance setting, while providing them with opportunities to engage with, learn from, and be inspired by one another.

About the Top 100 Awards
The Top 100 Awards span the private, public and not-for-profit sectors, with recipients selected by an independent advisory board. To date, 1,115 powerful women have been given this prestigious award. The list of Award Winners is revealed the day prior to the Leadership Summit and Awards Gala, which will take place in November.

Previous Award Winners include Margaret Atwood, Dr. Roberta Bondar, Arlene Dickinson, Christine Magee, Michaëlle Jean, Heather Reisman, and Kathleen Taylor.

About the Women’s Executive Network (WXN)
WXN delivers innovative networking, mentoring, professional and personal development to inform, inspire, connect and recognize our global community of more than 22,000 women, men and their organizations. WXN enables our partners and corporate members to become and to be recognized as employers of choice and leaders in the advancement of women.

Founded in 1997, WXN is Canada’s leading organization dedicated to the advancement and recognition of women in management, executive, professional and board roles. WXN is led by CEO Sherri Stevens, owner of the award-winning, multi-million-dollar Workforce Management Company Stevens Resource Group Inc., which she established in 1990.

More information about WXN may be found online here: https://wxnetwork.com/wxn.

About Mercedes-Benz Canada
Mercedes-Benz Canada is responsible for the sales, marketing, and service of Mercedes-Benz and Mercedes-AMG passenger vehicles, Mercedes-Benz Vans, and smart. Headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Mercedes-Benz Canada Inc. employs approximately 1,200 people in 14 locations across Canada. Through a nationwide network of seven Mercedes-Benz own retail operations and 52 authorized dealerships, Mercedes-Benz Canada sold 49,758 vehicles in 2018. This positioned Mercedes-Benz as the top luxury manufacturer in Canada for the fifth consecutive year.

For more information, please contact:
Sinead Brown                416-847-7588               sinead.brown@mercedes-benz.ca
Lindsay Archibald          416-847-7563               lindsay.archibald@mercedes-benz.ca

# # #