The open format mentoring program is still in place today, with each mentor-mentee team deciding together on a relationship that works best for them. Dionis now sits on the other side of the table, with five formal mentees and a host of UPS women who look to her for guidance and leadership. Dionis has spearheaded roundtable events with the Red Shoe Movement, an organization that helps companies like UPS facilitate platforms that allow women to share ideas and concerns in a small-group setting. She has also helped organize ride-alongs with UPS drivers to support sales efforts and events in partnership with Dress for Success, which provides professional attire to women in need.
When the North Atlantic District wanted to start a BRG specifically for Women in Operations (WIO), they knew exactly who to call. Dionis had recently taken a rotation into operations, where she learned some of the unique challenges that these employees face—including barriers to participating in a BRG. “When WBRGs had events, people from operations would want to participate, but often couldn’t because of their shift timing,” says Dionis. “This meant that they were missing out on the development opportunities that we were offering.”
WIO organizes programming that better meets their needs. Dionis helped kick off WIO during Women’s History Month with a campaign focused on establishing lactation areas in operations facilities for women returning to work after maternity leave. From Dionis’s standpoint, the more people involved in BRGs, the better. “Being part of a BRG gives you a sense of community at work. You always have those go-to people that you can bounce ideas off of when you’re facing a challenge.” Those benefits also create business value for UPS. “The same talent pool I pull from to help me personally with my challenges, UPS can use to drive sales. Whenever there are people aligned on a common mission, there’s nothing we can’t accomplish.”
