Bloomberg Corporate Recognition Award

By Debbie Williams, Club Growth Director

Introduction

You may never have heard of it, but the Corporate Recognition Award is somewhat of a big deal at Toastmasters International.

Corporations from around the world have formed symbiotic relationships with Toastmasters. By sponsoring a club at their workplace, companies are allowing the Toastmasters program to help improve employees’ leadership, communication, and public speaking skills.

By dedicating time and resources to supporting an in-house Toastmasters club, corporations provide further learning and growth opportunities at an affordable cost, setting themselves up for long-term success and maximizing their talent.

The Corporate Recognition Award is designated for our most distinguished corporate sponsors making an investment in the future of their employees and their organizations. Toastmasters’ Board of Directors and District leadership come together once a year to honour and recognize a select number of Toastmasters Corporate Sponsors for their commitment to the Toastmasters program.

Toastmasters corporate sponsors are recognized for providing support in one or more of the following ways:

  • Membership dues
  • New member fee
  • Charter fee
  • Meeting location
  • Promoting Toastmasters membership to all employees
  • Supporting Toastmasters events outside of club activities (District conference/events/training)

Awarding Criteria

Toastmasters International bestows the prestigious Corporate Recognition Award upon organisations that foster employee participation in Toastmasters programs. This accolade is reserved for companies that prioritise vital elements such as effective communication, leadership development, and public speaking skills within their workforce. By receiving this recognition, a company demonstrates its unwavering dedication to nurturing employee growth, promoting professional development, and cultivating a culture of positive communication. The Corporate Recognition Award serves as a heartfelt token of appreciation from Toastmasters, we are honoured to recognise Bloomberg with this award.

From the very start of the founding of the first Toastmasters club in Bloomberg London, they have widened the opportunity to other members of staff in New York and will expand even further. As often with Clubs that have a strong culture, Members of Bloomberg have gone onto support the District in various roles. The following have played a full role in District leadership over the last period.

1) Luca Graziani, Area Director C58 2021-2022, Division Director elect, 2023-2024

2) Sabrina Aici, Area Director C34 2021-2022, District Leadership Committee 2022-2023

3) Erika Oteri, Area Director C58 2022-2023, Division Director elect, 2023-2024

The Corporate Recognition Award is available only for Districts that have been scheduled for an International Officer or International Director visit. So it was scheduled to coincide with our spring Spring Conference since we were welcoming a very eminent Toastmasters and International Officer.

Here is the beautiful trophy which was presented on Bloomberg premises by second Vice President on the Board of Toastmasters International, Aletta Rochat, auspiciously on the morning of the first day of our Spring Conference on May 12th where she was also a Keynote speaker.

Aletta was joined by Bloomberg Member and Member of the District Conference Team Sabrina Aici as well as Club Growth Director Debbie Williams who have both been involved in the process of this award. They seemed to make the most of their day in the Bloomberg offices and the visit looked like a lot of fun!

Once the presentation had taken place, Aletta had this to say about it:

“I felt very proud to present the Corporate Recognition Award to Bloomberg. They are a world-class company. It was evident to me that they are active supporters of their Bloomberg London Toastmasters Club. The Bloomberg employees I spoke to were very proud to be part of the Club. Each one of them was taking advantage of the opportunity to develop speaking and leadership skills. They saw it as an investment that would help them advance their career.”

Debbie Williams said of the award:

“In my role as Club Growth Director, it is truly inspiring to bestow the Toastmasters Corporate Recognition Award upon a corporate club in our district. This achievement highlights the potential for other companies to excel, and positions Bloomberg as a true exemplar of excellence in this regard.”

Sabrina Aici said:

“At Bloomberg we are committed to supporting the professional and personal development of all our people, and our London Toastmasters club enables colleagues to hone their public speaking skills and build their networks. It is an honour to receive the Toastmaster International Corporate Recognition Award, in respect of the great work the club and its committee does in support of its members. Our London club continues to grow its membership and helps to foster a culture of inclusion and positive communication.”

Debbie Williams Club Growth Director, 2022-2023