Mary Ellen Oare is the Executive Co-Chair of Balance in the U.S., which is HSBC’s largest employee resource group focusing on gender parity to drive meaningful conversations, influence policy and make an impact on gender issues. In this capacity, Mary Ellen spends her time educating both internally and commercially on the benefits of gender balance, encouraging a shift in attitude, conduct and culture throughout our business. She advocates for recruitment processes, promotion procedures and advancement opportunities that deliver a gender-balanced workforce. Externally Mary Ellen is a featured workshop facilitator at Woman Up conference held in Buffalo, NY speaking on Executive Presence and Personal Branding. She has presented to Women in Management club at University of Buffalo focusing on Unlocking Your Potential and initiated a partnership with the West Side Bazaar in Upstate NY which enables immigrant and refugees to pursue their dreams of small business ownership.