Citi Women's Network

SIOUX FALLS, SD - Women's issues in the workforce have been around for as long as women have been in the workforce.

And while great strides have been made, there's still room for improvement. That's why women employees at Citibank in Sioux Falls are forming their own network.

If you walk the isles at Citibank in Sioux Falls, you'll quickly notice that the majority of the workforce here is made up of women, some 70 percent. And while they may be coworkers, they are now banding together in a different way to form a network.

"I was really drawn to the fact that the principals behind the network were to kind of serve as a catalyst for your career. There's a lot of career development opportunities networking in different departments and understanding different areas of Citi," Assistant Trust Officer Melissa Williams said.

"In a big company you get into your own niche in your own department and you may not necessarily know people in other departments, so it's about making those connections and having network of people you can reach out to, whether it be for some sort of development or looking for next career step and see what opportunities are available across the site, or other sites," Senior Vice President Michelle Jons said.

And while women may be in the majority here, that’s not the case in the executive offices. One of the goals of the network is to help women reach higher levels of management.

"That's one of the reasons for the network. We want to empower women. We want to help women network with each other so they can benefit now only their own development and careers but also our site, our business, our community, give back to each other really," Jons said.

Classes and mentoring will also be available to women in the network.

"Young women such as myself have a lot to learn from women who've been in the business, have more experience, have had triumphs, failures, I can learn from those mistakes and triumphs and put my career in a different direction," Williams said.

The network also plans to volunteer for community projects and take part in International Women's Day in March.