Merkle, (www.merkle.com) a leading technology-enabled, data-driven performance marketing agency, announced the third installment of its Women in Leadership speaker series. On Thursday, May 21, 2015 in Columbia, MD, Merkle welcomes Claire Shipman, ABC News reporter and two-time New York Times best-selling author to address Merkle employees in Columbia and simulcast to its offices around the U.S. The speaker series is an ongoing commitment to promoting women in leadership positions that Merkle extends to its employees, clients, and industry peers.

“Merkle’s Women in Leadership program is honored to have Claire address our employees, as she has long been an advocate for supporting women in the workplace,” said Jean Holder, CFO at Merkle. “Our program focuses on educating, mentoring, and offering practical experience for women. It provides forums which support and encourage sharing of different perspectives which can only come from a diverse workforce. We think that Claire’s insights and research into how people gain and increase their confidence – and the implications of gender on how this occurs – will provide opportunities for powerful dialogues during and after the event.”

As a regular contributor to Good Morning America and other national broadcasts for ABC news, Claire has interviewed world leaders such as George Bush, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, and Dick Cheney. She is an award-winning reporter who has also worked for NBC News and CNN. She has co-authored two books—The Confidence Code: The Art and Science of Self-Assurance—and What Women Need to Know (April, 2014) and Womenomics: Work less, Achieve More, Live Better (2009)—which both focus on women in the workplace.

“As someone who is keen on promoting the discussion around issues for women leaders, I am excited to continue this conversation with the Merkle community,” said Claire Shipman. “Today’s 21^st century business needs more confident women in management. Groups like Merkle’s Women in Leadership committee help push the discussion to a larger platform where real change can occur. I am honored to share my experiences with Merkle and know the event will help empower and develop strong women leaders.”

Merkle’s Women in Leadership committee will host additional events throughout the year to support the mission of the program.  Merkle’s goal is to provide a forum for women in the industry to address noteworthy and challenging topics, provide networking opportunities, and create a call to action for current and future business leaders, both women and men.