avanade corporate citizenship annual report september 2016

Avanade Corporate Citizenship Annual ReportSeptember 2016

Table of Contents 3 Letter from Adam Warby

4 Avanade Corporate Citizenship Steering Committee

8 Avanade and The Aspire Foundation

12 The Avanade Scholarship Program

15 Local Alignment to Avanade’s Global Mission

18 Avanade Employee Volunteer and Giving Efforts

21 Letter from Vikki Leach

Avanade Corporate Citizenship Annual Report 2

3

At the beginning of FY16, and after 15 years in business, Avanade refreshed our corporate values to remind people what our company is all about.

Our values are:

These five simple statements capture the essence of how we approach the work of technology consulting and outsourcing. But they also speak to a bigger desire to realize results within our local and our global communities.

Over this past year—just our second of organized global corporate citizenship activities—we have realized some amazing results. Our signature global partnership with The Aspire Foundation has created hundreds of new connections between mentors and women working in more than 300 non-profits and social enterprises. Our Avanade scholarship program has given young women on three continents opportunities to study STEM (science, technology, engineering,

math), both at university and, more recently, working side by side with some of Avanade’s most passionate innovators.

While we are proud of the changes we are helping to make in the world, we are also attuned to the changes our corporate citizenship efforts create in ourselves. My own experience as a mentor has opened my eyes to the world of possibilities—and need—within the non-profit sector. As a father with daughters, I am proud of the commitment we are making to help encourage women into STEM, and I am amazed at the stories and the determination of our scholars. I am eager to see where we go next and humbled by the size of the gaps for women in income and technology—gaps which Avanade has pledged to help close.

Throughout these pages, we share stories of our past year in corporate citizenship. These stories belong to our people, who show up as individuals and teams to live our corporate values by volunteering, donating and participating in creating positive change.

This past year, we received two significant recognitions for the positive change we are creating. Ecovadis, an external benchmarking company that looks at sustainability, ethics and corporate citizenship factors, elevated our ranking from Bronze to Silver. The Ethisphere Institute named Avanade as one of The World’s Most Ethical Companies®, reflecting not only our ethics and compliance practices but our diversity and inclusion and corporate citizenship work as well.

Just as the stories in this report belong to our people, so does credit for these distinctions. From the leaders who create and sustain meaningful programs to the people at all levels who give them meaning.

I am proud to lead this company and its people on a journey to realize results for our clients, our communities and ourselves.

Adam Warby Chief Executive Officer

We change things for the better.

We deliver with excellence.

We innovate with passion and purpose.

We believe everyone counts.

We act with integrity and respect.

1 2 3 4 5


4

Avanade Corporate Citizenship Steering Committee


Chris Miller Corporate Vice President Chief Information and Technology Officer

What means the most personally:Our two global activities complement each other very well. With The Aspire Foundation, we provide our people the opportunity to give back as individuals, and see the impact they can have in lives and communities. Our Avanade scholarships give us the opportunity to give back as a company, as we help young women pursue their educations and careers.

How corporate citizenship is shaping Avanade: People want to be proud of the organization they work for and be able to speak to how we are giving back to the communities we work in and society as a whole. Our corporate citizenship work tells a great story of positive impact. I know it makes me feel prouder and more engaged, and I hope it is doing the same for others at Avanade as well.

Corine Vives Senior Vice President Spain Country Manager

What means the most personally:I am very proud of our efforts to get women closer to technology and to make IT careers attractive to women. And The Aspire Foundation really gives us the opportunity to have a direct impact in a person’s career.

How corporate citizenship is shaping Avanade: Our corporate citizenship work supports our diversity efforts and creates a culture where, if someone is not sensitive to diversity and does not act in an inclusive way, they may not belong at Avanade. I have the opportunity to travel around and meet lots of different people, and Avanade people are always among the most inclusive and amazing people I see. We are on the right path.


These leaders represent Avanade’s geographic reach, cultural diversity and breadth of business. Together, the steering committee helps chart the course for corporate citizenship at Avanade.

We asked our steering committee to talk about which aspect of corporate citizenship at Avanade is most meaningful to them, and how they think corporate citizenship is shaping Avanade’s culture.

Chris Buckley Corporate Vice President Business Operations

What means the most personally:I have found a lot of meaning through my active involvement with The Aspire Foundation, including attending the Making a Difference Conference in London and acting as a mentor. I am gratified to see the difference I can make to my mentee and more broadly as a male representative in The Aspire Foundation.

How corporate citizenship is shaping Avanade: I believe it is important for all of us to remember and recognize that Avanade operates in a much wider world than our company, our clients and their customers. There are many thousands of women in STEM or hoping to get into STEM, and through scholarships and mentoring, we have much to offer and are receiving much in return. At a global level, it is impressive to see the sheer number of touch points and ways we are making a difference— sometimes large, sometimes small—outside our client delivery.

Anna Di Silverio President Growth Markets

What means the most personally:For me, mentoring a strong young woman engaged in the education sector has been an incredible opportunity of mutual learning. A fascinating exchange of experiences and emotions. I am truly committed to dedicating some time to this fulfilling activity.

How corporate citizenship is shaping Avanade: Our citizenship activities are a proof of our commitment to realize our values internally and externally and to contribute to make the world better. All of us at Avanade feel happy and proud about this.


David Carlino Senior Director North America Heartlands Region

What means the most personally:The ability to make giving campaigns more personal by bringing charities aligned by local markets. It so important that we not only have global focus but we land that focus into local communities and needs. I also think the cascading of the mentee program down at the local level is a huge difference maker. This is how we stay true to the mission of our corporate citizenship vision for Avanade.

How corporate citizenship is shaping Avanade: We have long been a collective group of people passionate about technology. Yet, there was something missing around the human connection we have to the geographies we reside in. The progress made in just a few short years is already closing this gap. We are becoming more connected with our people beyond working together to serve our clients and into having an impact in the communities around us. Any time you can have both you really have a strong culture.

David Oskandy Executive Vice President General Counsel Steering Committee Chair

What means the most personally:This past year was our first full year of globally-coordinated corporate citizenship. To see all the hard work and planning come to fruition – I found that very rewarding. Even more gratifying was to see that we weren’t creating a demand, we were meeting a demand. Our people showed how important our responsibility as a corporate citizen is to them, through their generous contributions to those in critical need and to those striving to realize their dreams to someday do what we are lucky enough to be able to do every day here at Avanade.

How corporate citizenship is shaping Avanade: Corporate citizenship at Avanade simply channels the desire of our people to have an impact on the world through their work and as a community. Our belief as a community in the power of technology to improve people’s lives lies at the center of our motivation. But it goes beyond that to capture the breadth of all that our incredibly talented and generous community aspires to contribute to the world.

Dion Walker Chief Operating Officer Growth Markets

What means the most personally:For me, it is a tie between our scholarship program and mentoring with The Aspire Foundation. They are quite interlinked as they both make a difference in people’s lives. The impact is high and the work we are doing in both areas is important.

How corporate citizenship is shaping Avanade: People are looking for evidence that Avanade gives back from a corporate point of view and looking to be a part of something that is greater than our business. Our global work is providing that context and story and building engagement. Avanade’s commitment to corporate citizenship is inspiring more local programs and engagement as well. It is gratifying to see people active and engaged and feeling good about what we can do as a company.

Jeyan Jeevaratnam Corporate Vice President COO North America

What means the most personally:I appreciate that we have a plan that we are sticking to. One strategy moving us in one direction. Our key global programs, The Aspire Foundation and scholarships, carry a good message and are gaining momentum with our people.

How corporate citizenship is shaping Avanade: For young people joining the workforce, a corporate citizenship strategy is almost a prerequisite now. The work we are doing will definitely shape the people we attract and retain, which will shape our culture now and in the future.

Laurent Masson Senior Vice President Legal

What means the most personally:I have found the mentorship program through The Aspire Foundation to be very impactful and interesting. We were able to deploy the program quickly and efficiently and it has been very, very good.

How corporate citizenship is shaping Avanade: The Aspire Foundation is giving Avanade some visibility and is helping change how we are seen in the world in terms of corporate citizenship. A few years ago, we had very small projects with no links to any others. When you see the numbers of people who are volunteering to be mentors, it is shaping the company and giving us common space for connection.


Manisha Bhattacharya Senior Manager Portfolio & Delivery Management

What means the most personally:I met the Avanade scholars when I was at Avanade’s Tech Summit in June. It was great to see them interact and receive encouragement. Exposure to this environment of people passionate about technology and ideas really widened horizons for these young women.

How corporate citizenship is shaping Avanade: If our corporate citizenship work expands horizon for the girls, it expands horizons for our own people as well. It takes them out of daily work and deadlines and into the real world. We all gain a bigger perspective of the world and our place in it.

Niamh Whelan-Reiter Vice President Corporate Communications

What means the most personally:Probably the most surprising thing about being a mentor is it that we forget sometimes when we are in our own little world that people operate in different environments. Sometimes even the simplest advice or sanity check helps them out more than we even know. Our partnership with The Aspire Foundation is making a real difference.

How corporate citizenship is shaping Avanade: We did corporate citizenship-type activities before, so the work we are doing now builds on the strong foundation we had and reflects our people’s desire we had to give back. People seem really engaged around and excited about seeing this other side of Avanade’s personality. It’s coming to life on a global scale, whereas it was not always visible before. We often feel that the work we do every day doesn’t change the world visibly, but this is an opportunity to see a real impact.

Richard O’Reilly Senior Vice President Business Operations

What means the most personally:It has to be the relationship that I established with my own mentee. She works on gender equality programs across multiple African countries. I am so in awe of the work that she does. Yet, it is clear that in our sessions I can help by giving her access to the business experience that I have gained over the years. She tells me that she gains a lot from our interactions and that they have helped her to be more effective. In turn that translates into impacting many, many lives of the women whose life she impacts. It’s the multiplier effect in action – and it is very rewarding.

How corporate citizenship is shaping Avanade: I think of it as enabling rather than shaping our culture. Our people want to work in an organization that does more than ‘just’ realizing results for our clients. They want to work in an organization that plays a full role in the world as a corporate citizen, helping to improve the lot of others outside of the corporate realm. Our corporate citizenship work provides an outlet for them to achieve that aspiration.

Stephen Kelly Chief HR and Leadership Officer

What means the most personally:What has meant the most to me has been the work we have done with the Aspire Foundation. It has captured the hearts and minds of our people. It has been amazing to see the enthusiasm and take-up to this program and the difference that our Avanade employees are making in the lives of women around the world. This program is having a meaningful impact on both the givers and the receivers.

How corporate citizenship is shaping Avanade: I truly believe that our corporate citizenship work is helping to shape our culture and people on a number of fronts. It is really helping us understand our responsibilities as a business in wider society. Not only is it helping each of us to live the Avanade values more fully each and every day, it is also enlarging our view of how to operate in a truly diverse way. As our corporate citizenship reach extends, it helps more of us find meaning in our work and gives us a sense of balance in our lives. To me, it is a crucial part of the Avanade employee experience.

8

Avanade and The Aspire Foundation


“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” – Mahatma Ghandi

Dr. Sam Collins, founder of The Aspire Foundation, saw the need for change in the world very clearly one day. She sat, pregnant, watching TV with her legs propped up. A story on a charity’s work moved her to tears and then moved her to help that charity— not by giving money, but by sharing her own wisdom and coaching talents with the charity’s directors.

The Aspire Foundation, born that day that Sam decided to be the change, is on its way to making a difference in the lives of 1 billion women around the world by 2020 by empowering and upskilling women working in charities and social enterprises.

In 2015, Avanade leadership agreed on a focus for global corporate citizenship work. That focus is to help close the gender, income and technology gaps to better enable women to achieve their full potential. Avanade’s people are “being the change” by working closely with The Aspire Foundation on several fronts.

ANKIT PARIKH, AVANADE SYSTEMS ENGINEER

Today I had a great day. Mind you, I mean my mentee had a great day, but I am living vicariously through her. She had an offer, the next day while considering offer 1 she got offer 2. She is now looking for a new apartment and restarting life. I am so happy for her!

I will say when she said that our sessions helped her greatly it made me feel like a rock star. I am an instant gratification person, and mentoring is not instant. But after our four months together, her going through the cycle of leaving a job she didn’t love, moving twice and finding a job she is super excited about makes me feel great!!!! I am so happy I joined this program!

Mentoring

Women in the non-profit and social enterprise space look to The Aspire Foundation for a variety of skills and advice—from strategic planning to creating a budget to communicating effectively. The Aspire Foundation draws from its pool of mentors to create six-month, one-to-one relationships. Through phone calls, Skype, and, occasionally, through in-person meetings, mentors provide coaching and encouragement and advice to increase the impact these women are having with the populations they serve.


Over the past year, Avanade has helped grow both the pool of mentors and mentees. More than 1,000 mentors have joined the program thanks to Avanade, nearly tripling the mentor supply and broadening the foundation’s global reach. Avanade employees also use their own network of contacts to invite women in non-profits in as mentees as well, creating new connections that The Aspire Foundation knows will send ripples of change into communities and the world.


MIRAI MARUO, CHRISTIAN AID

Hello Dr. Sam. My name is Mirai Maruo from Christian Aid. I just concluded my six-month mentorship programme with Caroline Overholt from Avanade. Oh what a wonderful six months it was. I would like to share my feedback.

The focus of my mentoring was how to raise visibility and be confident. Caroline took me through the journey, using her and her friends’ experiences every time. She was extremely open and honest – both in what she shared and her feedback towards me and my actions.

I was especially struggling with raising my visibility and showing my achievements, but her words—“Your career is yours and no one will be responsible for it but you”—really hit me well and led me talk to my manager and negotiate on my terms. Without Caroline’s advice, I would not have been able to, and I thank her for changing me into a person who is more responsible for my own career and life.

She also helped me polish my presentation. She never forgot to commend my progress and achievement. I learned so much about how to be a good manager by receiving her mentoring.

I would like to thank you for setting up this wonderful mentor programme, which gave me the opportunity to change my attitude and way of thinking and to grow as a person. I am so grateful and will make sure to use this with others. Caroline and I decided to continue meeting, and I look forward to it.

Thank you, Dr. Sam, thank you!

Kind Regards, Mirai

Inspiring

While Avanade and The Aspire Foundation share an affinity for global, virtual connections, they also recognize the value of personal connections. Avanade invited mentees and mentors to its grand opening of new office space in New York City in October. And paid for 25 mentors and 75 mentees to attend The Aspire Foundation’s M.A.D. Leadership Program in London in January, where they were able to listen to inspiring speakers, participate in workshops and meet each other.

According to Ruven Gotz, director, New York Innovation Center, “I spent time with my mentee at the NYC Office grand opening. I was worried at first that I may not have much to offer because she has extensive experience, advanced degrees and a long career in the NGO space—something which I know very little about.

“I found that she was facing challenges in the workplace that were not that different from my experience. Even after our first meeting, I was able to provide ideas and strategies that gave her a new perspective. She wrote back a few days later that my advice had helped her to cut to the root of an issue she was having and helped her attack it head-on. Since then, we have continued to build on our solid base of communication and idea exchange.”

“One real advantage we have at Avanade is that we have systems for how we run our business and manage our people. Many of our mentees are at much smaller organizations that don’t have these systems, and so we can suggest ideas (e.g. what is the ‘leveling criteria’ for a promotion) that they may be unfamiliar with.”

Avanade’s global network is expanding the reach of the M.A.D. Leadership Programs. In the coming year, The Aspire Foundation is looking to host additional sessions in Chicago, Johannesburg and London, and make plans for India and Brazil.


Enabling

Avanade’s journey to becoming a world-leading digital innovator extends beyond our clients to envelop The Aspire Foundation and its associated charities as well.

Avanade has provided a $100,000 technology grant to The Aspire Foundation to improve the organization’s IT infrastructure. The first phase of work modernized the technology and processes used to accept applications for mentors and mentees. The next phase will focus on creating an interactive experience for mentors and mentees to participate more actively in the matching process.

“It has been amazing to be involved in something so far-reaching in its scope of trying to help women,” said Laura Nathanson, a group manager in the Northeast region, who worked closely with The Aspire Foundation on the first phase of the project. “It was a fascinating glimpse outside of my IT world and into how a non-profit works.”

As non-profits tend to channel most donations into the populations they serve, finding money to invest in things like technology can be a challenge. An emerging facet of Avanade’s partnership with The Aspire Foundation is recycling technology to mentees’ organizations to improve their ability to operate.

The first recycling effort provided a dozen mobile phones to Malt Cross, a charity that sends volunteers out each evening into Nottingham, England to help keep at-risk youth and the city safe. The phones enable Malt Cross volunteers to quickly locate people in need of help.

I have always known that the mentor/mentee relationship creates positive change on both sides. I am amazed to see how The Aspire Foundation/Avanade relationship is doing the same. — Dr. Sam Collins Founder, The Aspire Foundation

CAROLINE OVERHOLT, GROUP MANAGER, FIELD MARKETING

I’ve learned a great deal about myself having been Mirai’s mentor for six months. I dusted down a few old cobwebs going back in my rather long career in various roles – but I really feel my examples helped her (and me!) in the process. It made me remember, and recognize, some significant things that I’ve achieved and given me that extra bit of confidence in my abilities, which I believe everyone needs now and again.

I’m still mentoring Mirai and definitely considering taking on another mentee through the program. Thank you so much Avanade for being such a fantastic supporter of these key initiatives.

12

The Avanade Scholarship Program


“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” – Nelson Mandela

In 2015, Avanade celebrated 15 years as a leading provider of technology solutions on the Microsoft platform. As the company set its sights on the future and becoming a leading digital innovator, we also set out to create a brighter future for women in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

The Avanade Scholarship program provides financial assistance to a cohort of women at three universities each year, enabling students to pursue degrees in STEM fields. The first year brought a diverse group of scholars to California Polytechnic University of Pomona (CalPoly Pomona), University College London, and University of Pretoria. Avanade is committed to these students throughout their pursuit of an undergraduate university degree.

Among the initial scholars is Oratile Mokoto, who grew up in a single-parent home in a small town in the northwest South Africa. Pursuing a university degree was a challenge because of tuition, until Avanade awarded her a scholarship. Ms. Mokoto wants to become a civil engineer so she can help create

the infrastructure to support the economic growth of a developing country like South Africa. She believes that if you receive an opportunity to succeed in life you should embrace it fully and work hard so that you can ultimately help others. “By empowering me, you are also enabling me to one day empower other female students in pursuing their goals,” she told a writer for the University of Pretoria.

Creating opportunities for growth and exploration

While providing financial assistance is an important part of empowering women in STEM, Avanade wants to inspire them as well. Through personal mentoring relationships and opportunities to attend Avanade events and conferences, the company is working to equip the


scholars with knowledge, skills and perspective they need to achieve their career goals.

The process of getting to know the scholars and guide them throughout their time in university is opening up new perspectives for Avanade employees as well.

“I think a common theme for many of us was exposure to a group of people who think in a very different way to us, the Avanade people,” says Paul Bowen, head of Technology Services for Europe and executive sponsor for the program at University College London. “Their perspectives have given us all an opportunity to consider how we engage with our business, our clients and our colleagues.

“For many of us, the scholars’ experiences are familiar. We can

recall the challenges and concerns of a university fresher. We can relate to what they are doing, learning and worrying about, in the context of their longer-term goals and aspirations in a rapidly changing market. They remind us of the challenges we had faced. That personal flexibility, optimism and openness are key attributes to success now, just as they were when we graduated…some longer ago than others!

“However, there are also things that are very different. What they consider normal, what they feel is needed and where they should head are very different from our views of the world. They have given many insights to those willing to listen with an open mind and challenged our perceptions. These insights have, in a very tangible way, positively


TATIANA KAMBWA, JUNIOR-CAL POLY POMONA.

When I was a kid, in Congo-Kinshasa, I dreamt I would grow up to be a fashion designer. My mother was a tailor, and I was impressed by how a simple piece of fabric can become a wonderful dress, or blouse—observing my mother created in me the passion for designing and creating small items to satisfy others.

Many years later, Victor, my bother-in-law, sent me a magazine which changed my goal from Fashion Design to Software Development. Friends and family thought that software development was an industry where I would compete with men and many suggested that I become a nurse or preschool teacher instead. I ended up earning a high school diploma in Fashion Design, but I still wanted to create applications that people could use. I earned a certificate in Windows forms programming with Visual Basic 6.0 and Crystal report. I then wrote a calculator application, which performed simple mathematical operations and displayed the answer within a textbox. I was so happy with what I had accomplished that I knew I would become a software developer.

When I moved to the United States, I had to find a way to achieve my goal. “The sky is the limit” as Americans say. I first applied for a customer service position, not only to learn and practice English, but also to improve my listening skills while learning to satisfy customers’ needs. At the same time, I learned basic C# with Visual Studio 2005 by reading tutorial from a French forum. Then, I enrolled at Chaffey College and earned an Associate Degree in Business applied Technology. I then transferred to California State Polytechnic University, Pomona to continue my education

Although I was pleased at the progress I’d made to achieve my goals; at the same time, I was anxious about how to pay my tuition and others expenses. One day, I received an email from the CIS department, encouraging students to apply for the Avanade Scholarship. So I did. It is sometimes surprising how small efforts can lead to big results. I cannot thank Avanade enough for such a gift, such a wonderful opportunity. Avanade’s scholarship is not only about money, it comes with a mentorship and internship. My Avanade mentor, Chetana, told me that a developer must effectively listen, understand, and communicate with customers. A programming language is a tool to implement code, but you need to be able to do more than that. This includes critical thinking and analytical skills to design and implement a system. In other words, if you know how to drive a Toyota, you will know how to drive a Nissan; it is not about cars, it is about knowing how to drive.

I know I’m not a software developer yet, but I’m sure I will be. I’m willing to pursue my goal by using opportunities and all of my skills. Thank you, Avanade.

Originally published on the blog Inside Avanade.

impacted Avanade’s ability to go to market, helping us focus our offerings through a materially richer world view.”

Each June, Avanade brings many of its technology professionals together to exchange ideas and network with colleagues and leaders from around the world. Tech Summit celebrates Avanade’s passion for innovation and culminates in the naming the winners of the Innovation Contest. Months in advance of the conference, teams from all over the world collaborate on an innovative solution to a real client need. The top teams are invited to Tech Summit, where they present to leadership and clients, with the winning team earning a $25,000 cash prize.

This year, the Avanade scholars were invited to join the top ten Innovation

Contest teams. All scholars had the opportunity to attend Tech Summit and meet their teammates in person while also enjoying a program of sessions and meetings designed specifically for them. “I met all 15 girls and it was great to see them interact and receive encouragement,” says Manisha Bhattacharya, Corporate Citizenship Steering Committee member. “Exposure to this really widened horizons for them.”

Expanding the program to new places, new scholars

Avanade plans to build on the program by offering scholarships at New Jersey Institute of Technology, Politecnico di Milano and Shanghai University for the coming academic year.

“There is no dream that cannot be realized; there is only a long path to follow. Those who persevere, and succeed, are called Achievers.” — Tatiana Kambwa, Avanade scholarship recipient

Local Alignment to Avanade’s Global Mission


“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.” – Mother Teresa

As a global company—with 27,000 people operating in 23 countries—Avanade strives to have an identity and brand that brings us all together for a shared purpose. In client work as well as in corporate citizenship, we want all our people around the world to be part of the same story of realizing results for clients and their customers as well as closing gaps for women.

No matter how global our operations and aspirations are, we also recognize that people identify most with what is closest to them. Their team of colleagues, their local office, even their country. That is why Avanade is working within each market to identify a non-profit that supports our global mission with operations a little closer to home.

The process of selecting and aligning organizations is ongoing, but some of our local teams have already committed to an organization capable of nurturing change in Avanade and the communities where our people live and work.

Australia

Avanade Australia has been working with UN women for about a year. The focus of the relationship has been a series of webinars for high school and early university students. Breaking Barriers encourages students to explore a career in STEM, offering information on careers and role models and exploring the stereotypes that can affect women choosing a career in STEM. Avanade provided the technical Skype connections for the webinars and also a panel of three Avanade women in STEM. Each webinar is recorded and shared with UN Women to publish on their website and to provide to the attendees.

The Breaking Barriers webinar series is opening up new ideas and opportunities for young women who are considering their career options.


The partnership with Avanade Australia is building awareness for UN Women and inspiring Avanade people. Karen Martin, senior consultant, was so inspired that she joined the fundraising challenge that involves cycling more than 300 kilometers through Northern Vietnam in support of ending violence against women.

Canada

Avanade Canada joined forces with G(irls)20, an organization modeled after the G20 assembly of countries. The organization is working to “cultivate a new generation training and global experiences and to increase female labor force participation.”

The organization runs “Bootcamp for Brains,” weeklong sessions for young women that cover financial preparedness, communication, health, digital literacy, and citizenship and globalization. G(irls)20 actively works to place graduates of “Bootcamp for Brains” on boards of non-profit organizations. Jeff Gilchrist, who leads Avanade Canada, was a keynote speaker at the annual event.

Avanade employees have opportunities to work with the young women, ages 15 to 17, through the boot camps, offering mentoring and helping teach sessions, conducting mock interviews and evaluating the girls’ progress.


Italy

Since 2013, Avanade has been working with Fondazione Donna a Milano ONLUS to help improve the lives of women around the world. In the past, Avanade people traveled to Ghana to deploy technology that would improve cervical cancer screenings. This past year, Avanade partnered with the Milan Foundation to create the Stalking Buster app, which enables users to make emergency phone calls and to send emergency SMSs that automatically provide information about the user’s exact location, mobilizing help quickly to prevent escalation in a threatening encounter.

“We at Avanade feel privileged to leverage our digital expertise to help develop this important app,” shared Mauro Meanti, Avanade Italy general manager at a press conference. “Stalking Buster is the first mobile app in Italy designed to give support to all women in emergency situations related to stalking. We believe everyone counts and we hope to change things for the better so that apps like this aren’t needed in the future.”

The app is creating change for the better within Avanade as well, by expanding people’s vision of the impact that they can have and different ways their work can help people. The partnership with Fondazione Donna a Milano ONLUS demonstrates the powerful potential of bringing digital solutions into the nonprofit space.

South Africa

Home for Hope is a charity that was started in Johannesburg to address a pressing need—caring for abused and exploited girls. This self-sustaining shelter accepts girls from all areas and all religions and offers them a safe place to escape from abuse and begin to consider a brighter future.

Home for Hope’s rehabilitation program is “based on the spiritual tenants of mercy, or the value of rehabilitation in providing choice; compassion, which teaches love for our fellows irrespective of status and reason; and thirdly, service, a practice that instills self-worth and purpose.”

Avanade South Africa is building a relationship with Home of Hope based on a decade-long personal connection for one employee as well as a desire to work with a population whose needs are immediate and pressing. In mid-July, Avanade joined the girls at Home for Hope in the national celebration of Nelson Mandela Day. Nearly 50 employees and girls enjoyed finger-painting, music and braai, which is a South African meal prepared on a grill.

By partnering with organizations working in their own communities—some local charities, some as international as Avanade itself—our employees are advancing our global mission of closing gender, income and technology gaps for women while also making personal connections that will shape lives for years to come.

“Stalking Buster is the first mobile app in Italy designed to give support to all women in emergency situations related to stalking.” — Mauro Meanti, Avanade Italy General Manager

Avanade Employee Volunteer and Giving Efforts


“You make a living by what you get. You make a life by what you give.” – Winston Churchill

19

Avanade’s people are passionate and driven. About technology. About helping to close gender, income and technology gaps for women. About helping fellow citizens when disaster strikes. And about causes that are close to their own hearts and lives.

Avanade supports employee-driven volunteer efforts by offering paid time off for volunteering as well as an on-line tool for coordination.

In the past year, Avanade employees donated more than $10,000 to help people affected by flooding in Chennai, India and an earthquake on the central coast of Ecuador. Avanade matches gifts employees make to CARE International to ensure affected populations receive timely and relevant assistance.

Throughout the world, our people have given time and money— as individuals and as groups—to causes that are close to their hearts. Seeing Avanade orange supporting a variety of causes affirms the energy, passion and purpose that enables our people to be powerful agents of change—in the world and in themselves.


New York: One Saturday morning in June, Avanade people served more than 650 guests through Father’s Heart Ministries breakfast program. Pictured here: Kevin Lee, Maggie Worth.

London: Avanade UK actively partners with Prince’s Trust on a number of fund-raising and charitable activities, including the 2015 Holiday Jumper contest, which was won by Jordan Cullis.

Vancouver: Avanade and Accenture volunteers joined forces to clean up the shoreline. From left: Ivy Lee (Accenture), John Henderson, Scott Kievill (Accenture), Kevin Feng, Sofija Kovacevic. Not pictured: Preethal Fernandes.

Chicago: Avanade volunteers joined the ranks of more than 10,000 people raising awareness and collecting donations for people with developmental disabilities. ADD NAMES

20Avanade Corporate Citizenship Annual Report 20

Tokyo: Working with Second Harvest Japan, Avanade volunteers served lunch to homeless people in Ueno Park one Saturday in July. From left: Takako Okumura, Kaori Tomita, Hiroki Kamiyama, Yutaka Anma, Koto Momota, Masao Higuchi and Akiko Matsushita.

Malaga: In February, Avanade employees participated in the Entreculturas race to raise money for vocational training in Ecuador. From left: Laura María Martínez, José Javier Pérez, José Luis Mesa, Ginovel del Carmen, Alfredo Delsors, Miguel Castilla, Antonio Cabezas, Fernando Macías, Francisco Javier Herrador, Pablo Gallardo, Christian Ferrerira, Sergio Reina, Carlos Ángel Moreno and Irene Duarte. Malaga:

Seattle: In January, about 40 Avanade volunteers at Northwest Harvest packed 13,600 pound of apples, which would provide approximately 10,461 meals. From left to right: Ly Yon, Stephanie Fromwiller, Adam Ellis, Hing Yon, Ashok Srinivasan.

a.storey

Cross-Out

Malaga: In February, Avanade employees participated in the Entreculturas race to raise money for vocational training in Ecuador.

21

I am honored to be leading Avanade’s global corporate citizenship approach. Our mission – To help close the gender, technology and income gaps for women – is truly important to the economic, political and social change our world faces.

We must step up and be part of this movement, through digital transformation, enabling our employees, clients and suppliers to get on board. This will help address challenges that the world faces in inequality.

At Avanade, we believe we can make a difference to our communities, helping to close the gender gap both in society and ultimately in the workplace. This is why we have partnered with change-making organizations that will help with our mission.

Equality will make our world a better place, embracing the diversity of people, bringing them together in the communities we live in, providing greater opportunities for everyone by helping to upskill and empower them.

I hope you have enjoyed learning of our successes so far. Over the coming year, we will continue to align each of our local markets with a charity that advances our global mission. We will expand our efforts to bring technology into the charities we encounter.

And we will increase our focus on our environmental impact program to ensure we have a responsible environmental impact at our local offices.

Vikki Leach Director, Corporate Citizenship


About AvanadeAvanade is the leading provider of innovative digital and cloud-enabling services, business solutions and design-led experiences, delivered through the power of people and the Microsoft ecosystem. Majority owned by Accenture, Avanade was founded in 2000 by Accenture LLP and Microsoft Corporation and has 29,000 professionals in 23 countries. Visit us at www.avanade.com

©2016 Avanade Inc. All rights reserved. The Avanade name and logo are registered trademarks in the U.S. and other countries. Other brand and product names are trademarks of their respective owners.