EMPOWERED AND SELF-DIRECTED GROUP TO FACILITATE RETENTION AND PROFESSIONAL GROWTH FOR BPM SOFTWARE VENDOR’S FEMALE EMPLOYEES

Reston, Va.— December 12, 2013 —Appian, the market leader in modern business process management (BPM) software, today announced the formation of the Appian Women’s Leadership Program. The program’s charter is to increase mentorship and professional development opportunities, provide forums for internal and external networking and knowledge-sharing, and advance the role of women leaders within Appian and across the software industry. The Women’s Leadership Program is officially supported by Appian, but self-directed by its members. The program has exceeded expectation with strong support across all levels of the organization and over 95 percent participation rate.

“The Appian Women’s Leadership Program is something that I’m very excited about as a new employee,” said Mandy Hagen, Associate Consultant at Appian. “I think that one of the best parts of the program is the fact that women of all levels within the company are participating. New hires fresh out of college are interacting and sharing ideas with senior management and everyone in between. It’s a great learning environment, and an engaging and friendly atmosphere.”

Many female employees working out of Appian’s Northern Virginia headquarters attended the program’s November kick-off event. Along with identifying industry growth opportunities, the group has already begun to formulate committees designed to increase internal mentorship and workshop programs, as well as target networking events within the Metropolitan area. Networking committee chairs will explore internal member opportunities (from skills training to book discussions), as well as opportunities to engage the larger software industry through guest-lectures and panel participation from local and national female industry leaders.

Alison Cowley, Product Manager at Appian, said, “Learning from the experiences of people in other Appian departments is a great value, but I am also eager to see this group engaging and exchanging insights with other organizations and like-minded groups.” Members of the program have stressed the importance of creating this group as a way to form a singular platform for women professionals to discuss and promote ideas within the technology industry. As with all Appian initiatives, all members have the same access to leadership roles within the program, regardless of title. Group founders have stressed that this is to be a program for the benefit of the women at Appian and it is to be run however active participants see best fit in order to maximize value. This approach exemplifies the level of autonomy given to all Appian employees in achieving professional excellence, a hallmark of the company’s unique culture of innovation.

“Appian is always looking for new ways to develop leadership and retain talent across the organization,” said Michael Beckley, Chief Technology Officer at Appian. “We’re excited about the Women’s Leadership Program, and are eager to see the identity of the group take form.”