MarketSource Invests in Career Opportunities for and Empowers Women to Pursue Sales Leadership Through #GirlsClub Alliance

As part of its commitment to an intentionally inclusive culture and to creating opportunities for women, MarketSource is a sponsor of #GirlsClub, an organization committed to changing the face of sales by empowering more women to earn roles in leadership, helping reverse the zero-growth trend of women leaders in sales.  

#GirlsClub provides a cross-company community and a six-month program that includes: 

  • Tactical sales management job training 
  • 1:1 female and male mentors 
  • Confidence-building curriculum 
  • A community that empowers risk-taking 

#GirlsClub works to equip women with both tactical and soft-skill training and community support that positions them to pursue and claim the leadership roles they seek. The program reports an over 60% promotion rate for graduates who are aspiring managers. 

Core to the program is the alignment of protégés with mentors who both connect them with a supportive community and guide them to grow in their sales roles, whether it’s toward leadership or to become a stronger, more effective sales professional.  

MarketSource has hosted protégés in every #GirlsClub cohort since its founding in 2018. Program managers select people from their team whom they feel are ready to move into leadership. A panel then selects which applicants will participate in the next cohort. While anyone is eligible to apply, the program is designed for high-potential women who want to be in sales leadership roles (including those who were either on track for promotion or were recently promoted). #GirlsClub has started to expand training and mentoring for sales-related roles, such as customer success, sales operations, and sales support. 

#GirlsClub founder Lauren Bailey says, “MarketSource, the only company to have had a protégé participant in every generation of the program since our inception, is a top tier #GirlsClub partner. Their leadership has shown ongoing dedication to the development of up-and-coming female sales talent, and we can always count on their protégés and mentors to be leaders among their peers. We applaud MarketSource for six years of partnership and for working with us to change the face of sales leadership—one aspiring sales leader at a time!”

Julia Bourne, program manager, was the first woman at MarketSource to participate in #GirlsClub. She won the inaugural Protégé of the Year Award and continues to work closely with up-and-coming protégés to guide them through the program and grow as sales professionals.

She reflects, “I’m grateful MarketSource continues to cultivate new protégés each year. #GirlsClub is a transformational program and a worthwhile investment for any protégé. Being able to see women strive to achieve their goals, develop as a result of their training, and gain a team of people who support their journey into leadership is an encouraging sign that the culture of sales is evolving.”

Ben Simms, vice president, commercial client services for MarketSource and executive sponsor for MarketSource’s support of #GirlsClub, was a finalist for the Ally of the Year Award in 2022.

Simms, who championed MarketSource’s early involvement with #GirlsClub, commented, “I knew we had to be part of what Lauren was doing back in 2017, when she shared that the percentage of women in sales leadership roles hadn’t increased in 10 years. Creating space and real pathways for women to grow and contribute to our success is not just a fad or a box to check. It’s an ongoing, permanent part of our culture. Like with all inequalities, we have made some progress levelling the playing field for and elevating women, but we have more work to do. We can’t do that work in a vacuum. Progress is only possible through alliances with change-agents like #GirlsClub. I’ve been shaped by our collaboration, and I’m excited to see what the future of sales leadership looks like with more women participating in and driving it.”

About MarketSource 

MarketSource, an Allegis Group company, is a sales acceleration company focused on delivering better outcomes for many of the world’s most iconic brands. We design and operationalize managed sales and customer experience solutions in B2B and retail environments. Our solutions are purpose-built and tech-enabled to deliver measurable improvements in business outcomes.