Virginia C. Albanese to be honored at the Spirit of Women in Business Conference on March 4

Virginia C. Albanese, president and
CEO of FedEx Custom Critical and an
alumna of Kent State University’s College
of Business Administration, is the 2015
recipient of the university's Spirit of
Women in Business Award.

Virginia C. Albanese, president and CEO of FedEx Custom Critical and an alumna of Kent State University’s College of Business Administration, is the 2015 recipient of Kent State’s Spirit of Women in Business Award.

“As a two-time Kent State alumna, I’m honored to receive this award,” Albanese says. “The Spirit of Women in Business Conference is a great platform to discuss important opportunities that women encounter.”

Albanese joined FedEx Custom Critical in 1986 and quickly worked her way up the ranks, holding director positions in various departments where she placed a strong focus on organizational culture, customer satisfaction and developing people.

In each role, Albanese used technology to improve productivity. By streamlining processes, she has improved efficiency and enhanced communication capabilities to move the company forward.

Albanese has been recognized for her leadership both at work and in the community. In recent years, she has been inducted into the Northeastern Ohio Business Hall of Fame (2013), received the Women of Power Award from the Akron Urban League (2013) and also received the Leadership Excellence Award from the National Diversity Council (2014). She also has been named to the Inside Business Power 100 list for the past four years (2011-2014) and the Crain’s Cleveland Business Power 150 (2014). In addition, FedEx Custom Critical has been recognized as one of Northeast Ohio’s top workplaces, receiving the NorthCoast 99 Award 13 times and also has been selected to the Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Top Workplaces list in 2013.

Albanese earned a Bachelor of Science degree in 1985 and an Executive MBA in 1995 from Kent State. In 2013, she was appointed by Ohio Gov. John Kasich to the Kent State Board of Trustees. She is past chair of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Western Reserve and past chair of the Greater Akron Chamber of Commerce. She also serves on a number of other boards to benefit the Northeast Ohio community, including Akron Children’s Hospital and the Akron Community Foundation.

“Virginia is an inspiring leader whose success in the workplace has been combined with an active role in a number of community organizations, embodying for our students a wonderful role model of a successful businesswoman,” says Deborah Spake, dean of Kent State’s College of Business Administration.

The Spirit of Women in Business Award honors a Kent State business alumna who excels in her profession, paving the way for women in business.

Albanese will be honored at the 2015 Spirit of Women in Business Conference on March 4, which will feature keynote speaker Sheena S. Iyengar, a world-renowned expert on choice and author of The Art of Choosing, with breakout sessions following the theme of choice and a networking lunch.

Conference tickets are on sale now at www.kent.edu/business/wib. Register today as the conference sells out annually.

For more information about Kent State’s College of Business Administration, visit www.kent.edu/business.