Barclays wins 2019 Employer Support Freedom Award from Department of Defense

New York, September 3, 2019 – Barclays has been awarded the 2019 Employer Support Freedom Award by the Department of Defense’s Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) Program. The Freedom Award is the highest recognition given by the US Government to employers for their support of employees serving in the Guard and Reserve.

Barclays is the only bank among this year’s 15 awardees, out of over 2,400 nominations - and is the first non-US bank ever to receive the recognition.

"It is a true honor to be recognized by the Department of Defense with the Freedom Award," says Richard Haworth, CEO, Americas. "Barclays has implemented a range of impactful programs for colleagues, within the community, and with the Department of Defense itself, all designed to make Barclays an employer of choice for service members and veterans."

The Barclays Military Network, a group of over 500 colleagues in the Americas and EMEA, works in conjunction with Barclays Military & Veterans Outreach (MVO) team to spearhead Barclays’ work with military personnel.

"We are extremely proud of this award," says Bryon Linnehan, a VP in Compliance who also is one of the leaders of the Barclays Military Network in the Americas, and is a US Military veteran and current member of the National Guard. "Over the past few years we have increased the network's activity in support of veterans, and as a result we are delighted to have increased both the number of veterans employed at Barclays, and our engagement in the community."

The Barclays Military Network has hosted a variety of events in 2019 including its second annual Strategic Panel on Foreign Relations, which brought together distinguished military officers serving a yearlong fellowship at the Council on Foreign Relations. The network also hosted a veteran-led boot camp to support Tuesday’s Children, a charity that supports military families of the fallen. Barclays is a proud member of the Veteran Jobs Mission, Veterans on Wall Street, and the Coalition for Veteran-Owned Business.

In the Americas, the network is co-chaired by veterans Ted Roosevelt, MD in Banking, and Erin Haggerty, Director in Credit; veteran Tim Hartzell, MD in Portfolio Management, is the network's Vice Chair.

Barclays’ Military & Veterans Outreach is a global program that helps to address the issues faced by service personnel and veterans as they transition into civilian life, and aims to highlight the economic value these highly skilled individuals can bring to the corporate world.