Andretta, Bread Financial® build brighter futures for women in sports
Bread Financial is purposeful in its commitments and partnerships centered on the advancement of women
As a business leader, ally, son, husband and father, Bread Financial President and Chief Executive Officer Ralph Andretta is a champion for women, and has made diversity, equity and inclusion a key business priority since joining the company in February 2020. In his personal life, he has also demonstrated a commitment to supporting a more equal and inclusive place for women in society, but especially female athletes, inspired in part by his daughters and a unique friendship with one of the world’s greatest tennis players, crusader for social justice and women in sports.
As the father of two accomplished female collegiate athletes, Andretta has witnessed firsthand the profound impact sports can have on developing character, confidence and independence in young women. And his passion for gender equality in sports only blossomed when he developed a friendship with tennis legend and women’s sports advocate, Billie Jean King. In meeting King, a figure he had revered for decades, Andretta was inspired by her dedication to breaking barriers and fostering equal opportunities for female athletes.
“I have always admired her,” Andretta said. “Billie has continuously leveraged her platform to elevate and advocate equal opportunity for women. After we met more than a decade ago, we decided to start strategically investing in opportunities for women athletes.”
His partnership and friendship with King eventually led Ralph to the Women's Sports Foundation (WSF), where he has served on the board of trustees since early 2023. Founded by King, the WSF has been instrumental in expanding participation and leadership opportunities for women in sports. Since its inception, WSF has invested more than $100 million to help shape the lives of millions of youth, high school and collegiate student-athletes, elite athletes and coaches.
“I look at this (commitment to WSF) as paying Billie back for how she paid it forward for young girls and women,” Andretta said. “By being a trailblazer, Billie helped pave the way for generations of future female athletes and enabling a more open, equitable opportunity for girls like my daughters to play college sports.”
Andretta’s advocacy took another notable leap forward last month when Bread Financial announced it was an inaugural partner of the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL), a six-team league with squads in both the U.S. and Canada. As part of the sponsorship, the Bread Financial logo adorns PWHL New York helmets and other branded assets around the league. Additionally, through its sports and community partnerships with the Columbus Blue Jackets and Ruling Our eXperiences (ROX), Bread Financial has sponsored special events for female hockey fans, including "Hockey for Her” events and Girls Hockey Day.
As part of its sponsorship of the PWHL, the Bread Financial company logo is featured on PWHL New York helmets in addition to various other assets across the league’s three U.S. teams.
Signifying the company’s commitment to elevating women’s sports to a place of well-deserved visibility and respect, these events and partnerships underscore a broader goal for Andretta and Bread Financial: to ensure women have the same opportunities as males to pursue their athletic dreams post-college.
“For me, it is discouraging to see talented athletes whose careers are over after college or the Olympics,” Andretta said. “The PWHL, and other professional leagues like it, are creating paths for women to continue their careers in sports. This will attract and inspire even more young girls by seeing the sport elevated to a more visible level and give them something to aspire to.”
About Bread Financial®
Bread Financial® (NYSE: BFH) is a tech-forward financial services company providing simple, personalized payment, lending and saving solutions. The company creates opportunities for its customers and partners through digitally enabled choices that offer ease, empowerment, financial flexibility and exceptional customer experiences. Driven by a digital-first approach, data insights and white-label technology, Bread Financial delivers growth for its partners through a comprehensive suite of payment solutions that includes private label and co-brand credit cards and Bread Pay® buy now, pay later products. Bread Financial also offers direct-to-consumer products that give customers more access, choice and freedom through its branded Bread Cashback® American Express® Credit Card, Bread Rewards™ American Express® Credit Card and Bread Savings® products.
Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, Bread Financial is powered by its approximately 7,000 global associates and is committed to sustainable business practices. To learn more about Bread Financial, visit breadfinancial.com or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, X and Instagram.
