FEI Announces 2011 Hall of Fame Inductees

MORRISTOWN, N.J., July 28, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Financial Executives International (FEI), the association of choice for CFOs and other senior-level finance executives, today announced that Robert C. Butler, former Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Celgene Corporation, Judy C. Lewent, retired Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Merck and Co., and David B. Rickard, former Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Administrative Officer of CVS Caremark Corporation, have been selected as inductees for the 2011 class of the FEI Hall of Fame. Now in its sixth year, this annual award recognizes individuals who epitomize the performance, leadership and integrity of the most exemplary financial executives throughout their careers.

FEI's Hall of Fame was established in 2006 in celebration of FEI's accomplishments as a professional organization. Past inductees of this prestigious honor include Dennis R. Beresford (2006), Susan Schmidt Bies (2008), Frank J. Borelli (2006), F. Gorham Brigham, Jr. (2006), Dennis D. Dammerman (2009), Karl M. von der Heyden (2010), Thomas E. Jones (2007), Ulyesse J. LeGrange (2010), Robert W. Moore (2006), Donald T. Nicolaisen (2009), Charles H. Noski (2006), John F. Ruffle (2008) and Samuel Siegel (2007). Mr. Butler, Ms. Lewent, and Mr. Rickard will be formally honored during an induction ceremony at the FEI Hall of Fame black-tie gala on November 14, 2011 at Gotham Hall in New York City. The gala is held in conjunction with FEI's Current Financial Reporting Issues (CFRI) Conference, which takes place on November 14-15, 2011.

"As FEI celebrates its 80th anniversary as a professional association, it is our pleasure to induct three dedicated and well-deserving individuals who represent FEI's core values into our FEI Hall of Fame," said Marie Hollein, President and CEO of Financial Executives International. "These executives have demonstrated excellence throughout their professional careers, a result of their dedication and outstanding performance at their respective firms, and continue to serve as mentors to others in the finance profession. We are excited to applaud the tremendous achievements of Mr. Butler, Ms. Lewent, and Mr. Rickard and celebrate this honor on a historic evening that also allows us to reflect the accomplishments of our organization."

"For the fifth consecutive year, Microsoft takes pride in sponsoring FEI's Hall of Fame and we extend our sincere congratulations to this year's inductees," said Frank H. Brod, Corporate Vice President, Finance and Administration and Chief Accounting Officer, Microsoft Corporation. "Our corporation recognizes the important role that financial executives play in leading their organizations, and these inductees have made significant contributions to the financial profession as a whole. We join in honoring them for this prestigious achievement."

Highlights of the 2011 inductees' significant accomplishments and impact on the financial community include:

Robert C. Butler served as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Celgene Corporation from 1996 to 1998.  He previously held numerous other financial management positions including Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of International Paper Company, Group Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of National Broadcasting Company and Vice President, Controller of RCA. Mr. Butler was Chairman of the Financial Accounting Standards Advisory Council from 1997 to 2001.  He has been a director of NVR Inc since May 2002 where he serves on the Audit Committee and is Chair of the Corporate Governance Committee.  He is also on the Board of Directors of Studio One Networks a private company. In the non-profit area,  Mr. Butler is currently on the Board of Trustees of the Montclair (Community) Foundation, COPE Center, Inc. and the Advisory Board of the Montclair Art Museum.  Mr. Butler is also on the Finance Council and Chairman of the Investment Committee for the Archdiocese of Newark.

Judy C. Lewent has had a longstanding career with Merck & Co., most recently serving as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.  Ms. Lewent joined Merck in 1980 as Director, Acquisitions and Capital Analysis and throughout the next 25 years gained additional responsibilities and held numerous management positions within the company, including President, Human Health Asia.  Beginning in July 2005, Ms. Lewent resumed her most recent title where she oversaw strategic planning responsibilities for Merck.  She served as Chairman of Merck Capital Ventures and was a member of Merck's Executive Committee.

Ms. Lewent is a member of the Board of Directors of GlaxoSmithKline, Motorola Solutions, and Thermo Fisher Scientific.  She served as a director of Motorola from 1995 to 2010 and a director of Dell from 2001 to 2011. In addition, she is a Class-A Non-Executive Director of a group of privately held pharmaceutical companies, including Purdue Pharma, Mundipharma and Napp Pharmaceuticals. She is a trustee of the Rockefeller Family Trust, a life member of the MIT Corporation, and a member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences.  

David B. Rickard retired from CVS Caremark Corporation in December 2009. Prior to his retirement, Mr. Rickard was the Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Administrative Officer. He held this position since joining CVS in September 1999. Prior to joining CVS, he was Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of RJR Nabisco Holdings Corporation from March 1997 to August 1999. Previously, he was Executive Vice President of International Distillers and Vintners Americas. Mr. Rickard has been a member of the Board at Harris Corporation since October 2001 and is Chairperson of the Audit Committee and a member of the Finance Committee. Mr. Rickard has also been a director of Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated since 2007 and Dollar General Corporation since 2010, and chairs the Audit Committee of each of these boards.

In 2004, Mr. Rickard was named one of the 20 Most Influential CFOs of the last 20 Years by Corporate Finance Magazine. In the August 2004 issue of Corporate Finance, he was recognized for his role in establishing CVS as the industry leader in sales performance, productivity and earnings growth, as well as his role in the successful restructuring of RJR Nabisco in the 1990s.

Nominees were evaluated on their exceptional attributes in categories considered essential to executive excellence, including individual and organizational performance, leadership, integrity and respect for others, innovation, and community involvement. Inductees were selected by a committee comprised of corporate leaders that include current and past FEI leadership. Additional information can be found at www.feihall.org.

About FEI

Financial Executives International is the leading advocate for the views of corporate financial management.  Its 15,000 members hold policy-making positions as chief financial officers, treasurers and controllers at companies from every major industry. FEI enhances member professional development through peer networking, career management services, conferences, research and publications.  Members participate in the activities of 85 chapters, 74 in the U.S. and 11 in Canada. FEI is headquartered in Morristown, NJ, with additional offices in Washington, D.C., and Toronto.  Visit www.financialexecutives.org for more information.

SOURCE Financial Executives International