FEI Announces 2013 Hall of Fame Inductees

MORRISTOWN, N.J., July 16, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Financial Executives International (FEI), the association of choice for CFOs and other senior-level finance executives, today announced the selection of three new members to the FEI Hall of Fame: Earnest Edwards, William Parfet and Frederic Salerno. Now in its eighth year, this honor is awarded to highly-respected financial executives for their performance, leadership and integrity. Mr. Edwards, Mr. Parfet and Mr. Salerno will receive formal induction into the FEI Hall of Fame on November 18, 2013 during a celebratory black-tie gala in their honor at Gotham Hall in New York City.

Since the FEI Hall of Fame was established in 2006, 24 financial executives from across the country have been honored. This year's inductees will join the existing Hall of Fame members which include the 2012 class – William J. Ihlanfeldt, Hans G. Storr, Robert P. Wayman and John K. Wulff – as well as Robert C. Butler, Judy C. Lewent, and David B. Rickard (2011), Karl M. von der Heyden and Ulyesse J. LeGrange (2010), Dennis D. Dammerman and Donald T. Nicolaisen (2009), Susan Schmidt Bies and John F. Ruffle (2008), Thomas E. Jones and Samuel Siegel (2007) and Dennis R. Beresford, Frank J. Borelli, F. Gorham Brigham, Jr., Robert W. Moore and Charles H. Noski (2006).

"At FEI, we continually strive to promote leadership and ethical accountability in the practice of financial management throughout our organization. As such, we are proud to induct into the Hall of Fame these three executives whose accomplishments are exemplary of our mission," said Marie Hollein, CTP, President and CEO of Financial Executives International. "It is our privilege and distinct honor to recognize the consistent best practices of leaders within the financial profession, as these individuals serve as role models, ambassadors and trusted colleagues within the industry as a whole."

"We are thrilled to recognize the outstanding professional achievements of Mr. Edwards, Mr. Parfet and Mr. Salerno during an evening in which we honor and reflect on the developments and growth of our profession," said Jerry Urich, Senior Director of External Reporting and Compliance at The Hershey Company, and 2013 Chair of the FEI Hall of Fame Selection Advisory Council.

"The qualities inherent in these inductees are qualities that we at Microsoft hold in the highest regard," said Frank H. Brod, Corporate Vice President of Finance and Administration and Chief Accounting Officer of Microsoft Corporation. "We are very excited to sponsor the FEI Hall of Fame for the seventh consecutive year, and to join in celebrating the talents and expertise of these leaders within the financial community."

Professional career accomplishments of this year's inductees include:

Earnest J. Edwards retired as the Senior Vice President and Controller of Alcoa Inc. after 34 years with the company. Throughout his tenure at Alcoa, Mr. Edwards served in a number of corporate and business roles and was named one of "America's Ten Most Influential Corporate Figures in the Accounting Field" by Accounting Today Magazine. Mr. Edwards has been noted for his financial leadership on issues relating to business operations, cost reductions initiatives and process improvements.

William U. Parfet has been Chairman and CEO of MPI Research for 14 years. Prior, Mr. Parfet held executive positions at several other large corporations including Richard-Allan Medical and The Upjohn Company (now recognized as Pfizer). Mr Parfet also served as the Trustee for the Financial Accounting Foundation (FAF), a member of the Emerging Issues Task Force (EITF), the National Chairman of FEI and the Commissioner for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

Frederic V. Salerno was Vice Chairman and CFO at Verizon Communications, Inc. where he was the lead negotiator for a number of the company's most notable mergers, including Bell Atlantic and NYNEX merger. Mr. Salerno retired after a long tenure with the company and currently serves on the board of directors of several companies in the media, energy and financial services industries.

The FEI Hall of Fame inductees were nominated by their peers and were selected by a committee comprised of corporate leaders that include current and past FEI leadership as well as previous Hall of Fame inductees. The 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. Additional information on the FEI Hall of Fame and the Gala 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, teleconferences and publications. Members participate in the activities of 86 chapters, 74 in the U.S., 11 in Canada and 1 in Japan. 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