Intel, Publicis Groupe, and CEO/Chairs of DuPont and Desjardins Group Selected as Winners of 2012 WCD Visionary Awards

NEW YORK, Dec. 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The leading global organization for women on boards, WomenCorporateDirectors (WCD), has named the winners of the 2012 WCD Visionary Awards: Publicis Groupe (for leadership and governance) and Intel (for innovation and shared value) as corporate honorees, with DuPont Chair of the Board and CEO Ellen Kullman and Desjardins Group Chair of the Board, President, and CEO Monique Leroux picking up individual honors.

The award winners will be presented at the 2012 Visionary Awards Dinner on May 1, 2012 in New York City, as part of WCD's second annual Global Institute (May 1-2). Muhtar Kent, Chairman and CEO of The Coca-Cola Company, will deliver the keynote address at the dinner.

"Better corporate governance is being seen around the world as one of the key drivers to help economies stabilize and recover," says Henrietta Holsman Fore, Global Co-chair of WCD and the Visionary Awards committee. "All stakeholders – from shareholders to regulators to consumers – are demanding greater leadership in public and private enterprises, and WCD wants to recognize the companies and individuals who exemplify the strategic leadership required today."

More than 1,350 women directors belong to WCD, representing 1,500 companies in 38 chapters around the world. Seen as a "talent bank for businesswomen" (The New York Times, April 3, 2011), WCD launched its Visionary Awards program earlier this year to identify companies and corporate chiefs whose good governance practices translate into better workplaces, community relationships, and bottom-line performance.

"With a continued turbulent economy, there is less and less tolerance for leadership that operates in a vacuum, ignoring the value of diversity in corporate decision-making and the impact of a company on the communities in which it operates," says Alison Winter, Global Co-chair of WCD and a Director of Nordstrom.

"Companies like Publicis Groupe and Intel, and CEOs like Ellen Kullman and Monique Leroux stand out among their peers in their commitment to leadership excellence and corporate citizenship."

Each of the companies being honored by WCD has a strongly women-led governance structure. Both Ms. Kullman and Ms. Leroux occupy the CEO and chair seats at their companies; Publicis Groupe's Elisabeth Badinter chairs the supervisory board (which also has a majority of women on the board's executive committee); and Intel's Jane Shaw became the company's first "outside" director to ascend to the chair position in 2009.

"There is a numerical critical mass to the effectiveness of women on boards," says Susan Stautberg, Co-founder and Global Co-chair of WCD and President of PartnerCom Corporation. "One is a token, two are a presence, and three are a voice. If each of us takes action, not only will there be more qualified women on boards, but they will also be making a difference around the table, in the world, and for the world." WCD issued a Call to Action at its inaugural Global Institute last May, presenting specific steps that companies and individuals can take to increase women directorship.

The Global Institute, which attracted more than 200 attendees from around the world, brings together corporate directors and chief executives to share best governance practices. Speakers at the 2011 Global Institute included 2011 Visionary Award winners Bob McDonald, Chairman and CEO of Procter & Gamble; Irene Rosenfeld, Chairman and CEO of Kraft; and Maria Elena Lagomasino, Director of The Coca-Cola Company and Avon Products, and CEO of GenSpring Family Offices.

The 2012 WCD Visionary Award Honorees:

• Publicis Groupe – WCD Visionary Award for Leadership and Governance
  • This award is given to a top-performing company and board with three or more women board members which serves as a role model in both corporate leadership and best governance practices.
  • The award recognizes a company exhibiting excellence in financial performance for its shareholders and for assembling and developing an exceptional board that serves as a role model in best governance practices for board process and committees.
  • Will be presented to Maurice Levy, CEO and Chairman

• Ellen Kullman, Chairman and CEO of DuPont – WCD Visionary Award for Strategic Leadership
  • This award recognizes outstanding leadership by a woman board chair or CEO exhibiting courage in making both strategic leadership decisions and long-term and short-term strategic investments.
  • Award sponsored by The Coca-Cola Company

• Intel – WCD Visionary Award for Innovation in Shared Value
  • This award recognizes a company with an innovative corporate citizen program partnering with one or more nonprofits rooted in community and embedded in the core business.
  • Will be presented to Jane Shaw, Chairman
  • Award sponsored by KPMG

• Monique Leroux, Chair of the Board, President, and CEO of Desjardins Group – WCD Visionary Award for Leadership and Governance of a Private Company
  • This award recognizes outstanding leadership by a chief executive, chair, or director of a high-performing privately-held company.
  • The company must exhibit innovation, engagement in the community, a good governance system and process, and be respected within the given industry and field.
  • Award sponsored by Heidrick & Struggles

The 2012 WCD Visionary Awards Committee:

• Henrietta Holsman Fore – Committee Co-chair; Global Co-chair of WCD; Director, Theravance, Inc.
• Brenda Gaines – Committee Co-chair; Director, Fannie Mae, Nicor, Inc., Office Depot, Inc., and Tenet Healthcare Corporation
• Christie Hefner – Executive Chairman, Canyon Ranch Enterprises; Director, Center for American Progress
• Elaine Eisenman – WCD Boston Co-chair; Dean, Babson Executive Education, Babson College; Director, DSW, Inc. and Active International
• Jill Kanin-Lovers – Director, Dot Foods and Heidrick & Struggles
• Judy Haberkorn – Director, Computer Sciences Corporation
• Maria Elena Lagomasino – CEO, GenSpring Family Offices; Director, The Coca-Cola Company and Avon Products, Inc.
• Elaine LaRoche – Senior Advisor, CICC US Securities Inc.; Former Director and Chair of the Nominating and Compensation Committee of China Construction Bank
• Robin Smith – Chairman of the Board, Publishers Clearing House; Director, Prudential/Jennison and Target Mutual Funds; Director and Vice Chair, ADLP
• Susan Stautberg – Co-founder and Co-chair of WCD; President of PartnerCom Corporation

For more information about the 2012 WCD Visionary Awards, please contact Davia Temin or Suzanne Oaks of Temin and Company at 212-588-8788 or [email protected].

About WomenCorporateDirectors (WCD)
WomenCorporateDirectors (WCD) is the only global membership organization and community of women corporate directors, comprised of more than 1,350 members serving on over 1,500 boards in 38 chapters around the world. In this new era of responsibility, WCD is committed not just to good governance, but to governance with global vision. Smart boards are going global in members and mindset. Our members share information and insights in order to ensure best practices in corporate governance around the world.

WCD has 38 global chapters, located in Arizona, Atlanta, Australia, Beijing, Bogota, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Delhi, Denmark, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Israel, Lima, London, Mexico City, Malaysia, Minnesota, Mumbai, New York, Northern California, Northern/Central Europe (Berlin), Paris, Philadelphia, Sao Paulo, Seattle, Shanghai, Singapore, South Africa, Southern California, South Florida, Switzerland, Tennessee, Toronto, United Arab Emirates, and Washington DC.

Future chapters in discussion include Argentina, Cairo, Cleveland, Columbus, Denver, Houston, Iceland, Istanbul, Jakarta, Japan, Kenya, Milan, Morocco, Netherlands, Nigeria and San Diego.

Our mission is to continue to expand the WCD community through leadership, diversity, education, best practices in corporate governance, and a focus on development and new board placement opportunities. WCD offers local, regional, national, and international forums, providing a platform for turning ideas into action. For more information, visit womencorporatedirectors.com.

SOURCE WomenCorporateDirectors (WCD)