CINCINNATI, April 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Kendle (Nasdaq: KNDL), a leading, global full-service clinical research organization, today announced it is the recipient of a "Learning! 100" award from Elearning! Media Group, publishers of Elearning! and Government Elearning! magazines. The Learning! 100 Award recognizes 60 corporate and 40 public sector organizations for an outstanding learning culture, innovation or collaboration that drives performance.  Kendle was recognized for fostering a culture of learning and is the only member of the CRO industry to appear on the 2011 list.

"Kendle's recognition as a Learning! 100 award recipient reflects the culture of learning that we strive to create within our Company," said Daniel J. Hiltz, PhD, Director, Global Training and Development at Kendle. "Our associates recognize the value and importance of developing their skills to the fullest potential.  Their commitment is evident in the quality service we provide to our customers as validated by our recent satisfaction surveys."

More than 300 organizations applied directly for consideration for the Learning! 100 awards or were nominated by vendors, partners or Elearning! magazine editors. Applicants were evaluated across three criteria: Aberdeen Group's Best-in-Class Learning & Development assessment, EMG's Learning Culture index and overall organizational performance. Each submission received a rating for each criteria and scores were totaled to identify the top 100. Honorees on the 2011 list ranged in size from organizations with 24 to 1.6 million employees.

"Altogether, the Learning! 100 represent the best-of-the-best in learning and development organizations in the United States," noted Catherine Upton, Group Publisher, Elearning! Media Group.  "The top ranked organizations all drive innovation and learning impact across their industries nationally and/or globally."  

Training and learning at Kendle is delivered via Kendle College, an international network of learning resources available to all associates. Kendle College is organized around a flexible curriculum with self-paced online courses and live collaborative experiences led by expert facilitators specializing in therapeutic and clinical research disciplines. The Company currently offers more than 1,300 classes to associates at all levels across the organization.

About Elearning!

Elearning! and Government Elearning! magazines, e-zines, e-newsletters, alerts, websites and summits are produced by B2B Media Company, LLC. Elearning! magazine is one in a family of 11 media products serving the $160 billion e-learning market. In combination, these brands reach up to two million executives, practitioners and professionals who plan, evaluate or deploy enterprise-wide learning solutions across their organizations. To learn more, visit www.2elearning.com or www.gov.2elearning.com.

About Kendle

Kendle International Inc. (Nasdaq: KNDL) is a leading global clinical research organization providing the full range of early- to late-stage clinical development services for the world's biopharmaceutical industry. Our focus is on innovative solutions that reduce cycle times for our customers and accelerate the delivery of life-enhancing products to market for the benefit of patients worldwide. As one of the world's largest global providers of Phase I-IV services, we offer experience spanning more than 100 countries, along with industry-leading patient access and retention capabilities and broad therapeutic expertise, to meet our customers' clinical development challenges. For more information, please visit www.kendle.com.

SOURCE Kendle International Inc.