The Committee of 200 (C200) Presents Annual Luminary Awards to Exceptional Women

NEW YORK, Oct. 23, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- On Friday, October 25, The Committee of 200 (C200) will pay tribute to women credited with changing the face of business.  Each honoree will receive a C200 Luminary Award at a private ceremony at The New York Palace Hotel. 

C200 is an invitation-only, global organization composed of the world's most successful female entrepreneurs and corporate leaders.  The organization's primary mission is to foster, celebrate and advance women's leadership in business.  Through targeted outreach and support to future leaders, C200 helps ensure that women will continue to play increasingly significant and visible leadership roles.  Collectively C200 members employ more than 2.5 million people.

"We are overwhelmed by the collective achievements of our membership," said Kathryn Swintek, Chair of The Committee of 200 and Managing Partner of Golden Seeds Fund 2.  "We are especially delighted to recognize Joyce, Dominique and Marsha for their extraordinary successes.  The accomplishments of this year's extraordinary recipients have left an indelible legacy and have inspired current and future generations of women business leaders.  C200's role in advancing women in business is more important today than it has ever been," she concluded.

"The C200 Foundation provides critical support and inspiration to women across a continuum of high school, undergraduate, and graduate levels and into the corporate workplace," said C200 Foundation Chair and Little Farm Company CEO, Larraine Segil.  "We are proud to pay tribute to these ladies and their outstanding success and extraordinary accomplishments in their fields." 

C200's 2013 Luminary Award winners include: 

Corporate Innovator, presented by U.S. Trust

Winner:  Joyce Russell, President, Adecco Staffing U.S.

Russell's career with Adecco spans an impressive 25 years.  Since joining the company in 1987 and working her way up through Adecco, Russell has held roles through all levels of the organization while leading talented teams that have consistently delivered outstanding performance results through sales, service, operations and financial management.

As the President of Adecco Staffing US, Russell is charged with leading Adecco Group North America's largest piece of business in the United States, with over $2.5 billion in revenues, 450 branch offices, 1,850 colleagues, and a diverse portfolio of clients, including virtually all of the Fortune 500. Adecco Staffing includes the clerical, engineering & technical, light industrial, and medical & science lines of business.

As the most senior ranking woman in the United States staffing industry, Russell has firmly established her reputation and talent for colleague development and client collaboration.  She constantly strives for growth both personally and professionally while remaining focused on developing the best team in the industry and maintaining the strongest client and candidate relationships in the business.

U.S. Trust, sponsor of the C200 Luminary Award for Corporate Innovator, recognizes that lasting legacies come from imagination, insight and careful consideration.  U.S. Trust, too, empowers women to inspire future generations by sharing our intellectual resources and financial acumen toward helping manage, preserve and enhance generational wealth.

Muriel Siebert Entrepreneurial Champion, presented by EY

Winner:  Dominique Raccah, CEO & Publisher, Sourcebooks, Inc.

Dominique Raccah is the publisher of Sourcebooks, the company she founded in 1987 as a source of financial information for bankers, which turned out to be about as interesting as it sounds.  From that small start, Raccah has directed a continuously growing entrepreneurial company that morphed into a general trade house.  The result has been double digit annual revenue growth, over forty New York Times bestsellers, #1 category leaders that range from baby names books to college guides, and a publishing company that many consider on the leading edge of the digital transformation.  

Most recently, Raccah has managed the launches of a personalized children's book platform, Put Me In The Story, a series of interactive digital editions of Shakespeare's plays, and a new cutting-edge education division.

EY, sponsor of the C200 Luminary Award for Muriel Siebert Entrepreneurial Champion, is dedicated to the growth and success of women entrepreneurs.  EY demonstrates its commitment to the success of women-owned businesses through programs like EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women, a national competition and executive leadership program that identifies a select group of high-potential women entrepreneurs whose businesses show real potential to scale — and then helps them do it.

Skills to Succeed Champion, presented by Accenture

Winner:  Dr. Marsha Firestone, President and Founder, Women's Presidents' Organization

Dr. Marsha Firestone is the Founder and President of the Women Presidents' Organization (WPO), which began in 1997 as a peer advisory organization for women who own multi million dollar businesses. She is also the Founder and President of the Women Presidents' Educational Organization, dedicated to increasing access to business opportunities for women's business enterprises (WBEs).

Dr. Firestone previously served as Vice President of Training and Counseling at the American Woman's Economic Development Corporation (AWED).  Her career also includes positions as President of a for-profit educational institution; National Executive Director of Women's American ORT, and a faculty member at the American Management Association.

Dr. Firestone shares her professional knowledge by serving on numerous boards and advisory councils including: the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), Enterprising Women Advisory Board, Newcomb College Institute Director's Advisory Council, the International Women's Forum, and The Key Bank Women's Advisory Council.

Accenture, sponsor of the Skills to Succeed Champion Luminary Award, recognizes the critical role that education and training play in helping people secure employment.  By 2015, the company will have equipped 500,000 people with the skills to get a job or build a business through its Skills to Succeed initiative.  It is also noteworthy that Accenture currently employs more than 90,000 women, which is approximately one-third of its global workforce. 

About C200

With over 200 founding members, the group now includes 400+ women executives serving at the highest levels within successful private and public companies.  By sharing their success with one another and with future leaders, C200 is creating lasting, meaningful positive change.

SOURCE The Committee of 200