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

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 18, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- On Friday, September 19, The Committee of 200 (C200) will pay tribute to four women credited with changing the face of business.  Each honoree will receive a C200 Luminary Award at a private ceremony at The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco. 

C200 is a financially vetted, 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 member companies generate more than $1.4 trillion in annual revenues.

"C200 is very excited to be honoring these amazing women at this year's Luminary Awards," said Gay Gaddis, Chair of The Committee of 200 and founder and CEO of T3, the largest woman-owned advertising agency in the nation.  "By recognizing their accomplishments as business leaders, C200 is furthering its mission to provide inspiration for current and future generations of women in business."

"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 women, their outstanding success and extraordinary accomplishments in their fields." 

C200's 2014 Luminary Award winners include: 

Corporate Innovator, presented by U.S. Trust

Winner:  Denise Morrison, President and CEO Campbell Soup Company

Denise Morrison has a distinguished track record of building strong businesses and growing iconic brands.  She is currently President and CEO of Campbell Soup Company, making real food that matters for life's moments, from high-quality soups and simple meals to snacks and healthy beverages. Led by its iconic "Campbell's" brand, the company's portfolio includes "Pepperidge Farm," "Bolthouse Farms," "V8," "Plum Organics," "Arnott's," "Kjeldsens" and other iconic brands.

Denise became Campbell's CEO in August 2011, after more than eight years at Campbell and more than 30 years in the food business.  Previously, Denise was Executive Vice President and General Manager of Kraft Foods' Snacks and Confections divisions. Her extensive food business experience also includes senior leadership roles at Nabisco, Nestle and Pepsi-Cola. She began her career at Procter & Gamble. 

Denise was named to President Barack Obama's Export Council in 2012 and is a founding member of the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation.  She also serves on a number of boards including Campbell's, the Grocery Manufacturers Association, the Consumer Goods Forum and MetLife, Inc.  Denise previously served on the boards of The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company and Ballard Power Systems Inc., is a member of the board of directors for Catalyst and is regularly named among the Fortune and Forbes Most Powerful Women.

U.S. Trust is honored to partner with the C200 and present its 2014 Corporate Innovator Luminary Award. Recognizing that lasting legacies come from imagination, insight, and careful consideration, U.S. Trust, shares your vision and empowers women to inspire future generations.  Outstanding trailblazer, Denise Morrison, exemplifies excellence in strategic innovation and corporate leadership, and we salute you and the members of C200.

Entrepreneurial Champion, presented by EY

Winner:  Judi Sheppard Missett, Founder and CEO Jazzercise, Inc.

Jazzercise Founder and CEO Judi Sheppard Missett successfully transformed her passion for dance into a worldwide fitness sensation. While teaching traditional jazz dance classes in Chicago, Judi began having her students turn away from the mirror so they could focus less on the technicality of the moves, emphasizing fitness and just having fun; hence, giving rise to the global dance exercise phenomenon known as Jazzercise.

Within five years, Judi began sharing her moves and business acumen with others, notably women who were interested in becoming instructors. Jazzercise was the first fitness organization to franchise. Now, with more than 7,800 Jazzercise franchisees spanning the globe with over 32,000 weekly classes offered, the dance fitness program has revolutionized the exercise world for 45 prosperous years. Jazzercise was named the #1 Women Owned Business by San Diego Business Journal for two consecutive years in 2012 and 2013, ranked #42 overall on the Franchise 500 list and #7 on the Fastest-Growing Franchises list by Entrepreneur Magazine.

A devoted philanthropist, Judi actively lives out her philosophy of giving back to the community, and together with her Jazzercise instructors, has helped raise over $28 million for a wide range of organizations.

EY is proud to sponsor the C200 Entrepreneurial Champion Award. The growth in women owned businesses reflects a new breed of dynamism, confidence, and diversity that is changing the face of the economy in the U.S. The EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women program, which helps high-potential women entrepreneurs scale rapidly, is one way EY demonstrates its commitment to the growth and success of this market.  Programs and awards such as the C200 Luminary Awards and the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year awards recognize the impact these role models have on our communities and the economy at large.

Skills to Succeed Champion, presented by Accenture

Winner:  Vicki Escarra, CEO Opportunity International

As CEO, Vicki Escarra leads Opportunity International's efforts to bring savings-based microfinance services to millions of clients throughout the developing world. Named to The NonProfit Times' Power and Influence Top 50 for three consecutive years, she joined Opportunity in September 2012 with extensive executive experience in the nonprofit and corporate sectors.

From 2006-2012, Vicki was president and CEO of Feeding America, the nation's largest domestic hunger relief organization. She led Feeding America through the most significant period of advancement in its three-decade history, elevating it to a $1.2 billion organization.  Under her leadership, Feeding America transitioned from America's Second Harvest to Feeding America, increased fundraising by 300 percent, doubled the number of people served and established several corporate partnerships with multimillion dollar commitments, growing revenue by four times.

Prior to leading Feeding America, she served as chief marketing officer for Delta Airlines Inc.  As one of the highest-ranking women in the aviation industry, Vicki oversaw $15 billion in revenue and led a work force of 52,000.  Vicki also actively participates in community and civic service and has served on a number of boards including AG Edwards, HealthNet Corporation and the board of regents for Roosevelt University. She was also chairman of the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau, and assisted Mayor Shirley Franklin with the Brand Atlanta Campaign. 

Accenture is proud to sponsor the C200 Skills to Succeed Champion Luminary Award and recognizes the critical role that education and training play in helping people secure employment. Through its Skills to Succeed corporate citizenship initiative, Accenture plans to equip 700,000 women and men around the world by 2015 with the skills to get a job or build a business. The company employs more than 100,000 women – more than one-third of its global workforce – and strives to provide an environment and culture that develops leaders, empowers people and enables them to advance.

STEM Innovator, presented by a coalition of C200 Members and their Companies

Winner:  Marillyn A. Hewson, Chairman, President and CEO Lockeed Martin Corporation

Marillyn A. Hewson is Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Lockheed Martin Corporation. She previously held a variety of increasingly responsible executive positions with the Corporation, including President and Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of Lockheed Martin's Electronic Systems business area. In her 30 years with Lockheed Martin, Marillyn has held numerous operational leadership positions and served in a number of key corporate executive roles.   

Marillyn serves on the Board of Directors of DuPont and the President's Export Council, the principal national advisory committee on international trade.  She is a member of the Board of Governors of the Aerospace Industries Association, and is an Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.  Marillyn also serves as a board member for the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation, the Board of Governors of the USO, the National Geographic Education Foundation and the University of Alabama's Culverhouse College of Commerce and Business Administration Board of Visitors.

In addition, Marillyn is a member of The Business Roundtable, an association of chief executive officers of leading U.S. companies and has been selected by Fortune magazine as one of the "50 Most Powerful Women in Business" for the past four years and was named #4 in 2013. She was named #21 on the Forbes "World's 100 Most Powerful Women" in 2014.

The C200 STEM Innovator Award is sponsored by a coalition of C200 members and their companies who are dedicated to promoting and supporting women's achievement in STEM fields. Collectively, we are honored to recognize and shine a light on trailblazers, like our 2014 recipient Marillyn Hewson who have fearlessly changed the face of business and set a shining example for young women everywhere.

About C200
The Committee of 200 (C200) is a not-for-profit, invitation-only membership organization including more than 450 of the world's most successful female corporate executives and entrepreneurs. C200 member companies generate more than $1.4 trillion in annual revenues. By sharing their success, C200 members are supporting and advancing future generations of women leaders worldwide.

For more information about C200, the Luminary Awards and the C200 Conference, please contact: Lauren Banyar Reich ([email protected]).

SOURCE The Committee of 200