The Executive Leadership Council and ExxonMobil Host 2012 Business Case Competition on Corporate Philanthropy

National Competition Awards Scholarships to MBA Students

ALEXANDRIA, Va., April 17, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- African-American MBA students from three of the nation's leading business schools will compete in the finals of The Executive Leadership Council's (ELC) 2012 Business Case Competition. The Competition invites MBA teams at select business schools to analyze compelling business issues that challenge their critical thinking, analytical, and communications skills.

The 2012 finalists include teams from The University of Houston's C. T. Bauer College of Business, Emory University's Goizueta Business School, and Carnegie Mellon's Tepper School of Business. The teams will present their cases to a panel of subject matter experts and executives at Exxon Mobil Corporation's Fairfax, Virginia campus on Friday, April 20, and will compete for first, second, and third place awards. The first place team will receive a $35,000 scholarship cash award and will be recognized during ELC's 2012 Annual Recognition Gala in October before an audience of more than 2,000 corporate, education and government leaders.   The second place team will receive a $20,000 scholarship cash award with the third place team receiving $15,000.

ELC's Business Case Competition challenges this year's teams to develop strategies for strengthening ties between the corporate social responsibility community and African-American non-profits during tough economic times. Specifically, the competition examines how corporations can expand their global philanthropy efforts, and at the same time, maintain their commitments to African-American non-profits and other community groups at sustained or higher levels. 

"The Executive Leadership Council is delighted to partner once again with ExxonMobil for this academic competition. We will call on some of the nation's best MBA students to tackle a compelling business issue that impacts our organization, corporate America and local communities," said Arnold Donald, ELC's president and CEO.  Donald added, " These teams will be challenged to develop cost-effective solutions for how companies retain or grow their current levels of corporate giving to African-American non-profits while meeting the global need."

The case, which is titled "Continuing the Corporate Citizenship Legacy: The Sustainability Challenge" was written by James R. Calvin, Ph.D., Associate Professor at the Carey Business School and Laurin Hodge, graduate student at the Carey Business School of Johns Hopkins University. This year's case study calls for teams to:

• Conduct an assessment of the state of corporate minority philanthropy and devise five-year and 10-year projections of how to best increase support so that it will grow to 15 percent of total philanthropic giving.
• Develop a business plan to help African-American and other minority non-profits strengthen relationships with corporate partners to secure corporate support.
• Develop a management plan for corporations to identify lapses in current philanthropic giving to minority non-profits and develop appropriate processes for intervention.  The plan should also include a clear model for succession to ensure there is a corporate leader in place to champion these collaborations.
• Devise a branding and media plan that both corporations and African-American and other minority charitable organizations can leverage to promote their partnerships.
• Develop a rationale for having African-American and other minorities lead corporate social responsibility programs.

"I want to congratulate ExxonMobil for sponsoring the Business Case Competition Finals, and I am excited to serve on the panel of judges.  I look forward to seeing how these MBA students will tackle this critical business issue" said Al Dotson, Chairman of 100 Black Men of America (100).  Dotson added, "As the leader of a international non-profit that serves the African-American community, specifically youth, I understand the importance of charitable giving.  Without the support of partners like ExxonMobil, organizations like 100, would not be able to provide essential services to underserved communities."     

ExxonMobil has a long history of supporting The ELC's mission to develop African-American corporate leaders, especially in the areas of math, science and technology.  For the past three years, ExxonMobil has sponsored the Business Case Competition on topics such as innovative STEM education for middle school students and devising an energy plan for the US by the year 2030.  

About The Executive Leadership Council
The Executive Leadership Council is an independent, non-profit 501(c)(6) corporation founded in 1986, comprised of current and former African-American CEOs and senior executives at Fortune 500 and equivalent companies. For more than 25 years, the ELC has worked to build an inclusive business leadership pipeline and to empower African-American corporate leaders to make significant and impactful contributions in the global marketplace and their communities. Our programs develop future business leaders, filling the pipeline from the classroom to the boardroom. It is the preeminent organization that recognizes the strengths, success, contributions, and impact of African-American corporate business leaders.

The ELC's related charitable organization, the Executive Leadership Foundation, focuses on improving local communities and helping disadvantaged groups within the broader society. The 501(c)(3) affiliate supports education programs and provides scholarships to deserving students interested in business and corporate careers. For more information about The Executive Leadership Council, please visit www.elcinfo.com.

About ExxonMobil
ExxonMobil, the largest publicly traded international oil and gas company, uses technology and innovation to help meet the world's growing energy needs. ExxonMobil holds an industry-leading inventory of resources, is the largest refiner and marketer of petroleum products, and its chemical company is one of the largest in the world. For more information, visit www.exxonmobil.com.

ExxonMobil engages in a range of philanthropic activities that advance education, health and science in the communities where ExxonMobil has significant operations. Globally, ExxonMobil provides funding to improve basic education, promote women as catalysts for development, and combat malaria and other infectious diseases in developing countries. 

In 2010, together with its employees and retirees, Exxon Mobil Corporation, its divisions and affiliates, and Exxon Mobil Foundation provided $237 million in contributions worldwide, of which $110 million was dedicated to education.  Additional information on ExxonMobil's community partnerships and contributions programs is available at www.exxonmobil.com/community.

SOURCE Executive Leadership Council