September 2012 Issue Of BLACK ENTERPRISE Magazine Features Latest List Of 100 Most Powerful Black Corporate Leaders

5 CEOs and 8 Division Chief Executives Highlight 2012 List

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Oct 04, 2012, 01:02 ET

NEW YORK, Oct. 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- As the country recovers from one of the greatest economic trials in history, BLACK ENTERPRISE reveals its latest list of the 100 Most Powerful Executives in Corporate America as featured in the publication's September 2012 cover story. The publications editorial team conducted six months of intensive research to identify dynamic, high-level professionals who are leading and re-engineering a vast array of businesses.

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The final tally includes eight CEOs, 5 division chief executives, and a host of top executives that significantly contribute to their company's revenues. Each executive holds a senior management position at one of the top 1,000 publicly traded companies or at an international corporation grossing revenues of $1 billion or more. Also in its September issue, Black Enterprise names Sam's Club President & CEO Rosalind G. Brewer its 2012 Executive of the Year.

Executives on the list were hosted by Black Enterprise at a special recognition at the New York Stock Exchange on the evening of Tuesday, October 2, presented by FedEx and NYSE Euronext. Remarks were delivered by Black Enterprise President & CEO Earl Graves Jr., FedEx Express Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer Cathy Ross and McDonald's Corp. President & CEO Don Thompson.

"When we published our first list of top black executives in 1988, we identified just 25 people, with no CEOs and no women on the list," Graves said. "Our current list of 100 men and women in executive leadership includes eight CEOs, and were culled from a pool of nearly 1,000 candidates. This is evidence of the undeniable progress, achievements and contributions of black executive talent to the global competitiveness of America's largest corporations."

The eight African American executives who currently hold the title of CEO: Ursula M. Burns, Chairman & CEO, Xerox Corp.; Kenneth I. Chenault, Chairman and CEO, American Express; Steven A. Davis, Chairman & CEO, Bob Evans Farms Inc.; Roger W. Ferguson Jr., President & CEO, TIAA-CREF; Kenneth C. Frazier, Chairman, President & CEO, Merck & Co. Inc.; Rodney O'Neal, CEO & President, Delphi Corp.; Clarence Otis Jr., Chairman & CEO, Darden Restaurants; and Don Thompson, President & CEO, McDonald's Corp.

Twenty companies have multiple executives on the list. American Express, Ford Motor Co., Merck & Co. Inc. and Pepsi Co. lead the way with four, followed by Walmart Stores Inc., FedEx Express and General Mills with three. The thirteen companies that boast two executives on the list are Xerox Corp., Bob Evans Farms Inc., Delphi Corp., McDonald's Corp., Sprint Nextel Corp., Entergy Corp., General Mills, Walgreens, Nationwide, UPS, Dupont, Pfizer, and Leggett & Platt.

"What makes this list so valuable is that we continue to see the emergence of African American senior managers who are literally rewriting the script of global business," says Black Enterprise Editorial Director Sonia Alleyne. "Their presence proves that diversity at the very top fuels innovation and performance that's vital for organizations to stay competitive in a rapidly changing environment."

The selection criteria and comprehensive profiles of the 100 Most Powerful Executives in Corporate America is available in the September 2012 issue of BLACK ENTERPRISE, on newsstands now.

BLACK ENTERPRISE is the premier business, investing, and wealth-building resource for African Americans. Since 1970, BE has provided essential business information and advice to professionals, corporate executives, entrepreneurs, and decision makers. Every month, BLACK ENTERPRISE magazine provides 4.1 million readers with information on entrepreneurship, careers, and financial management. A multimedia company, BE also produces television programming, business and lifestyle events, Web content, and digital media. BLACK ENTERPRISE is the definitive source of information for and about African American business markets and leaders, and the authority on black business news and trends.

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