WomenCorporateDirectors Announces Sempra Energy, Biogen Idec, L'Oreal, and Marilyn Carlson Nelson as 2015 Visionary Award Winners

NEW YORK, March 9, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Recognizing companies and CEOs who lead their industries in corporate governance practices, WomenCorporateDirectors (WCD) has named as its 2015 Visionary Award winners the top-performing utility company Sempra Energy; the global biotech firm Biogen Idec; Marilyn Carlson Nelson, former chairman and CEO of the global travel and hospitality company Carlson; and L'Oreal, the largest cosmetics company in the world.

"The Visionary Award winners raise the game for everyone in their commitment to set best practice in governance and inclusive leadership," said Visionary Awards co-chair Sherry Barrat. Co-chair Estelle Metayer said of the winners: "These are the real trailblazers who are setting new benchmarks for the rest of the world."

Since 2011, WCD has each year named top companies and CEOs as recipients of its Visionary Awards, including Procter & Gamble; Publicis; Intel; Coca-Cola; and CEOs Ellen Kullman, Beth Mooney, Marjorie Scardino, and Irene Rosenfeld, among others. WCD will present the 2015 Visionary Awards at the Visionary Awards Dinner on May 6, 2015, as part of its annual invitation-only WCD Global Institute (May 5-7) in New York City. As the top global organization for women on boards – rapidly expanding with 67 chapters to date worldwide – WCD has more than 3,500 members serving on 6,500+ boards.

2015 Visionary Award Winners

Sempra Energy – Award for Leadership and Governance of a Public Company
The San Diego-based Fortune 500 energy services holding company is led by Debra L. Reed, CEO and chairman of the board. Sempra Energy has been recognized for its commitment to good governance and diversity in and outside of the workplace by organizations such as the Human Rights Campaign, Corporate Equality Index, Diversity, Inc., and the New York Stock Exchange's recent Governance, Risk & Compliance Leadership Awards. The Sempra Energy companies' 17,000 employees serve more than 31 million consumers worldwide.

"Sempra Energy is honored to receive the WomenCorporateDirectors Visionary Award for Leadership and Governance of a Public Company," said Reed. "We take great pride in Sempra Energy's efforts involving diversity and inclusion. More than half of our board of directors and workforce at large are made up of women and minorities. The diversity of our company reflects the communities we serve."

Biogen Idec – Award for Innovation in Shared Value
Biogen Idec, based in Cambridge, MA, and Zug, Switzerland, has a workforce of 52% women, with women making up 41% of its management team. In January 2015, Biogen Idec was selected as the #1 most sustainable company in the world according to the Global 100 rankings.

"WCD's vision is ours," said George Scangos, CEO of Biogen Idec. "Like WCD, we won't settle for 18% representation of women on corporate boards, and Biogen takes our role in this effort seriously. We have launched our own 'Raising the Bar' initiative, which seeks to place our most senior women on the boards of other corporations. This is one way to show our commitment and appreciate firsthand the value of placing strategic, analytical and creative thinkers into board positions."

Marilyn Carlson Nelson – Award for Strategic Leadership
Marilyn Carlson Nelson, the former chairman and CEO of global travel and hospitality company Carlson, also served as a director of ExxonMobil. In 2013, at the White House, Carlson received the first-ever Presidential Award for Extraordinary Efforts to Combat Trafficking in Persons.

"Corporate directors play a critical role in assuring that business is well led, and a 'force for good,'" said Nelson. "Global corporate citizenship requires that we join forces with the public and civil sectors to address the grand challenges we are facing in today's world. We at Carlson have worked with the State Department, the U.N., and numerous NGOs to fight trafficking of children, and are proud to call ourselves 'twenty-first century abolitionists.'"

L'Oreal – Award for Leadership and Governance of a Private Company
Founded by a scientist more than 100 years ago, L'Oreal is the worldwide leader in beauty, and L'Oreal USA is the #1 beauty company in the U.S. Women manage nearly half of L'Oreal's global brands, and 70% of the company's global Research & Innovation workforce is women.

"For more than a century, L'Oreal has been guided by strong leaders, grounded in the values of ethics, fairness, and integrity," said Frederic Roze, President and CEO of L'Oreal USA. "We're proud of this recognition as a responsible corporate leader, as it reinforces L'Oreal's commitment to making positive contributions to both employees and consumers around the world."

WCD's invitation-only Global Institute is the setting for the annual Visionary Awards Dinner, which sells out each year. The Institute has become one of the most sought-after events for women corporate directors globally, attracting 300 board members, many of whom are also CEOs, from countries around the world.

2015 WCD Visionary Awards Selection Committee
Committee Co-Chairs

• Sherry Barrat, Retired Vice Chairman, Northern Trust; Corporate Director, Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., NextEra Energy, Inc., Prudential Insurance Funds
• Estelle Metayer, President, Competia; Director, Ubisoft Entertainment SA, and Director, BRP (Bombardier Recreational Products) Inc.

Committee Members

• Yolanda Auza – General Manager, UNISYS Latinoamerica Central South Andean; Director, Unisys de Venezuela, CEA, CEJ
• Anne Berner – CEO of Vallila Interior; Director, Koskisen Oy, Kahrs PLC 
• Phyllis Campbell – Chairman Pacific Northwest, JPMorgan Chase & Co.; Lead Director, Alaska Air Group; Director, Nordstrom
• Marty Evans – Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy (Ret.); Director, Weight Watchers International, Inc., and The North Highland Company
• Carmen "Toti" Graham – Independent Advisor, Director, Fundacion Backus, Ferreyros S.A.A., Interbank
• Christie Hefner – Executive Chairman, Canyon Ranch Enterprises; Director, Luminary Digital Media, LLC, and Center for American Progress Action Fund
• Mel Lagomasino – CEO and Managing Partner, WE Family Offices; Director, Avon Products, Inc., and The Coca-Cola Company; Trustee, National Geographic Society 
• Jill Kanin-Lovers – Director, Dot Foods, Heidrick & Struggles, and Homeownership Preservation Foundation
• Pat McKay – Partner, Templeton & Co; Director, Holy Cross Hospital; Vice Chair and CFO, WomenCorporateDirectors
• Kalpana Raina – Managing Partner, 252 Solutions LLC; Director, RealNetworks, Inc., John Wiley & Sons, Information Services Group, and The World Policy Institute
• Susan Remmer Ryzewic – President & CEO EHR Investments; Director, Endless Pools Inc., and William Smith Enterprises, Inc. 
• Barbara Reno – Director, Stewart Investments and Columbia University of Belgium
• Susan Stautberg – Co-Founder, Co-Chair, and CEO of WomenCorporateDirectors and President of PartnerCom Corporation
• Deborah Wince-Smith – President & CEO, Council on Competitiveness; Director, Smithsonian National Board, U.S. Naval Academy Foundation Board, NanoMech, Inc., Aerolase, Global Science & Technology in Society Forum Council; Qatar Foundation's R&D Advisory Board

For more information about the 2015 WCD Visionary Awards, please contact Suzanne Brownstein or Trang Mar of Temin and Company at 212-588-8788 or [email protected]. 

About WomenCorporateDirectors (WCD)
WomenCorporateDirectors (WCD) is the only global membership organization and community of women corporate directors. The aggregate market capitalization of public companies on whose boards WCD members serve is $8 trillion – if WCD were a country, its economy would be the world's third largest, behind only the U.S. and China. In addition, WCD members serve on numerous boards of large private companies globally.

WCD membership provides a unique platform for learning from the intellectual capital of accomplished women from around the world, and WCD's mission is to increase courage, candor, inclusion, and cohesion in the boardroom. KPMG is a Global Lead Sponsor of WCD. Spencer Stuart is a Premier Global Partner, and WCD Strategic Partners include Marriott International, Marsh & McLennan Companies, and Pearl Meyer & Partners; WCD Alliance Partners include International Finance Corporation (IFC), JPMorgan Chase, and Northern Trust.

WCD has 67 global chapters, located in Arizona, Atlanta, Beijing, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Chile, Cleveland, Colombia, Columbus, Dallas/Fort Worth, Delhi, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greater Colorado, Greater New Mexico, Guatemala, Gulf Cooperation Council, Hanoi, Hawaii, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Houston, Iceland, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Kansas City, Kenya, London, Los Angeles/Orange County, Malaysia, Melbourne, Mexico, Milan, Minnesota, Morocco, Mumbai, Netherlands, New York, New Zealand, Nigeria, Northern California, North Florida/South Georgia, Panama, Peru, Philadelphia, Philippines, Quebec, Rio de Janeiro, Rome, San Diego, Sao Paulo, Seattle, Shanghai, Singapore, South Africa, South Florida, Switzerland, Sydney, Tennessee, Toronto, Turkey, Washington, D.C, and Western Canada. Upcoming chapters include Argentina, Brussels, Egypt, Greece, Mongolia, Poland, Puerto Rico, South Korea, Spain, Tampa, and Thailand. For more information, visit www.womencorporatedirectors.com.

SOURCE WomenCorporateDirectors

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