Committed Leaders
The 2014 finalists for our annual CEO of the Year Awards and Lifetime Achievement Award.
CR Magazine recognizes CEOs from companies, NGOs, and governments who have put themselves at personal or professional risk to pursue corporate responsibilty efforts. Leadership with dedication to responsible decision-making can be difficult to manage, which is why these finalists deserve acknowledgement. Here is some insight into our roundup of finalists.
Douglas M. Baker, Jr.
Chairman Of The Board & Chief Executive Officer
Ecolab
Doug Baker, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Ecolab, has been with organization since 1989, holding a variety of key roles and leadership positions. In 2011, Baker led Ecolab’s merger with Nalco, an $8 billion transaction, which nearly doubled the size of the company. In 2013, he strengthened Ecolab’s energy services business through the $2.3 billion acquisition of Champion Technologies. In addition to being on the board for a variety of serviceable organizations, he is on the executive committee of the Greater MSP Partnership, a private-public partnership whose mission is to stimulate economic growth and prosperity in St. Paul, Minnesota and its vicinities.
John P. Bilbrey
President and CEO
The Hershey Company
J. P Bilbrey, president and chief executive officer for The Hershey Company, has more than 30 years of consumer packaged goods experience and has been instrumental in the growth of some of the world’s largest and best-known brands. Prior to his current position, Bilbrey was executive vice president and chief operating officer, where he was responsible for Hershey’s day-to-day operations and global commercial activities, leading the company’s supply chain as well as geographic regions. Bilbrey serves on the board of directors of McCormick & Company, The Hershey Company, and the Grocery Manufacturers Association.
David Cordani
President and Chief Executive Officer
Cigna Corporation
David Cordani, president and CEO of Cigna Corporate since 2009, leads Cigna’s more than 35,000 employees in improving the health and well- being of more than 80 million customer relationships. He is a prominent voice addressing key health challenges, such as empowering individuals to manage their own health, innovating new health delivery models focused on patients’ health improvements, and partnering with physicians to focus on wellness and improving clinical quality. He actively works with The American Cancer Society, March of Dimes, The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, ChildObesity180, and the Achilles International Freedom Team of Wounded Veterans.
Rob DeMartini
President and Chief Executive Officer
New Balance Athletic Shoe, Inc.
Rob DeMartini, president and CEO, was drawn to New Balance for its commitment to brand authenticity and responsible leadership. DeMartini achieved his first order of business in 2007 by guiding the company’s leadership team in the development of a responsible growth strategic plan. He is on the board of directors for a variety of organizations, including Welch’s Inc. and KaBOOM!, a national nonprofit organization that empowers communities to build playgrounds, and was awarded “Most Playful CEO” by Playworks, Inc. in 2011.
Robert C. Garrett
President and Chief Executive Officer
Hackensack University Health Network
Robert C. Garrett, president and CEO of Hackensack University Health network (HackensackUHN), joined HackensackUMC in 1981 and has since expanded Hackensack’s success through partnerships, expansions, acquisitions, and affiliations. Garrett leads HackensackUMC’s talented healthcare team for the nonprofit medical, academic, and research center with nearly 8,000 employees and more than 1,600 physicians. He has been recognized for his vision and leadership: He’s ranked on NJBIZ’s “Power 100: The most powerful people in New Jersey business” list and received a 2013 Outstanding Medical Executive Award.
William Graebel
Chief Executive Officer
Graebel Companies, Inc.
William Graebel, CEO of Graebel, has been a successful leader in the global mobility industry, leading Graebel to new partnerships, acquisitions, locations, and successful conferences over the years. His initiatives include being first to utilize iPad® technology to perform in-home move surveys and developing corporate social responsibility and eco-friendly practices that led to the registration of the ISO 14001 Environmental Management System (EMS) for Graebel Movers International and world headquarter Energy Star certification.
Michael W. Kempner
President & CEO
MWW
Michael Kempner, founder, president and CEO of MWW, is an authority on reputation management, crisis management, public affairs, business-to-business, consumer marketing, and corporate social responsibility, and has counseled some of the world’s most prominent executives and organizations. Kempner has been honored with several of the industry’s top recognitions, including “Executive of the Year” in 2013 by the International Business Awards and PR News CSR Awards 2012 “PR Professional of the Year.”
Larry J. Merlo
President and Chief Executive Officer
CVS Caremark
Larry Merlo is president and CEO of CVS Caremark, where under his leadership, CVS/ pharmacy has generated industry-leading sales and profit results through both organic growth and acquisitions, including the acquisition and integration of more than 500 Longs Drug stores, nearly 700 Osco/Sav-on locations, and more than 1,260 Eckerd stores. Those accomplishments are in addition to his efforts directing the company’s integration of 2,500 Revco drugstores in 1997, the largest- ever acquisition in the industry. Merlo has received numerous professional honors, including his past role as chairman of the board for the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS), where he still serves on the board’s executive committee. Merlo also serves on the University of Pittsburgh’s board of trustees.
Chad Rosenberg
CEO
American Global Logistics
Chad Rosenberg, CEO, founded Global Link Logistics in 1997 and, over the course of 10 years, was able to grow his company to a $200 million business. In 2009, he joined American Global Logistics as the president and CEO. Working with some of the most experienced professionals in the industry, Rosenberg has leveraged his experience and relationships to quickly transform AGL into one of the fastest-growing companies in Atlanta as recognized by the Atlanta Business Chronicle, and has also served as a regular panelist for logistics conferences.
Rakesh Sachdev
President and Chief Executive Officer
Sigma-Aldrich Corporation
Rakesh Sachdev, president and CEO of Sigma- Aldrich Corporation, has held a variety of positions ranging from executive positions in finance, strategy, and general management, to a research and teaching assistant at the University of Illinois-Urbana Graduate School of Engineering, to serving as a sales engineer at Larsen & Toubro Ltd. in Delhi, India. Sachdev is on the board of directors of Regal Beloit Corporation, Beloit, Wisc., the Saint Louis Zoo Association, and the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
J. Knox Singleton
CEO
Inova Health System
Under Knox Singleton’s leadership, Inova Health System has pursued its non-profit mission of providing world-class healthcare to all members of the Northern Virginia community, regardless of ability to pay. In addition to Inova’s significant growth and expansion that Singleton has contributed to, he is involved with a variety of community organizations that address issues such as affordable housing and human services.
Stuart Thorn
President and CEO
Southwire
Stuart Thorn is Southwire’s first and only non- family chief executive officer and a member of the board of directors. Thorn has developed and executed the short and long-term strategies that have earned Southwire the top market position against fierce competition. Achieving results that include a 300-percent revenue growth to $5.6 billion and pioneering new technologies that have shaped the wire industry, he has attained recognition in numerous publications. Thorn has previously been in executive positions of multi-national Fortune 500 companies, leading to a number of significant partnerships, acquisitions, and expansions.
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