NYSE Governance Services Announces 2016 Leadership Award Winners

NYSE Governance Services, a subsidiary of New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: ICE), today announced the winners and finalists of its 3rd annual Governance, Risk, and Compliance Leadership Awards. The awards program recognizes exemplary leaders in governance, risk and compliance.

“NYSE Governance Services would like to congratulate the individuals and organizations that have truly exemplified the highest standards of compliance, ethics and governance. Their dedication and noteworthy achievements truly set the bar for best practices and standards in corporate governance, which plays an integral role in a company’s success and long-term value to its shareholders,” said Adam Sodowick, President, NYSE Governance Services.

Eligible candidates included all publicly traded companies in the U.S., regardless of listed exchange. The award recipients were selected by an independent panel of judges, who bring a range of governance and compliance expertise to the program.

2016 Judges Panel:

• Luis Aguilar, Former Commissioner, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
• William Chandler III, Former Chancellor, Delaware Court of Chancery
• John Coates, Harvard Law School, Research Director of the Center on the Legal Profession & Professor of Law and Economics
• Veta Richardson, President and CEO, Association of Corporate Counsel
• F. Daniel Siciliano, Professor & Faculty Director, Arthur and Toni Rembe Rock Center for Corporate Governance at Stanford Law School
• Darla Stuckey, President and CEO, Society of Corporate Secretaries and Governance Professionals
• Gretchen Winter, Senior Director, Center for Professional Responsibility in Business and Society, College of Business, University of Illinois

Award winners and finalists were honored at the Governance, Risk & Compliance Leadership Awards on Wednesday, June 8, 2016 at Cipriani Wall Street. The awards were sponsored by Computershare | Georgeson, Diligent Corporation, FTI Consulting, Inc., JamesDruryPartners, and Semler Brossy.

2016 Finalists & Winners

Best Governance, Risk, and Compliance Program at Large-Cap Company

The winning company demonstrates how governance, risk, and compliance programs are ingrained in the culture of a large-cap company from the top down.

Best Governance, Risk, and Compliance Program at Small to Mid-Cap Company

The winning company demonstrates how governance, risk, and compliance programs are ingrained in the culture of a small to mid-cap company from the top down.

Best In-House Legal Team for Corporate Governance at a Large-Cap Company

This award seeks to recognize the legal team at a large-cap company, that has met legal, ethical, and compliance challenges with the utmost integrity and know-how.

Best In-House Legal Team for Corporate Governance at a Small to Mid-Cap Company

This award seeks to recognize the legal team at a small to mid-cap company, that has met legal, ethical, and compliance challenge with the utmost integrity and know-how.

Best Board Diversity Initiative

The company that is awarded in this category will have shown that its board represents a diverse breadth of experience, industry, age, ethnicity, and gender, and that such diversity is also represented and carried forth as a cultural imperative throughout the fabric of the organization.

Exemplary Compensation Discussion and Analysis (CD&A)

The winning company will have produced a superior CD&A that provides clear rationale for all pay decisions and persuades shareholders that the company has instituted a pay model that is properly aligned with strategic objectives.

Exemplary Shareholder Engagement

The winning company places a high value on shareholder relations by demonstrating a willingness to participate in meaningful, transparent dialogue with shareholders via accessible venues and channels. The efficacy of these endeavors will be reflected in a company that is able to successfully work through shareholder engagement challenges in a manner that satisfies all parties.

Non-Executive Chairman of the Year

This non-executive board chair has a passion for advancing principles of good governance throughout the organization, the ability to objectively solve the most difficult boardroom challenges, and the experience to offer independent, sound guidance when the company faces both hurdles and opportunities.

Distinguished General Counsel

General counsel eligible for this distinctive honor have accomplished notable and groundbreaking achievements as inside counsel for the company(ies) they have served during the last five years.

General Counsel Lifetime Achievement

General counsel eligible for this distinctive honor have accomplished notable achievements as inside counsel during the life of their career in a manner that without question, stands as a beacon for the legal profession.