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Catalyst Honors Goldman Sachs, PepsiCo, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Scotiabank with 2007 Catalyst Award Recognizing Innovative Initiatives that Advance Women and Business



    Celebrating its 20th anniversary recognizing corporate initiatives
    that advance women and business, Catalyst presented the 2007 Catalyst
    Award to The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., PepsiCo, Inc.,
    PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, and Scotiabank at its annual gala dinner
    this evening. Close to 70 CEOs of major organizations and firms
    attended the event that drew over 1600 senior executives, top
    corporate officers, and industry leaders from nearly 200 national and
    global companies.

    "The 2007 Catalyst award-winning initiatives recognize that
    advancing women and diversity are strategic business imperatives,"
    said Ilene H. Lang, President of Catalyst. "When we look ahead to the
    future, we foresee a world where business leaders will hardly recall
    what it was like to work in a world without women's business
    leadership. The groundbreaking initiatives which the Catalyst Award
    honors today will be commonplace and the business case for women in
    leadership will quite simply go without saying."

    Tony Comper, immediate past President and CEO of BMO Financial
    Group, chaired the annual Catalyst Awards Dinner at the
    Waldorf=Astoria honoring this year's Award winners. Under Mr. Comper's
    leadership, BMO's Workplace Equality Initiative won the 1994 Catalyst
    Award.

    "The advancement of women in the workforce over the past 20 years
    has been phenomenal in the truest sense of the word," Mr. Comper said.
    "But not phenomenal enough. It is imperative that we not let this
    revolution get stalled."

    Against a backdrop in which, according to the latest Catalyst
    research, women are still vastly underrepresented in senior leadership
    positions and on the boards of the Fortune 500 companies, this year's
    winning initiatives exemplify the Catalyst mission - to build
    inclusive environments and expand opportunities for women at work.

    Goldman Sach's Senior Women's Initiative significantly increased
    the number of women managing directors and doubled the number of women
    partners. Lloyd Blankfein, Chairman and CEO of The Goldman Sachs
    Group, Inc., said, "Goldman Sachs is honored to receive the Catalyst
    Award in recognition of our Senior Women's Initiative. This program
    has been central to our efforts to increase the number of senior women
    at the firm. We believe that to continue to provide our clients with
    the best, most creative ideas and solutions, Goldman Sachs must
    reflect a diverse workforce and the different cultures and
    perspectives that infuse the global economy."

    PepsiCo's Women of Color Multicultural Alliance resulted in
    increasing the representation of women of color at the senior
    management/director level. Indra Nooyi, Chairman Elect and CEO of
    PepsiCo, Inc., said, "We're proud and honored to receive the
    recognition symbolized by the Catalyst Award, and we're equally proud
    of our people who have worked tirelessly to create an environment at
    PepsiCo that fosters diversity, inclusion and, most importantly,
    innovation. This environment lets our people feel empowered to bring
    every part of themselves - their education, their culture, their
    family values - everything - to PepsiCo. And for our women of color,
    it creates an environment of trust, which in my opinion is the
    greatest success of the Alliance."

    PwC's Unique People Experience increased women's representation at
    the partner level by 30 percent, and turnover for all staff has been
    reduced by one-third. Dennis Nally, U.S. Chairman and Senior Partner
    of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, remarked, "Winning the Catalyst Award
    is gratifying to me and a significant milestone for our firm. We are
    very proud that our initiatives have been recognized by Catalyst.
    Historically we believed that 'equality' meant treating everyone the
    same. But now we recognize that it actually requires treating
    different people differently, and that is the underpinning of PwC's
    Unique People Experience."

    Scotiabank's Advancement of Women Initiative significantly
    increased the number of women working at senior levels within the
    Bank. Richard E. Waugh, President and CEO of Scotiabank, commented,
    "Scotiabank's Advancement of Women Initiative is not just about women;
    it's about removing barriers for all of our employees, and providing
    them with tools and opportunities to grow and succeed for themselves,
    for their customers, and for Scotiabank. I'm proud of the results
    we've achieved and look forward to more progress in the years ahead."

    During the Catalyst Awards Conference held earlier in the day at
    the Grand Hyatt, the companies recognized for their award-winning
    initiatives held in-depth sessions presenting their initiatives. Karen
    Katen, Vice Chairman of Pfizer Inc., delivered the luncheon keynote
    address, "One Woman's Journey to the Top", after which conference
    attendees engaged in a series of panel discussions with some of the
    country's leading experts on critical issues of inclusion and
    advancement of women in the 21st-century workplace, including Global
    Women's Networks, Building the Agile Workplace, Women of Color Working
    in Global Organizations and Leveraging Diversity through Performance
    Management.

    The Catalyst Awards Dinner is sponsored by Shell Oil Company. The
    Catalyst Awards Conference is sponsored by General Motors Corporation
    and Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

    For complete descriptions of this year's Catalyst Award-winning
    initiatives, the Catalyst Awards Conference, and previous Award
    winners, please visit: www.catalyst.org.

    About Catalyst

    Catalyst is the leading research and advisory organization working
    with businesses and the professions to build inclusive environments
    and expand opportunities for women at work. As an independent,
    nonprofit membership organization, Catalyst conducts research on all
    aspects of women's career advancement and provides strategic and
    web-based consulting services globally. With the support and
    confidence of member corporations and firms, Catalyst remains
    connected to business and its changing needs. In addition, Catalyst
    honors exemplary business initiatives that promote women's leadership
    with the annual Catalyst Award. With offices in New York, San Jose,
    Zug, and Toronto, Catalyst is consistently ranked No. 1 among U.S.
    nonprofits focused on women's issues by The American Institute of
    Philanthropy.

    About the Catalyst Award

    The Catalyst Award is presented annually to companies and firms
    with outstanding initiatives that result in women's career development
    and advancement. Catalyst's rigorous, year-long examination of
    initiatives and their measurable results culminates in intensive,
    on-site reviews at finalist companies. The Catalyst Award provides the
    business community with replicable change models that are good for
    business and good for women. For more information about Catalyst and
    the Catalyst Award application process, please visit www.catalyst.org.

    About The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.

    Goldman Sachs is a leading global investment banking, securities,
    and investment management firm that provides a wide range of
    investing, advisory, and financing services to a diversified client
    base that includes corporations, financial institutions, governments,
    and high net worth individuals. Originally organized as a partnership,
    today Goldman Sachs is a public company with over 23,000 employees
    around the world that promotes a distinctive corporate culture,
    placing our clients' interests first and emphasizing integrity,
    commitment to excellence, innovation, and teamwork.

    About PepsiCo, Inc.

    PepsiCo is one of the world's largest food and beverage companies
    with annual revenues of more than $35 billion. Its principal
    businesses include Frito-Lay snacks, Pepsi-Cola beverages, Gatorade
    sports drinks, Tropicana juices and Quaker foods. Its portfolio
    includes 17 brands that generate $1 billion or more each in annual
    retail sales.

    About PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

    PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP is the U.S. member firm of
    PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited. PricewaterhouseCoopers
    (www.pwc.com) provides industry-focused assurance, tax and advisory
    services to build public trust and enhance value for its clients and
    their stakeholders. More than 140,000 people in 149 countries across
    our network share their thinking, experience and solutions to develop
    fresh perspectives and practical advice.

    About Scotiabank

    Scotiabank is one of North America's premier financial
    institutions and Canada's most international bank. With close to
    57,000 employees, Scotiabank Group and its affiliates serve
    approximately 12 million customers in some 50 countries around the
    world. Scotiabank offers a diverse range of products and services
    including personal, commercial, corporate, and investment banking.
    With C$379 billion in assets (as at October 31, 2006), Scotiabank
    trades on the Toronto (BNS) and New York Exchanges (BNS). For more
    information please visit www.scotiabank.com.