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.
