Anne Evans Estabrook, a legendary figure in the commercial real estate field, heads the list of honorees for the 2023 Director of the Year Awards by the New Jersey chapter of the National Association of Corporate Directors.
Evans Estabrook is one of three individuals who will be honored at the event, which recognizes directors of public, private and nonprofit boards who have made valuable contributions to the boards on which they serve and advanced exemplary board leadership. Two boards also will be recognized.
The awards will be presented at a formal ceremony May 8, 2023, at the Pleasantdale Château in West Orange.
Evans Estabrook is being honored in the Leadership in Nonprofit Governance category. Other honorees include:
- Lifetime Achievement in Governance: Fred Hassan
- Leadership in Public Corporate Governance: Tim Ring
- Private Company Board of the Year: Turtle & Hughes
- Public Company Board of the Year: AdvanSix
NACD Board Chair Trish Oelrich said the importance of these awards is greater than ever.
“It is a critical time in business and society, and corporate governance is playing an increasingly important role in guiding companies of all sizes to address key issues that have emerged in recent years,” she said “We look forward to honoring directors and leading organizations that continue to make significant contributions to the state of New Jersey and the business community.”
Here’s a greater look at each of the honorees:
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Fred Hassan. Lifetime Achievement in Governance: Hassan is an experienced CEO and director in the health care sector with a reputation of driving value. He is the former chairman and CEO of Schering-Plough Corp. and of Pharmacia Corp., until its acquisition by Pfizer Inc. Hassan is also the former CEO of Upjohn Inc., which merged with the Monsanto Corp. to become Pharmacia Corp. in 2000. He has served in board and advisory roles for private equity giant Warburg Pincus since 2009.
- Leadership in Nonprofit Governance: Evans Estabrook is regarded for her many contributions to the redevelopment of the state of New Jersey. Her nonprofit board leadership impact includes serving on the President’s Council of Kean University, on the board of fellows of Weill Cornell Medical College, as a trustee emeritus of Cornell University and as a vice chair of Rutgers Business School of Management. Evans Estabrook has served as the president of the New Jersey Chapter of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP) Research Foundation. She also was president of the New Jersey NAIOP Chapter and national chairman of NAIOP. In addition, she was a director of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority. She also chaired the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce.
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Tim Ring. Leadership in Public Corporate Governance: Ring was chairman and CEO at C.R. Bard Inc. from 2003-17. He led Bard during a period of significant expansion, with annual revenue growth of an average of 7.9%. During his tenure, Bard’s share price had an annual appreciation of 17.6%. The company was acquired by Becton Dickinson in December 2017. He has served on the board of three New Jersey-based companies and has been a director of Becton Dickinson since 2018 and a director of Quest Diagnostics Inc. since 2011, where he currently serves as lead director. He was also a director of CIT Group from 2005 to 2009.
- Private Company Board of the Year: Turtle & Hughes is a 100-year-old family-owned business and one of the nation’s largest independent electrical and industrial distributors serving the industrial, construction, commercial, electrical contracting, export and utility markets. It is a significant force in the engineering and procurement of power distribution, automation, lighting and energy projects and solutions that help customers reach their sustainability goals and create measurable impact for a greener world. For three of its four generations, Turtle & Hughes has been woman-owned and -led. Jayne Millard, executive chairman of the board, has served the company for over three decades and has grown Turtle & Hughes on an entrepreneurial platform first inspired by her great-grandfather 100 years ago. The independent board has achieved gender and diversity parity. The company has implemented best-in-class governance practices and is well-regarded by governance professionals. Turtle & Hughes is headquartered in Linden.
- Public Company Board of the Year: AdvanSix is an American chemistry company that plays a critical role in global supply chains, innovating and delivering essential products that touch people’s lives in a wide variety of end markets and applications, such as building and construction, fertilizers, agrochemicals, plastics, solvents, packaging, paints, coatings, adhesives and electronics. Its reliable and sustainable supply of quality products emerges from the vertically integrated value chain of the company’s U.S.-based manufacturing facilities. Led by CEO and President Erin Kane, AdvanSix strives to deliver best-in-class customer experiences and differentiated products in the industries of nylon solutions, chemical intermediates and plant nutrients. The company is headquartered in Parsippany.
