The National Association of Corporate Directors New Jersey Chapter announced on Tuesday its 2020 Director of the Year honorees.
The event, NACD said, recognizes directors who have made valuable contributions to the boards they serve on. It will honor three individual board members and two boards. They include:
- Lifetime Achievement in Governance: William C. Weldon. He is the former chairman of the board and CEO of Johnson & Johnson. He currently serves on the boards of CVS Health Corp., Exxon Mobil Corp., HeartFlow Inc. and The Mountain Mission School; chairman of the board of trustees at Quinnipiac University; and a member of the Horatio Alger Association.
- Leadership in Public Corporate Governance: Patricia F. Russo. She is chairman of Hewlett Packard Enterprises. She currently serves on the board of General Motors, Merck and KKR, and recently left the board of Arconic after 10 years.
- Nonprofit Leadership Award: Douglas R. Conant. He is the founder and CEO of ConantLeadership and retired chairman of the board and former CEO of Campbell Soup Co. He currently serves as chairman of Chief Executives for Corporate Purpose, chairman of The Center for Higher Ambition Leadership and board director of the National Organization on Disability and the Partnership for Public Service.
- Private Company Board of the Year: NJM Insurance Group. The West Trenton-based property and casualty insurer was founded in 1913, employs nearly 2,500 and provides value-based insurance solutions to its policyholders.
- Public Company Board of the Year: PSEG. The diversified energy company was established in 1903 and is headquartered in Newark.
“Best-in-class governance is critical to the long-term growth and sustainability of our corporate community. New Jersey has a rich history of significant contributions to our nation and the world at large, from technology to life sciences and more, and we are very excited to celebrate these leaders in governance,” Thomas Fuller, CEO and president of NACD NJ, said.
The five awards will be presented at a formal ceremony on May 11 at the Pleasantdale Chateau in West Orange.
“This second annual event will bring the New Jersey corporate and civic communities together, across all sectors, showcasing a commitment to businesses and nonprofits thriving in the state and in neighboring communities. We’re proud to honor innovators who exemplify the leadership qualities of an excellent director and company board,” Trish Oelrich, event chair and NACD NJ board director, said.
Nominations for consideration were made by NACD NJ directors and reviewed by a committee of past Director of the Year honorees as well as leaders in governance. For more information, click here.
