Menu

How the Initial Selection Process Works

Since its inception in 1986, the CEO of the Year Nominations for CEO of the Year are garnered from their executive peers. Nominations for the CEO of the Year must be made by another CEO, Chairman or President, and are accepted throughout the year. CEOs must be in their position for a minimum of 5 years to qualify. There is no charge for nominations or participation in any way.

We alert the CEO community to the call for nominations in Chief Executive magazine and in our eNewsletter, CEO Briefing. The 10 most-frequently nominated CEOs are contacted by our editorial team and asked to provide detailed information on company performance and the CEO’s role. Detailed dossiers, including financial metrics, are prepared on the candidates and provided to the members of the Judging Committee.

Finalists

The 10 most frequently nominated persons are considered finalists. Each finalist is asked to agree to two very modest conditions before he or she can be considered an active finalist. Each must agree, if selected by his or her peers, to receive the award in person at a date and time mutually convenient with the outgoing CEO of the Year. Secondly, he or she must agree to be interviewed for a cover feature in Chief Executive magazine.

The names of active finalists, together with background data on each, are submitted to the selection committee made up of present and sometimes former CEOs. (Each year’s committee members are featured in the announcement article.) Early in the calendar year the selection committee meets in person to discuss the criteria to be applied and makes its ultimate selection.

Chief Executive has no vote in the outcome and accepts the decision of the judges as final. Some time over the summer, Chief Executive hosts a gala celebratory dinner for the incoming Chief Executive of the Year where the outgoing honoree delivers an accolade on behalf of the CEOs who made the selection. In the early years this was traditionally held at the Metropolitan Club. In more recent years, this has been held at the NYSE.

2017 Selection Committee

Judging and selection of a winner is done by a Judging Committee of distinguished peer CEOs in a meeting held in March at the New York Stock Exchange. The 2017 committee consists of:

Ted Bililies, Ph.D., Managing Director and Chief Talent Officer, AlixPartners, exclusive advisor to the 2017 Selection Committee

Randall Stephenson, Chairman and CEO, AT&T, 2016 Chief Executive of the Year
Cathy Engelbert (CEO, Deloitte LLC)
Dan Glaser (President and CEO, Marsh & McLennan)
Fred Hassan (Managing Director, Warburg Pincus)
Tamara Lundgren (President and CEO, Schnitzer Steel)
Bob Nardelli (CEO, XLR-8)
William R. Nuti (Chairman and CEO, NCR)
Thomas J. Quinlan III (Chairman and CEO, LSC Communications)
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld (President and CEO, The Yale Chief Executive Leadership Institute)
Mark Weinberger (Chairman and CEO, EY)
Maggie Wilderotter (CEO, Grand Reserve Inns)

Criteria for Evaluating a Chief Executive of the Year

Each year’s selection committee agrees upon the criteria to be used in evaluating finalists. Since 1993, most of the following 11 elements have been used, recognizing that, from year-to-year, committees have emphasized some criteria more than others in reaching their final decision.

Courage
Leadership
Vision
Demonstrable impact on company, industry and business in general
Degree of difficulty
Sustained performance
Employee engagement, leadership development and internal people processes
External benchmarks: Customer value and shareholder value created
Innovativeness
Moral dimension, personal character (Is there a coherent “higher” purpose?)
CEO respect/beacon of excellence/reputation
Print Article

• [email protected]
• 203-930-2706

0

Strategic Planning Workshop

1:00 - 5:00 pm

Over 70% of Executives Surveyed Agree: Many Strategic Planning Efforts Lack Systematic Approach Tips for Enhancing Your Strategic Planning Process

Executives expressed frustration with their current strategic planning process. Issues include:

1. Lack of systematic approach (70%)
2. Laundry lists without prioritization (68%)
3. Decisions based on personalities rather than facts and information (65%)

 

Steve Rutan and Denise Harrison have put together an afternoon workshop that will provide the tools you need to address these concerns.  They have worked with hundreds of executives to develop a systematic approach that will enable your team to make better decisions during strategic planning.  Steve and Denise will walk you through exercises for prioritizing your lists and steps that will reset and reinvigorate your process.  This will be a hands-on workshop that will enable you to think about your business as you use the tools that are being presented.  If you are ready for a Strategic Planning tune-up, select this workshop in your registration form.  The additional fee of $695 will be added to your total.

To sign up, select this option in your registration form. Additional fee of $695 will be added to your total.

Women in Leadership Seminar and Peer Discussion

2:00 - 5:00 pm

Female leaders face the same issues all leaders do, but they often face additional challenges too. In this peer session, we will facilitate a discussion of best practices and how to overcome common barriers to help women leaders be more effective within and outside their organizations. 

Limited space available.

To sign up, select this option in your registration form. Additional fee of $495 will be added to your total.

Golf Outing

10:30 - 5:00 pm
General’s Retreat at Hermitage Golf Course
Sponsored by UBS

General’s Retreat, built in 1986 with architect Gary Roger Baird, has been voted the “Best Golf Course in Nashville” and is a “must play” when visiting the Nashville, Tennessee area. With the beautiful setting along the Cumberland River, golfers of all capabilities will thoroughly enjoy the golf, scenery and hospitality.

The golf outing fee includes transportation to and from the hotel, greens/cart fees, use of practice facilities, and boxed lunch. The bus will leave the hotel at 10:30 am for a noon shotgun start and return to the hotel after the cocktail reception following the completion of the round.

To sign up, select this option in your registration form. Additional fee of $295 will be added to your total.