Outstanding Directors

The ODX Outstanding Directors Program honors independent directors of public companies who have been recognized by their peers for making a courageous or valuable contribution to the companies on whose boards they serve. Since its inception in 1998 the program has honored more than 80 corporate directors of American public companies. It operates under the rubric of The Outstanding Directors Exchange - the umbrella organization for the Outstanding Directors Awards and the ODX programs in corporate governance. Its mission is to support the educational needs of today's corporate board members.

Outstanding Director selections are made by the Outstanding Directors editorial board, under the guidance of the Outstanding Directors Advisory Board – a group of 25 sitting independent corporate directors and CEOs from a cross section of American industry. Outstanding Director candidates are nominated and seconded by fellow board members. To qualify they must have consistently made strong contributions to a corporate board or have been a key player during important periods in a company's growth or transition.

Robert D. Beyer
CEO, TCW Group
Public directorships: Allstate, Kroger
Click here for Robert's story

August A. Busch III
Retired Chairman/CEO, Anheuser-Busch
Public directorships: Anheuser-Busch, Emerson Electric, AT&T
Click here for August's story

Stephen E. Frank
Retired Chairman/CEO, Southern California Edison
Public directorships: Northrop Grumman, Puget Energy, Washington Mutual
Click here for Stephen's story

Steven F. Goldstone
Retired Chairman/CEO, RJR Nabisco
Public directorships: American Standard, ConAgra Foods, Greenhill & Co., Merck (effective April 2008)
Click here for Steven's story

Harvey Golub
Retired Chairman/CEO, American Express
Public directorships: Campbell Soup, Dow Jones (1997 - 2007)
Click here for Harvey's story

Judith R. Haberkorn
Retired President- Consumer Sales, Verizon Communications
Public directorships: Armstrong World Industries, Computer Sciences Corporation, ExpressJet Holdings
Click here for Judith's story

William R. Holland
Retired Chairman/CEO, United Dominion Industries
Public directorships: Enpro Industries, Goodrich, Lance
Click here for William's story

Elizabeth Kennan
President Emeritus, Mount Holyoke College
Public directorship: Northeast Utilities
Click here for Elizabeth's story

Charles R. Lee
Retired Chairman/CEO, Verizon
Public directorships: DIRECTV, Marathon Oil, Proctor & Gamble, United Technologies, US Steel
Click here for Charles's story

Douglas H. McCorkindale
Retired Chairman/CEO, Gannett
Public directorships: Continental Airlines, Lockheed Martin, Prudential Mutual Funds
Click here for Douglas's story

Bernard G. Rethore
Retired CEO/Chairman Emeritus, Flowserve
Public directorships: Belden, Dover, Mueller Water Products, Walter Industries, Maytag (1994-2006)
Click here for Bernard's story

Has consistently made strong contributions to corporate boards
Has been a key player during important periods in a company's growth or transition
Has a deep interest in the company's business and demonstrates business savvy
Devotes time to the job, both inside and outside the boardroom
Is compatible but forthright; speaks up to challenge management's assumptions.
Demonstrates judgment and discretion that the CEO trusts and respects
Is admired by fellow directors for courage, integrity and consensus building skills
Is clearly aligned with interest of shareholders.

Nominated by members of the Outstanding Directors Advisory Board, subscribers to Agenda and Base and Bonus, participants and friends of ODX and experts in corporate governance.
Seconded by a fellow independent board member
Vetted through a series of objective screens including general business, regulatory and governance data bases and targeting attendance records, evidence of interlocking board service, conflicts of interest, poor relative stock performance or high relative CEO compensation.
Vetted by members of the Outstanding Directors Advisory Board
Selected by the Outstanding Directors Editorial Board

Each year the Outstanding Directors editorial board selects an Advisory Board of sitting corporate directors and CEOs. Its role is to help guide the Outstanding Directors selection process. The board includes past winners of the Outstanding Directors award along with a group of corporate directors who are handpicked for the breadth and depth of their boardroom experience.

The Outstanding Directors Advisory Board for the Class of 2008 included:

W. Steve Albrecht, PhD, CPA, CFE, CIA
Associate Dean, Marriott School of Management, Brigham Young University
Public directorships: Red Hat, SunPower, Cypress Semiconductor, ICON Health, Skywest

Worley H. Clark
Retired Chairman/CEO, Nalco Chemical
Public directorship: Lyondell Chemical

Cynthia R. Cohen
President, Strategic Mindshare
Public directorships: bebe Stores, Hot Topic, Equity One, Steiner Leisure

E. Gail de Planque, PhD
President, Strategy Matters, Inc.
Public directorships: BHP Bilton Limited and PLC, Energy Solutions, Inc., Landauer, Northeast Utilities

Marsha J. Evans
Former President/CEO, American Red Cross; Retired Admiral US Navy
Public directorships: Huntsman, Lehman Brothers Holdings, Office Depot, Weight Watchers International

Brenda Gaines
Retired President/CEO, Diners Club of America
Public directorships: Office Depot, Fannie Mae, Tenet Healthcare, Nicor

R. Trent Gazzaway
Managing Partner of Corporate Governance, Grant Thornton

Michael Goldstein
Former Chairman/CEO, Toys "R" Us; Chairman, 92nd Street Y
Public directorships: Martha Stewart Living; Omnimedia, Medco Health Solutions, Pacific Sunwear of California, United Retail Group, 4Kids Entertainment, Bear Sterns

Laban Jackson
Chairman/CEO, Clear Creek Properties
Public directorships: Home Depot, JP MorganChase, SIRVA

James R. Jones
Co-Chairman/CEO, Manatt Jones Global Strategies; Senior Counsel, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips
Public directorships: Anheuser-Busch, Grupo Modelo, Kansas City Southern, SANLUIS Corporacion

David Baker Lewis
Chairman/CEO Lewis & Mundey
Public directorships: H&R Block, Kroger

Charles M. Lillis
Co-Founder/Principal, LoneTree Capital Management; Former CEO, Media One
Public directorships: Medco Health Solutions, SuperValu, Washington Mutual, Williams Companies

William R. Loomis, Jr.
Loomis Investments LLC; Former CEO, Lazard LLC
Public directorships: Limited Brands

Vilma S. Martinez
Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP
Public directorships: Anheuser-Busch, Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corporation, Fluor

John B. McCoy
Retired Chairman/CEO, Bank One Corporation
Public directorships: AT&T, Cardinal Health, ChoicePoint, Onex Corp.

Thomas J. Neff
Chairman U.S., Spencer Stuart
Public directorships: ACE Ltd., Hewitt Associates

Philip A. Odeen
Non-Executive Chairman Avaya
Public directorships: Avaya, Convergys, Northrop Grumman, AES, QinetiQ, LMI Corporation

Michael Patsalos-Fox
Chairman of the Americas, McKinsey & Co.

Laree E. Perez
Managing Partner, The Medallion Company
Public directorships: Reliant Energy, Martin Marietta Materials

Thomas Plaskett
Chairman, Fox Run Capital Associates
Public directorships: Alcon, Novell, Radio Shack

W. Ann Reynolds, Ph.D.
Retired President, University of Alabama, Birmingham
Public directorships: Abbott Laboratories, Humana, Invitrogen, Owens Corning

G. Craig Sullivan
Retired Chairman/CEO, Clorox
Public directorships: Goodyear Tire, Kimberly-Clark, Mattel

Karl von der Heyden
Retired Vice Chairman/CFO, PepsiCo
Public directorships: Dreamworks Animation, Macy's, NYSE Euronext

Chuck Williamson
Former Chairman/CEO, Unocal
Public directorships: PACCAR, Weyerhaeuser, Talisman Energy

ACE Bermuda
Grant Thornton
McKinsey & Company
Paul Hastings
Spencer Stuart

Class of 2007
George (Skip) Battle
Lawrence A. Bossidy
John R. Hall
Judith Richards Hope
Valerie Jarrett
Edward A. Kangas
David T. Kollat
John A. (Jack) Krol
William T. Monahan
Michael T. Tokarz

Class of 2006
Jacqueline K. Barton
Worley H. Clark, Jr.
Charles M. Lillis
William R. Loomis, Jr.
Robert W. Matschullat
Mackey J. McDonald
Louis Simpson
Harold 'Hap' A. Wagner

Class of 2005
William Bradley
Jill Ker Conway
Enrique Hernandez, Jr.
Norman S. Matthews
Joseph Neubauer
Andrall E. Pearson
John J. Phelan, Jr.
Walter Scott, Jr.
A.Thomas Young

Class of 2004
Teresa Beck
Peter C. Browning
John L. Clendenin
James F. Hardymon
Frank C. Herringer
Andrew J. McKenna
Sandra O. Moose
Josh S. Weston

Class of 2003
Barbara T. Alexander
Norman R. Augustine
William G. Bowen
Michael S. Brown
Barbara Hackman Franklin
Robert J. Jenkins
Claudine B. Malone

Class of 2002
Reginald K. Brack
J. Michael Cook
Scott Cook
John C. Danforth
Michael A. Miles
Allen Murray
William D. Ruckelshaus
Raymond S. Troubh
Martin D. Walker

Class of 2001
Robert Campbell
Jack Creighton
Richard W. Hanselman
Paul Hazen
W. R. Howell
Ann McLaughlin Korologos
Kenneth G. Langone
Richard D. Parsons
Rozanne Ridgway
Arnold Weber

Class of 2000
Edward A. Brennan
Martin Feldstein
Stanley Gault
Ralph Gomory
Gordon Gund
Helene Kaplan
Lynn Martin
Michael Rose
Franklin Thomas
A.Kenneth West

Class of 1999
Michael J. Boskin
Donald J. Carty
Carl Hahn
Carla A. Hills
Donald S. Perkins
C.William Pollard
Arthur Rock
Henry B. Schacht
Harold T. Shapiro
Patricia Stonesifer

Class of 1998
Silas S. Cathcart
Hanna H. Fray
Gerald Grinstein
Roderick M. Hills
Ellen R. Marram
David T. McLaughlin
Paul H. O'Neill
John M. Richman
Benjamin M. Rosen
Patrick G. Ryan