Diversity Best Practices and the Business Women's Network Announce the 2004 Diversity CEO Leadership Award Winners

Progressive Corporate Leaders to be Honored on October 26, 2004 at the Diversity and Women Leadership Summit & Gala in Washington, D.C.

    WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Diversity Best Practices (DBP) and the Business Women's Network (BWN) announced today ten CEO leaders to be recognized for outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion in driving positive corporate performance. The Diversity CEO Leadership Awardees will be honored at the 2004 Diversity and Women Summit and Gala, October 26th at Washington D.C.'s Marriott Wardman Park. Edie Fraser, President of DBP and BWN, announced the honorees. She stated, "The leaders recognized in this celebration live diversity. They are taking advantage of every opportunity to create a new business culture that is progressive and inclusive in addition to lucrative, as diversity has a bottom line. We commend these leaders."

    The 2004 Global Diversity Leadership Awardee: L'Oreal -- Chairman & CEO Lindsay Owen-Jones comments, "Our company culture fosters and values diversity. To a large extent, our strength is the diversity of our teams. People of all origins and cultures, different ages and levels of experience work together every day, stimulating innovation and fostering personal growth."

    The 2004 Diversity Leadership Awardees (United States): BMC Software, Inc. -- President & CEO Robert E. Beauchamp comments, "The enterprise software business is an intellectual capital business.  The software companies that are able to attract, retain, and develop, the best and
brightest people will succeed, while those that don't will quickly fall behind.  We believe an effective commitment to diversity is a powerful competitive advantage in the market for bright minds."

    Deloitte -- U.S. CEO James Quigley and U.S. Managing Partner Barry Salzberg share their commitment to diversity, "Diversity makes us strong competitors and it reflects the make up of our clients and their increasingly global mindset."

    Entergy Corporation -- CEO J. Wayne Leonard comments on what it means to be a diversity champion, "When I took the position of CEO, I did so only after the Board agreed that a company should have a soul and conscience that support its values.  We agreed our responsibilities included assisting the poor, protecting the environment and embracing diversity."

    General Mills, Inc. -- Chairman & CEO Steven W. Sanger suggests, "Our commitment to diversity ensures employees can reach their full potential, and drive innovation and creativity within the company.  General Mills wants to be the employer of choice for people of all backgrounds"

    Raytheon Company -- Chairman & CEO William H. Swanson remarks, "As CEO I intend to leave an enduring legacy of embracing diversity, of welcoming all people and valuing the different ways we look at a problem. Innovation is, and will be, the product of teamwork that encourages diversity of thought and opinion."

    Russell Corporation -- Chairman & CEO John F. (Jack) Ward explains, "Our focus on diversity is the right thing for us to do morally and ethically, but it is also the right thing to do for our business ... to be successful today, a company must understand diversity and capture the potential of all groups."

    Waste Management, Inc. -- Chairman A. Maurice Myers shared why diversity is personal to him, "As Chairman of Waste Management, I believe it is incumbent on me and our executive team to lead an organization with the highest morals, ethics and integrity.  This cannot be done if we exclude any individual capable of contributing to the success of the company."

    Xerox Corporation -- Chairman & CEO Anne M. Mulcahy remarks, "Xerox continues to build on its rich heritage as a champion for diversity that nurtures an inclusive, progressive workplace. Xerox people of all ages and from different backgrounds bring fresh perspectives and create innovative
solutions - a benefit for all of our stakeholders and a powerful asset in growing our business."

    The 2004 Diversity Leadership Team Awardees:
    Viacom, Inc. -- Co-President & Co-COO Thomas E. Freston and MTV Networks Executive Vice President of Diversity Rosalyn Taylor-O'Neale.  Freston states, "We work in the marketplace of ideas and a diverse work environment is key to attracting great creative people.  I believe diversity creates a virtuous cycle that allows us to hire the widest range of candidates because they want to work at a great company-that's a great competitive advantage."
    The Women and Diversity Leadership Summit & Gala is an annual celebration
hosted by Diversity Best Practices and the Business Women's Network.

    The Diversity Best Practices CEO Leadership Award Criteria:
    * Champion of diversity
    * Leader for diversity through corporate initiatives
    * Demonstrated vision for the future
    * Special recognition of the community and philanthropic and supplier
      diversity leadership with the following:

    -- Policy support and initiatives
    -- Ensuring top management support
    -- Board make-up and board support
    -- Chairing and/or supporting diversity councils
    -- Reviewing diversity reports on a periodic basis
    -- Supporting diversity goals
    -- Endorsing diversity within a bonus system
    -- Supporting supplier diversity goal attainment
    -- Supporting succession planning and championing
    -- Supporting mentoring, including top management participation
    -- Supporting employee networks or affinity groups
    -- Participating in diversity awards
    -- Giving diversity speeches, internally and externally
    -- Attending internal and external diversity events
    -- Being a philanthropic and community champion of diversity
    -- Working as a team with diversity management and chief diversity officer

    Diversity Best Practices (DBP) (http://www.diversitybestpractices.com) and The Business Women's Network (BWN) (http://www.bwni.com), are Washington, D.C.-based organizations providing resources, publications, and benchmarking services for diversity and women in business. DBP is a leading resource service that assists leaders and professionals in the development of fully
integrated diversity programs. BWN is an information network for professional women around the globe, from first-time entrepreneurs to board members of Fortune 500 companies. Both are subsidiaries of iVillage Inc. (Nasdaq: IVIL), a leading women's media company and the number women's community online. The iVillage Network is the 30th most visited Web site in the U.S. with more than 15 million unique monthly visitors (comScore Media Metrix, August 2004).

Source: Business Women's Network