Monday, December 10, 2007
NEW YORK, December 10, 2007 - Dr. Leslie Gaines-Ross, one of the world’s foremost experts on
corporate and CEO reputation and chief reputation strategist at global public relations firm Weber Shandwick, was named to
Ethisphere Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in Business Ethics for 2007.
This elite list from
Ethisphere Magazine, a global publication dedicated to illuminating the important correlation between ethics and profit, recognizes individuals for inspiring change in business ethics. A panelist of ethics experts from major universities submitted nominations and ranked individuals who influenced ethical behavior in global business. Research was done in cooperation with analysts from the Ethisphere Institute.
“It is a great honor to be named alongside individuals who help to advance the public discourse on business ethics,” said Gaines-Ross. “As the business landscape has rapidly changed, ethical leadership has risen to the top as one of the key drivers of admired reputation and performance. Our work at Weber Shandwick aims to keep this reputation-building factor top-of-mind in the global business community.”
Dr. Gaines-Ross’ work with top officers at
Fortune 500 companies
, as well as numerous speaking engagements before internal and external leadership groups, consistently emphasizes the CEO’s crucial role as the ultimate guardian of the company’s spoken and symbolic acts and decisions. Her influential research, thought leadership and insights into reputation, which are featured in
www.reputationRx.com,
www.reputationXchange.com and her two books
CEO Capital and the highly anticipated
Corporate Reputation: 12 Steps to Safeguarding and Recovering Reputation (John Wiley & Sons, January 2008), have
spread the importance of ethical leadership and its inextricable link to reputation and corporate performance to all corners of the globe.
Gaines-Ross is the architect of Weber Shandwick’s
Safeguarding Reputation™ with KRC Research that examines the full range of reputation issues. This landmark study revealed that over two-thirds of global
business executives identified unethical behavior as a leading trigger of reputation failure (68 percent), placing second only to financial irregularities (72 percent).
Weber Shandwick President Andy Polansky said, “We are thrilled to see Gaines-Ross’ leadership in this critical area recognized by such a prestigious organization. We are proud of the work she does for Weber Shandwick, the industry and our clients.”
About Weber ShandwickWeber Shandwick is a leading global public relations agency with offices in 77 markets around the world. The firm’s success is built on its deep commitment to client service, creativity, collaboration and harnessing the power of Advocates - engaging stakeholders in new and creative ways to build brands and reputation. Weber Shandwick provides strategy and execution across practices such as consumer marketing, healthcare, technology, public affairs, corporate/financial and crisis management. Its specialized services include digital/social media, advocacy advertising, market research, and corporate responsibility. Weber Shandwick was recognized as
PRWeek’s 2009 Global Agency Report Card Gold Medal Winner, named Global Agency of the Year by
The Holmes Report and Large PR Firm of the Year by
PR News in 2008. The firm also won the United Nations Grand Award for Outstanding Achievement in Public Relations for a lifestyles educational campaign in India. Weber Shandwick is part of the Interpublic Group (NYSE: IPG). For more information, visit
http://www.webershandwick.com.