2008 Private Company Director of the Year Award Winners: David Phillips
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A Man of the People
David Phillips
The National Association of Corporate Directors is pleased to award the title of 2008 Private Company Director of the Year to David Phillips, in recognition of his many contributions to the field of corporate governance. A dedicated leader and humanitarian, he is known among his colleagues as a guardian of the greater good, whether for his local community or the many shareholders he is responsible to.
Before co-founding his own company and becoming a director to a host of other corporate boards, Mr. Phillips had a distinguished 32-year career with Arthur Andersen international accounting firm. At Andersen, he rose through the ranks to eventually hold numerous top leadership positions.
After retiring from Andersen in 1994, Mr. Phillips became the first CEO of Downtown Cincinnati Inc., an organization focusing on the economic revitalization of downtown Cincinnati . Motivated to impact the Cincinnati region, in 1996 Mr. Phillips and his wife Liane founded Cincinnati Works Inc., with a similar mission of aiming to reduce poverty in their hometown.
In the words of longtime friend and colleague, Frank J. Albi, president and CEO of Business Information Solutions, Inc., "Dave's business relationship with Cincinnati Works is emblematic of his elevated ethical standards."
Mr. Phillips uses his many years of business experience to constantly renew the standards and objectives of the board. Mr. Phillips is an adamant promoter of responsible executive compensation, and works as a $1-a-year employee under Cincinnati Works. Recognizing that organizations often struggle after the departure of their founders, he also makes it a priority to implement a strong leadership succession plan. As new management hires have been brought into the organization, Mr. Phillips has humbly relinquished responsibilities to them.
His expertise in corporate governance comes partially from his belief in empirical data as a source of benchmarking. At Cincinnati Works, this has translated into evaluating the company's benchmarking initiatives using various internal and external practices.
"To Dave 'success' is a journey, not a destination," explains Mr. Albi.
This journey includes being an active director and board member at Midmark Corporation for the last ten years, where he has served on the Audit Committee, the Compensation Committee, and the Strategic Oversight Committee. His ability to hold strong, independent thought has made him both "a great team player" but "not overbearing in any way," according to Midmark Corporation Chairman James A. Eiting. He has been instrumental in designing the Audit Committee Charter, defining meeting agendas, and providing input on the requirements demanded by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.
His boardroom leadership is visible in the nine private companies, three public companies, and numerous non-profits where he currently holds director positions. From the United Way Foundation to the Good Samaritan Hospital Foundation, he uses his strong networking skills and reputation of integrity to pioneer fundraising initiatives and push for the development of strong internal charters. His ventures also include directorships with Amend Consulting LLC, the Better Business Bureau, and Enerfab Inc.
His capacity as a leader is truly unparalleled in the organizations he has touched.
Mr. Phillips has been publicly recognized as a leader, a humanitarian, and an educator, with honors from the University of Cincinnati, Thomas Moore College, and the Public Relations Society of America.
NACD will recognize Mr. Phillips at the 2008 NACD Director of the Year Awards Banquet on Oct. 20 in Washington, D.C.
