2008 B. Kenneth West Lifetime Achievement Award Winner: John C. Whitehead
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A Life in Leadership
John C. Whitehead
The National Association of Corporate Directors is proud to award the 2008 B. Kenneth West Lifetime Achievement Award to John C. Whitehead. As a corporate director, business pioneer, and outstanding citizen, he has enjoyed a remarkable career as both a public servant and private industry leader. His contributions to the development of corporate social responsibility are equally exceptional.
Mr. Whitehead joined Goldman Sachs in 1947 and enjoyed a prominent career with the firm for the next 38 years. While holding a number of leadership positions, including chairman of the board, he led the organization to become one of the world's preeminent banking and brokerage firms. Considered by some the first truly international investment banking firm, Goldman Sachs' stellar reputation has been in large part attributed to Mr. Whitehead's strong boardroom leadership throughout the 1970s and 1980s.
According to former chairman of the Wall Street Investment Bank, John M. Hennessy, he was the "undisputed industry leader in terms of integrity and probity."
In addition to his leadership at Goldman Sachs, he has served as a director of the New York Stock Exchange and later as chairman of the board of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York . These positions gave Mr. Whitehead a far-reaching view of the American economy and its many facets. He has successfully applied such knowledge in boardrooms where economic and business challenges constantly arise.
In the late 1980s, Mr. Whitehead served as Deputy Secretary of State under George Shultz, and received the Presidential Citizens Medal for his work in international affairs and administrative reform. His tactful diplomacy, team-building skills, and personal integrity were an aid to numerous political figures, and he would later apply such skills to corporate boardrooms in a number of areas.
A variety of educational organizations have benefited from Mr. Whitehead's leadership. In 1993, the John C. Whitehead Fund for Not-for-Profit Management was created at the Harvard Business School, giving valuable insight into teaching corporate responsibility at his alma mater. As chairman at Haverford College and as a director of Rockefeller University, Mr. Whitehead helped create innovative policies in both fiscal responsibility and internal benchmarking.
Having accomplished extraordinary success in the fields of business, politics, and education, an important focus of Mr. Whitehead's current work is in not-for-profit organizations. He has applied his skills in organizations such as the International Rescue Committee, the Safe Water Network (as founder), and the New York Council of Boy Scouts.
As noted in his autobiography A Life of Leadership , Mr. Whitehead explains how, "I only wanted to be on a board if I could make a difference. I did not concentrate particularly on the actual work.I always figured there were many people in each organization who were far more expert.than I could ever be. I focused on their organizational structure, their governance, the definition of their mission and their strategies to accomplish it, and on the monitor of their performance."
Arguably Mr. Whitehead's most involving project these last few years has been with the Lower Manhattan Re-Development Commission. With his strong ties to the city of New York , its people and its institutions, it seems ideal for him to serve on the board of an organization working towards the re-development of the area destroyed by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. From co-appointing the design approval board to pushing for the most transparent planning processes possible, he has helped the commission stay true to its objectives.
NACD is honoring Mr. Whitehead for his extended career of distinguished service and for his dedication to the improvement of boardroom practices. His commitment to corporate governance is illustrated in his lasting influence in over fifteen public, private, and non-profit boards. His work has truly shaped the financial and social construction of American society. Few individuals have given so selflessly to the greater good, putting society's challenges on par with their personal interests.
In the words of former Secretary-General of the United Nations Kofi Annan, Mr. Whitehead has been an "outstanding global citizen, [one] who has served his country well by serving the world, and the world well by serving his country."
NACD will recognize Mr. Whitehead at the 2008 NACD Director of the Year Awards Banquet on Oct. 20 in Washington, D.C.
