BOSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) New England Chapter announced today the recipients of its 14th annual Director of the Year Awards.
Each year, using an extensive process involving several member committees, the NACD New England Chapter selects and recognizes independent directors of public, private, and non-profit boards who have embraced high standards of leadership and corporate governance and made valuable contributions to the companies and organizations they serve. To be honored at a formal ceremony on Monday, May 4, 2020, at the Westin Boston Waterfront Hotel are:
Public Company Board of the Year: Dunkin’ Brands
With more than 21,000 points of distribution in more than 60 countries, Dunkin’ Brands is one of the world’s leading franchisors of quick service restaurants (QSRs) serving hot and cold coffee and baked goods, as well as hard-serve ice cream. Dunkin’ Brands’ 100-percent-franchised business model currently includes more than 12,900 Dunkin’ restaurants and more than 8,000 Baskin-Robbins restaurants. Based in Canton, Mass., the company has set corporate social responsibility (CSR) goals to make continuous progress in the areas of sustainable sourcing, packaging, energy efficiency, waste reduction, nutrition, diversity and inclusion, and other material issues. Dunkin’ franchisees around the world volunteer time and donate product and funds to countless non-profit groups, most notably the Joy In Childhood (JiCF) Foundation.
Private Company Board of the Year: The A.D. Makepeace Company
With a 160-year history in the cranberry business, the A.D. Makepeace Company, based in Wareham, Mass., is the largest private property owner in Eastern Massachusetts and a recognized leader in environmentally responsible real estate development and land and water stewardship. John Makepeace was one of the three original founders of the Ocean Spray Co-Operative, in 1930. The board embraces a culture of responsible governance, with independent directors holding 40 to 50 percent of the board seats.
Leadership in Corporate Governance Award: Ronald P. O’Hanley
Mr. O’Hanley is president, CEO, and a board member of State Street Corporation. Mr. O’Hanley was previously president and chief operating officer of State Street Corporation, and before that president and chief executive officer of State Street Global Advisors, the investment management arm of State Street Corporation. He joined State Street in 2015. Prior to State Street, Mr. O’Hanley held senior positions at Fidelity Investments, BNY Mellon Asset Management, Mellon Financial, and McKinsey & Company, Inc. Mr. O’Hanley currently serves on the boards of Unum Corp., Rhode Island Commerce Corporation, The Boston Foundation, the IYRS School of Technology and Trades, Syracuse University, and WBUR.
Myra H. Kraft Award for Non-Profit Leadership: Benaree Pratt Wiley
Benaree “Bennie” Pratt Wiley is Principal of The Wiley Group and for 15 years served as President and Chief Executive Officer of The Partnership, Inc., an organization that strengthened Greater Boston’s capacity to attract, develop, and retain talented professionals of color. Ms. Wiley has worked as a management consultant for Abt Associates, Contract Research Corporation, and Urban Systems Research and Engineering. Ms. Wiley is currently a Director on the boards of the Dreyfus Mutual Funds, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, CBIZ Inc., Dress for Success Boston, Partners Continuing Care, the Black Philanthropy Fund, the Efficacy Institute and Howard University where she serves as Vice Chair. Her many civic honors include honorary doctorates from Boston College, New England School of Law, and Newbury College; the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce Pinnacle Award for Lifetime Achievement; and the Harvard Business School Distinguished Alumni Award from its African American Student Union.
The NACDNE non-profit leadership award is named in honor of the late Myra H. Kraft, president and director of the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation and trustee of the Robert K. and Myra H. Kraft Foundation, who also served on the boards of directors of the American Repertory Theatre, the United Way of Massachusetts Bay, Northeastern University, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Boston, and Brandeis University.
Lifetime Achievement Award: Jack O’Brien
Mr. O’Brien was CEO and President of Allmerica Financial Corporation, now known as The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc., an insurance and diversified financial services company, from 1995 until his retirement in 2002. He currently serves as lead director of The TJX Companies, Inc., an off-price retailer of apparel and home fashions in the United States and worldwide, and as a director of LKQ Corporation, a nationwide provider of recycled auto parts, and of a family of mutual funds managed by BlackRock, an investment management advisory firm. Previously Mr. O’Brien served as Cabot Corporation’s non-executive chairman of the board from 2008 to 2018 and as chair of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute and as a director of ABIOMED and GAM Technology.
NACDNE Gala Chair Ellen Zane, CEO Emeritus of Tufts Medical Center, said: “Dunkin’ and A.D. Makepeace are not only legendary New England business success stories, they also demonstrate every day an unparalleled commitment to corporate social responsibility and community volunteerism. In Ron O’Hanley, Bennie Wiley, and Jack O’Brien, NACD New England is delighted to salute three of our region’s pre-eminent examples of business and civic leadership.’’
NACDNE President Beth I. Z. Boland, chair of Foley & Lardner’s Securities Enforcement & Litigation Practice and vice chair of the Litigation Department, said: “NACDNE is devoted to improving corporate governance and developing a deep pool of talented prospective directors to serve on boards. Our rigorously researched and highly competitive Director of the Year honors represent one of the most important ways that NACDNE can showcase what high-impact board service and leadership looks like.”
About NACD New England (NACDNE)
The NACD New England Chapter is part of the larger NACD network, the only not-for-profit membership organization founded by and for corporate directors. With a national headquarters in metropolitan Washington, D.C., NACD has 21 active regional chapters and more than 21,000 director and key executive members around the country. NACD’s resources include an annual leadership conference, fellowships, downloadable publications, and in-boardroom education programs. NACD is also part of the Global Network of Director Institutes, a 100,000-member-strong international collaboration of directors who share expertise from around the world.
Learn more about NACD New England Chapter membership and general governance information online at www.NACDne.org.
