Winner: AGATA TYSZKIEWICZ, CEO and President, Publicist Consultants/Rowland Company
A staunch fighter for a good cause, Agata Tyszkiewicz belongs to the generation of young Polish free thinkers who entered the field of PR when Poland, after years of
Communist control, finally opened up to the free market economy.
As a PR exec, she has incorporated ethical corporate cultures and effective CSR communications with numerous charitable organizations, such as UNICEF Poland, SOC Children
Villages, Polish Red Cross and National Hospices Movement. Recognized in her native country and abroad, Tyszkiewicz has been the architect of social programs that
have attracted a lot of media coverage and been the recipient of numerous laurels.
Championing The Underdog
Working with clients that include R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, Bayer, Wrigley Poland, Microsoft and PAIZ, Tyszkiewicz's fresh ideas have led to the creation
and execution of innovative CSR programs. Examples of her tactics are using "street happenings" to diminish social exclusion of the disabled when it comes to illegal use of
parking lots (for a parking campaign from 2006 for Friends of Integration Association), and being the force behind an art exhibition to promote sympathy for old horses
(for the Pegasus Foundation, 2006-2007).
Crusader For All
Working in an office where 90% of her staff are women, Tyszkiewicz always makes it a point to promote women-friendly solutions. She also has provided hands-on experience on
how to develop and apply a personal code of ethics to achieve goals. This knowledge is manifested in the many articles she has authored for various trade publications and books
on PR. A graduate of Warsaw University, the multilingual Tyszkiewicz is a founding member of the Polish PR Association and has served on myriad Polish foundations.
Winner: Jeff Glueck, Chief Marketing Officer, Travelocity.com
Several years ago, in light of the consumer attention on global warming, Travelocity employees began asking what their company would do in relation to global warming.
With Jeff Glueck, Travelocity's chief marketing officer, leading the charge, the company soon set up a task force to determine what should be done at the corporal level.
That team developed the Travel for Good program, which is focused on carbon offsets and volunteerism. It has also been extended to include programs affecting families.
Conserving Carbons, Driving Change
Under Glueck's leadership, Travelocity was the first online travel agency to offer the purchase of carbon offsets when booking a vacation package. The program, dubbed Go
Zero, allows customers to "zero out" or offset the carbon emissions generated by their flight, hotel or car usage through a donation to The Conservation Fund, which then
plants trees that absorb carbon dioxide.
Travelocity also buys carbon offsets for its own North American employees to travel with a donation to the Go Zero program. Offsets for the second half of 2007 were 50%
higher as compared to the first half of that same year.
Volunteers Of America
Another important component of the Travel for Good program is volunteerism. Recognizing that not everyone can take an extended vacation to volunteer, Glueck and his team
began working with partners to find one- to two-day opportunities that customers could add onto an existing vacation. One example: Travel for Good with partner Hands On New
Orleans. This allowed customers to spend one or two days giving back by helping to rebuild or renovate homes that suffered damage from Hurricane Katrina.
Award For A Job Well Done
Thanks to Glueck's commendable leadership, Travelocity joined the Global Partnership for Sustainable Tourism Criteria in October 2008. The criteria will help ensure consumers
make sound green choices they know they can trust.
Winner: Kevin Moss, Head of CSR, BT Americas
Two years ago, Kevin Moss, a member of the BT Americas leadership team and formerly director of product operations, recognized the potential value of extending BT's
commitment to sustainability into its business operations beyond the U.K.
Building on what started as a personal interest in raising funds for charity, Moss saw the advantage for BT and its customers in having a CSR executive dedicated to North
America, a region in which BT is committed to growing its business. Persuading the BT group sustainability team and the president of BT Americas to act on his recommendations,
the U.K. native was duly appointed head of CSR for BT Americas in 2006.
A Green Enthusiast
As the first BT executive to hold such a position, Moss has defined and shaped the parameters of his new role for BT. His CSR strategy in North America is focused on
environment, climate change impact and community investment. In the brief time he's been in this job, Moss has become a CSR thought leader in the industry and among customers;
he has succeeded in raising BT's CSR profile in North America. Highlights of his achievements include launching a successful employee charity match program; establishing
community investment volunteer teams; and making BT a member of the EPA's Green Power Partners.
Sought-After Pundit
A frequent speaker at industry and green IT events and conferences, Moss has been invited to take seats in the following prestigious organizations: the Global Leadership
Network of Accountability, the American Red Cross Corporate Advisory Counciland the World Resource Institute's California Green Power Development Group. A
graduate of Liverpool University, where he got an honors degree in mechanical engineering and management, Moss currently chairs the Energy and Environment Committee of
the British American Business Association in Washington, D.C.
Winner: Rhonda Mims, President and SVP, Office of Corporate Responsibility and Multicultural Affairs, ING Foundation
Two years ago, Rhonda Mims, ING Foundation's president and SVP for the office of corporate responsibility and multicultural affairs, recognized something alarming:
Consumer mistrust of American business was soaring.
To combat this perception, Mims felt that her company's charitable giving needed to have a more strategic focus and be better aligned with ING's strengths. She believed ING
could make a real difference while enhancing the brand's bottom line by bringing together the company's philanthropy and business objectives.
Overcoming Challenges
As with any initiative, there were challenges to be met. After Mims and her team talked to employees, she was shocked to discover that ING Americas was not clearly aligned
with any one issue, employees were not clear on the company's giving strategy and employee volunteerism was on the decline.
The Strategy
Based on the results of her due diligence, Mims and her team refocused ING Foundation's charitable giving to enhance the brand, maximize the impact of charitable dollars,
foster employee involvement and lead to meaningful social change. Leveraging its mix of market knowledge, experience and solutions to empower the financial lives of its
customers, Mims felt strongly that the key to maximizing ING's social impact would be harnessing what it does best.
The Results
While the restructuring of the program is only a year old, its results have been overwhelming. Following are some key highlights:
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Enhanced employee engagement by creating an advisory board, setting up meaningful volunteer opportunities and encouraging employees to wear branded apparel during
community activities;
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Relaunched the employee charitable giving program; and
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Conducted a survey with Essence magazine on African-American women and their attitudes toward money and saving.
An Innate Visionary
Mims' achievements in overhauling the CSR program at the ING Foundation within an abbreviated time span has been nothing short of inspiring.
"Rhonda Mims is truly a leader in her integrative approach to CSR," says Heather Emerson, principal at Tiller LLC. "Her programs break down silos and cut across
functional areas, spanning charitable giving, PR, the Foundation, brand marketing, employee volunteering, diversity marketing and the business units."