- Whirlpool announced it has formalized its commitment to the UN Global Compact and nominated Jennifer LaClair for election to its Board of Directors
Through the delivery of a letter signed by its CEO and addressed to the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General, Whirlpool formalized its commitment to the UN Global Compact — which is a voluntary collective rooted in ten principles that encompass the categories of human rights, labor, environment, and anti-corruption. And as a signatory of this globally-recognized initiative, Whirlpool agrees to continue to expand its efforts to uphold sustainable and responsible business practices in day-to-day global operations.
“At Whirlpool Corporation, our values are the driving force behind everything we do. We have a proud history of implementing policies and processes that support the tenets of the UN Global Compact for many years in our plants, offices and other facilities around the world,” said Marc Bitzer, chairman, and CEO of Whirlpool Corporation. “I am pleased to share our continued dedication to these important values with the public, and we look forward to making even more progress in the years to come alongside the United Nations and our fellow Compact members.”
Bitzer had signed the letter formally announcing the company’s commitment on December 19, 2019.
Along with supporting and taking action to match the ten principles of the UN Global Compact, Whirlpool will push to further the UN’s broader development goals, including the Sustainable Development Goals — which idealize fundamental and impactful change in areas ranging from hunger and poverty to clean energy and gender equality.
Before becoming a public signatory, Whirlpool Corporation has independently taken strides to advance its operations in the four main areas overseen by the UN Global Compact – human rights, labor, environment, and anti-corruption – and It has received recognition for its efforts.
Launched nearly two decades ago in July 2000, the UN Global Compact is today comprised of more than 10,000 companies around the world and represents a wide variety of industries.
Jennifer LaClair Nominated For Board
Whirlpool also announced that Jennifer LaClair has been nominated for election to its Board of Directors at its Annual Meeting of Stockholders on April 21, 2020. LaClair is the CFO of Ally Financial and a member of the firm’s executive council. And as CFO, her responsibilities include oversight of Ally’s finance, accounting, capital markets, treasury, investor relations, modeling and analytics, and supply chain.
Bitzer said that LaClair’s “unique experience and perspective will be a valuable asset to the board of directors as Whirlpool Corporation forges ahead in our pursuit to constantly improve life at home.”
Before joining Ally Financial in December 2017, LaClair spent ten years at PNC Financial Services. And most recently, she served as the head of business banking where she was charged with setting strategy, driving performance and managing risk. Before this role, she held a number of senior positions at the company and served as the chief financial officer across all of PNC’s business lines. Before that, she was a consultant at McKinsey and Company, focused on strategy and operations.
“Whirlpool Corporation’s ability to successfully navigate a dynamic environment by leveraging its iconic brands and global scale to deliver innovative products to its customers has been truly impressive,” explained LaClair. “I’m thrilled to be nominated to join the board of a company with a strong customer focus and a terrific culture. I look forward to sharing my financial and operational experience to help guide Whirlpool Corporation as it executes on its strategic priorities.”
LaClair’s nomination marks the first time in Whirlpool’s history that the slate of board nominees will have four women members. By achieving 30% female representation on the Board of Directors, it reinforces Whirlpool’s commitment to Inclusion & Diversity — which has been a core value of the company for decades.
Whirlpool is the leading major appliance manufacturer in the world with approximately $20 billion in annual sales, 77,000 employees and 59 manufacturing and technology research centers in 2019. And the company markets Whirlpool, KitchenAid, Maytag, Consul, Brastemp, Amana, Bauknecht, JennAir, Indesit, and other major brand names in nearly every country throughout the world.
