LATEST NEWS | 2009 Champion for Equality Award

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: FEBRUARY 27, 2009

Women's Foundation Names General Mills the 2009 Champion for Equality Award Recipient

MINNEAPOLIS - Today, the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota announced that General Mills will be the inaugural recipient of its Champion for Equality Award. The Champion for Equality Award is presented to a Minnesota-based corporation or business to recognize its commitment to moving gender equality forward for women in the workplace.

The award will be presented to General Mills at the 2009 Joint Dinner for Women’s Professional Associations on Thursday, March 12, 2009, from 5:00-8:30 p.m. at The Metropolitan Ballroom in Golden Valley, Minn. For 20 years, the annual event has provided a unique opportunity for more than 500 professional women in the Twin Cities to network, share best practices across careers, and celebrate women in business.

“With its proven dedication to building and nurturing women’s leadership, General Mills was the enthusiastic and unanimous choice for this award,” said Lee Roper-Batker, president and CEO of the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota.

“We’re honored to be presented with the first Champion for Equality Award,” said Kenneth Charles, vice president of Diversity and Inclusion at General Mills.

“We take pride in the fact that General Mills has a long history of supporting and advancing women in the workplace. In the past 10 years, the percentage of female officers at the company has more than doubled. We devote significant attention to shaping a dynamic, high-energy organization where our people work hard to achieve goals and are excited by the challenges of their job -- yet at the same time, one which is supportive and communal. Women’s influence of corporate culture at General Mills is found through formal and informal programs that enable women to discuss and advance issues not only with their peers, but with senior leaders in the company,” said Charles.

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