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Since 2013, the WEPs Annual Event has included the announcement of the WEPs CEO Leadership Awards, saluting five exceptional CEOs for championing gender equality and the 7 WEPs Principles, in particular Principle One, which urges CEOs to lead by example.

Mr. Lance Hockridge, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Aurizon, was awarded one of the five coveted Awards for his demonstrated commitment to and implementation of policies that advance and empower women in the workplace, marketplace and community. Mr. Hockridge was awarded with the Cultural Change for Empowerment WEPs CEO Leadership Award, which recognizes a company for its public, unwavering and proactive commitment to gender equality throughout its business operations that is complemented by a record of expansive programming elevating women’s equality in the workplace and throughout it communities.

Aurizon is the first Australian company to win a WEPs Leadership Award.

“I am honoured to receive this award, both as Managing Director & CEO of Aurizon and also as the father of two daughters,“ Mr Hockridge said. “Aurizon is embracing fundamental cultural change and we know that having a diverse and inclusive workforce is at the heart of our future success.

We are investing significantly in our people and a range of strategies to create gender equal workplaces, where everyone can have their capability and contributions valued. I’m proud of our collective efforts

and the benefits being delivered for employees and the business.””

Conferring the awards in the historic Trusteeship Council Chamber of the United Nations, Joseph Keefe, Co-chair of the WEPs Leadership Group and President and Chief Executive Officer of Pax World Management said: "The WEPs are an effective tool to advance women in business and society. The WEPs CEO Leaderships Awards bring to life concrete actions and measurable impacts that are changing workplaces, marketplaces and communities. As a previous Awards recipient, I know that this prestigious award gives companies encouragement to press forward with this important work."

The 2016 WEPS CEO Leadership Awards also recognized:

• Jean-Paul Agon, Group Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, L’Oréal (France) -Benchmarking for Change WEPs CEO Leadership Award
• Federico Bernaldo de Quiros, Chief Executive Officer, Toks Restaurantes (Mexico) – Community Engagement WEPs CEO Leadership Award
• Michael Landel, Chief Executive Officer, Sodexo (France) and Janet Awad, Regional Chair of Latin America and Country President, Sodexo Chile (Chile) – 7 Principles WEPs CEO Leadership Award
• David Sproul, Senior Partner and Chief Executive, Deloitte UK (United Kingdom)- Business Case for Action WEPs CEO Leadership Award

The two-day Women’s Empowerment Principles event, held as an official side event of the 60^th session of the Commission on the Status of Women, included keynote speeches from UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and His Excellency Mr. Luis Guillermo Solís Rivera, President of Costa Rica who discussed the importance of multi-stakeholder partnerships to help meet national and global gender equality goals and targets. The Women's Empowerment Principles – Equality Means Business – a joint initiative of UN Women and the UN Global Compact – is currently supported by over 1,100 CEOs and outlines seven steps for business to empower women in the workplace, marketplace and community.

About the Women’s Empowerment Principles

The Women's Empowerment Principles – Equality Means Business is a joint initiative of UN Women and the UN Global Compact. The Principles, which were developed in 2010, outline seven steps for business on how to empower women in the workplace, marketplace and community. The WEPs provide a ready-made platform to mobilize corporate action and catalyze partnerships and collaborations that have the potential to deepen and accelerate impact, benefiting women and girls, families, businesses, and economies around the world. Learn more at www.weprinciples.org.

About the 2016 WEPs CEO Leadership Awards

The 2016 Women’s Empowerment Principles Annual Event inaugurates the WEPs CEO Leadership Award to salute CEO commitment and innovation to realize gender equality. Since 2013, the WEPs Annual Event includes the announcement of the WEPs CEO Leadership Awards saluting five exceptional CEOs for championing gender equality and the 7 WEPs, in particular Principle One, which urges CEOs to lead by example.

The WEPs CEO Leadership Awards Committee is comprised of members of the WEPs Leadership Group, a multi-stakeholder volunteer body that provides strategic guidance to the WEPs partnership of the UN Women and the UN Global Compact. It represents business, academia, civil society, women’s organizations and international institutions. For complete information about the Awards, winners and Awards Committee, please visit www.weprinciples.unglobalcompact.org/site/WEPsLeadershipAwards.