The first day of the Arthur W. Page Society's 22nd Spring Seminar, offered in association with the World Economic Forum Global Corporate Citizenship Initiative, took place on Thursday, April 12, at the Millennium Broadway Hotel in New York City. Close to 300 participants attended this year's seminar and gala dinner, held in the historic Hudson Theatre.

With the theme of "Prove It with Action: The Case for Improving Business Performance by Improving Society," this year's seminar provided some broad, bold and fresh perspectives on the issue of corporate trust and responsibility.

New Executive Director Announced

The two-day seminar began with an announcement of some important news about the Arthur W. Page Society. In his opening comments at the seminar, Page Society President Roger Bolton announced the appointment of Thomas P. Nicholson as executive director of the organization.

Nicholson is a seasoned communications executive with broad management experience.
He was Vice President, Public Relations and Communications, for HSBC North America, one of the top ten financial services companies in the U.S. He has also served in a number of progressively responsible leadership roles for Sears Roebuck & Co. including director of public relations for all retail formats. He also has public relations agency experience with both large and small organizations, including founding the public relations practice of an Inc. 500 Fastest Growing company. The earlier years of his career include journalism work in radio, television and print media.

In addition to his communication experience, he was most recently vice president, general manager of two divisions for Avery Weigh-Tronix, LLC, one of the largest international manufacturers and sellers of industrial and retail weighing systems.

Nicholson earned a B.S. degree in journalism from Bradley University in Peoria, IL.

According to Page Society President Roger Bolton, "Tom Nicholson brings broad experience in public relations, having worked as a journalist, an agency counselor and a corporate communications executive, and he has been a successful business operating executive. His strategic insight and leadership capabilities make him the right person to help lift the Arthur W. Page Society to the next level, as we focus on advancing the management policy role of the chief public relations officer by working with other C-suite organizations."

Nicholson succeeds Paul Basista, who held the position for the past six years. "One more time," said Bolton, "I'd like to thank Paul Basista for his service over the past six years. As our first full-time executive director, Paul helped the Page Society come of age and prepared us for the bright future which is now within our grasp. We wish him all the best in the next phase of his career."

Building Corporate Trust

The program on Thursday included presentations by many sought-after speakers, including a prominent CEO, leaders of global NGOs, leading corporate communications executives, academics and other thought leaders on corporate social responsibility.

For highlights of the sessions, click here.

The day ended with a cocktail reception and gala dinner which recognized the winners of the 2007 Case Study Competition in Corporate Communications. Following the dinner, the guests were treated to a special performance by the Grammy-nominated wind ensemble Imani Winds. The performance was made possible in part by the generosity of the Fischoff National Chamber Music Association.

The seminar, which concludes on Friday, April 13, is chaired by Ray Kotcher, Chairman and CEO of Ketchum, and co-chaired by Bob DeFillippo, Chief Communications Officer - Global Communications, Prudential Financial, Inc.