NorthWestern Energy receives NYSE award

Press release

NorthWestern Energy was recently honored by New York Stock Exchange Governance Services in its annual Governance, Risk & Compliance Leadership Awards.

  NorthWestern was the top award winner in the category of Exemplary CD&A for Compensation Committee, topping the other finalists — AMN Healthcare Services Inc., ManpowerGroup Inc., Jack in the Box Inc. and Prudential Financial.

  The award recognized work on the 2014 proxy statement prepared for shareholders by Tim Olson, senior corporate counsel and corporate secretary, and Emily Larkin, assistant corporate secretary, with input from members of NorthWestern board’s human resources committee, who have worked to develop a consistent executive compensation program that aligns pay with performance.

  “Mindful that expectations regarding transparency and full disclosure are constantly rising, this company produces a superior CD&A (Compensation Discussion & Analysis) that satisfies the most demanding shareholder, providing clear rationale for all pay decisions and persuading shareholders that the company has instituted a pay model that is properly aligned with its unique strategic objectives,” the judges wrote of NorthWestern’s disclosure efforts.

In announcing the award, the judges noted that NorthWestern’s proxy statement was prepared in-house by a small team and used plain English, bulleted lists and graphics to clearly outline the company’s compensation philosophy and demonstrate a strong link between pay and performance.