CECP Announces James D. White, Former CEO, Jamba Juice to Join Board of Directors
NEW YORK, March 10, 2021 /3BL Media/—As part of its continuing efforts to empower companies to drive long-term business success through positive societal impact, Chief Executives for Corporate Purpose (CECP) announced that James D. White, Former CEO, Jamba Juice, has joined the organization’s distinguished Board of Directors. As a CEO-led coalition of more than 200 of the world’s largest companies, CECP believes a company’s social strategy – how it engages with key stakeholders including employees, communities, investors, and customers – determines a company’s success.
“Leading CEOs are answering the call from their significant stakeholders to play an ever more important role in steering our country back on track,” said Doug Conant, Founder and CEO, ConantLeadership; Former CEO, Campbell Soup Company; former Chairman, Avon Products; and Chairman, CECP. “The opportunity in front of business leaders is both awesome and overwhelming. For over 20 years, CECP has supported CEOs in this work and with James’ tenure in building trust, taking action, and leading through adversity, CECP’s Board of Directors will be well-equipped to lead by example and accountability.”
Founded in 1999 by actor and philanthropist Paul Newman and other business leaders, CECP has grown to a movement of more than 200 of the world’s largest companies that represent $11.2 trillion in revenues, $23 billion in total community investments, 14 million employees, 30 million hours of employee engagement, and $21 trillion in assets under management.
“Now more than ever, CEOs have the mandate to make significant structural changes to address a range of systemic social issues that plague our country and the world,” said James D. White, Former CEO, Jamba Juice. “I’m honored to serve on CECP’s Board of Directors and continue my work empowering business leaders to take decisive action to change both formal and informal systems.”
“CECP’s Board of Directors has consistently inspired the organization to ask, "How can we galvanize the world's leading companies to drive long-term business success through positive social impact?’” said Daryl Brewster, CEO, CECP. “Given his expertise and real-world insights, James will help fuel our efforts to do more during a time that business must take the lead."
In a session of CECP's CEO Virtual Roundtable series, White provided deeper insights on an updated diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) playbook published in Harvard Business Review. White transformed Jamba Juice’s DEI practices, resulting in a 500% increase to the company’s market cap during his tenure. Participating CEOs discussed specific challenges such as company culture, conversations addressing social unrest with employees, and leading toward a more equitable future.
White has spent over 30 years as a CEO and operating executive in the Consumer Products, Retail and Restaurant industries and is an experienced Board Director/Advisor with almost 20 years of experience in a dozen public and private Board appointments. Prior to his role at Jamba Juice, White also held senior executive positions at Safeway Stores, Inc., the Gillette Company, and Nestlé-Purina PetCare.
White currently serves on the boards of Air Protein, where he is Executive Chair, Adtalem Global Education (NYSE:ATGE), Affirm (NYSE:AFRM), Simply Good Foods (NASDAQ:SMPL), and Medallia (NASDAQ:MDLA). He previously served on the boards of Callidus Cloud, Hillshire Brands, and several other boards. His non-profit board experience includes Directors Academy, where he also is a founding member and currently Board Chairman. He previously served on the non-profit boards of the NASDAQ Entrepreneurial Center, The Organic Center and the Network of Executive Women.
White joins the current Board of Directors, which includes:
- Douglas R. Conant, Founder and CEO, ConantLeadership; Former CEO, Campbell Soup Company; former Chairman, Avon Products; and Chairman, CECP
- Theodore Dysart, Vice Chairman, Heidrick & Struggles International, Inc.
- Richard Edelman, President & CEO, Edelman
- Carly Fiorina, Founder and Chairman, Carly Fiorina Enterprises and Unlocking Potential Foundation
- Vince Forlenza, Former Chairman, President & CEO, BD
- Mauricio Gutierrez, President & CEO, NRG
- Alan G. Hassenfeld, Chairman, Executive Committee, Hasbro, Inc.
- Fran Horowitz, CEO, Abercrombie & Fitch Co
- Barbara Humpton, CEO, Siemens USA
- Sury Kant, President, Tata Consultancy Services
- Shelly Lazarus, Chairman Emeritus, Ogilvy & Mather
- Bill McNabb, Former Chairman, Vanguard
- Deanna Mulligan, Board Chair, The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America
- Christiana Riley, CEO, Deutsche Bank US
- Michael I. Roth, Executive Chairman, Interpublic Group
- Jennifer Smith Turner, Board of Directors, Newman’s Own Foundation
CECP’s Board of Directors also includes the following Director Emeriti:
- Marilyn Carlson Nelson, Former Chairman and CEO, Carlson Holdings, Inc.
- Kenneth T. Derr, Former Chairman & CEO, Chevron Corporation
- Henrietta Fore, Executive Director, United Nations Children’s Fund
- Peter Malkin, Chairman Emeritus, Empire State Realty Trust
- Harold McGraw, III, Chairman Emeritus, S&P Global
- Paul Newman, Actor and Philanthropist, (January 26, 1925 – September 26, 2008)
- David Rockefeller, Former Chairman & CEO, Chase Manhattan Corporation (June 12, 1915 – March 20, 2017)
- Paul Volcker, Former Chairman, Federal Reserve (September 5, 1927 - December 8, 2019)
- Sanford Weill, Chairman Emeritus, Citigroup, Inc.
- John C. Whitehead, Former Co-Chair, Goldman, Sachs, & Co., Former Deputy Secretary of State (April 2, 1922 – February 7, 2017)
# # #
ABOUT CHIEF EXECUTIVES FOR CORPORATE PURPOSE (CECP)
CECP is a CEO-led coalition that believes that a company’s social strategy — how it engages with key stakeholders including employees, communities, investors, and customers —determines company success. Founded in 1999 by actor and philanthropist Paul Newman and other business leaders to create a better world through business, CECP has grown to a movement of more than 200 of the world’s largest companies that represent $11.2 trillion in revenues, $23 billion in societal investment, 14 million employees, and $21 trillion in assets under management. CECP helps companies transform their social strategy by providing customized connections and networking, counsel and support, benchmarking and trends, and awareness building and recognition. For more information, visit http://cecp.co.
