NEW YORK - (BUSINESS WIRE) - Catalyst announces that Baxter International Inc., CH2M HILL, Gibbons P.C., and KPMG LLP are the recipients of the 2009 Catalyst Award, the annual award that honors exceptional initiatives from companies and firms that support and advance women in business. Of particular note, this year s Award-winning initiatives the first pan-Asia Pacific initiative, the first initiative from the construction-engineering industry, an initiative central to a law firm s branding, and an initiative that engages all employees reflect true innovation and the success of a customized approach.

The Catalyst Award serves as a call to action and illustrates the strong business case supporting women's advancement to leadership regionally and globally, said Ilene H. Lang, President and Chief Executive Officer of Catalyst. During challenging economic times, these initiatives demonstrate that business can benefit from fresh thinking and commitment to making women in the workplace a top priority.

As in the past, this year s Catalyst Award-winning initiatives were evaluated in a rigorous year-long process against an extensive set of criteria: business rationale, senior leadership support, accountability, communication, replicability, originality, and measurable results. These Award-winning initiatives reflect best practices around diversity, inclusion, and advancement of women to leadership roles and positions of influence.

CH2M HILL s initiative, Constructing Pathways for Women Through Inclusion, utilizes the company s long-standing inclusive workplace to accelerate women's advancement. In the traditionally male-dominated industry of engineering and construction, CH2M HILL provides a model for leveraging women employees to achieve business success. Since the initiative s launch in 2003, women s representation in senior leadership positions as business unit heads, geographic region leaders, and top managers has increased from 2.9 percent to 18.0 percent, and women of color lead two of the company s 13 geographic regions. The percentage of women project managers has also increased from 20.5 percent in 2005 to 30.3 percent in 2008.

CH2M HILL will present an in-depth discussion on their initiative at the 2009 Catalyst Awards Conference at the Waldorf=Astoria in New York City on March 31, 2009. The conference, which is sponsored by Campbell Soup Company and The Coca-Cola Company, will feature keynote speaker Andrea Jung, Chairman and CEO of Avon Products, Inc. Later in the evening, the 2009 Catalyst Awards Dinner, sponsored by DuPont and Shell Oil Company, will be chaired by Irene Rosenfeld, Chairman and CEO of Kraft Foods Inc. Over 70 CEOs and leaders of major corporations, firms, academic institutions, and non-profit organizations are expected to attend, along with more than 1,500 guests representing 250 national and global companies.

For complete descriptions of this year s Catalyst Award-winning initiatives and previous Award winners, please visit http://www.catalyst.org/. For more information about the 2008 Catalyst Awards Conference & Dinner, please contact Michael Chamberlain, 646-388-7770, mchamberlain@catalyst.org. For media inquiries, please contact Susan Nierenberg, 646-388-7744, snierenberg@catalyst.org, Serena Fong, 646-388-7757, sfong@catalyst.org, or Jeff Barth, 646-388-7725, jbarth@catalyst.org. For international media inquiries specifically, please contact Susan Nierenberg.

About Catalyst

Founded in 1962, Catalyst is the leading nonprofit membership organization working globally with businesses and the professions to build inclusive workplaces and expand opportunities for women and business. With offices in the United States, Canada, and Europe, and more than 400 preeminent corporations as members, Catalyst is the trusted resource for research, information, and advice about women at work. Catalyst annually honors exemplary organizational initiatives that promote women s advancement with the Catalyst Award.

About the Catalyst Award

The Catalyst Award annually honors innovative organizational approaches with proven, measurable results that address the recruitment, development, and advancement of all women, including women of color. Catalyst s rigorous, year-long examination of initiatives culminates in intensive on-site evaluations at select organizations. Catalyst assesses a range of strategic approaches related to women's advancement in the workplace. Discrete, specific efforts as well as broad initiatives, such as those that facilitate cultural change, are considered. By recognizing, sharing, and celebrating successful initiatives, Catalyst provides organizations with replicable models to help them create initiatives that are good for women and good for business.

About CH2M HILL

CH2M HILL is one of the top ranked engineering and construction firms headquartered in the U.S., with $6 billion in revenue in 2008 and more than 24,000 employees worldwide. The firm s work is concentrated in the areas of energy, water, transportation, environmental, nuclear and industrial facilities. CH2M HILL works on the most challenging projects on the planet including the historic expansion of the Panama Canal; the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games; and Masdar City, the world s first zero-carbon, zero-waste sustainable city in Abu Dhabi. The company s values and its people have created a culture in which diversity, inclusion, and innovation are natural and an integral part of how CH2M HILL does business. In 2008 the firm was recognized for a third time on FORTUNE magazine s 100 Best Companies to Work For and as a Most Admired Company for the sixth consecutive year. CH2M HILL is 100% employee-owned, the only large engineering-construction firm to have this ownership structure. Its corporate headquarters are near Denver, Colorado.

Catalyst Serena Fong, 646-388-7757 sfong@catalyst.org (c) 2009 Business Wire. All Rights Reserved.