SOURCE: Aon Hewitt

HONG KONG, CHINA, Nov 12, 2014 (Marketwired via COMTEX) -- Aon Hewitt, the global talent, retirement and health solutions business of Aon plc AON, +0.13% today announced the 2014 Global Aon Hewitt Top Companies for Leaders(R). GE, IBM, Hindustan Unilever Limited, General Mills, Inc. and ICICI Bank Ltd. round out the top five organizations named to the list.

The Aon Hewitt Top Companies for Leaders study evaluates and recognizes what it takes to execute best-in-class leadership and talent management around the world. This year's winners were selected and ranked by a panel of independent judges, including well-known experts from Wharton School of Business, Indian School of Business, PUC Minas and Ivey School of Business using a number of criteria, including strength of leadership practices and culture, examples of leader development on a global scale, alignment of business and leadership strategy, business performance and company reputation.

"The list of 2014 Global Aon Hewitt Top Companies for Leaders is impressive. This group of organizations sets themselves apart by demonstrating their passion for cultivating resilient and engaged leaders who take the time to know and develop their talent and understand what experiences they need to rise above the rest," said Pete Sanborn, Global Talent practice leader. "Since we first conducted this study in 2001, organizations have truly raised the bar on their commitment to leadership and the benefits are evident through higher financial returns, increased employee engagement and productivity and the continuous retention of top talent."

Aon Hewitt's analysis found top companies shared five key characteristics in their leadership approach:

--  Assessment. When it comes to building leaders, top companies assess

    the whole leader early in their careers. This includes evaluating

    leaders' experiences, competencies, values, and organizational fit.

    This helps organizations understand the unique needs of their talent

    pipeline to fuel the right development solutions that move people

    forward faster.

--  Awareness. Top companies have leaders who demonstrate tremendous

    self-awareness by understanding their personal strengths and

    weaknesses and using this information to become more effective

    leaders.

--  Resilience. In today's unpredictable and complex environment, top

    companies build resilience in their leaders by creating inclusive

    cultures where multiple perspectives and ideas are expected and

    fostered to help the organization meet continued business challenges.

--  Engaging leadership. Organizations leading the way focus on

    identifying and building engaging leaders who are stabilizers,

    demonstrate versatility and stay connected to people and events inside

    and outside their organization.

--  Sustainability. Aon Hewitt Top Companies for Leaders focus on building

    talent programs nimble enough to respond quickly to the market

    demands, yet sustainable to deliver superior business outcomes.

"We are immensely proud to be ranked first in the Aon Hewitt Top Companies for Leaders list," said Raghu Krishnamoorthy, vice president, Executive Development and Chief Learning Officer at GE. "This global recognition affirms the strength of the GE leadership philosophy, which holds that when one person grows we all grow, and together, we all rise."

"The Aon Hewitt Top Companies for Leaders this year are especially notable for the detailed tracking and comprehensive building of their talent pipelines, with special emphasis on strategic thinking, broad engagement, and personal resilience -- all increasingly critical given the companies' changing and complex markets," said Michael Useem, Professor of Management and Director of the Leadership Center, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. "Also striking is the direct personal involvement of senior managers and even company directors in their leadership programs."

Aon Hewitt Top Companies for Leaders were also selected and ranked in India, Southeast Asia, Australia/New Zealand and North America. Using a consistent methodology, winners in each of these markets (along with finalist organizations from Europe and Latin America) became the finalists competing for a spot on the global list. The Top 25 Global Aon Hewitt Top Companies for Leaders are featured below. To access the list of winners in India and North America visit www.aon.com/topcompanies. Winning organizations in South East Asia and Australia/New Zealand will be announced soon.

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Top 25 Global Aon Hewitt Top Companies for Leaders

Featured below is the list of the Top 25 Global Aon Hewitt Top Companies for Leaders. The complete lists of winning organizations in India and North America are available here.

  Company                                   Headquarters Location

  1. General Electric Company               United States

  2. International Business Machines        United States

  3. Hindustan Unilever Limited             India

  4. General Mills, Inc.                    United States

  5. ICICI Bank Ltd.                        India

  6. The Procter & Gamble Company           United States

  7. Colgate-Palmolive Co.                  United States

  8. 3M Company                             United States

  9. Novartis AG                            Switzerland

  10. Mahindra Group                        India

  11. McDonald's Corporation                United States

  12. Intel Corporation                     United States

  13. Whirlpool Corporation                 United States

  14. ArcelorMittal                         United Kingdom

  15. Weg SA                                Brasil

  16. Deere & Company                       United States

  17. Eli Lilly and Company                 United States

  18. DBS Group Holdings Ltd                Singapore

  19. Royal Dutch Shell plc                 Netherlands

  20. Singapore Telecommunications Limited  Singapore

  21. Sonoco Products Co.                   United States

  22. Sime Darby Berhad                     Malaysia

  23. Cargill, Inc.                         United States

  24. American Express Company              United States

  25. Raytheon Co.                          United States