2006 News Release
Norwegian Executive Ingar Skaug Named Chairman of Center for Creative Leadership's Board of Governors
September 2006 - Greensboro, N.C. - Ingar Skaug, president and group chief executive officer of the global shipping firm Wilh. Wilhelmsen, became chairman this month of the Center for Creative Leadership's Board of Governors. Skaug joined the Center's board in 1991 and had previously served as its vice chairman.
He replaces Thomas K. Hearn Jr., president emeritus of Wake Forest University, who had served as chairman of CCL's board since 1996. Hearn will remain a member of the Center's Board of Governors, which he joined in 1989. He has also assumed the title of chairman emeritus, a distinction previously unique to the first and only other CCL board chairman - William Friday, former president of the University of North Carolina system.
Board member Sherwood Smith Jr., chairman emeritus of CP&L in Raleigh, N.C., has been named the board's vice chairman.
"During his term as chairman, Dr. Hearn was an astute and tireless advocate for the Center's mission and growth as an institution," CCL President John Alexander said. "He has also been a good friend and mentor to many of us. We are grateful for his leadership and look forward to his ongoing service as a member of our board."
At Wilh. Wilhelmsen, Skaug leads a company with more than 18,000 employees and offices in 71 countries. Under his guidance, the company, based in Lysaker, Norway, has instituted many pioneering leadership practices related to employee empowerment, diversity, environmental responsibility and innovation. Wilh. Wilhelmsen's value-centered approach is based on the conviction that creative and motivated employees are the key to competitive advantage.
Few executives have had the weight of leadership thrust upon them as swiftly and completely as Skaug. In 1989, the entire leadership team of Wilhelmsen Lines - a subsidiary of Wilh. Wilhelmsen - was killed in a plane crash on the way to a ship-naming ceremony. Skaug, who at that time was heading Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) in Norway, was recruited as Wilhelmsen Lines' new managing director. His mission: helping the close-knit and distraught company's employees rebuild in the wake of tragedy. Under Skaug's leadership, Wilhelmsen Lines and its parent company have evolved into diverse and fast-growing organizations that set the standard in the global shipping industry.
"When it comes to empowering a workforce, Ingar Skaug is an innovator," Alexander said. "He is always seeking new and better ways to inspire, motivate and align people to do their best work in service of the customer. We have benefited tremendously from his 15 years of service on our board, and he will bring an invaluable global perspective to his new role as chairman."
About the Center for Creative Leadership
The Center for Creative Leadership (CCL®) is a top-ranked, global provider of executive education that accelerates strategy and business results by unlocking the leadership potential of individuals and organizations. Founded in 1970, CCL offers an array of research-based programs, products and services for leaders at all levels. Ranked among the world's Top 10 providers of executive education by Bloomberg BusinessWeek and the Financial Times, CCL is headquartered in Greensboro, NC, with offices in Colorado Springs, CO; San Diego, CA; Brussels; Moscow; Singapore; New Delhi - NCR, India and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Its work is supported by 500 faculty members and staff.
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