Marvin Ellison Wins Ethical Leader of the Year Award at SHRM
At the recent SHRM 2024 Annual Conference & Expo in Chicago, the William G. McGowan Charitable Fund named Lowe’s CEO Marvin Ellison as the Ethical Leader of the Year for 2024. This award celebrates leaders who embody the compassionate and ethical spirit of William G. McGowan, and Marvin Ellison is a standout choice.
Brian Peckrill, the Executive Director of the McGowan Fund, handed over the award to Mr. Ellison with a lot of praise. Marvin isn’t just the CEO steering Lowe’s to great financial success; he’s also heavily involved in supporting his employees and giving back to the community. Peckrill mentioned that Marvin is committed to higher education, self-empowerment, skilled trades career training, and professional excellence. He joins the prestigious ranks of past winners like Prudential Financial CEO Charles Lowrey and Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian.
Tune in to this HRchat episode featuring Brian as he shares his perspective on how HR can drive ethical leadership and organizational excellence.
Recorded during SHRM24, Brian also highlights Johnny C. Taylor’s recent insights on the future of HR, the integration of AI, and the importance of workplace civility.
Don’t miss our discussion about the Ethical Leader of the Year Award, the qualities that define exemplary leaders, and the significant role HR plays in embedding these values within organizations. This is a must-listen for anyone passionate about the future of work and ethical business practices!
Lowe’s is a FORTUNE® 50 home improvement giant with over 1,700 stores and around 300,000 associates across the U.S. Marvin has a whopping 35+ years of retail leadership and is the only African American to have been Chairman and CEO of two Fortune 500 companies. Before his time at Lowe’s, he was at the helm of J.C. Penney Co., where he worked wonders with sales growth, reducing debt, and boosting earnings.
Marvin was honored to receive this award and gave a shout-out to the 300,000 Lowe’s associates who live the company’s values every day. He emphasized that while business goals are crucial, maintaining integrity and professionalism is just as important.
The SHRM 2024 Conference & Expo is always a highlight, covering hot topics like ethical leadership, HR strategy, tech advancements in HR, AI, and more. It’s all about helping us HR folks drive innovation, embrace change, and equip ourselves with the skills to succeed.
Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., SHRM’s president and CEO, also expressed his pride in co-hosting the Ethical Leader of the Year Award. He stressed the importance of ethics in creating a strong organizational culture and praised Marvin Ellison as a prime example of ethical stewardship.