Media Release

For Immediate Release

January 2, 2009

Blog earns prof spot on top-100 list of world’s most influential people in business ethics

It’s a list that includes U.S. President-elect Barack Obama, three-time Pulitzer Prize winning author Thomas Friedman and President of France Nicolas Sarkozy. It also includes Dr. Chris MacDonald, a professor in the Department of Philosophy at Saint Mary’s University.

Announced Dec. 31, the list names the world's 100 most influential people in business ethics, as determined by the Ethisphere Institute, a think-tank dedicated to best practices in corporate social responsibility, anti-corruption and sustainability.

Dr. MacDonald, who is currently a visiting Fellow at the Kenan Institute for Ethics at Duke University, ranked 81st on the list. He made the list for his blog about business ethics (www.businessethicsblog.com).

The blog provides critical insight into the business news stories of the day and helps people see that the world of business is ethically more complicated than most people recognize. In naming MacDonald to the list, the Institute said MacDonald’s blog explores and uncovers issues relating to ethics that challenge the reader at a core level.

“I try to make it [business ethics] fun and accessible to a wide audience,” explained Dr. MacDonald. “I want to help people see that business ethics isn't all about scandals, or about stomping our feet at corporate wrong-doing: it's about understanding the real sources of corporate behaviour, both good and bad.”

Started in November 2005, the blog is one of the longest-running blogs written by a scholar and educator in the field of business ethics.

The top-100 list was developed by an advisory board of professors from notable business schools as well as a group of Ethisphere editors, writers and fact checkers.

The list includes individuals from all around the world that influenced the business ethics realm in 2008.

Some of the notable names on the list were Mayor of San Francisco Gavin Newsom (85), Starbucks Chairman Howard Schultz (63), Google Chairman and CEO Eric Schmidt (41), Wal-mart CEO Lee Scott (6), Coca-Cola Chairman Neville Isdell (40), and Tim Costello, the Chief Executive of World Vision (56).

Barack Obama placed 14th for making ethics a cornerstone of his administration. Friedman ranked 20th for continuing to be a strong voice for environmental initiatives, and Nicolas Sarkozy took 25th place for brokering deals with Russia over the Georgian conflict and securing an agreement by European Union nations to curb climate emissions.

First place on this year’s list went to Liu Qi, Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the 2008 Olympics. He is credited with implementing tough enforcement standards in regards to anti-corruption/bribery in bids.

More information on the Ethisphere Institute, including ranking projects and membership, can be found at http://www.ethisphere.org.

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For more information:

Blake Patterson
Public Affairs Officer
Saint Mary's University, Public Affairs
(902) 420.5514
E-mail: blake.patterson@smu.ca
www.smu.ca