Succession Planning, Corporate Reputation and Investor Confidence are Top Challenges for Today’s CEOs, NYSE Euronext “Back to Business” CEO Survey Reveals

Published on Wednesday, 07 July 2010 09:54 Written by TradersHuddle Staff

NEW YORK-( Business Wire )-

In the wake of the recent economic crisis, CEOs of publicly held companies are focused on succession planning, corporate reputation and brand, and restoring investor confidence, according to the sixth annual NYSE Euronext CEO Report, titled “Back to Business.”

The study finds that approximately two-thirds of U.S. companies have formal succession plans for the CEO role compared to 14% of European companies (see chart*). While three of four CEOs feel they do enough to protect their companies’ reputations (see chart*), those surveyed believe the most important characteristics that would have a positive impact on their company’s reputation are honesty, integrity, ethics, transparency and leadership by example.

The new NYSE Euronext CEO Report is based on interviews conducted with 325 CEOs from companies listed on NYSE Euronext exchanges covering a wide range of industries and geographies during March 2010. With 44% of respondents based outside the United States, the survey is designed to capture insights from CEOs around the world on how the past economic challenges may impact their current and future business plans. The survey was conducted on behalf of NYSE Euronext by Opinion Research Corporation, an independent market research and consulting firm.

“CEOs globally realize that sound business practices, planning and governance best serve the corporation and shareholders,” said Duncan L. Niederauer, Chief Executive Officer, NYSE Euronext. “Setting forth core values and embedding these within the corporate culture is essential to ensuring formidable and sustainable organizations.”

CEOs surveyed also point specifically to the transparency of their own internal policies and procedures as a means to increase shareholder confidence and trust. Most CEOs feel insufficient transparency about risk taking (67%), insufficient board oversight (65%), and executive compensation (55%) are currently among the top concerns of shareholders (see chart*). As a result, a large majority of CEOs say their companies have improved transparency related to their companies’ risk policies and procedures, as well as strengthened their board’s risk oversight (see chart*).

“A strong reputation built on acknowledged behaviors and corporate practices is a key ingredient to building a deep reservoir of good will among shareholders that will serve a company well,” said Jeffrey T. Resnick, global managing director of Opinion Research Corporation. “Reputation is about actions not public relations. As Warren Buffet has said, ‘It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.’ This is advice that a shareholder has to love.”

Key findings on other aspects of the economic recovery will be disseminated periodically until the NYSE Euronext CEO Report is released in its entirety later this month in nyse magazine and at www.nysemagazine.com.

*To view corresponding charts and additional analysis, including a brief video segment with Opinion Research Corporation’s Global Managing Director Jeffrey Resnick, visit: http://www.nysemagazine.com/ceosurvey.

About NYSE Euronext

NYSE Euronext (NYX) is a leading global operator of financial markets and provider of innovative trading technologies. The company's exchanges in Europe and the United States trade equities, futures, options, fixed-income and exchange-traded products. With approximately 8,000 listed issues (excluding European Structured Products), NYSE Euronext's equities markets – the New York Stock Exchange, NYSE Euronext, NYSE Amex, NYSE Alternext and NYSE Arca – represent one-third of the world's equities trading, the most liquidity of any global exchange group. NYSE Euronext also operates NYSE Liffe, one of the leading European derivatives businesses and the world's second-largest derivatives business by value of trading. The company offers comprehensive commercial technology, connectivity and market data products and services through NYSE Technologies. NYSE Euronext is in the S&P 500 index, and is the only exchange operator in the S&P 100 index and Fortune 500. For more information, please visit: http://www.nyx.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain forward-looking statements, including forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements concerning NYSE Euronext’s plans, objectives, expectations and intentions and other statements that are not historical or current facts. Forward-looking statements are based on NYSE Euronext’s current expectations and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause NYSE Euronext’s results to differ materially from current expectations include, but are not limited to: NYSE Euronext’s ability to implement its strategic initiatives, economic, political and market conditions and fluctuations, government and industry regulation, interest rate risk and U.S. and global competition, and other factors detailed in NYSE Euronext’s reference document for 2009 ("document de référence") filed with the French Autorité des Marchés Financiers (Filed on April 22, 2010 under No. D.10-0304), 2009 Annual Report on Form 10-K and other periodic reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission or the French Autorité des Marchés Financiers. In addition, these statements are based on a number of assumptions that are subject to change. Accordingly, actual results may be materially higher or lower than those projected. The inclusion of such projections herein should not be regarded as a representation by NYSE Euronext that the projections will prove to be correct. This press release speaks only as of this date. NYSE Euronext disclaims any duty to update the information herein.

NYSE EuronextAthena Morales, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.