September 12, 2011 — The Arthur W. Page Society today elected Jon Iwata, senior vice president of marketing and communications at IBM, as chairman, at the Page Society’s annual business meeting in Washington DC. His term begins January 1, 2012 and he succeeds Bill Margaritis, senior vice president of global communications and investor relations at FedEx. The membership of the Page Society also elected two new trustees to the board of trustees.
Iwata leads IBM's marketing, communications, and citizenship organization, a global team responsible for marketing IBM’s portfolio of products and services; market development and insights; communications and corporate affairs; and stewardship of the IBM brand. Along with his team, he led the development of IBM’s “Smarter Planet” strategy, which describes the company’s view of the next era of information technology and its impact on business and society, and the marketing and communications of Watson, the experimental computer system that defeated the two best human contestants in the game of Jeopardy! “The context in which corporations operate is undergoing historic change. Chief Communication Officers are at the forefront of understanding and embracing this change,” Iwata said. “I look forward to helping Page Society members continue on this journey, and working together to adapt our organizations and strategies to an increasingly complex, connected and collaborative world.”
Iwata is a trustee of the Arthur W. Page Society and co-chaired the taskforce that led the 2007 publication of "The Authentic Enterprise,” a white paper that examines the drivers and implications of a rapidly changing context for 21st century business, and reports the results of a survey of chief executive officers on the evolving role of corporations. Iwata is also the recipient of the Arthur W. Page Society's 2009 Hall of Fame Award, a key industry honor.
“It has been an honor and a privilege to serve as chairman for the past two years,” said Bill Margaritis. “I have the utmost confidence that Jon Iwata will provide outstanding leadership and take the Page Society to another level.”
Iwata is a member of the IBM Operating Team, responsible for day-to-day marketplace execution, and the IBM Strategy Team, which focuses on long-term issues and opportunities. He is also vice chairman of the IBM International Foundation.
The two new Page Society trustees are Elise Eberwein, executive vice president, people, communications and public affairs for US Airways, and Wendi Strong, executive vice president of corporate communications for USAA. Their term will be effective January 1, 2012.
The Arthur W. Page Society is a professional association for senior public relations and corporate communications executives who seek to enrich and strengthen their profession. Membership consists primarily of chief communications officers of Fortune 500 corporations, the CEOs of the world's largest public relations agencies, and leading academics from the nation's top business and communications schools. The Page Society is dedicated to strengthening the management policy role of chief public relations officers. For more information please visit www.awpagesociety.com
For more information contact:
Anuneha Mewawalla
917-397-0510 amewawalla@awpagesociety.com
Erica Iacono
646.935.3956 erica.iacono@ketchum.com