American Century [see profile] has a new award to be proud of. Yesterday the non-profit CEO Roundtable on Cancer awarded the mutual fund firm its CEO Cancer Gold Standard by "encouraging health lifestyles and promoting early detection through screenings, and by providing qualify care, including access to cancer clinical trials."
Fundsters may not be surprised by the award, as American Century founder Jim Stowers and his wife, Virginia, launched their own Stowers Institute for Medical Research that examines cancer prevention, treatment and more.
Company Press Release
Feb. 22, 2011 -- American Century Investments has received CEO Cancer Gold Standard™ accreditation, recognizing the company’s commitment to reducing the cancer risk of its employees and their families by encouraging healthy lifestyles and promoting early detection through screenings, and by providing quality care, including access to cancer clinical trials, when a cancer diagnosis becomes a reality.
William C. Weldon, chairman and chief executive officer of Johnson & Johnson, chairs the CEO Roundtable on Cancer, a nonprofit organization of cancer-fighting CEOs who created the CEO Cancer Gold Standard™, in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute, many of its designated cancer centers, and leading health non-profit organizations and professionals. Today, more than two million employees and family members are benefiting from the vision and leadership of employers who have chosen to become Gold Standard accredited.
“Our CEO Cancer Gold Standard certification further demonstrates that American Century is a unique organization committed to improving individuals’ lives and that commitment begins with the health of the company’s employees and their family members,” said Weldon.
The CEO Cancer Gold Standard™ calls for companies to evaluate their health benefits and corporate culture and take extensive, concrete actions in five key areas of health and wellness to fight cancer in the workplace. To earn Gold Standard accreditation, a company must establish programs to reduce cancer risk by discouraging tobacco use; encouraging physical activity; promoting healthy diet and nutrition; detecting cancer at its earliest stages; and providing access to quality care, including participation in clinical trials. Harvard Business Review recently highlighted the CEO Cancer Gold Standard as an example of a high quality, signature program that can boost the overall effectiveness of a broad spectrum of workplace wellness initiatives.
About American Century Investments
American Century Investments is a leading privately controlled and independent asset management firm, committed to delivering superior investment performance and building long-term client relationships. Serving investment professionals, institutions, corporations and individual investors, American Century Investments offers a variety of actively managed investment disciplines through an array of products including mutual funds, institutional separate accounts, commingled trusts and sub-advisory accounts. The company's 1,300 employees serve clients from offices in New York; London; Hong Kong; Mountain View, Calif. and Kansas City, Mo. James E. Stowers Jr. founded the company in 1958 and serves on its board of directors. Jonathan S. Thomas is president and chief executive officer and Enrique Chang is chief investment officer. Through its ownership structure, more than 40 percent of American Century Investments' profits support research to help find cures for genetically-based diseases including cancer, diabetes and dementia.
About The CEO Roundtable on Cancer
The CEO Roundtable on Cancer was founded in 2001, when former President George H.W. Bush challenged a group of executives to "do something bold and venturesome about cancer within your own corporate families." The CEOs responded by creating and encouraging the widespread adoption of the CEO Cancer Gold Standard which has now been adopted by more than seventy organizations, large and small, in the U.S. For more information on the CEO Cancer Gold Standard™ and the web-based accreditation process and support, please visit www.CancerGoldStandard.org.