LINCOLNSHIRE, Ill., Nov. 12, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Aon Hewitt, the global talent, retirement and health solutions business of Aon plc (NYSE: AON), today announced the 2014 Global Aon Hewitt Top Companies for Leaders^®. GE, IBM, Hindustan Unilever Limited, General Mills, Inc. and ICICI Bank Ltd. round out the top five organizations named to the list.

The Aon Hewitt Top Companies for Leaders study evaluates and recognizes what it takes to execute best-in-class leadership and talent management around the world. This year's winners were selected and ranked by a panel of independent judges, including well-known experts from Wharton School of Business, Indian School of Business, PUC Minas and Ivey School of Business using a number of criteria, including strength of leadership practices and culture, examples of leader development on a global scale, alignment of business and leadership strategy, business performance and company reputation.

"The list of 2014 Global Aon Hewitt Top Companies for Leaders is impressive. This group of organizations sets themselves apart by demonstrating their passion for cultivating resilient and engaged leaders who take the time to know and develop their talent and understand what experiences they need to rise above the rest," said Pete Sanborn, Global Talent practice leader. "Since we first conducted this study in 2001, organizations have truly raised the bar on their commitment to leadership and the benefits are evident through higher financial returns, increased employee engagement and productivity and the continuous retention of top talent."

Aon Hewitt's analysis found top companies shared five key characteristics in their leadership approach:

• Assessment. When it comes to building leaders, top companies assess the whole leader early in their careers. This includes evaluating leaders' experiences, competencies, values and organizational fit. This helps organizations understand the unique needs of their talent pipeline to fuel the right development solutions that move people forward faster.
• Awareness. Top companies have leaders who demonstrate tremendous self-awareness by understanding their personal strengths and weaknesses and using this information to become more effective leaders.
• Resilience. In today's unpredictable and complex environment, top companies build resilience in their leaders by creating inclusive cultures where multiple perspectives and ideas are expected and fostered to help the organization meet continued business challenges.
• Engaging leadership. Organizations leading the way focus on identifying and building engaging leaders who are stabilizers, demonstrate versatility and stay connected to people and events inside and outside their organization.  
• Sustainability. Aon Hewitt Top Companies for Leaders focus on building talent programs nimble enough to respond quickly to market demands, yet sustainable to deliver superior business outcomes.  

"We are immensely proud to be ranked first in the Aon Hewitt Top Companies for Leaders list," said Raghu Krishnamoorthy, vice president, Executive Development and Chief Learning Officer at GE. "This global recognition affirms the strength of the GE leadership philosophy, which holds that when one person grows we all grow, and together, we all rise." 

"The Aon Hewitt Top Companies for Leaders this year are especially notable for the detailed tracking and comprehensive building of their talent pipelines, with special emphasis on strategic thinking, broad engagement, and personal resilience – all increasingly critical given the companies' changing and complex markets," said Michael Useem, Professor of Management and director of the Leadership Center, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. "Also striking is the direct personal involvement of senior managers and even company directors in their leadership programs."

Aon Hewitt Top Companies for Leaders were also selected and ranked in India, Southeast Asia, Australia/New Zealand and North America. Using a consistent methodology, winners in each of these markets (along with finalist organizations from Europe and Latin America) became the finalists competing for a spot on the global list. The Top 25 Global Aon Hewitt Top Companies for Leaders are featured below. To access the list of winners in India and North America visit www.aon.com/topcompanies. Winning organizations in South East Asia and Australia/New Zealand will be announced soon.

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About the Aon Hewitt Top Companies for Leaders Study
With more than 1,500 survey data points and 350 executive interviews, the 2014 Aon Hewitt Top Companies for Leaders study is the most comprehensive, global research on leadership in the market, examining the link between leadership practices and financial results. This study explores how organizations assess, select, develop, and reward leaders, and examines the execution of leadership practices, as well as the strategy that guides it. To learn more about this study, please visit www.aon.com/topcompanies.

About Aon Hewitt
Aon Hewitt empowers organizations and individuals to secure a better future through innovative talent, retirement and health solutions. We advise, design and execute a wide range of solutions that enable clients to cultivate talent to drive organizational and personal performance and growth, navigate retirement risk while providing new levels of financial security, and redefine health solutions for greater choice, affordability and wellness.  Aon Hewitt is the global leader in human resource solutions, with over 30,000 professionals in 90 countries serving more than 20,000 clients worldwide. For more information on Aon Hewitt, please visit www.aonhewitt.com.

About Aon
Aon plc (NYSE:AON) is the leading global provider of risk management, insurance and reinsurance brokerage, and human resources solutions and outsourcing services. Through its more than 66,000 colleagues worldwide, Aon unites to empower results for clients in over 120 countries via innovative and effective risk and people solutions and through industry-leading global resources and technical expertise. Aon has been named repeatedly as the world's best broker, best insurance intermediary, best reinsurance intermediary, best captives manager, and best employee benefits consulting firm by multiple industry sources. Visit aon.com for more information on Aon and aon.com/manchesterunited to learn about Aon's global partnership with Manchester United.

Top 25 Global Aon Hewitt Top Companies for Leaders

Featured below is the list of the Top 25 Global Aon Hewitt Top Companies for Leaders. The complete lists of winning organizations in India and North America are available here.

Media Contact:
MacKenzie Lucas, 847-442-2995, mackenzie.lucas@aonhewitt.com
Maurissa Kanter, 847-442-0952, maurissa.kanter@aonhewitt.com

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