The Ethisphere Institute, the global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices, recognized Holland America Line and Seabourn’s Kelly Clark for the second consecutive year in its “2014 Attorney’s Who Matter” list of lawyers in the Best General Counsel category. Clark serves as vice president, general counsel, and chief ethics officer for the Seattle-based cruise lines.
This award showcases individuals representing the best and brightest in the legal field — from in-house counsel, ethics and compliance officers to outside counsel. The Ethisphere Institute reviews nominees’ professional expertise, peer and client endorsements, public service and compliance results they have achieved for their companies, among a variety of other criteria.
“Kelly is a crusader for ethical corporate leadership, and she continues to facilitate a culture of integrity throughout the
organization,” said Stein Kruse, president and CEO of Holland America Line and chairman of Seabourn. “We are proud that she has once again been recognized by Ethisphere Institute, and we continue to support her in all of her efforts.”
Clark has established a solid reputation during her career with Holland America Line and Seabourn as both a partner to senior management and a developer of grass-roots ethical practices.
Clark is the executive sponsor of the combined companies’ ethics and compliance committee, which focuses on improving awareness and education throughout the companies of the importance of working with integrity, honesty and ethics at all levels of the organization. Under her leadership Holland America Line and Seabourn have received several distinctions for business ethics.
They were the first cruise lines to be recognized as Ethics Inside Certified, and in April 2014 both companies were named among the World’s Most Ethical Companies by the Ethisphere Institute for the third consecutive year.
“At Ethisphere we are committed to honoring individuals who set the standard for best practices in business ethics,” said Ethisphere’s Chief Executive Officer Timothy Erblich. “Legal professionals are paramount to this mission and our core goal of advancing ethics within the business community. Kelly truly encapsulates what it means to be a forward-thinking and influential leader.”
Clark, who is a Certified Compliance and Ethics Professional (CCEP), received both her Juris Doctor and Masters in Business Administration from New York University in 1993.