Titan Cement Recognized as Top Company for Leaders

NORFOLK, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Titan Group, parent company of Titan America, was ranked number one in Europe and eighth in the world for 2009 in the prestigious "Top Company for Leaders" study, receiving a global distinction regarding the development of human capital and leadership competencies.

This ranking is the outcome of one of the most comprehensive studies of organizational leadership in the world, conducted by Hewitt Associates in partnership with The RBL Group - a strategic HR and leadership systems advisory firm - and Fortune magazine.

"Leadership is not generic and interchangeable," says Titan Cement CEO Dimitri Papalexopoulos. "We invest the effort to tailor our people-development practices to the competences we need as well as to our values and our desired leadership principles. It has often been said that a crisis is a terrible thing to waste. The current financial crisis can be viewed as an opportunity to enrich managers' leadership skills."

More than 500 global companies were surveyed this year in search of the top businesses at attracting, retaining, and nurturing talent. An expert panel of independent judges interviewed a number of Titan America executives, including CEO Aris Papadopoulos and considered such specialized projects as the in-house Titan America Leadership (TAL) program. Winners were selected and ranked based on criteria including strength and depth of leadership practices, culture, examples of developing world class leaders, business performance and company reputation.

When analyzing the study results, one distinguishing characteristic was identified that sets "Top Companies for Leaders" apart from others. Even during the economic downturn, companies remained committed to building leadership capability within the organization, without losing focus.

The official announcement was made in the November 19, 2009 Fortune online publication. It will also be featured in the December issue.

Titan America LLC is headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia and is one of the premier heavy building materials producers in the Eastern United States. Titan America businesses include Tarmac America, Roanoke Cement, Titan Florida Cement and Aggregates, Separation Technologies, Titan Virginia Ready-Mix, Essex Cement and S&W Ready-Mix. Parent company Titan Cement Company, S.A., headquartered in Athens, Greece, is a signatory to the UN Global Compact, a group of companies committed to sustainable and socially responsible business practices and is a founding member of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.

    Source: Titan America LLC

Released December 1, 2009