One week after being named by Fortune magazine as America’s most admired pharmaceutical company, Pfizer has garnered the same title on a global basis.
New York City — Make a little more room in the trophy case, this time for one of the most prestigious honors in the business world. In an annual survey of 10,000 directors, executives, and financial analysts conducted by Fortune magazine, Pfizer has been named the world’s most admired pharmaceutical company—and the world’s 12th most admired company overall.
In last year’s survey, Pfizer was ranked second in the pharmaceutical industry and twentieth overall.
With the Enron saga and other high-profile bankruptcies continuing to dominate the headlines, Fortune reporter Christine Y. Chen asks, "(I)s anyone out there worthy of respect?
"In fact, yes," Chen’s article continues. "In today’s tough business environment, admirable qualities like leadership, innovation, and fiscal responsibility are more important than ever. The companies on this year’s list have proved themselves in those areas and more."
According to Mel Stark, a vice president of the Hay Group, a management consulting firm that has conducted the survey for Fortune since 1997, "The companies that continue to prosper ensure that their internal processes and programs are well understood and well honed. This year’s Most Admired Companies have a clear and focused strategy and were able to execute effectively during a chaotic year."
Candidates for the Most Admired list include all of the companies on Fortune’s Global 500 list, plus 100 additional companies with annual revenues of at least $8 billion.
"It may seem obvious," Chen writes, "but the companies at the top of our list don’t let distractions get in the way. That doesn’t mean they ignore a shaky economy; they know how to be flexible and agile in responding to changing circumstances. But most of the World’s Most Admired Companies know how to keep their vision clear, and how to execute and deliver on their promises."
For more on the Most Admired list, visit http://www.fortune.com/lists/globaladmired/index.html.
The World’s Most Admired Companies (Note: To compile the overall rankings, shown here, all 10,000 respondents were asked to name the company they admire most, regardless of industry. Industry-specific rankings were compiled through surveys of business leaders within their respective industries. This scoring system enables Johnson & Johnson and Merck to be ahead of Pfizer in the overall rankings, even though they ranked third and fourth, respectively, within the pharmaceutical industry.)
| 1. |
General Electric |
11. |
Merck |
 |
| 2. |
Wal-Mart Stores |
12. |
Pfizer |
|
| 3. |
Microsoft |
13. |
United Parcel Service |
|
| 4. |
Berkshire Hathaway |
14. |
Target |
|
| 5. |
Home Depot |
15. |
Procter & Gamble |
|
| 6. |
Johnson & Johnson |
16. |
PepsiCo |
|
| 7. |
FedEx |
17. |
AOL Time Warner |
|
| 8. |
Citigroup |
18. |
Anheuser-Busch |
|
| 9. |
Intel |
19. |
Exxon Mobil |
|
| 10. |
Cisco Systems |
20. |
Coca-Cola Enterprises |
|
