Whirlpool Corporation today announced Esat Sezer, the company's chief information officer, has been recognized by IDG's Computerworld, the "Voice of IT Management," as one of the business world's Premier 100 IT Leaders.

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The award honors executives who show exemplary technology leadership in resolving pressing business problems. Honorees, including Sezer, will be honored at a special, black-tie ceremony at Computerworld's Premier 100 IT Leaders Conference on March 5-7, 2006, at the JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort in Palm Desert, Calif.

Sezer was selected from nearly 500 nominees, who were measured against Computerworld's IT Leadership Index, a set of characteristics that describes executives who guide the effective use of IT in their organizations, and evaluated by the editors and by an external panel of outside judges.

"This year's Premier 100 IT Leaders represent a myriad of organizations from universities to Fortune 100 companies," said Don Tennant, Computerworld's editor-in-chief. "However, each honoree from this year's class has demonstrated how technology can be used effectively, and often times creatively, to positively impact the organization for the long term."

Sezer was appointed Whirlpool's corporate vice president and CIO in September 2003. Prior to that, he had been the company's vice president of Global Information Systems since joining Whirlpool in July 2001.

"I congratulate our entire global IT team, which has made this honor possible for Esat," said Roy W. Templin, Whirlpool's executive vice president and chief financial officer. "This recognition validates the path we have chosen and the work Esat has led."

"Since joining Whirlpool, Esat and his group have made significant strides in aligning our global information and communications systems, helping to make us more productive, far more integrated and the most innovative leader in the very competitive home appliance industry," said Jeff M. Fettig, Whirlpool's chairman, president and chief executive officer. "I thank Computerworld for recognizing our IT team's accomplishments."

Sezer joined Whirlpool from Colgate-Palmolive Company in New York, where he served as a director in the company's Global Information Technology group. He was responsible for global supply chain and business-to-business information systems initiatives. He also managed the development of a global IS technology strategy and implemented a SAP project for Colgate-Palmolive in Eastern Europe.

About Whirlpool Corporation

Whirlpool Corporation is a leading manufacturer and marketer of major home appliances, with annual sales of more than $13 billion, 68,000 employees, and nearly 50 manufacturing and technology research centers around the globe. The company markets Whirlpool, KitchenAid, Brastemp, Bauknecht, Consul and other major brand names to consumers in more than 170 countries. Additional information about the company can be found on the Internet at http://www.whirlpoolcorp.com/.

About Computerworld

Computerworld, the "Voice of IT Management," is the most trusted source for the critical information needs of enterprise IT management. Computerworld's integrated offerings form the U.S.-based hub of the world's largest (51-edition) global IT media network through its weekly publication, Computerworld.com Web site, focused conference series and custom research. In the past five years alone, Computerworld has won more than 100 print and online awards for editorial and design excellence, surpassing its direct competition by an order of magnitude. Recognition includes the 2004 Magazine of the Year Award from the American Society of Business Publication Editors and a Jesse H. Neal Award for "Best News Coverage." In print since 1967, Computerworld is the source for information technology management, with a guaranteed rate base of 180,050, a total print audience of 1,293,000 (IntelliQuest CIMS 2005 Business Influencer Study) and an online audience of over 1.1 million unique monthly visitors (DoubleClick).

Computerworld is a business unit of International Data Group (IDG), the world's leading technology media, research and events company. A privately held company, IDG publishes more than 300 magazines and newspapers, including Bio-IT World, CIO, CSO, Computerworld, GamePro, InfoWorld, Network World and PC World. The company features the largest network of technology-specific Web sites, with more than 400 around the world. IDG is also a leading producer of more than 170 computer-related events worldwide, including Linux World Conference & Expo®, Macworld Conference & Expo®, DEMO® and IDC Directions. IDC provides global market research and advice through offices in 50 countries. Company information is available at http://www.idg.com/.

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SOURCE: Whirlpool Corporation