Whirlpool Corporation has been named to the 2009 list of Top Companies for Leaders, ranking 9th for North America and 15th globally. Conducted by Hewitt Associates, a global consulting and outsourcing company, in partnership with The RBL Group, a strategic human resources and leadership systems advisory firm, and Fortune, the Global Top Companies for Leaders is the most comprehensive study of organizational leadership in the world. An expert panel of independent judges selected and ranked winners based on criteria including strength of leadership practices and culture, examples of leadership development on a global scale, impact of leadership in communities in which they operate, business performance and company reputation. Whirlpool Corporation ranked 12th for North America and 15th globally in 2007, the last time the survey was conducted.

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When comparing the Top Companies for Leaders with more than 500 other companies around the world, Hewitt identified one distinguishing characteristic that sets them apart from their peers--even during the economic downturn, Global Top Companies remained committed to building leadership capability within their organizations. In other words, tighter budgets and fewer resources forced these organizations to think and act smarter and more creatively about what really mattered when it came to leadership--but they didn't lose focus.

"At Whirlpool Corporation, leaders develop leaders to ensure we are always positioned to successfully grow our global business while engaging our workforce," said Jeff M. Fettig, chairman of the board and chief executive officer, Whirlpool Corporation. "In today's competitive environment, investment and innovation must be applied to attracting, developing, engaging and retaining talent who can create superior value for our shareholders."

"Hewitt would like to congratulate Whirlpool Corporation as being named one of the Global Top Companies for Leaders," said Bob Gandossy, global practice leader of Hewitt's Leadership Consulting practice. "All global companies today are facing a number of complex business and economic challenges. Through our research, it's clear that Global Top Companies such as Whirlpool do not abandon key leadership and talent efforts in favor of short-term goals. Leaders at these organizations are passionate and committed. They have an intense focus on talent and their leadership programs are practical, relevant and aligned with business goals--in good times and in bad. This mindset is not only what sets Global Top Companies apart from the rest, it's what differentiates successful businesses from unsuccessful ones."

About the Global Top Companies for Leaders Survey

The Global Top Companies for Leaders Study includes 537 organizations with an average employee size of 31,443. Approximately two-thirds (65 percent) of the participating companies had revenues of $100 million or more. Nearly 42 percent have operations in all regions around the globe.

Hewitt, The RBL Group and Fortune utilized a three-step screening process to identify the finalist companies. This included assessing survey responses, conducting in-depth interviews and analyzing financial performance in relation to industry. Hewitt provided this information to a panel of independent judges in each region to select and rank a 2009 Top Companies for Leaders list in Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America and North America. A separate independent judging panel, composed of one representative from each regional panel, considered all regional Top Companies to select and rank a Global Top Companies for Leaders list.

About Whirlpool Corporation

In addition to being recognized as "One of the Global Top Companies for Leaders," Whirlpool also was recently named one of Fortune's "Most Admired Companies," one of the "100 Best Corporate Citizens" by Chief Responsibility Officer magazine, one of the 500 greenest big companies in America by Newsweek magazine and one of the "Top 50 Most Respected U.S. Companies" by the Reputation Institute. Whirlpool Corporation also is included in the Dow Jones Sustainability, FTSE4Good and the KLD Domini 400 Social and Global Sustainability Indexes.

Whirlpool Corporation is the world's leading manufacturer and marketer of major home appliances, with annual sales of approximately $19 billion in 2008, approximately 70,000 employees, and 67 manufacturing and technology research centers around the world. The company markets Whirlpool, Maytag, KitchenAid, Jenn-Air, Amana, Brastemp, Consul, Bauknecht and other major brand names to consumers in nearly every country around the world. Additional information about the company can be found at http://www.whirlpoolcorp.com/.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact: angela_m_hersil@whirlpool.com

SOURCE: Whirlpool Corporation