NorthWestern Honored for Financial Transparency, Governance

NorthWestern Energy has been recognized for financial transparency and communication by a national corporate governance publication.

NorthWestern’s annual proxy statement was named the best among small and mid-cap companies by Corporate Secretary magazine though its Corporate Governance Awards program. The honor was announced at a ceremony in New York City on Nov. 5, 2014. Corporate Secretary is a publication aimed at governance, risk and compliance professionals.

NorthWestern was selected from a group of finalists that included Atlas Air Worldwide, Chesapeake Utilities, The Middleby Corporation and Vulcan Materials Company. Larger companies, including Target, Wal-Mart, General Electric and others, were honored in the large-cap category.

"This award is national recognition of our strong commitment to open and transparent corporate governance," said Bob Rowe, NorthWestern’s president and chief executive officer. "We believe that the award is well-deserved and one of which everyone should be very proud. Particular credit goes to Tim Olson and Emily Larkin, who drafted the proxy and edited it relentlessly."

Olson is NorthWestern’s senior corporate counsel and corporate secretary, while Larkin serves as assistant corporate secretary. Both work from NorthWestern’s corporate office in Sioux Falls, S.D.

The proxy statement is a document, required by the federal Securities and Exchange Commission, which provides information to shareholders prior to a public company’s annual stockholder meeting. A proxy statement includes information about proposals to shareholders, including nominated board members, executive compensation and declarations by management.

Olson was also honored as a finalist in the Governance Professional of the Year competition that is part of the awards program.

About NorthWestern Energy

NorthWestern Energy provides electricity and natural gas in the Upper Midwest and Northwest, serving approximately 678,200 customers in Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska. More information on NorthWestern Energy is available on the company’s website at http://www.northwesternenergy.com.