NorthWestern Energy Honored by NYSE for Compensation Disclosure Efforts

NorthWestern Energy http://www.northwesternenergy.com was recently honored by New York Stock Exchange Governance Services in its annual Governance, Risk & Compliance Leadership Awards.

NorthWestern was the top award winner in the category of Exemplary CD&A for Compensation Committee, topping the other finalists – AMN Healthcare Services Inc., ManpowerGroup Inc., Jack in the Box, Inc., and Prudential Financial.

The award recognized work on the 2014 proxy statement prepared for shareholders by Tim Olson, Senior Corporate Counsel and Corporate Secretary, and Emily Larkin, Assistant Corporate Secretary, with input from members of NorthWestern board’s human resources committee, who have worked to develop a consistent executive compensation program that aligns pay with performance.

"Mindful that expectations regarding transparency and full disclosure are constantly rising, this company produces a superior CD&A (Compensation Discussion & Analysis) that satisfies the most demanding shareholder, providing clear rationale for all pay decisions and persuading shareholders that the company has instituted a pay model that is properly aligned with its unique strategic objectives," the judges wrote of NorthWestern’s disclosure efforts.

In announcing the award, the judges noted that NorthWestern’s proxy statement was prepared in-house by a small team and used plain English, bulleted lists and graphics to clearly outline the company’s compensation philosophy and demonstrate a strong link between pay and performance.

While some categories in the NYSE awards included different categories for large and smaller companies, NorthWestern won in a category that made no distinction based on market capitalization. There are about 2,800 companies with shares that trade on the NYSE.

The awards were announced at a ceremony on June 18 at the New York Stock Exchange.

"At NorthWestern, we strive for transparency in all areas of our business, and this award is a tremendous recognition of the effort we devote to public disclosure," said Heather Grahame, Vice President and General Counsel.

About NorthWestern Energy (NYSE: NWE)

NorthWestern Energy provides electricity and natural gas in the Upper Midwest and Northwest, serving approximately 692,600 customers in Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska. More information on NorthWestern Energy is available on the company’s website at http://www.northwesternenergy.com.