Warren Buffett ranks number one on Directorship magazine's new list of the most admired board directors. Its Annual Survey of Exceptional Directors is compiled using "data from proxy firms, reader polls and governance experts."
Assistant Managing Editor Judy Warner writes in the cover story of the soon-to-be-released April/May issue:
"Who better than the world's most successful investor: Warren Buffett, 77, chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, director at the Washington Post Co., and formerly on the boards of Gillette, Coca-Cola, and Capital Cities/ABC. On an all-star board, we want him as our skipper and chairman."
Also on Directorship's All-Star team:
- American Express Chairman and CEO Kenneth Chenault (IBM board). "He's so solid he makes every play at first."
- Avon Chairman & CEO Andrea Jung (Apple and General Electric boards). "She's our long-ball hitter, with the ability to turn the game around."
- Al Gore (Apple board, senior adviser to Google). "Environmental and corporate social responsibility issues are becomeing an important specialty, and this designated hitter is a ringer."
- IAC Interactive Chairman & CEO Barry Diller (Coca-Cola and Washington Post boards) although the magazine notes "his longtime dispute with Liberty Media's John Malone indicates he might be a distraction in the locker room"
- Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates (Berkshire Hathaway board). "His decision to retire later this year may free him up to sit on more boards."
The article is not yet posted on Directorship's website, but you can get a sneak preview in PDF form right here.
Directorship, owned and published by Boston's NewsMarkets LLC, describes itself as a "bimonthly magazine written for corporate board members and C-level executives."
Current prices:
Washington Post:
Coca-Cola:
American Express:
IBM:
Avon:
Apple:
General Electric:
Google:
IAC/InterActive:
Questions? Comments? Email me at buffettwatch@cnbc.com
