(Source: Business Wire)The Corporate Responsibility Officers Association today announced that NYSE Euronext, the world's most diverse stock market representing over 80 percent of the companies listed on the 2009 CRO 100 Best Corporate Citizens List, will endorse the CROA's initiatives in professionalizing and promoting corporate responsibility practices to its worldwide member companies and will join the CROA Board of Governors, effective immediately. The NYSE Euronext relationship extends to CROA's official media and events platforms, CRO Magazine (publisher of the annual 100 Best Corporate Citizens List) and the CRO Summits. In connection with the relationship, NYSE Euronext SVP Global Markets Walter Lukken will provide a keynote speech at the CRO Summit October 6-7 at the Union League Club of Chicago.

"Joining the CROA is an integral part of NYSE Euronext's drive to be on the leading edge of the corporate responsibility movement, which includes adopting best-in-class practices internally as well as endorsing the CROA's professional standards to the 6,000+ organizations listed on our exchanges," NYSE Euronext CEO Duncan Neiderauer said. "We look forward to working with leaders of CROA member companies worldwide to raise the bar for professional practices in governance, risk, compliance, sustainability, environment, social responsibility and philanthropy."

"We are pleased that NYSE Euronext has embraced the CROA's mission of accelerating professionalization of corporate responsibility practices and has joined the Board of Governors," said Bob Pojasek of Harvard University, Chairman of the CROA Board of Governors. "NYSE Euronext's participation is yet another indication of the power of corporate responsibility to build sustainable value for all stakeholders."

In addition to NYSE Euronext, global organizations represented on the CROA Board include IBM, FedEx, BT, KPMG, Eaton, Phillips-Van Heusen, Hara Software, SAP, Harvard University, Domtar Paper, George Washington University, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Crowe Horwath, Miami University of Ohio and CRO Magazine. The Board provides leadership and governance for the CROA, whose 200+ current corporate members represent 1,000+ individual professionals and are charged with building standards of professional practice in the field.

"NYSE Euronext has joined the CROA because strong corporate responsibility practices have been proven to improve corporate performance across all industries," NYSE Euronext SVP Communications Rich Adamonis said.