TOKYO - January 20, 2006 - Dr. Leslie Gaines-Ross’ book, "CEO Capital", will hit major Japanese bookstores nationwide Monday, January 23, 2006. The Japanese translation of the internationally successful book is published by Nihon Keizai Shimbun Inc. Translated by Ms. Shuri Fukunaga, Managing Director and Market Leader of Burson-Marsteller Tokyo, the book has gained global accolade for its sharp analysis of what drives successful CEO reputation and will be a valuable resource for senior executives in Japan. Dr. Gaines-Ross is in Tokyo next week to speak at business and public relations organizations’ meetings about her research and book.

First published in the United States in 2003, Dr. Gaines-Ross’ book describes in practical terms the universal strategies for CEOs to follow – and the obstacles to avoid – in order to achieve greater shareholder value, employee commitment and a meaningful corporate culture. Supported by compelling research and real-life hits and misses from the world’s leading chief executives, "CEO Capital" isolates the do's and don'ts for CEOs around the world as they journey through their first 100 days to their last 100 hours.

"In this increasingly competitive world, many CEOs are in a race against time to deliver results," notes Dr. Gaines-Ross, chief knowledge and research officer of global public relations and communications consultancy Burson-Marsteller. "More than ever, CEOs and those who advise them need to understand the link between CEO and corporate reputation and a company’s bottom line."

One of the book’s key findings is the short timeframe CEOs have to prove themselves - an average of only 15 to 18 months. To extend CEO tenures and bring order to the rush to perform, Dr. Gaines-Ross developed a five-stage CEO Capital reputation model, which outlines predictable stages through which each CEO passes during the course of holding office.

The stages are: 1) Countdown, 2) First Hundred Days, 3) First Year, 4) Turning Point and 5) Revision and Reinvention. The CEO Capital model is the ultimate survival tool and a realistic program for today's executives:

Countdown. CEOs who have some time before officially taking office must plan and prepare. The Countdown sets the tone for and foreshadows the First Hundred Days, which in turn will set the stage for the duration of the CEO’s leadership. During the Countdown, the CEO should assemble the transition team, develop ‘sea legs’, and be ready to explain what will remain and what will change after the transition.

The First Hundred Days. The new CEO must take hold of the organization quickly and credibly. The CEO needs to focus internally, build momentum, and keep eyes wide open and ears to the ground, ever vigilant for warning signs. The CEO must set an agenda, tend to the board, build a team and declare what matters most, both personally and professionally.

The First Year. The remaining 265 days of the first year are crucial to developing the new CEO’s capital. By the first anniversary, the CEO should have successfully become immersed in the business, learned quickly, listened to new voices and cultivated a CEO persona. The CEO should have amassed sufficiently substantial capital, won the necessary employee support to persevere through pitfalls and become adept at continuing to address the considerable, unfinished business that undoubtedly remains.

The Turning Point. During this pivotal stage, the CEO commits to a strategic vision and is taking meaningful steps to transform the organization for the better. This stage, which generally consumes most of the second year, requires putting stakeholders at ease by delivering results, confirming members of the senior team and seeking input from special interest groups. At this point, the CEO embarks on a plan for the future and leads with thought. Business influentials will evaluate the CEO, as will the media and the board.
Revision and Reinvention. The CEO’s strategic vision should now be in place. However, the vision needs to be flexible, capable of evolving over time to accommodate the ever-changing marketplace forces and innumerable, incalculable influences that will affect the company. During this time, the CEO must refine and consolidate strategies and actions.

"Dr. Gaines-Ross is one of the world’s leading researchers and practitioners on the subject of CEO and corporate reputation," says Ms. Fukunaga. "Her research findings, recommendations for enhancing reputation, and insight into the prevailing environment for leaders will be invaluable for anyone moving into, or sitting in, the CEO's office. Corporate executives in Japan are increasingly vulnerable to reputation risks as expectations for responsible corporate behavior grow. I felt it was very important at this time for Japanese CEOs to benefit from the book’s tremendous insight, which is why I decided to work with Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Inc. to work on its translation.”

About the Book:

Title: (CEO Capital: A Guide to Building CEO Reputation and Company Success)
Author: Dr. Leslie Gaines-Ross
Translator: Ms. Shuri Fukunaga
Publisher: Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Inc.
Pages: 320 pages
ISDN Number: 4-532-3120-7
On sale date: January 23, 2006
Price: 1,995 Yen

First established in Hong Kong, Singapore and Tokyo in 1973, the Burson-Marsteller network in Asia Pacific includes offices in Bangalore, Beijing, Chennai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Melbourne, Mumbai, New Delhi, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, Sydney and Tokyo; with affiliates in Auckland, Bangkok, Islamabad, Karachi, Manila, Taipei, and Wellington. For the third time in five years, Burson-Marsteller’s Asia-Pacific team was named “Network of the Year” at the 2005 annual Asia Pacific PR Awards, the industry’s top award recognizing outstanding public relations work across the region. The company was also the top-ranked in Media Magazine’s 2005 Asia Pacific Consultancy Report Card.

Burson-Marsteller has created www.ceogo.com, the first comprehensive CEO-focused Web site. The site provides information and news to a growing community of professionals who are interested in chief executives - their reputations, changing roles and management strategies. It features the latest research, announcements, trends and leadership resources for today's CEOs. Included among The Asian Wall Street Journal's "Best Web Sites," CEOGO is also recommended by Harvard Business School, the World Economic Forum and Barron's, among others.

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About Burson-Marsteller
Burson-Marsteller, established in 1953, is a leading global public relations and public affairs firm. It provides clients with strategic thinking and program execution across a full range of public relations, public affairs, advertising, and web-related services. The firm’s seamless worldwide network consists of 54 wholly-owned offices and 46 affiliate offices, together operating in 58 countries across six continents. Burson-Marsteller is a part of Young & Rubicam Brands, a subsidiary of WPP Group plc (NASDQ: WPPGY), one of the world’s leading communications services networks.

First established in Hong Kong, Singapore and Tokyo in 1973, the Burson-Marsteller network in Asia Pacific includes offices in Bangalore, Beijing, Chennai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Melbourne, Mumbai, New Delhi, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, Sydney and Tokyo; with affiliates in Auckland, Bangkok, Islamabad, Karachi, Manila, Taipei, and Wellington.

For the third time in five years, Burson-Marsteller’s Asia-Pacific team was named “Network of the Year” at the 2005 annual Asia Pacific PR Awards, the industry’s top award recognizing outstanding public relations work across the region. Burson-Marsteller Australia’s work for Novartis’ Elidel was named Campaign of the Year at the same awards. The company was also top-ranked in Media Magazine’s 2005 Asia Pacific Consultancy Report Card.