The Honorable Barbara Hackman Franklin

Barbara Hackman Franklin is President and Chief Executive Officer of Barbara Franklin Enterprises, a private international consulting firm headquartered in Washington, DC.  She is an advocate for and adviser to American companies doing business in international markets, notably China, and is an expert on corporate governance, auditing, and financial reporting practices.
 
As the 29th U.S. Secretary of Commerce in the administration of President George H.W. Bush, she achieved a major goal – increasing American exports – with emphasis on market-opening initiatives in China, Russia, Japan and Mexico.  Her historic mission to China in 1992 normalized commercial relations with that country and removed one of the sanctions – the ban on ministerial contact – that the U.S. had imposed following the events at Tiananmen Square in 1989. 
 
Secretary Franklin has served on the board of directors of 14 public companies and is currently a board member of the board of Aetna Inc. and The Dow Chemical Company.  She is a trustee of a cluster of American Funds and a member of the International Advisory Board of Lafarge, Paris, France.  She has chaired a variety of board committees and has received numerous awards including: the John J. McCloy Award for her outstanding contributions to audit excellence, Director of the Year from the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD), the Outstanding Director Award from the Outstanding Director Exchange (ODX), and has been cited by Directorship as one of the 100 most influential people in corporate governance.  Franklin is a regular commentator on international economic matters and corporate governance.

Franklin is chairman of the NACD and chairman emerita of the Economic Club of New York.  She is a director of the board of the US-China Business Council, The National Committee on US-China Relations, the Atlantic Council, the Committee for Economic Development (CED), and the National Symphony Orchestra.  She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the International Women’s Forum, the Advisory Council of the Kissinger Institute on China and the United States at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.  She is a former trustee of the Pennsylvania State University.

Prior to her service as Secretary of Commerce, Franklin’s trailblazing career included corporate, governmental, academic, and entrepreneurial activities.  In 1984, she founded Franklin Associates, a management consulting firm, and served as its president until 1992.  She was also a Senior Fellow at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania through the 1980’s.  Franklin served as one of the original Commissioners and first Vice Chair of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (1973-79).  She led the first White House effort to recruit women for high-level government jobs as a staff assistant to President Richard Nixon, an effort which resulted in tripling the number of women in those positions (1971-73).  Her White House story is told in a new book by Lee Stout, A Matter of Simple Justice: the Untold Story of Barbara Hackman Franklin and A Few Good Women. 

Earlier, Franklin was assistant vice president at Citibank and manager of environmental analysis at the Singer Company.  She served four terms on the Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations, by appointments of Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush and as Alternate Representative to the 44th United Nations General Assembly by appointment of President George H. W. Bush.  Altogether, Franklin has served five U.S. Presidents and, in 2006, received the Woodrow Wilson Award for Public Service.

Born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Franklin graduated with distinction from the Pennsylvania State University and has received its Distinguished Alumni Award.  She was one of the first women graduates of Harvard Business School from which she has received an Alumni Achievement Award.  She has received numerous honorary degrees, honors, and awards and is a frequent speaker, author, and commentator.  She is married to Wallace Barnes, retired chairman and CEO of Barnes Group, Inc.  They reside in Washington, DC and Bristol, CT.

April, 2012

Awards and Honorary Degrees

Awards – Governance

2009  Directorship 100, Most Influential People & Organizations in Governance, Directorship magazine
2009  Top 25 Female Corporate Directors, BusinessWeek.com
2007  Directorship 100, Most Influential People & Organizations in Governance, Directorship magazine
2003  Outstanding Director, Class of 2003, Outstanding Directors’ Exchange
2000  Director of the Year, National Association of Corporate Directors
1992  John J. McCloy Award for Contributions to Excellence in Auditing, Public
         Oversight Board, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
1990  50 Most Influential Corporate Directors, American Management Association
1987  Directors’ Choice Award, National Women’s Economic Alliance
1981  Award for Corporate Leadership, Catalyst

Awards – Leadership

2009  Distinguished Alumni Award, Hempfield High School
2006  The Woodrow Wilson Award for Public Service, The Woodrow Wilson
          International Center for Scholars
2005  Laureate, Junior Achievement of Southwest New England Business Hall of Fame
2004  Alumni Achievement Award, Mortar Board
2004  Alumni Achievement Award, The Harvard Business School
2002  Prescott Bush Award, Connecticut Republicans
1996  Women Who Make A Difference, International Women’s Forum
1992  Citation, Executive Women in Government
1988  Corporate Social Responsibility Award, City University of New York
1980  Award for Excellence in Management, Simmons College (MA)
1979  6th Annual Recognition Award, American Association of Poison Control Centers
1978  Certificate of Appreciation, American Academy of Pediatrics
1977  Alumni Fellow, The Pennsylvania State University
1972  Distinguished Alumni Award, The Pennsylvania State University
1972  Mother Gerard Phelan Medal, Marymount University (VA)
1971  Distinguished Woman Award, Northwood Institute

Awards – “Who’s Who”

The Honorable Barbara Hackman Franklin is included in numerous “Who’s Who” publications.

Honorary Degrees

1996  Briarwood College, Southington, CT
1994  University of Hartford, Hartford, CT
1990  Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA
1973  Bryant College, Providence, RI

Biography (Chinese)