Leading e-Learning Company Announces Winners of 2009 PILAR Learning Awards

    DUBLIN, OH, November 2, 2009 /24-7PressRelease/ -- MindLeaders, a leading e-learning company, announced today the winners of the fourth annual PILAR (Performance Improvement and Learning Achievement Recognition) Awards. These six award winners are being recognized as the best and most effective learning programs with MindLeaders products and services.

Recipients for PILAR Awards are nominated by colleagues and industry peers. The awards are decided by a panel of MindLeaders executives and industry experts.

This year also includes the first client to have won a second PILAR Award. Computer Assisted Learning from the Philippines won the Most Innovative First-Year Channel Partner award in 2007, and has won a Most Innovative Channel Partner this year for their continuing inspiration in incorporating e-learning into their educational programs.

"The talent and innovation that goes into building and nurturing a successful learning program is tremendous. We are thrilled to have such a remarkable group of clients that are making the most of e-learning in their learning programs and raising the bar for measurable results," said MindLeaders President Paul MacCartney.

The award winners will be recognized at a MindLeaders corporate event in February, including a banquet dinner the night before the event to honor them.

The winners of the 2009 MindLeaders PILAR Awards are:

Best Blended Program: Texas Parks & Wildlife of Austin, Texas. This agency is responsible for some of the finest outdoor recreation in the world, including hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, biking, and bird watching. When their budget funds were reduced, instead of cutting out vital training, the agency found a way to offer more options than ever. Plus, theysaved the state money by striking a perfect balance between e-learning and instructor-led training focused on management business skills.

Best Marketing Program: Questar Corporation of Salt Lake City, Utah. This natural gas focused energy company has core operations in the Rockies and Midcontinent. Questar took advantage of a top-down philosophy within the company to leverage executive support and consistent communications throughout the organization to create award-winning learning results.

Best Measured Results: SIGMA Marketing Group, LLC, of Rochester, New York. SIGMA Marketing Group specializes in Direct Marketing Analytic Services. They combined a strong partnership with MindLeaders, a well-executed marketing plan, commitment and follow-through to build 100% completion rates, as well as a measurable increase in employee satisfaction survey scores.

Most Innovative Channel Partner: Computer Assisted Learning of Quezone City, Philippines. Computer Assisted Learning is a second-time winner of a PILAR Award. CAL has paved the way for the publication of a series of books designed for three learning levels: the Awakening Series (Pre-School), the Exploring Series (Elementary), and the Experiencing Series (Secondary Level). MindLeaders online courses were integrated as enhancements or electives that allow for more skills-focused training for the early collegiate stage, training for the unemployed, and for technical training in government agencies.

Best First Year Program: Clougherty of Los Angeles, California. More than 1,700 people work for Clougherty Packing, LLC, serving high-quality meats in several countries. Their Farmer John brand is synonymous with the Los Angeles Dodgers, producing the "Dodger Dog" at Dodger Stadium for more than 50 years. In the remarkably short time frame of 10 months, 100% of Clougherty learning program participants had participated in their training, thanks to Clougherty executive sponsorship of the program and close collaboration with the MindLeaders Professional Services team.

Founders Award: Perkins Coie of Seattle, Washington. Perkins Coie is a large international law firm based in the Pacific Northwest with offices around the United States and in China. Their primary goal in partnering with MindLeaders was to deliver competency-based learning, while streamlining their annual performance review process. They have nailed those objectives in record time, in addition to secondary goals of promoting lifelong learning and improving management practices.

About MindLeaders
MindLeaders is a learning company. We have over 25 years of experience designing elearning programs that promote the success of people and companies. We offer more than 4,000 courses, an online reference library, online mentoring, personal learning advisors, and a learning management system, all available 24/7 through any Internet-connected computer. We have over 2,500 clients in more than 30 countries in the commercial, government and education sectors. MindLeaders, located in Dublin, Ohio, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of ThirdForce PLC, headquartered in Dublin, Ireland. Find out more about us at www.mindleaders.com.

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