Lakshmi Mittal, chairman and CEO of ArcelorMittal and Financial Times editor Lionel Barber were joined by leading lights from the global business world last night for the third annual FT ArcelorMittal Boldness in Business Awards at London’s Saatchi Gallery.

The awards recognise companies and individuals who have challenged the status quo and taken calculated risks to drive their business forward in the face of current economic uncertainty. This year’s keynote speech was given by PUMA CEO, Jochen Zeitz, who addressed an audience including Elisabeth Murdoch, Matthew Freud, Stephen Fry and Jana Bennett.

The evening’s winners were:

Stephen Fry collected Apple’s Driver of Change award, one of the company’s most high profile advocates. The judges were impressed by the phenomenal success of Apple’s iPad launch and the company’s unique ability to stay ahead of its rivals through innovative and directional product development.

The judges for this year’s awards were:

Lionel Barber, editor, Financial Times, said: “We’re now in the third year of the FT ArcelorMittal Boldness in Business Awards, and while the market remains undeniably challenging, our shortlisted companies and individuals have displayed an inspiring ability to innovate and drive change. I would like to congratulate all of the winners tonight for their dedication and boldness in driving their businesses above and beyond the competition.”

Speaking at the award ceremony, Lakshmi Mittal, Chairman and CEO, ArcelorMittal, said: “This has been another strong year for the FT ArcelorMittal Boldness in Business Awards with an impressive array of winners and shortlisted companies. All the companies are inspirational and we should pause to consider what it takes to be bold like them. Think of the decisions that faced Alan Mulally at Ford when he chose to radically restructure the business or the strength of vision that inspired Apple to be a pioneer in the tablet market.  They have all taken challenging, perhaps at times controversial paths, but ones that have ultimately proved highly successful. It takes courage to do this and I hope these awards will act as an inspiration to others.”

- Ends -

Full information on the awards can be found at http://www.ft.com/pp/boldness

The Financial Times, one of the world’s leading business news organisations, is recognised internationally for its authority, integrity and accuracy. Providing essential news, comment, data and analysis for the global business community, the FT has a combined paid print and digital circulation of 597,015 (Deloitte assured, 2 October 2010 to 4 January 2011) and a combined print and online average daily readership of 2.1 million people worldwide (PwC assured, November 2010). FT.com has 3.2 million registered users and the FT has 206,892 paying digital subscribers. The newspaper, printed at 24 print sites across the globe, has a daily circulation of 378,707 (ABC figures February 2011).

ArcelorMittal is the world’s leading steel company, with operations in more than 60 countries.

ArcelorMittal is the leader in all major global steel markets, including automotive, construction, household appliances and packaging, with leading R&D and technology, as well as sizeable captive supplies of raw materials and outstanding distribution networks. With an industrial presence in over 20 countries spanning four continents, the Company covers all of the key steel markets, from emerging to mature.

Through its core values of Sustainability, Quality and Leadership, ArcelorMittal commits to operating in a responsible way with respect to the health, safety and wellbeing of its employees, contractors and the communities in which it operates. It is also committed to the sustainable management of the environment and of finite resources. ArcelorMittal recognises that it has a significant responsibility to tackle the global climate change challenge; it takes a leading role in the industry’s efforts to develop breakthrough steelmaking technologies and is actively researching and developing steel-based technologies and solutions that contribute to combat climate change.

In 2009, ArcelorMittal had revenues of $65.1 billion and crude steel production of 73.2 million tonnes, representing approximately 8 per cent of world steel output.
ArcelorMittal is listed on the stock exchanges of New York (MT), Amsterdam (MT), Paris (MT), Brussels (MT), Luxembourg (MT) and on the Spanish stock exchanges of Barcelona, Bilbao, Madrid and Valencia (MTS).

For more information about ArcelorMittal visit: www.arcelormittal.com

James Matheson / Richard Lambert, Braben
T: 020 7025 8021
E: FT@braben.co.uk

Lizzie Talbot, Financial Times
T: +44 (0)207 873 4463
E: lizzie.talbot@FT.com