NEW ROCHELLE, NY — Cindi Bigelow, third-generation president and CEO of family-owned Bigelow Tea, will speak on ethical and moral leadership in the business world on May 5 as part of Iona College’s series, Advancing Ethical and Moral Leadership, sponsored by the College’s School of Business.
Iona College President Joseph E. Nyre, Ph.D., who launched the series to give practical examples of ethical leadership for young people, said Bigelow and her family-owned business are known for being committed to good business practices and integrity.
“Cindi and her family clearly exemplify the type of business ethics that we want to instill in students,” he said. “And Bigelow Tea, U.S. market leader of specialty teas that produces more than 1.7 billion tea bags annually, offers a perfect example of a company that is successful and ethical in its practices, proving that success and ethics are not mutually exclusive.”
Cindi holds a BS degree from Boston College, an MBA from Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management, and an honorary doctorate from University of New Haven.
Charles Cante, Ph.D., interim dean of the business school, said, “Bigelow Tea is known globally for its corporate social responsibility, sustainability initiatives and work with veterans.”
Before being named CEO in 2005, Cindi spent 25 years in all areas of the company her grandmother founded in 1945. Headquartered in Fairfield, Conn., Bigelow Tea is the national market leader of specialty teas and maker of “Constant Comment” tea. The company employs 350 people across three manufacturing facilities.
Cindi has led the company’s greening efforts. Initiatives to conserve water and natural gas have earned Bigelow Tea the designation of being a “Zero Waste to Landfill” company.
Cindi initiated the Annual Bigelow Tea Community Challenge, which has donated $1.2 million to charities since 1987, and Bigelow’s Tea for the Troops Project has donated 4 million tea bags to U.S. service men and women.
The Iona lecture series kicked off last fall with a talk by William McGurn, Wall Street Journal columnist and former chief speechwriter for President George W. Bush.
“We believe our students and our nation greatly benefit in learning though the experiences of others how to navigate our complex world where ethics and values often conflict with business situations and decisions,” President Nyre said.
The lecture is open to the public and will take place on at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, May 5, in the Romita Auditorium of Ryan Library.