By Catherine L. Moreton, J.D.
BLR Managing Editor

SHRM announced the winners of the first annual Human Capital Leadership Awards at its 2006 Strategic HR Conference in Phoenix yesterday. Three of the awards went to human resources departments for exemplary work and one went to an individual who was named Human Capital Business Leader of the Year.

The United States Army, Europe, Germany , was recognized with the Innovative Business Solution Award for its solution to the difficult task of communicating with soldiers and their families at all stages of deployment in Iraq , Afghanistan , and around the world. The initiative resulted in a human resources reference known as "Blue Box" that provides information on how to respond to the mental, medical, physical, emotional, spiritual, and environmental needs of soldiers and families.

Infosys Technologies Limited, a company located in Karnataka , India , received the Competitive Workforce Award for its initiatives in talent acquisition. The company developed Global Internship and Global Education programs that enabled it to recruit and hire the top-notch talent needed to support its long-term business objectives through outreach to prominent colleges and universities.

Kimberly-Clark Corporation in Roswell , Georgia was recognized with the Strategic HR Leadership Award. This award was for a human resources department that played a key role in driving the performance and reputation of an organization by aligning with corporate strategic goals and enhancing the reputation of the human resources department within the organization. The Kimberly-Clark Corporation was singled out for its work in redesigning the performance assessment program and overhauling its base salary compensation structure globally.

The Human Capital Business Leader of the Year award went to Kal Mistry, senior vice president of human resources for VITAS Healthcare Corporation in Miami , Florida . VITAS is an organization with hospice facilities in 15 states. When Mistry joined the company it had approximately 2,000 employees and has grown to more than 10,000 in four years. Mistry, a 20-year HR veteran, was recognized for her work in partnering with a local school district to establish an academic program to teach end-of-life care to licensed practical nurses in vocational and technical schools. In addition, she initiated programs to drive employee performance and to boost employee retention. She was also singled out for her global humanitarian work in Uganda where she worked to establish a hospice care program.