Von der Heyden and LeGrange inducted into FEI's 5th Hall of Fame.

• Position: ResearchForum

Marie Hollein, president and CEO of Financial Executives International, set the tone for FEI's fifth Hall of Fame Gala at The New York Palace Hotel on Nov. 15: "Good evening and welcome to the elegant New York Palace. This is a very special evening for Financial Executives International and Financial Executives Research Foundation. Tonight we celebrate the induction of the fifth class into the FEI Hall of Fame," she said.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

This year's sold-out fundraising event for FERF honored the lifetime achievements of Karl M. von der Heyden and Ulyesse J. LeGrange. Prior to his retirement in 2001, von der Heyden had served as vice chairman of PepsiCo Inc.'s board of directors and previously chief financial officer. LeGrange, retired senior vice president and CFO of ExxonMobil Corp.'s U.S. Oil and Gas Operations, enjoyed a distinguished 40-year career with the company.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Master of Ceremonies Tyler Mathisen, the CNBC "Power Lunch" co-anchor, introduced Taylor Hawes Sr., CFO of Intellectual Property and Licensing for Microsoft Corp., the Hall of Fame Premier Sponsor. "At Microsoft, we aspire to excellence in financial reporting, ethics, controls and transparency. Tonight we honor two examples of excellence," said Hawes. He noted also that this annual event recognizes and celebrates success based on a lifetime of hard work and service.

Von der Heyden was introduced by Roger Enrico, the former CEO of PepsiCo and current chairman of Dreamworks Animation SKG. Von der Heyden's professional career with PepsiCo dates back to 1974, where he served in various management positions until 1980. He rejoined the company in 1996 as vice chairman and CFO. In accepting his award, he said the financial executive was "the conscience of the company," and should "keep the organization on the straight and narrow." He offered some of his "timeless learnings: Preserve your personal integrity, be creative and respect those people you work with and those who work for you."

LeGrange was introduced by Carol Scott, vice president--Business, Industry & Government for the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, on behalf of AlCPA's president Barry Melancon. She noted that LeGrange graduated magna cum laude at age 19 from Louisiana State University and pursued his...