Jeanette Wagner, Alumnae Award Recipient

Alumnae Award, 1995

The Alumnae Award recognizes a woman who has brought honor to Northwestern University through outstanding professional contributions in her field and who has attained national recognition. Established in 1976, the Alumnae Award has been presented every year to an alumna who has had a significant impact in her field of endeavor. Educators, journalists, doctors, scientists, and artists are included among The Alumnae’s roster of awardees.

Biography/current activities: Vice Chairman Emerita of The Estee Lauder Companies Inc., Jeanette Sarkisian Wagner’s career has spanned marketing and general management on both domestic and international fronts. She retired from The Estee Lauder Companies in January 2002. Prior to joining Estee Lauder in 1975, Mrs. Wagner held increasingly responsible editorial and management positions with The Hearst Corporation, including Editor-in-Chief of all International Editions, which she founded, and Director of New Ventures. She was the first female senior editor of The Saturday Evening Post, and an editor at The Chicago Daily News.

Mrs. Wagner is an active worker on improving public school education in New York City and served as Secretary of the Board of the Fund for Public Schools through Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s term in office. The Mayor of New York City appointed her to the Boards of the Department of Cultural Affairs and New York City Center. Her many honors include a Lifetime Achievement Award from American Women for Economic Development and the “Women Who Inspire Us” honor from the Harvard Business School Network of Women Alumnae.