12.07.2005 ET

(CSRwire) ABBOTT PARK, Ill. - Abbott has been recognized on the list of the Top Employers for Women published in a Special Advertising Section in FORTUNE magazine. The section was not produced by FORTUNE's editorial department. It was created by FORTUNE Custom Projects based on research conducted by SmartRevenue Research.

To compile the ranking, SmartRevenue Research contacted the 1,000 largest publicly-held companies and the 200 largest privately-held U.S. companies. Companies were asked questions on a wide range of topics - from compensation and board of director composition-to managerial diversity and family benefits.

FORTUNE's list of "Top Employers for Women" appears in the magazine's December 12 issue available on newsstands now.

"Our company's success largely depends on the wide variety of viewpoints and experiences we share," said Miles D. White, chairman and chief executive officer. "By providing an environment where every individual contributes, it is our goal to bring all diverse backgrounds together as one Abbott. A diverse employee population is absolutely critical to our success. We count on having a variety of perspectives to foster the innovation we need to bring our science, and our company, to a higher level."

As chairman and CEO, Mr. White built a $10 million on-site child care center, raised the bar on Abbott's commitment to work place flexibility and launched the "Women Leaders in Action" employee network to help promote women's leadership and development throughout Abbott. The company's "Women Leaders in Action" allows women of all ages to network with other employees and the group frequently showcases guest speakers, provides mentoring opportunities and other social activities.

Abbott's ongoing commitment to diversity and inclusion has resulted in a marked increase in the number of women and minorities at the company, especially in its management ranks. In 2005, women represented 39 percent of the company's management population, with minorities representing 17 percent of management. Women also represent 17 percent of the company's corporate officers. The company's inclusive environment has led to the creation of several employee networking groups, including the Chinese Cultural Network, the Black Business Network, the Bayanihan Network, the Iberoamerican Network and the Part-Time Network.

Abbott's Rankings
Abbott's long-standing commitment to workplace diversity and inclusion has helped the company earn recognition as one of the top ten "100 Best Companies for Working Mothers" by Working Mother magazine. In addition, Abbott has been named to DiversityInc's annual list of "50 Top Companies for Diversity," The Scientist magazine's list of "Best Places to Work in Industry" and Princeton Review's "Best Entry Level Jobs." FORTUNE also has named Abbott as one of "America's Most Admired Companies" every year since the list's inception in 1983.

About Abbott
Abbott is a global, broad-based health care company devoted to the discovery, development, manufacture and marketing of pharmaceuticals and medical products, including nutritionals, devices and diagnostics. The company employs 60,000 people and markets its products in more than 130 countries.

Abbott's news releases and other information are available on the company's Web site at www.abbott.com.

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