Root Named as Finalist in Two 2012 American Business Awards(SM) Categories

10th Annual Stevie(R) Awards Will Be Presented on June 18 in New York City and September 17 in San Francisco


SYLVANIA, OH--(Marketwire - May 17, 2012) - Root, the strategy execution consulting company, was named a Finalist today in two categories: Executive of the Year and The Human Resources Team of the Year categories in The 2012 American Business Awards, and will ultimately be a Gold, Silver, or Bronze Stevie Award winner in the program.

The American Business Awards are the nation's premier business awards program. All organizations operating in the U.S.A. are eligible to submit nominations -- public and private, for-profit and non-profit, large and small.

More than 3,000 nominations from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry were submitted this year for consideration in a wide range of categories, including Most Innovative Company of the Year, Management Team of the Year, Best New Product or Service of the Year, Corporate Social Responsibility Program of the Year, and Executive of the Year, among others.

Gary Magenta, Senior Vice President of Client Solutions for Root, is a finalist for the Executive of the Year award. In 2011, Gary drove innovation and customer acquisition for the company, growing revenue and creating new product offerings like the Root Compass(SM) Manager Development Program.

Root's Culture Team is a finalist for the Human Resource Team of the Year, bringing Root's philosophy and spirit to life through employee events, programs and communications. The Culture Team gives a voice to our employees and let's them be heard at all levels of management.

"At Root, we practice what we preach. We believe that by tapping into the hearts and minds of our people, we can deliver the best results to our customers and everyone involved," said Jim Haudan, CEO and Founder, Root. "We could not be more proud of the work that Gary Magenta has done for the company and for our clients and the impact our Culture Team makes on our people. Being honored by the Stevie Business Awards is quite a thrill for us."

Finalists were chosen by more than 140 business professionals nationwide during preliminary judging in April and May. More than 150 members of 10 specialized judging committees will determine Stevie Award placements from among the Finalists during final judging, to take place May 14 - 25.

Details about The American Business Awards and the list of Finalists in all categories are available at www.stevieawards.com/aba.

About Root
Root is the strategic execution company that helps organizations engage its people as the catalyst and driver for change. With more than 20 years of insights from partnering with the world's largest businesses, Root uses a proven strategy execution framework that transforms businesses and accelerates results. A privately-owned company, Root is based in Sylvania, Ohio. For more information, visit www.rootinc.com.

About the Stevie Awards
Stevie Awards are conferred in four programs: The American Business Awards, The International Business Awards, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about The Stevie Awards at www.stevieawards.com.

Sponsors and partners of The 2012 American Business Awards include American Support, Business TalkRadio Network, Callidus Software, Citrix Online, Dynamic Research Corporation, iolo technologies, John Hancock Funds, LifeLock, PetRays, Primus Telecommunications Group, SoftPro, and VerticalResponse.

Root Compass and Root Learning are either service marks, trademarks or registered trademarks of Root Learning, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. The names of other companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

Contact Information:

Contact:
Monica Rohleder
847-606-1973