Concern Worldwide U.S. Honors Carla Harris, Morgan Stanley Executive and Philanthropist, with Annual Women's Leadership Award

NEW YORK, June 24, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Concern Worldwide U.S., the international humanitarian organization, will recognize Carla Harris, Managing Director and Senior Client Advisor at Morgan Stanley Investment Management, for her groundbreaking achievements as a leader in business and philanthropy at the 11^th Annual Women of Concern Awards Luncheon on June 27.

"We are deeply honored to present the remarkable Carla Harris with the 11^th Annual Women of Concern Award," said Dr. Joseph Cahalan, CEO of Concern Worldwide U.S. "She exemplifies what it means to be a 'Woman of Concern' on every level. Her significant accomplishments at Morgan Stanley have paved the way for the next generation of women business leaders, while her tireless work with dozens of philanthropic organizations has touched the lives of countless people."

"I am honored to be recognized by Concern Worldwide, an organization that is dedicated to improving the lives of women and children all over the world," said Ms. Harris.  "There is no greater mission that we each have than doing whatever we can to help people in their deepest time of need."

In her role as Managing Director and Senior Client Advisor at Morgan Stanley, Ms. Harris is responsible for increasing client connectivity and penetration across the firm's securities and wealth management business. A member of the equity syndicate desk for more than a decade, Ms. Harris was recently named to Fortune Magazine's list of "The 50 Most Powerful Black Executives in Corporate America," to U.S. Bankers Top 25 Most Powerful Women in Finance (2009, 2010, 2011), and to Essence Magazine's list of "The 50 Women Who Are Shaping the World," among other honors. Prior to joining Morgan Stanley, Ms. Harris received an MBA from Harvard Business School, Second Year Honors, and an AB in economics from Harvard University, magna cum laude.

She is also the Chair of the Board of the Morgan Stanley Foundation and sits on the boards of the Food Bank for NYC, The Executive Leadership Council, The Toigo Foundation, Sponsors for Educational Opportunity, A Better Chance, Inc., The Apollo Theatre Foundation, and Mt. Sinai Hospital. Ms. Harris is also a singer and released her third gospel album in 2011 following unceasing praise for her best-selling first album, "Carla's First Christmas."

Ms. Harris will join past Women of Concern Honorees such as Dr. Anita Sands, Head of Change Leadership, UBS Wealth Management Americas; Hoda Kotb, Today Show co-host and Dateline NBC correspondent; Amy Ellis Nutt, Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author; Pat Mitchell, CEO of PBS; Loretta Brennan Glucksman, Chairperson of The American Ireland Fund; and Ann Curry, Today Show co-anchor and NBC correspondent.

Lynda Baquero, NBC 4's Consumer Reporter for the 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. weekday newscasts, will serve as the Master of Ceremonies at the luncheon. The event, which celebrates the lives of women and children everywhere, will take place at The Pierre Hotel in New York City. Follow #concernwomen and @Concern on Twitter for more information and live updates from the ceremony.

About Concern Worldwide
Concern Worldwide U.S. (www.concernusa.org) is an international non-governmental organization dedicated to reducing extreme poverty, with nearly 3,000 personnel working in 25 of the world's poorest countries in Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean. Concern Worldwide targets the root causes of extreme poverty through programs in health, education, livelihoods and microfinance, HIV and AIDS, and emergency response, directly reaching more than 6.9 million people.

For more information, please contact:
Crystal Wells
Office +1 212 557-8000 | Mobile +1 617 913-0794
[email protected]

SOURCE Concern Worldwide U.S.