THE BUSINESS COUNCIL FOR INTERNATIONAL UNDERSTANDING (BCIU) TO HONOR RUTH PORAT, DR. ALBERT BOURLA, AND NATARAJAN CHANDRASEKARAN

THE DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER GLOBAL AWARDS CEREMONY AND GALA ON DEC. 2 IN NEW YORK CITY TO FOCUS ON LEADING WITH PURPOSE

NEW YORK, Dec. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Business Council for International Understanding (BCIU), a nonprofit comprising of policy experts, strategic advisors and trade educators working to promote international understanding to address the world's most complex challenges, announced that Ruth Porat, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Alphabet and Google, will accept the 2022 Dwight D. Eisenhower Global Innovation Award in recognition of Google's commitment to using technology to address some of the biggest challenges facing society today. BCIU will also honor Pfizer for its role in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and increasing health equity around the world by presenting Dr. Albert Bourla, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Pfizer, with the Eisenhower Global Citizenship Award. Natarajan Chandrasekaran, Chairman of the Board at Tata Sons, will be honored with the Eisenhower Global Leadership Award, which celebrates bold visionaries for their outstanding contributions to global commerce while advancing international understanding. 

"Today's global challenges are significant, with headline-dominating topics of war, inflation, COVID and climate change taking a toll on sustainable development and steering toward a systemic change that must occur in order to achieve sustainability goals as a society," said Peter Tichansky, President and CEO, BCIU. "Ruth, Albert and Chandra are innovators who are leveraging their great teams to tackle some of today's most difficult issues.  Their leadership provides an example for the global business community to use its voice to create positive change worldwide."  

Porat joined Google as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer in May 2015 and has held the same titles at Alphabet since it was created in October 2015. She is responsible for Finance, Business Operations and Real Estate & Workplace Services. Prior to joining Google, Porat was Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Morgan Stanley. She is a member of the Board of Directors of Blackstone Inc., the Stanford Management Company and the Council on Foreign Relations, and she's on the Board of Trustees of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

"Google's mission is to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful, and we have always believed that working with purpose creates the best outcome for our users, communities, customers and Google," said Porat. "We remain focused on contributing our expertise and technology to find solutions to the world's challenges, and look forward to working with others, including BCIU, to make progress." 

During his more than 25 years at Pfizer, Dr. Bourla has held several senior positions across a range of markets and disciplines. Upon taking the reins as CEO in 2019, Dr. Bourla accelerated Pfizer's transformation to become a more science-driven, innovative company focused on delivering breakthroughs for patients around the world. Dr. Bourla led colleagues in delivering a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine in just nine months - a process that typically takes 8 to 10 years - without compromising quality or integrity. A year later, Pfizer delivered the first FDA-authorized oral antiviral treatment for COVID-19 by implementing the same sense of urgency and the new ways of working that made the vaccine program so successful. 

"At Pfizer, it was our colleagues' sense of purpose that allowed us to quickly rally around an ambitious goal, and bring others along with us, to make the seemingly impossible possible," said Dr. Bourla. "Every day, I am inspired by how my colleagues' courage, compassion and ingenuity are having a transformational impact on human health, which is why I'm honored to accept this award on their behalf."

Chandrasekaran joined the Board of Tata Sons in October 2016 and was appointed Chairman in January 2017. His appointment as Chairman followed an illustrious 30-year career at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), which he joined shortly after university. He rose through the ranks at TCS to become CEO and Managing Director of the leading global IT solution and consulting firm. Under Chandrasekaran's leadership, TCS generated total revenues of $16.5 billion in 2015-16 and consolidated its position as both the largest private sector employer in India and the country's most valuable company. In addition to his leadership of Tata Sons, Chandrasekaran is on the International Advisory Council of Singapore's Economic Development Board; is the Chairman of the Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow; and is the President of the Court at the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru. In 2022, Chandrasekaran was conferred with the Padma Bhushan, one of the highest civilian awards in India in the field of trade and industry.

"By bringing together leaders from all around the world, BCIU facilitates conversations that inspire action and lead to valuable impact globally," said Chandrasekaran. "Every day, I and the more than 900,000 employees at the constituent companies of Tata Sons, aspire to build a better future, and we are pleased to be recognized for that commitment with this year's Eisenhower Global Leadership Award."

The annual Dwight D. Eisenhower Global Awards event will take place in New York City on Dec. 2. This year's ceremony will focus on the theme, "Leading with Purpose." It will be a celebration of global business leaders who are redefining what it means to build a legacy based upon purpose and values, and who are creating a better world for all. Other high-level speakers participating in the awards ceremony include Thrive Global Founder and CEO Arianna Huffington who will moderate a fireside chat with the honorees, Susan Eisenhower, Hank Paulson, Verizon Chairman and CEO Hans Vestberg, and BCIU Chair Jim Nevels.

"As an organization focused on helping address the world's most complex challenges by furthering international understanding, BCIU is delighted to recognize these three inspiring individuals with this year's Eisenhower Awards," said Tichansky. "Ruth, Albert and Chandra exemplify what is means to lead with purpose during this challenging time."

The Business Council for International Understanding (BCIU) is a nonprofit organization of experts, educators and advisors working to expand international trade and commerce for businesses and governments around the world. BCIU is deeply connected and trusted by 150 member companies, including many global multinationals, and maintains an unparalleled network of government relationships in every corner of the world. For more than 65 years they have believed in progress and shaping the future by addressing some of the most complex global challenges, from global health to cybersecurity to agricultural sustainability. Through bespoke, transformative services, BCIU provides ways for its partners to deepen economic cooperation and enhance global growth across markets.   

Contact: Pete Nonis
The Business Council for International Understanding (BCIU)
+1.917.459.6140 
[email protected] 

SOURCE The Business Council for International Understanding (BCIU)