Contact: Jeff Harris
Senior Public Affairs Coordinator
The Aspen Institute
202-736-3848 | jeff.harris@aspeninstitute.org
Institute Honors Leonard Lauder and Vartan Gregorian
Washington, DC, November 4, 2010 –– The Aspen Institute will hold its 27th Annual Awards Dinner at the Plaza Hotel in New York this evening. The Institute will present Leonard Lauder, chairman emeritus of The Estée Lauder Companies Inc., with its Corporate Leadership Award. Vartan Gregorian, president of the Carnegie Corporation, will be the recipient of the Institute’s Henry Crown Leadership Award. Institute Trustee Anne Welsh McNulty will announce the winner of the third annual John P. McNulty Prize to an Aspen Global Leadership Fellow. Christiane Amanpour, anchor of ABC News’ This Week, will moderate a discussion on leadership with Mr. Lauder and Dr. Gregorian at the dinner.
Aspen Institute President and CEO Walter Isaacson said, “Our annual dinner is a time to celebrate the Aspen Institute and the important work it accomplishes throughout the year. The Institute is committed to toning down the harsh rhetoric characterizing our polarized, public arena and to fostering civil exchange and values-based leadership. There’s no better way to demonstrate this mission than by honoring two exceptional leaders –– Leonard Lauder and Vartan Gregorian –– exemplars of integrity, vision, public-spiritedness and philanthropy. Both men have left indelible marks on the institutions they’ve led and the people they’ve touched. In their own unique ways, they’ve made the world a better place and we are proud to be recognizing them with our leadership awards this evening.”
Leonard Lauder states, “The Aspen Institute has been the most influential and thought – provoking center of my life, from my first seminar in 1978, until now. I am honored to receive the Corporate Leadership Award, and I am even more honored to be a continued student of the Aspen Institute and all that is has to offer.”
Commenting on his selection as the 2010 recipient of the Henry Crown Award, Vartan Gregorian said, “Henry Crown was a paragon of integrity, dignity, and leadership. It is a great honor for me to receive this award because it gives me the occasion to celebrate the life of this extraordinary man whose legendary career was built on a foundation of trust and respect. In business as in life, his word was his bond and his promises were always kept. He believed that success in business must be matched by generosity and public service. Through his philanthropy and dedication to advancing his community and society, he set a lasting example for us all.”
The Corporate Leadership Award is presented to an individual whose exemplary leadership and dedication to the betterment of society represent those values and traditions fostered by the Aspen Institute in all of its endeavors. The recipient of this award has exhibited vision and a commitment to the public good, and has practiced highly principled leadership. Representing the highest standards of corporate citizenship, this individual has helped to redefine the private sector of the 21st century. Previous awardees include Peter G. Peterson (2008), Richard Branson (2007), Goldman, Sachs & Co. (2006), Jeffrey R. Immelt (2005), Felix G. Rohatyn (2004), Robert E. Rubin (2003), John C. Whitehead (2002), and Yotaro Kobayashi (2000).
The Henry Crown Leadership Award honors an outstanding leader whose achievements reflect the high standard of honor, integrity, industry, and philanthropy that characterize the life of Henry Crown. The award is presented by Trustees of the Henry and Gladys Crown Charitable Trust Fund in cooperation with the Henry Crown Fellowship Program of the Aspen Institute. Past recipients of this award include Jeff Bezos (2009), William E. Mayer (2008), Condoleezza Rice (2006), William D. Budinger (2005), Michael K. Powell (2004), Patty Stonesifer (2003), Jimmy Carter (2002), William J. Perry (2001), and George J. Mitchell (2000).
The John P. McNulty Prize celebrates the spirit and memory of Institute trustee John P. McNulty. The $100,000 prize recognizes an extraordinary young leader making creative, effective, and lasting contributions to his or her community. The prize is given annually to an Aspen Global Leadership Fellow. Past recipients of the McNulty Prize include Jordan Kassalow of VisionSpring (2008) and Patrick Awuah of Ashesi University (2009).
Video of the evening’s program will be available beginning November 8 at, http://www.aspeninstitute.org/events/2010/11/04/27th-annual-awards-dinner. Photos from the event will be posted on November 5 at, http://www.patrickmcmullen.com/site/index.aspx. Further information on the McNulty Prize can be found at http://www.mcnultyprize.org.
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