The Concordia Leadership Council is proud to announce the recipients of the 2025 Leadership Award: Mr. Stephen Heintz, President & CEO, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, for the civil society sector; Ms. Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director, International Monetary Fund, for the public sector; and Mr. Arvind Krishna, Chairman, President & CEO, IBM, for the private sector. The three recipients will be formally recognized for their exceptional leadership at the 2025 Concordia Annual Summit (September 21-24, Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel), the leading public-private sector forum alongside the UN General Assembly. Pass and registration information can be found here.
The Concordia Leadership Award recognizes global leaders who have made pioneering contributions and inspired others through their ability to turn vision into impact. Voted on by the Concordia Leadership Award Committee, recipients possess a commitment to catalyzing positive social and economic change while promoting effective public-private collaboration to create a more sustainable future. Past recipients include: Laura Bush, Former First Lady of the U.S.; Niels B. Christiansen, CEO of the LEGO Group; Ginni Rometty, Former Chairman, President & CEO of IBM; Mónica Ramírez, Founder & President of Justice for Migrant Women; Doug McMillon, CEO of Walmart; Christiana Figueres, Founder of Global Optimism; António Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations; Secretary Hillary R. Clinton, Former Secretary of State for the U.S.; and, Nobel Peace Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus, Founder of Grameen Bank and Co-Founder and Chairman of Yunus Social Business.
Anita McBride, Chair of Concordia’s Leadership Award Committee, Leadership Council Member, Author, and Former Assistant to President George W. Bush & Chief of Staff to First Lady Laura Bush, expressed her excitement: “The Leadership Award, now in its tenth year is an annual highlight of the Summit, and is a truly special moment this year, as Concordia celebrates its 15th anniversary. Chairing this committee and working together with extraordinary members is an honor. Each year, the award process brings us an inspiring selection of candidates. We are proud of our 2025 recipients, three spectacular leaders who give us much to learn from by championing economic growth, driving innovation across the globe, and reminding us of the power of bold philanthropic ventures. Leadership of this caliber deserves our recognition and reminds us that innovative leaders in all sectors are willing to take up the challenge to improve lives around the world.”
Matthew A. Swift and Nicholas M. Logothetis, Co-Founders of Concordia, shared their thoughts: “We are incredibly proud to celebrate the tenth year of the Concordia Leadership award, and 15 years of Concordia alongside such incredible individuals. Ms. Georgieva’s work in addressing global challenges at the IMF, World Bank, and the EU, Mr. Krishna’s extensive career at IBM, which has involved scaling massive technological innovations, and Mr. Heintz’s vision and commitment to philanthropy are all awe-inspiring. Their work and dedication inspire us and the Concordia community. To have them join us at the Annual Summit is humbling and an immense honor for our organization.”
For the nonprofit sector, Concordia is proud to honor Mr. Stephen Heintz, President & CEO of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, for his work in advancing social change for a more just, sustainable, and peaceful world. His inspiring work in using targeted investments to create significant impacts is a testament to his ability. He has also devoted his career to strengthening democracy and institutions to produce better outcomes for societies around the world. It is our pleasure to award Mr. Heintz the Nonprofit Sector Leadership Award.
For the private sector, Concordia has selected Mr. Arvind Krishna, Chairman& CEO of IBM, for his extraordinary contributions to the fields of technology and innovation, particularly in cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing, and his commitment to pushing the boundaries of innovation through continuous learning and analysis. Concordia’s Leadership Award committee chose Mr. Krishna for this award due to the immense impact he has had on his industry and society as a whole.
For the public sector, Concordia is proud to recognize Ms. Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), for her extraordinary career. Ms. Georgieva led the IMF’s unprecedented response to the multiple shocks to the global economy since 2020, mobilizing around $1 trillion in liquidity and reserves, advancing debt relief for vulnerable nations, and engaging the IMF membership to ensure that the IMF remains adequately resourced for a world of more frequent and severe shocks. Before leading the IMF, Ms. Georgieva served as CEO of the World Bank, where she was instrumental in securing a historic capital increase. As Vice President of the European Commission, she played a key role in the EU’s handling of the Eurozone debt crisis, and as European Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid, and Crisis Response, she oversaw the EU’s global response to major crises, including the 2010 Haiti earthquake. Concordia is delighted to honor such an impactful and inspiring leader.
Concordia is the leading public-private sector convener, with the Annual Summit the largest and most inclusive nonpartisan gathering alongside UNGA. The Annual Summit brings together today’s preeminent global C-suite executives, heads of state, government officials, nonprofit leaders, and entrepreneurs to explore the greatest global challenges of our time and identify opportunities for market-led solutions.
For press inquiries, contact Mateo Carvajal at mcarvajal@concordia.net
