The Concordia Leadership Council is proud to announce María Corina Machado, leader of Venezuela’s democracy movement, as the third and final recipient of the 2026 Concordia Leadership Award, recognized for her work in the public sector. Ms. Machado will be formally recognized for her exceptional leadership at the 2026 Concordia Annual Summit (September 20-23, 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 by turning vision into impact. Voted on by the Concordia Leadership Award Committee, recipients are committed to catalyzing positive social and economic change while promoting effective public-private collaboration to create a more sustainable future. Past public sector recipients include: Ms. Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund; António Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations; Secretary Hillary R. Clinton, Former Secretary of State for the U.S.; and Laura Bush, Former First Lady of the U.S.
For the public sector, Concordia has selected María Corina Machado for her leadership of Venezuela’s democracy movement and her role in advancing the country’s political and economic transition. In October 2023, she won the opposition primary with 92 percent of the vote, uniting a broad coalition around a platform centered on institutional restoration, the rule of law, and economic openness. After being barred from appearing on the 2024 presidential ballot, she led the opposition campaign that secured a decisive electoral mandate for democratic change. In 2025, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her work promoting democratic rights in Venezuela and her struggle for a just and peaceful transition to democracy. Ms. Machado previously served as a member of Venezuela’s National Assembly, where she received the highest vote total ever recorded for a candidate to the body. She is the founder of VENTE Venezuela, a political movement promoting democratic governance and market-oriented reforms, and co-founder of Súmate, a civic organization focused on electoral transparency and citizen participation.
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:
“This committee looks for leaders who choose courage when the easier path would be silence,” said McBride. “María Corina Machado has done that again and again, winning a primary with 92 percent of the vote, building a coalition for democratic change even after being barred from the ballot, and never once wavering on her belief that Venezuela deserves institutions that serve its people. That is public sector leadership in its most consequential form.”
Ms. Machado reflected on the recognition: “Freedom is only possible when we choose to stop turning our backs on ourselves; when we face the truth, no matter how hard it may be; when love for what truly matters gives us the courage to persevere and prevail. Only by achieving that inner coherence, that vital integrity, can we rise to the demands of our destiny.”
With this announcement, Concordia’s 2026 Leadership Award class is complete. Together, Ryan Gellert, Dr. Laurie L. Patton, and María Corina Machado reflect Concordia’s broader commitment to elevating leaders across every sector who are translating vision into lasting impact.
