The 2024 recipient of the Colin L. Powell Distinguished Leadership Award, Marc Benioff, is interviewed by Robin Roberts of ABC News at the award ceremony.
Marc Benioff, chair and CEO of Salesforce, is the 2024 recipient of the Colin L. Powell Distinguished Leadership Award, bestowed by the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership at The City College of New York.
The award recognizes individuals who have reached the highest level in their fields, and who embody the leadership values that Gen. Powell, a 1958 graduate of City College, demonstrated throughout his career: integrity, humility, humor, pragmatism, and common sense. These values were articulated most famously in Powell’s Thirteen Rules of Leadership, which culminate with “Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier.” These words are memorialized on the award medallion.
In presenting the award at a ceremony this week in New York, Linda Powell, chair of the Colin Powell School’s Board of Visitors, and the daughter of the late general, national security advisor, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and secretary of state, cited Benioff as a pioneer and trailblazer in both business and philanthropy.
The award citation, presented by Powell and by last year’s inaugural recipient, Cesar Conde, chairman of NBCUniversal News Group, read in part: “Marc Benioff is a visionary and innovative leader who has dedicated his career to shaping the future of technology and business, while at the same time advocating for equality and environmental sustainability. As the chair and CEO of Salesforce, he implemented the revolutionary 1-1-1 corporate philanthropy model, committing one percent of Salesforce’s equity, product, and employee time to the community. Now known as Pledge 1%, this model has been adopted by more than 18,000 companies, generating more than $2 billion in philanthropy. Marc has also been a vocal advocate for ethical business practices and the equality of every person. He and his wife, Lynne, have donated more than $1 billion over the years to causes including children’s health, the environment, public education, and homelessness.”
“It's an incredible honor to receive this award named for Colin Powell, an extraordinary person whose friendship and mentorship meant so much to me,” said Benioff. “Nearly 30 years ago, General Powell told me that business had a purpose beyond profits. We had to be a force for good and a platform for change. It was the best advice I’ve ever heard, and it inspired us to focus on our obligations to our communities and all of our stakeholders.”
The Distinguished Leadership Award event was conceived by Colin Powell School Board member Marco Antonio Achón, global head of corporate banking at Santander Corporate & Investment Banking, and made possible through the generous support of Santander.
“General Powell's quiet greatness showed us how the impact of leadership is not linear, but exponential. reminding us of the profound impact one individual can have," said Achón. "His life teaches us that leadership is not just about guiding others but about lifting them up, empowering them to achieve their fullest potential."
“Marc embodies the values of service and leadership that were so important to General Powell and that are important to the Colin Powell School,” said Andrew Rich, the Richard J. Henley and Susan L. Davis Dean of the Colin Powell School. “He was inspired by General Powell’s example, and Marc has set an example for how business leaders can use every resource at their disposal to make a difference in their communities, in society, and in the lives of the next generation of young people.”
About the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership
Established in April 2013, the Colin Powell School is home to the social science departments at CCNY as well as the core leadership development and public service programs of the College. With almost 4,000 students, and graduating the most CCNY students annually, the Colin Powell School mission is to transform the nation’s most diverse student body into tomorrow’s global leaders. Half of our students are immigrants; most come from lower income backgrounds. More than seventy percent are first-generation college students, and eighty percent are people of color. The Colin Powell School and City College remain among the most effective engines of economic and social mobility in the United States. The School is led by a faculty dedicated to the highest standards of research and to the university’s democratic and public obligations. Read more about the Colin Powell School.
About The City College of New York
Since 1847, The City College of New York has provided a high-quality and affordable education to generations of New Yorkers in a wide variety of disciplines. CCNY embraces its position at the forefront of social change. It is ranked #1 by the Harvard-based Opportunity Insights out of 369 selective public colleges in the United States on the overall mobility index. This measure reflects both access and outcomes, representing the likelihood that a student at CCNY can move up two or more income quintiles. Education research organization Degree Choices ranks CCNY #1 nationally among universities for economic return on investment. In addition, the Center for World University Rankings places CCNY in the top 1.8% of universities worldwide in terms of academic excellence. Labor analytics firm Emsi (now Lightcast) puts at $1.9 billion CCNY’s annual economic impact on the regional economy (5 boroughs and 5 adjacent counties) and quantifies the “for dollar” return on investment to students, taxpayers and society. At City College, more than 15,000 students pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees in eight schools and divisions, driven by significant funded research, creativity and scholarship. This year, CCNY launched its most expansive fundraising campaign, ever. The campaign, titled “Doing Remarkable Things Together” seeks to bring the College’s Foundation to more than $1 billion in total assets in support of the College mission. CCNY is as diverse, dynamic and visionary as New York City itself. View CCNY Media Kit.
Syd Steinhardt
212-650-7875
ssteinhardt1@ccny.cuny.edu