Former PepsiCo Chairman and CEO Indra Nooyi to receive George W. Bush Medal for Distinguished Leadership
Dallas, Texas — Today, the George W. Bush Presidential Center announced that its seventh annual Forum on Leadership will feature keynote speaker William J. Burns, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. Burns will join David. J. Kramer, Executive Director of the George W. Bush Institute, for a conversation on how the CIA assesses challenges facing the United States from Russia and China to the Middle East and transnational repression.
The Forum on Leadership is the Bush Center’s annual landmark gathering that develops, recognizes, and celebrates leadership by bringing together notable voices for in-depth discussions on today’s pressing issues. The event will begin at 9:00 a.m. CT on April 18 at the Bush Center.
Media credentialing for Forum on Leadership daytime programming: https://www.bushcenter.org/newsroom
Media credentialing for Forum on Leadership keynote conversation: https://www.bushcenter.org/newsroom
This year’s Forum on Leadership, titled “The Call of Freedom,” will focus on freedom around the world – and why U.S. global leadership is more important now than ever. David French, opinion columnist for The New York Times; Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO and National Director of ADL; and Rushan Abbas, Founder and Executive Director of Campaign for Uyghurs, will discuss the importance of protecting religious freedom both domestically and globally.
“The United States has long been the beacon of the free world and has a critical role to play in ensuring a peaceful global future. This year’s Forum on Leadership will focus on how,” said Ken Hersh, President and CEO of the Bush Center. “To make sure we all can prosper in the years to come, we must work to rebuild trust at home while engaging globally to keep our economy strong and continue to champion freedom around the globe.”
The event will include a conversation on how America’s role in promoting human dignity and personal freedom factors into the great power competition between the U.S. and authoritarian regimes like China and Russia. Panelists will include Ambassador Mark A. Green, President and CEO of the Wilson Center; William Inboden, Professor and Director of the University of Florida’s Alexander Hamilton Center for Classical and Civic Education; and Nicole Bibbins Sedaca, Executive Vice President of Freedom House and Kelly and David Pfeil Fellow at the Bush Institute.
In addition, Pashtana Dorani, Founder and Executive Director of LEARN Afghanistan; Alice Zhuravel, Ukrainian social entrepreneur and innovator; and Joseph Kim, Program Manager of Global Policy and Expert-in-Residence at the Bush Institute, will share their stories of hope and perseverance in the pursuit of freedom from authoritarian regimes.
Attendees will have the opportunity to analyze the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East through a showcase of up-to-date information and tracking in the George W. Bush Presidential Museum. Kimberly Kagan, President of the Institute of War, and Frederick Kagan, Senior Fellow and Director of the Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, provide daily analysis and maps which are used by major media outlets, including BBC, CNN, The Guardian, the Financial Times, and The New York Times. This presentation will also be available to museum guests.
The gathering will begin on the evening of April 17 with the presentation of the George W. Bush Medal for Distinguished Leadership to Indra Nooyi, former CEO and Chairman of PepsiCo. The medal is awarded annually to an individual who has made an impact on the global community and has inspired others to take action to solve today’s pressing challenges. At PepsiCo, Nooyi empowered employees and communities and pushed toward more sustainable growth and a smaller environmental footprint.
Media credentialing for the evening of April 17: https://www.bushcenter.org/newsroom
Creamos, a multi-service nonprofit that serves the women living in the community surrounding the Guatemala City garbage dump, will receive the George W. Bush Institute Citation. Creamos Executive Director Hannah Sklar will accept the citation, which is awarded annually to recognize a leader or organization who has made an impact in their community and has inspired others to take action to solve the challenges facing the world today.
The George W. Bush Institute Trailblazer Citation will be presented to The Stewpot, a nonprofit organization that offers a safe haven for homeless and at-risk individuals in Dallas. The organization’s Executive Director Brenda Ewing Snitzer will accept the citation, which is awarded to an innovator who has effected change in the North Texas region or has otherwise enriched the quality of life in North Texas.
The Forum on Leadership is by invitation only. Public viewership will be available through livestream. For more information, please visit www.bushcenter.org/forumonleadership.
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What: George W. Bush Presidential Center’s Forum on Leadership Gala and presentation of the George W. Bush Medal for Distinguished Leadership to Indra Nooyi
When: April 17, 2023
6 p.m. CT
Where: The George W. Bush Presidential Center
2943 SMU Boulevard
Dallas, Texas 75205
Members of the media can apply for credentials at www.bushcenter.org/credentials. Additional information regarding credentials confirmation, parking, facility access, interviews, and other details will be sent to media representatives who complete the credentialing process on the Bush Center website. All members of the media – reporters, photographers, videographers, and crew – are required to have and display credentials to cover Forum on Leadership.
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What: George W. Bush Presidential Center’s Forum on Leadership
When: April 18, 2023
9:00 a.m. CT
Where: The George W. Bush Presidential Center
2943 SMU Boulevard
Dallas, Texas 75205
Members of the media can apply for credentials at www.bushcenter.org/credentials. Additional information regarding credentials confirmation, parking, facility access, interviews, and other details will be sent to media representatives who complete the credentialing process on the Bush Center website. All members of the media – reporters, photographers, videographers, and crew – are required to have and display credentials to cover Forum on Leadership.
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George W. Bush Presidential Center
Located on the SMU campus in Dallas, Texas, the George W. Bush Presidential Center is a nonpartisan institution advancing the timeless values of freedom, opportunity, accountability, and compassion. The Bush Center comprises the George W. Bush Presidential Museum and the George W. Bush Institute, a solution-oriented policy organization focused on ensuring opportunity for all, strengthening democracy, and advancing free societies through policy solutions and public engagement. The Bush Center also houses the George W. Bush Presidential Library, operated by the National Archives and Records Administration, which provides access to official documents and artifacts from the George W. Bush Administration. Learn more about the Bush Center at bushcenter.org.
