At a ceremony earlier this week, Secretary of State Antony Blinken presented five American companies, large and small, with the department’s Award for Corporate Excellence. The awards recognize companies that reflect the administration’s focus areas when it comes to corporate diplomacy. To learn more about this year’s awards, the Federal Drive with Tom Temin Executive Producer Eric White spoke to Special Representative for Commercial and Business Affairs at the State Department, Sarah Morgenthau.
Sarah Morgenthau The award for Corporate Excellence is an exciting program now in its 24th year. This is the Secretary of State’s Award for Corporate Excellence, and it was actually started under Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. She had the brilliance and the wherewithal to understand the importance of the government working with the private sector and the business community in particular. And it honors U.S. companies demonstrating leadership in their overseas operations, specifically recognizing U.S. firms that uphold the highest standards of responsible business conduct and whose operational practices and decision making exemplify American values and international best practices. And having a U.S. presence with the business community in these countries is good diplomacy and good foreign policy. These companies are our country’s greatest ambassadors. They invest sustainably. They set high standards of corporate responsibility throughout their supply chains….
