Lee Iacocca receives GGI Excellency Award

Lee Iacocca receives GGI Excellency Award

Lee Iacocca, who looks back on a distinguished career in the American automotive industry, has received GGI’s Excellency Award. He is perhaps best known for spearheading the development of Ford Mustang and Pinto cars while at the Ford Motor Company in the 1960s and for reviving the Chrysler Corporation where he served as President and CEO from 1978, and additionally as chairman from 1979 until his retirement at the end of 1992.

Iacocca was a passionate advocate of U.S. business exports during the 1980s. He is the author (or co-author) of several books, including Iacocca: An Autobiography (with William Novak), and Where Have All the Leaders Gone?

In 1988, Iacocca established the Iacocca Institute in partnership with Lehigh University. The idea of this was based on two main questions: How do you go about building global leadership? And how do you demonstrate to people from different cultures that their similarities outweigh their differences?

The Iacocca Institute provides innovative leadership, applied management and cross-cultural learning experiences. Among its primary missions are: improving leadership and entrepreneurial skills, enhancing business and industry awareness and demonstrating the positive impact of culture and diversity in an organisational setting.

For years now, GGI has worked in close partnership with the Iacocca Institute and also collaborates with Lehigh and the Iacocca Institute on the Global Village on the Move (GVotM) project. Over this period, GGI has sponsored five young professionals to participate at the GVotM, beginning at the San Marco dei Cavoti event.

As a member of the Iacocca Foundation, Claudio G. Cocca, Founder and President of GGI Geneva Group International AG, is proud to be involved in San Marco dei Cavoti, Italy. The names Cocca and Iacocca are both historically connected to San Marco dei Cavoti, but of even greater importance today is how Lee Iacocca’s leadership has always been an inspiration to Claudio G. Cocca.

We at GGI are incredibly grateful for what he has offered, from his support to his visionary outlook. This is why, on behalf of all GVotM participants and GGI members, we have awarded Iacocca the GGI Excellency Award as a mark of our gratitude and a token of our appreciation of his work. Lee Iacocca: “Thank you so much for honouring me with your GGI Excellency Award. Your firm certainly fits my view of the importance of globalization and the mission of the Iacocca Institute.”

The GGI Excellency award has been bestowed on a number of personalities from all over the world. Among others, notable recipients include: Marco Vinicio Ruiz (former Costa Rican Minister of Foreign Trade); Supachai Panitchpakdi (former Director General of the World Trade Organisation); Clem Sunter (scenario planner and former Chair of the Anglo American Corporation); Bill Jamieson (Editor, The Scotsman); Shri S.S. Mundra (Chairman, Bank of Baroda); Hon. Chirau Ali Mwakwere (former Foreign Minister of Kenya); and Helen Brand OBE (CEO of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA)).

We look forward to continuing our cooperation with the Iacocca Institute and supporting many more future leaders in improving their leadership skills and broadening their cross-cultural learning experience.