23rd Anniversary of Outstanding 50 Asian Americans in Business Award to be Celebrated

John T.C. Lee and Karthik Narain, along with 50 Asian American executives to be honored at gala dinner September 18, 2024

NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, September 10, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- John T.C. Lee and Karthik Narain will be honored at the 2024 Outstanding 50 Asian Americans in Business black-tie dinner gala, which is marking its 23rd year of recognizing excellence in corporate professionals and entrepreneurs.

Additionally, the Asian American Business Development Center (AABDC), which created the premier awards, is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. To date, AABDC has recognized more than 1,200 Asian American corporate executives and entrepreneurs, representing scores of industries nationwide. Its highest honor is the Pinnacle Award, which has recognized a roster of C-Suite leaders at the helm of major brands.

In 2024, AABDC will honor John T.C. Lee and Karthik Narain as dual Pinnacle Award recipients. Dr. Lee is President and Chief Executive Officer of MKS Instruments, Inc, and a thought leader in the semiconductors, photonics and chemistries industry. Karthik serves as Accenture’s Group Chief Executive of Technology and Chief Technology Officer. As an experienced technologist, Karthik was a leader in generative AI for Accenture.

The Pinnacle Award winner last year was Raj Subramaniam, the President, Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors of FedEx Corporation.

“Every year, we look forward to this prestigious event with great excitement as it exemplifies the key role that AABDC plays in society and to the AAPI community – as a champion and advocate of Asian American economic and business contributions and as a celebration of business excellence,” said John Wang, President and Founder of AABDC.

“As AABDC also marks three decades since our founding, this year’s gala dinner serves as a double celebration, and an opportunity for us to announce our vision for the future of our organization and the signature programs that we have become known for,” Mr. Wang added.

AABDC is formulating plans that will include the installation of a new board of directors who will ensure the organization has a stable foundation to continue its programs for the community and expand.

Each year, the Outstanding 50 award committee identifies and selects outstanding leaders who have built a successful business or who have distinguished themselves in their community. Of those, the committee also identifies a top Pinnacle Award recipient who has reached the acme of his/her professional career and is widely acknowledged as a leader in their industry.

The prominent event typically draws over 600 leading business, political and civic leaders to pay tribute to the outstanding entrepreneurs and corporate executives in the Asian American business community from across the United States.

About AABDC:

The Asian American Business Development Center, Inc.is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization established in 1994. It assists Asian American businesses in strengthening their capacity to compete in the mainstream market, to expand business opportunities and to promote recognition of Asian American businesses’ contributions to the general economy. AABDC: www.aabdc.com.

For information about attending the conference and dinner event, please contact AABDC Program Manager Evelyn Liu at 212-966-0100 or evelyn.liu@aabdc.com Asian American Business Development Center (AABDC):

Outstanding 50 Awards: https://www.aabdc.com/event/outstanding-50-award

Pinnacle Award winners:
John T.C. Lee, PhD, President and Chief Executive Officer, MKS Instruments, Inc.

Dr. John T.C. Lee has been the President and CEO of MKS Instruments, Inc. since January 2020. He joined MKS in 2007, serving in various senior leadership roles, including President and Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice President of Business Units.

Before MKS, Dr. Lee held senior management positions at Applied Materials from 2002 to 2007, where he was Managing Director of Factory Technology and Projects in the Solar Business Group. He also worked at Lucent Technologies as Research Director of the Silicon Fabrication Research Department from 1997 to 2002 and was part of the Plasma Processing Research Group at Bell Labs from 1991 to 1997.

Dr. Lee has been on the MKS Board of Directors since 2020 and serves on the board of Cognex Corporation. He is also Vice Chair of the Massachusetts High Technology Council.

He holds a B.S. from Princeton University and both an M.S.CEP and a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, all in Chemical Engineering. Dr. Lee has been recognized for his leadership and contributions to the industry, continuing to drive innovation at MKS Instruments.

Karthik Narain, Group Chief Executive of Technology and Chief Technology Officer, Accenture

Karthik Narain is Accenture's Group Chief Executive of Technology and Chief Technology Officer (CTO), overseeing the company's technology vision, execution strategy, and ecosystem partnerships. He is also Chair of Avanade, Accenture's joint venture with Microsoft.

Prior to his current role, Narain led Accenture Cloud First and Data & AI, helping clients leverage cloud and data technologies. Under his leadership, cloud has become a top growth driver for Accenture, recognized as a market leader. Narain has driven investments in solutions, acquisitions, and talent to keep Accenture at the forefront of the industry.

Most recently, Narain established Accenture's approach to generative AI through its Center for Advanced AI and new ecosystem partnerships. With over 24 years of experience, he has led strategic programs across Financial Services, High Tech, and Software sectors. Narain previously headed Accenture Technology in North America, guiding Global 2000 brands in cloud transformation. He actively sponsors the Technology Women's Executive Leadership program, supporting the growth of senior women leaders.

Ann Smith
People's Daily Online USA
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