Marc Benioff Receives Eisenhower Award from the Business Council for International Understanding

Salesforce Chair and CEO Marc Benioff has been recognized with the Eisenhower Global Leadership Award in honor of his commitment to positive change through business, advocacy, philanthropy, and civic engagement.

The distinction, which Benioff accepted at a special ceremony in New York City on Thursday, Nov. 14, is one of the nonprofit Business Council for International Understanding’s (BCIU) most prestigious awards. 

The big picture: Benioff believes business is the greatest platform for change and founded Salesforce on stakeholder capitalism — committing to serve all stakeholders, including customers, employees, partners, communities, and the planet. Since then, Salesforce has led with its core values of trust, customer success, innovation, equality, and sustainability. 

• To date, Salesforce has given more than $700 million in grants and employees have performed over 8.7 million hours of volunteer service. 
• The company has also helped more than 56,000 nonprofits and higher-ed institutions power their missions with Salesforce technology. 
• Nearly 20,000 companies have adopted Salesforce’s 1-1-1 model to make their own impact.

What they’re saying: Arianna Huffington of Thrive Global honored Benioff at the ceremony.

• “My compatriot Pericles called courage ‘the knowledge of what is not to be feared’ and that’s one of Marc’s strengths … It is no surprise that Marc is leading the way in the AI revolution. With Salesforce’s new AI product, Agentforce, Marc’s goal is not just to make us more productive but to expand the possibilities of AI to show that it can be used to augment our humanity and nurture essential human qualities like empathy and collaboration,” said Huffington. 

What Benioff said: 

• “I have always believed that business is the greatest platform for change. Today, as we stand at the brink of an extraordinary AI revolution, that belief has never been stronger. With Agentforce, Salesforce is not only leading the way as the top provider of autonomous agents to businesses, we are setting a new standard for how AI and human potential can elevate every company, fuel economic growth, and uplift communities around the globe. This is a future of abundance, where AI empowers us to make a meaningful impact at an unprecedented scale.”

With Agentforce, Salesforce is not only leading the way as the top provider of autonomous agents to businesses, we are setting a new standard for how AI and human potential can elevate every company, fuel economic growth, and uplift communities around the globe.

Marc Benioff, Chair & CEO, Salesforce

About the award: Since 1984, BCIU has honored global leaders promoting international trade and diplomacy. Founded by President Eisenhower, BCIU celebrates individuals embodying his vision of public-private partnerships for positive change. The Dwight D. Eisenhower Global Gala recognizes these leaders.

Go deeper:

• Learn more about Salesforce’s annual giving back initiatives
• Read more about Marc Benioff 
• Learn more about Salesforce’s commitment to giving back
• Learn more about Marc and Lynne Benioff’s philanthropy in Hawai’i