2018 Honoree

Bill George

Bill George is a senior fellow at Harvard Business School, a bestselling author and the former chief executive officer of Medtronic. He is known for teaching and exemplifying a leadership style that is authentic, thoughtful and ethical. George started his career as assistant to assistant secretary of defense for the U.S. Department of Defense. There, he also served as special assistant to secretary of Navy before moving to Litton Industries where he served as director of strategic planning and president of Litton Microwave Cooking. George accepted a role of president in 1989 and eventually became Medtronic, Inc.’s chief executive officer two years later. He led Medtronic for 10 years, building a reputation for demonstrating strong leadership and integrity. He has written several bestselling books including True North, Discover Your True North, Authentic Leadership and 7 Lessons for Leading in Crisis