A Celebration Takes Flight as the ACG Honors Lufthansa Head and Evan Gershkovich
At its 31st Annual John J. McCloy Awards Dinner on November 13, the American Council on Germany honored Carsten Spohr, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Lufthansa Group, with a McCloy Award and Wall Street Journal Reporter Evan Gershkovich with the inaugural Torch of Freedom Award. About 325 people were gathered at the Mandarin Oriental in New York City to celebrate the German-American partnership while paying tribute to these two remarkable individuals.
Despite recent political headwinds on both sides of the Atlantic, the 30,000-foot view at the dinner was one of blue skies and a deep partnership based on shared values. The outlook was particularly fitting when honoring a certified pilot who has navigated his company through significant storms in recent years, including the COVID-19 pandemic.
ACG Chairman and Dinner Emcee Ambassador John B. Emerson, a former U.S. Ambassador to Germany, explained: “Since the end of the Second World War, there has been an ebb and a flow in the relationship between Germany and the United States. But the close cooperation, shared values, and common interests of Germany and the United States – through many U.S. and German government administrations – have allowed this alliance to make great strides in combating the effects of climate change, and to benefit our respective economies through trade, direct foreign investment, and job creation. Germany has been, and remains, one of our closest allies and most steadfast security partners.”
Ambassador Andreas Michaelis, German Ambassador to the United States, delivered remarks and read a letter from German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Ambassador Emerson also shared a greeting from President Joe Biden.
ACG President and CEO Dr. Steven E. Sokol gave an overview of the ACG’s activities, and these experiences were further brought to life by program alumni Zeynep Alraqeb (2022 Duisberg Fellow), an MBA Candidate at Columbia Business School and previously an economic analyst at the Bundesbank, and Keome Rowe (2024 Young Leader), a Foreign Service Officer at the U.S. State Department. In moving remarks, both shared the positive impacts the programs had – and continue to have – on their lives both professionally and personally.
Another testament to the importance and value of the transatlantic partnership was the significant effort to bring Evan Gershkovich home from Russia. Ambassador Robert M. Kimmitt, ACG Chairman Emeritus, Senior International Counsel at WilmerHale, and Lead Independent Director at Meta – also a former U.S. Ambassador to Germany – played a pivotal role in the prisoner exchange. In this capacity, he presented the Torch of Freedom Award to Paul Beckett of The Wall Street Journal, who accepted the honor on behalf of Evan Gershkovich, whose latest dateline is Berlin.
Ambassador Emerson presented the McCloy Award to Carsten Spohr in honor of his and his company’s deep commitment to bringing people together from around the world. Mr. Spohr spoke nostalgically about time spent in California during his youth. Ambassador Emerson noted that his own affectation for Lufthansa planes runs so deep that a model given to him by Mr. Spohr years ago continues to make frequent appearances in his Zoom calls.
The award presentations were followed by a fireside chat between Mr. Spohr and Chelsea Spieker, Editor of The Pioneer, to further probe the issues of the day.
The ACG would like to express its great thanks to the many supporters who helped make the gala dinner a success. The proceeds provide crucial support for the ACG’s discussions, conferences, and exchange programs that bring together transatlantic peers to examine political, economic, and social issues and develop collaborative solutions to today’s challenges.