Lauded for corporate leadership, philanthropy.
By Deepak Chitnis
WASHINGTON, DC: Sanjay Mehrotra, the Chief Executive Officer of SanDisk, has been named the 2013 CEO of the Year by “Powered by EF.â€
The award is given out collectively by the Silicon Valley Community Foundation (SVCF) and the Entrepreneurs’ Foundation, a subsidiary of the SVCF. According to the organization’s website, the annual commendation is given to CEOs who are “true global corporate citizens†and whose “commitment to making the community a key stakeholder is an inspiration and example to all companies throughout the world.â€
“It is my honor to accept this esteemed recognition from the Entrepreneurs Foundation on behalf of our dedicated SanDisk employees, who are true champions of giving back to the community,” said Mehrotra upon receiving the award earlier this month. “Getting involved in our local communities through charitable contributions and employee volunteerism is a cornerstone of SanDisk’s culture. I am so encouraged by the level of employee volunteerism and philanthropic support, especially this year, during SanDisk’s 25th Anniversary; and I look forward to increasing SanDisk’s philanthropic support in the coming years.â€
In a press release put out by the SVCF, the organization lauded Mehrotra not only for his corporate leadership, but also for his engagement in philanthropic work and his commitment to helping his community.
“Sanjay Mehrotra has always demonstrated a strong commitment to SanDisk’s corporate philanthropy programs,†said the SVCF. “Sanjay rallied his fellow CEOs to participate in Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Corporate Cup Challenge, raising an additional $620,000 in corporate support, and increasing corporate participation by 30 percent. With his leadership, SanDisk launched its 25th Anniversary Celebration through Service, a year-long volunteerism campaign; in which Sanjay set the goal of 100 percent employee participation, and over $1.65 million raised in volunteer and cash matching funds.â€
Mehrotra was not the only one recognized by the SVCF at its 14th annual awards ceremony. Microsoft was given the “Community Champions Award,†Hewlett-Packard and the Taproot Foundation were joint recipients of the “Impact Award,†Levi Strauss & Co. won the “Global Citizen Award,†and StubHub was recognized as the organization’s “Company of the Year.â€
SanDisk is renowned throughout the world for its manufacture of flash memory cards and software storage devices. Originally from India, Mehrotra earned both his B.S. and M.S. degrees from the University of California at Berkeley.
To contact the author, email to deepakchitnis@americanbazaaronline.com