Inaugural Colin L. Powell Distinguished Leadership Award

In April 2023, Cesar Conde, chairman of NBCUniversal News Group, became the inaugural recipient of the Colin L. Powell Distinguished Leadership Award. The award recognizes individuals who have reached the highest level in their fields, and who embody the leadership values that General Powell, a 1958 graduate of City College, demonstrated throughout his career: integrity, humility, humor, pragmatism, and common sense. These values were articulated most famously in Powell’s Thirteen Rules of Leadership, which culminate with “Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier.” These words are memorialized on the award medallion.

In presenting the Award to Conde, Linda Powell, Chair of the Colin Powell School’s Board of Visitors, cited Conde’s professional accomplishments, his commitment to excellence, and his dedication to raising up others.

Before becoming the first Hispanic to lead a major Englishlanguage television news organization, Conde held numerous positions within NBCU, including Chairman of NBCUniversal International Group and NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises, and President of Univision Network.

Conde served as a White House Fellow for then-Secretary of State Powell in 2002-03. An honors graduate of Harvard University, he also holds a master’s degree in business administration from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Conde is a member of the Colin Powell School Board of Visitors.

The ceremony included a conversation between Conde and NBC News Chief Foreign Affairs and Chief Washington Correspondent Andrea Mitchell, who recalled meeting General Powell when he served at the White House during the Reagan Administration in the 1980s. The conversation highlighted Conde’s upbringing, the mentors who inspired him, including General Powell, and his business career.

“General Powell played such an important role in the lives of so many people,” Conde said. “The School’s legacy of providing educational opportunities and training, particularly to immigrants and first-generation Americans, was so important to General Powell. I am honored and humbled to accept this award in his name.”

The event was conceived by Colin Powell School Board member Marco Antonio Achón, Co-head of Santander Corporate & Investment Banking US and General Manager of Banco Santander New York Branch and made possible through the generous support of Santander.

“General Powell’s vision and passion is fully reflected through the Colin Powell School activity, said Achón.

“We want the school to grow with perpetual optimism as a force multiplier as Colin Powell said. We are very happy at Santander to support the Colin Powell School and have the Santander fellows program.”

“Cesar embodies the values of service and leadership that were so important to General Powell and that are important to the Colin Powell School,” said Dean Andrew Rich. “Like General Powell, he is the son of immigrants — his father from Peru and his mother from Cuba. He is someone who has risen to the highest level in his field.