The Meridian Ball & Global Leadership Summit

The Meridian Ball & Global Leadership Summit

On Friday, October 12, 2012, Meridian International Center hosted the 44th Annual Meridian Ball in conjunction with the Global Leadership Summit. Now considered a highpoint on the calendars of leaders in the nation’s capital, this unique event convened policy makers, corporate and diplomatic leaders, as well as members of the media for a day of dialogue, relationship-building, networking and cultural exchange.

About the Summit
About the Ball
Past Meridian Balls
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Global Leadership Summit

Hosted by Meridian International Center, in partnership with Gallup and the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, the Global Leadership Summit took place on Friday, October 12, 2012 in Washington DC.

The dynamic event mixed Gallup World Poll results with insights on the state of global leadership from David M. Rubenstein, Co-Founder & Co-CEO, The Carlyle Group; Jay L. Johnson, Chairman & CEO, General Dynamics Corporation; Frederick W. Smith, Chairman & CEO, FedEx; Jim Clifton, Chairman & CEO, Gallup; Her Excellency Nirupama Rao, Ambassador of India to the U.S.; and His Excellency Yousef Al Otaiba, Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to the U.S.

Co-Chaired by Jay L. Johnson and Sydney McNiff Johnson and generously supported by Presenting Sponsor General Dynamics, the Global Leadership Summit enjoyed a sold-out audience of more than 250 leaders of major multi-national corporations, as well as members of the diplomatic corps.

The Summit was followed by Meridian’s largest-ever ball, the 44th Annual Ball, and accompanying Ambassador-hosted dinners.

The Meridian Ball & White-Meyer Dinner

Attended by more than 800 of the world’s top corporate, government and diplomatic leaders, the 44th Annual Meridian Ball is the largest Ball in Meridian’s history.

The 44th Annual Meridian Ball was presided over by Honorary Chair First Lady Michelle Obama; Congressional Co-Chairs Irene Hirano Inouye and Kristi Rogers; Honorary Sponsor Ambassador Capricia Penavic Marshall, Chief of Protocol of the United States; Ball Co-Chairs Jay L. Johnson, Chairman & CEO of General Dynamics Corporation, and Sydney McNiff Johnson; White-Meyer Co-Chairs Loran and Robert Aiken and Ashley and Matt Bronczek; and Young Professional Chairs Erica Gutierrez, Amanda Pope, and Reem Sadik. The 2012 Ball was also generously supported by Presenting Sponsor General Dynamics.

Renowned as one of the most celebrated events in the Washington social landscape, the Ball’s guest list included – Ambassador Patrick Kennedy, Under Secretary for Management at the U.S. Department of State; Ambassador Capricia Penavic Marshall, Chief of Protocol of the United States; Congressman Joseph Crowley , New York (D); Congressman Mike Rogers, Michigan (R); His Excellency François Delattre, Ambassador of France; His Excellency Arturo Sarukhan Casamitjana, Ambassador of Mexico; The Honorable Anthony Kennedy, Supreme Court Justice; Dr. Rajiv Shah, Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID); Howard Fineman, Editorial Director of the Huffington Post; Jonathan Capehart, MSNBC Contributor and Washington Post Blog Writer; and Michelle Kwan, Olympic Figure Skater.

The Ball was preceded by the Global Leadership Summit which was hosted by Meridian International Center, in partnership with Gallup and the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center.