iNDICA NEWS BUREAU-
Rajesh Subramaniam, president and CEO of FedEx, has been selected with 12 other exceptional business, civic and cultural leaders from across North America for the 2023 2023 Horatio Alger Award. Horatio Alger Association has chosen these 13 “outstanding individuals”, each of whom has overcome adversity to achieve professional and personal success, for its Member Class of 2023.
For 76 years, the Horatio Alger Award has been annually conferred upon esteemed individuals who have succeeded despite adversities, and who have remained committed to education and charitable efforts in their communities. Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, Inc., a nonprofit educational organization honors the achievements of outstanding individuals and encourages youth to pursue their dreams through higher education.
“I strongly believe that through hard work and perseverance, one can overcome adversity to achieve success,” said Subramaniam. “It is a privilege to accept membership into the Horatio Alger Association, an organization whose mission reflects this ideal. I’m honored to join an incomparable list of Members and look forward to meeting the Scholars and supporting them through their college years and beyond.”
Founded in 1947, the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, Inc. honors the achievements of outstanding leaders by bestowing upon them the Horatio Alger Award and inducting them as lifetime Members. Horatio Alger Members support promising young people with the resources and confidence needed to overcome adversity in pursuit of their dreams through higher education.
In 2022 the Association awarded more than $16 million in undergraduate and graduate need-based scholarships to over 1,600 students across the United States and Canada, and provided college support and mentoring services to its Scholars. By the 40th anniversary of the Association’s scholarship program in 2024, more than $259 million will be awarded in undergraduate, graduate, military veteran, and career and technical education scholarships to more than 37,000 deserving students.
“Each year, it is our utmost honor to present outstanding leaders who have displayed extraordinary perseverance in overcoming challenges with the Horatio Alger Award,” said James F. Dicke II, chairman, Horatio Alger Association and 2015 Horatio Alger Award recipient. “Each of these incredible leaders has also shared their success with others, giving generously to important causes and communities in need. The 2023 awardees exemplify the Association’s mission and are proof that the American Dream is within reach for all who seek it.”
Subramaniam and the Member Class of 2023 will be formally inducted into the Association during the Horatio Alger Award Induction Ceremonies in Washington, D.C. from March 30 through April 1, 2023. The three-day event is an annual ceremony to honor both the achievements of Members and National Scholars, who will have multiple opportunities to meet, interact and exchange stories of perseverance.
Subramaniam grew up in Trivandrum, India, and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology in Mumbai. After winning a scholarship, he immigrated to America to attend Syracuse University, where he earned a master’s degree in chemical engineering. In 1991, he graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a master’s in business administration and joined FedEx as an associate analyst later that year. Over the next 30 years, he served in a variety of executive-level positions and became known as a strategic leader who confidently saw the company through a period of tremendous growth. In 2022, Subramaniam was selected to serve as president and CEO of the $94 billion transportation company.
Apart from being on the board of directors of FedEx Corporation, Subramaniam is associated with the Procter & Gamble Company, the US Chamber of Commerce’s China Center Advisory Board, FIRST, the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum, and the US-China Business Council. He is also a member of the US-India CEO Forum.
“Subramaniam embodies the power of the American Dream,” said Terrence J. Giroux, executive director, Horatio Alger Association. “His commitment to education and building a better life for himself is admirable, and he will undoubtedly serve as an inspiration for our Scholars.”
