More than 100 executives in manufacturing, technology, media and finance, among other fields, gathered to honor Wendell Weeks, chairman, president and CEO of Corning Incorporated, at the Yale CEO Caucus last week.
The caucus, a gathering of U.S. business leaders, is helmed by Yale School of Management Professor Jeffrey Sonnenfeld. The event also featured wide-ranging discussions on artificial intelligence and the midterm elections, focusing on changing policy dynamics and the role of business leaders in navigating them.
NAM on stage
As one of the award presenters, NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons referred to Weeks—who has led Corning for more than 25 years—as a “titan of manufacturing.”
Speaking alongside presenters Apple Executive Chairman and former CEO Tim Cook, Motorola Solutions Chair and CEO Greg Brown and Snap-on Chairman and CEO and NAM Tax and Finance Policy Vice Chair Nick Pinchuk, Timmons tied Weeks’ leadership of the 175-year-old American brand to the vision and values that make manufacturing strong in a dynamic and evolving world.
Timmons discussed Corning’s long history of glass production and evolution across the decades, from contributing to innovations like Edison’s lightbulb and the iPhone to producing the physical components powering America’s AI leadership today.
Timmons said that Weeks takes the “long view,” noting that Corning follows a 150-year plan that can adapt to new inventions and technologies. He pointed out that Corning is now a key player in the age of AI, producing “the optical fiber—the very arteries of the AI buildout” and partnering with such companies as NVIDIA.
“Wendell, you are an inspiration to us all,” says Timmons. “You help the 13 million people who make things in America stand taller. For all you have built—and for everything still to come—congratulations on this high honor.”
“Wendell Weeks practices the rarest form of leadership at the rarest kind of company,” says Sonnenfeld, senior associate dean for leadership studies and Lester Crown professor in the practice of leadership at the Yale School of Management.