NEW YORK, August 5, 2026 /3BL/ – The Concordia Leadership Council is proud to announce Mr. Ryan Gellert, Chief Executive Officer of Patagonia, as the first of three recipients of the 2026 Concordia Leadership Award, recognized for his work in the private sector. Mr. Gellert will be formally recognized for his exceptional leadership at the 2026 Concordia Annual Summit (September 20-23, Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel), the leading public-private sector forum alongside the UN General Assembly. Pass and registration information can be found here.
The Concordia Leadership Award recognizes global leaders who have made pioneering contributions and inspired others by turning vision into impact. Voted on by the Concordia Leadership Award Committee, recipients are committed to catalyzing positive social and economic change while promoting effective public-private collaboration to create a more sustainable future. Past private sector recipients include: Mr. Arvind Krishna, Chairman & CEO of IBM; Ginni Rometty, Former Chairman, President & CEO of IBM; Doug McMillon, CEO of Walmart; Paul Polman, Former CEO of Unilever; and Paul Bulcke, Chairman of Nestlé.
For the private sector, Concordia has selected Mr. Ryan Gellert, Chief Executive Officer of Patagonia, for his extraordinary leadership in aligning business with positive environmental impact. Since taking the helm in 2020, Mr. Gellert has overseen a landmark restructuring of the company’s ownership, transferring it to the Patagonia Purpose Trust and the Holdfast Collective in 2022, legally enshrining the company’s values so that every dollar not reinvested in the business is directed toward protecting the planet. Throughout his career, from his leadership across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa to his global tenure as CEO, Mr. Gellert has demonstrated a rare commitment to using business as a force for environmental good.
Anita McBride, Chair of Concordia’s Leadership Award Committee, Leadership Council Member, Author, and Former Assistant to President George W. Bush & Chief of Staff to First Lady Laura Bush, expressed her excitement:
“Each year, this committee looks for leaders who prove that business and purpose aren’t in tension; they’re the same project,” said McBride. “Ryan Gellert has built that case as clearly as anyone in the private sector today, restructuring Patagonia’s ownership so that its mission is permanent, not dependent on any one leader’s tenure. That kind of institutional courage is what the Concordia Leadership Award exists to honor.”
In the coming weeks, Concordia will announce its public sector and civil society honorees, completing the 2026 Leadership Award class. Together, their recognition reflects Concordia’s broader commitment to elevating leaders across every sector who are translating vision into lasting impact.
About Concordia
Concordia is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to actively fostering, elevating, and sustaining cross-sector partnerships for social impact. Through its Annual Summit in New York, Horizon Summits held around the world, and year-round programming, Concordia convenes leaders from business, government, and civil society to drive collaboration and measurable change.
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Mateo Carvajal González
Media Relations Manager, Concordia
mcarvajal@concordia.net