Each year, the Computerworld Honors Program’s Chairmen’s Committee and Search Directors are devoted to the singular and ongoing mission: “A search for new heroes.” The committee’s goal is to identify and record the accomplishments of the men and women, organizations and institutions that are creating the global best practices in leading the world’s ongoing IT revolution.
On June 4, 2007, Committee members and Directors gathered with the Computerworld Honors Program in Washington, D.C., to congratulate the Class of 2007—the Laureates, Finalists, 21st Century Achievement Award recipients and Leadership Award recipients.
At that ceremony, IBM presented New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg with its Global Public Sector Innovation Excellence Award. The award honors exemplary people and organizations that take their place at the forefront of public sector innovation in making transformational, game-changing improvements that will help change the world. They represent the value of collaboration, the significance of culture and are role models for all leaders, inspiring each of us to continue on and deepen our own innovation journeys.
Michael Bloomberg is the 108th Mayor of the City of New York. His journey began in Medford, Massachusetts, where his father was the bookkeeper at a local dairy. Mayor Bloomberg’s thirst for information and fascination with technology was evident at an early age, and led him to Johns Hopkins University, on to Harvard, then to Wall Street and Salomon Brothers.
As a young trader, he had been amazed at the archaic nature in which information was stored. When he needed to see how a stock had been trading three weeks ago, he had to find a copy of the Wall Street Journal from the date in question, and the records system consisted of clerks penciling trades in oversize ledgers. So, he created a financial information computer that would collect and analyze different combinations of past and present securities data and deliver it immediately to the user.
In 1982, Bloomberg LP sold 20 subscriptions to its service; 20 years later, Bloomberg LP employs more than 8,000 people—including 2,500 in New York City—in more than 100 offices worldwide, with more than 165,000 subscribers to its news service, radio, television, Internet, and publishing operations. And as the company enjoyed tremendous growth, Mayor Bloomberg dedicated more of his time and energy to philanthropy and civic affairs. His desire to improve education, advance medical research and increase access to the arts, has provided the motivation for much of his philanthropy.
He has funded relief programs for victims of domestic violence in New York City, sponsored the Children’s Health Fund’s Mobile Medical Unit which serves the children of homeless families, and supported construction of new athletic fields at city high schools throughout the five boroughs. He also served on the boards of 20 different civic, cultural, educational and medical institutions, including: the High School for Economics and Finance; Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts; Metropolitan Museum of Art; Police & Fire Widows’ & Children’s Benefit Fund; S.L.E. (Lupus) Foundation and Prep for Prep.
IBM is proud to honor Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg with the 2007 Global Public Sector Innovation Excellence Award.
