The American Council on Germany extends its great thanks to everyone who helped make the 2025 John J. McCloy Awards Dinner a successful event on November 14, 2025. It was a night of celebrating transatlantic connections – and forging new ones.
More than 300 leaders from the German-American business community came together to recognize the achievements of Nikesh Arora, Chairman and CEO of Palo Alto Networks; Tim Höttges, Chief Executive Officer of Deutsche Telekom AG; and Ambassador Kristen Silverberg, President and COO of Business Roundtable.
Ambassador Jens Hanefeld, German Ambassador to the United States, delivered remarks and shared a letter of greeting from Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Dr. Alex Karp, CEO of Palantir Technologies, a past honoree himself, presented the award to Mr. Höttges. Ravi Kumar, CEO of Cognizant, presented the award to Mr. Arora.
Ambassador Robert M. Kimmitt, Chairman Emeritus of the American Council on Germany and Senior International Counsel at WilmerHale LLP, presented the Transatlantic Leadership Award to Ambassador Silverberg. Ambassador Kimmitt also read a letter from President Donald Trump.
Tim Höttges said: “People like John McCloy helped to rebuild Germany. That is the part that we need to honor. And the responsibility for today is that we must renew the foundations of our countries for a digital, interconnected world. … So let’s be bridge builders, not bystanders. … Let’s connect – hearts, minds, and nations. And let’s keep writing the story of peace, progress, and trust – together.”
Mr. Arora praised John McCloy’s commitment to “shared values, leadership, and conversation,” and added that “there’s no more important time to have conversation than today.”
The evening was emceed by ACG Vice Chair Frances Devlin (2012 ACG Young Leader), Head of Strategy, Global Policy & Public Affairs at Pfizer Inc, and ACG President and CEO Dr. Steven E Sokol.
Ms. Devlin said: “We gather at a pivotal moment. The challenges facing our democracies are real – geopolitical uncertainty, technological disruption, and the need for resilient, inclusive but innovative economies. We must embrace change. And as we honor leaders who have advanced the transatlantic partnership through their words and their work, we are also reminded that progress is both possible and faster when we work together. As a business leader in innovative health care, I see every day how collaboration across borders leads to breakthroughs that change lives.”
Special thanks go to ACG program alumni Mark Covelle (2024 International Education Study Tour) of the Middle Bucks Institute of Technology and Grace Muller (2025 Young Leader) of Warburg Pincus LLC for sharing reflections on how ACG programs have helped them create new connections with transatlantic counterparts and gain new perspectives.
Reflecting on her participation in the 2025 American-German Young Leaders Conference, Ms. Muller said: “From a McKinsey consultant in Berlin to a nuclear submarine warfare officer in San Diego, from a Special Assistant to the U.S. President to an officer in the German delegation to NATO, the diversity of perspectives made every conversation richer and every disagreement more productive. It was a full diagnostic of our democracies. Left side or right, you needed to understand your counterpart before you could build a relationship grounded in trust.”
The American Council on Germany’s annual John J. McCloy Awards Dinner convenes hundreds of thought leaders, decision-makers, and stakeholders from both sides of the Atlantic to celebrate the enduring partnership between Germany and the United States and to honor key distinguished individuals who have helped forge close ties between the two countries.
The John J. McCloy Awards, first presented in 1993, are named in honor of John J. McCloy, the founding Chairman of the American Council on Germany and the first civilian U.S. High Commissioner for Germany after World War II.
Proceeds from this event help the ACG continue to address pressing global challenges by convening regular policy discussions in New York and Washington and through its network of Eric M. Warburg Chapters across the country; sponsoring exchange programs for young professionals; organizing conferences; and offering insights on a range of issues affecting the German-American and broader transatlantic relationship.