The Business Council – an association made up of the CEOs of the world's largest, global companies – today announced that its new board chairman will be Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. Nadella succeeds Nike President and CEO John Donahoe in the role.

"The Business Council has always played a critical role in helping the world's business leaders connect with and learn from each other," said Nadella.

"While the start of a new decade brings hope and excitement, we quickly saw the world come to a near standstill at the start of the year. This community has been invaluable in helping CEOs navigate and lead through this unprecedented time in history," explained Nadella. "John Donahoe has done an outstanding job in leading this group, keeping us informed and connected, and I'm humbled and honored to follow him as chairman."

"The world's largest companies have a tremendous impact on the world we live in," said Donahoe. "Being principled, steady leaders of these global entities is a solemn responsibility – one that requires the support and mental challenge of a group of outstanding peers.

"Satya Nadella is the right leader for our group, at the right time. His expertise in the essential tech sector, combined with his generous nature as a partner and collaborator, are the perfect blend of characteristics to lead The Business Council through the challenging months ahead."

"The Business Council is the only venue for the world's top CEOs to engage in their own professional, intellectual and leadership development," explained Marlene Colucci, the association's Executive Director.

"Collectively, this is a group with the power to see around corners and to help prepare one another for existential-level threats. Not since this group's earliest years (first convened in 1933) have The Business Council's members tackled a global threat as serious and complex as COVID-19," Colucci continued.

"The Business Council's membership functions as a collaborative community of peers – not as competitors or adversaries," Colucci said. "We look forward to seeing it continue to play a unique role, under Satya Nadella's leadership, helping the global business community navigate the post-COVID world."

The 2020-2021 Executive Committee of The Business Council will include the following CEO members:

Corie Barry, CEO, Best Buy Co., Inc.
Jeffrey P. Bezos, Founder and CEO, Amazon
Ana Botín, Executive Chairman, Santander Group
Gail K. Boudreaux, President & CEO, Anthem, Inc.
Mary Dillon, Chief Executive Officer, Ulta Beauty
Jamie Dimon, Chairman & CEO, JPMorgan Chase & Co.
John J. Donahoe, II, President & CEO, Nike
Arnold W. Donald, President & CEO, Carnival Corporation
Roger W. Ferguson, Jr., President & CEO, TIAA
Alex Gorsky, Chairman & CEO, Johnson & Johnson
Henry R. Kravis, Co-Chairman and Co-CEO, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co.
David W. MacLennan, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Cargill
Satya Nadella, CEO, Microsoft
Shantanu Narayen, Chairman, President and CEO, Adobe Inc.
David M. Solomon, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, The Goldman Sachs Group
Emma Walmsley, Chief Executive Officer, GlaxoSmithKline
Lisa W. Wardell, Chairman and CEO, Adtalem Global Education
Michael K. Wirth, Chairman & CEO, Chevron Corporation

The Business Council is a Washington, D.C.- based organization established in 1933 as The Business Advisory Council for the Department of Commerce. In 1961, the group's name changed to The Business Council, and its scope was broadened to include advisory functions to all elements of the national government. Today the Council is a learning, networking and best-practice sharing organization for the chief executive officers of the world's most competitive enterprises. Members meet a minimum of three times a year, but also convene more frequently when faced with a global threat like COVID-19. The group's meetings feature discussion of economic and public policy issues relevant to the members' businesses with top officials of government and other thought leaders in academia, science, technology and society at large. Membership is personal, by invitation only and non-transferable.