2007 Margaret Thatcher Lecture Examines English and World Commerce
More than 200 ESU members and supporters were on hand May 30th at New York’s Pierre Hotel for the 2007 Margaret Thatcher Lecture, presented by Martin J. Sullivan,
President & Chief Executive Officer of the American International Group, Inc. (AIG).
Mr. Sullivan, who spoke on “The Language of Prosperity: English and World Commerce,” joined a growing list of distinguished men and women who have been Thatcher Lecturers, including the Baroness Thatcher of Kesteven herself; Sir John Bond, then Group Chairman, HSBC Holdings plc; and Sir Martin Sorrell, Chief Executive of WPP Group plc. The Lecture Series, which is modeled on the Churchill Lecture mounted by The English-Speaking Union in London, was inaugurated in 1999. Its theme is “The Contribution of the English-Speaking People to the World.”
Mr. Sullivan has spent more than three decades at AIG and was named President in 1997. Throughout a distinguished career that has taken him around the world, he has seen the vital role English plays as the language of international commerce.
“If the history of the predominance of English-speaking peoples is defined first by commerce spreading English, it can now be defined by English spreading commerce,” he told his audience, pointing out that within a decade the number of people who speak English as either a first or second language is expected to climb to three billion.
“When we were founded in 1920, the English-speaking world consisted of the United States and the Commonwealth nations. In 2007, you can travel to the most exotic corners of the world and still find someone who speaks English,” William R. Miller OBE, Chairman, The English-Speaking Union of the United States, said in his introduction of Mr. Sullivan. “The English language is our patrimony, but in a 24/7 interconnected world, it’s a universal inheritance for all to share.”
The Margaret Thatcher Lecture is the ESU’s preeminent speaker event, exemplifying the ESU’s abiding belief in the power of the spoken word. Each year, ESU Branches also host more than 250 speaker presentations across the country. Speakers are from a broad array of fields, and they provide valuable insights and information, facilitating a true exchange and advancement of global understanding.
Mr. Martin J. Sullivan
May 30, 2007
The Pierre Hotel
New York City
Click here to view the welcome and introductory remarks by ESU Chairman William R. Miller OBE.
Click here to view the entire text of Mr. Sullivan’s speech.
Biography of Martin J. Sullivan
Photos of the Event
Dinner Chairmen for the 2007 Margaret Thatcher Lecture
Thomas R. Callahan
Managing Director
Lincolnshire Management, Inc.
J. Christopher Flowers
Managing Director
J.C. Flowers & Co., LLC
William R. Miller OBE
Chairman
The Miller Family Foundation
Ambassador Frank G. Wisner
Vice Chairman, External Affairs
American International Group, Inc.
Honorary Co-Chairmen
Sir Alan Collins KCVO, CMG
H.M. Consul-General of the United Kingdom to New York
Sir Emyr Jones Parry KCMG
H.M. Ambassador of the United Kingdom to the United Nations
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