Pfizer’s Bourla to Be Honored at the Hellenic Initiative New York Gala

The Hellenic Initiative (THI), the leading group uniting the Greek diaspora and philhellenes internationally, will host its 10th Anniversary New York Gala on Saturday, December 3, 2022 in New York City.

Funds raised will be deployed in Greece to support humanitarian programs and nurture Greek economic and entrepreneurial development. The 2021 gala spectacularly raised over two million dollars.

THI’s new “Plant a Tree in Greece” campaign will be featured at the event. The program offers the opportunity to memorialize special life events while helping to reforest Greece and restore the livelihoods many lost in the wildfires of 2021.

Since its founding, THI has become the largest Greek diaspora organization in the world with supporters in over forty-five countries. The New York Gala, THI’s largest annual event, will host over eight hundred dignitaries and guests this year.

Hellenic Initiative to honor Dr. Albert Bourla

For the 10th Anniversary Gala celebration, THI will honor Dr. Albert Bourla, Chairman and CEO of Pfizer. Dr. Bourla was born and raised in Thessaloniki, Greece. He now lives in New York and remains deeply connected to his Greek-Jewish roots.

As CEO of Pfizer, he oversaw the development of the world’s first safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine.

During more than twenty-five years at Pfizer, he has held senior positions across a range of markets and disciplines, which has informed his understanding of the needs of patients and deepened his commitment to helping ensure equitable access to medicines and vaccines.

He is a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and holds a Ph.D. from the Veterinary School of Aristotle University.

In 2022, he was named the Genesis Prize Laureate in recognition of his leadership during the pandemic. In 2021, he was named CEO of the Year by CNN Business, included in Insider’s “Most Transformative CEOs” list and inducted into the Crain’s New York Business Hall of Fame.

Serving as emcee will be James N. Gianopulos, Ret. Chairman and CEO, Paramount Pictures. He is a pioneer in the evolution of new entertainment media and technologies for more than thirty years and a celebrated industry leader.

Silent auction at the gala

One of the most popular singers in Greece today, Athens-born Greek superstar Elli Kokkinou, will perform at the gala. She has just completed a successful U.S. and Canada tour.

For more details on the gala and how to obtain tickets click on this link.

Both luxury and charitable auction items will be offered in a silent auction. Greek artists, food and wine purveyors, luxury destinations, and fashion and jewelry designers from around the world have come together to donate items. A bidding website will be available two weeks prior to the event.

Founded in 2012, THI is a global, nonprofit, secular institution mobilizing the Greek diaspora and philhellene community to support sustainable economic recovery and renewal for Greeks.

THI’s programs address crisis relief through strong nonprofit organizations and build entrepreneurial skills in a new generation of business leaders.

In recent years, THI has made direct distribution of more than twenty million dollars, sixty percent of which has been deployed into Greece’s economic development, and forty percent into programs focused on crisis relief. THI has also generated extensive additional funding with significant impact on the GNP of Greece.