SLU Professor Honored with Global Ambassador Award from World Trade Center St. Louis SLU

ST. LOUIS – Hadi Alhorr, Ph.D., the Paul Lorenzini Professor of International Business and the director of the Boeing Institute of International Business, was honored with the 2024 World Trade Center St. Louis – Global Ambassador Award,
during the organization’s annual Growing Global luncheon.

Hadi Alhorr, Ph.D.

Alhorr was one of five foreign-born leaders honored at the Sept. 25 event. The award
acknowledges individuals who enhanced the profile of St. Louis internationally. The
2024 theme was Global Talent, Local Impact: Fueling Regional Economic Growth.

“Receiving the global ambassador award from the World Trade Center St. Louis is a
true honor and a reflection of the dedication and passion that my team members at
the Boeing Institute of International Business at Saint Louis University has for international
business education. It is also a reflection of the collaborative role that we play
with our partners within the St. Louis business community to enhance the city’s global
profile,” Alhorr said. “It is truly an honor and I look forward to continuing to serve
in this role.”

In a statement, the World Trade Center said, “When our committee looked at options
for this year’s award, we came away with one question – how do we award one person
to represent the diverse and impactful contributions of global talent in the region?
We couldn’t. So, we narrowed this search to five incredible leaders in the fields
of Non-Profits, Education, Arts, Science and Business.”

“Dr. Alhorr was awarded the Global Ambassador Award in Education. Born in Lebanon,
he is a recognized expert in international business strategy and global trade. His
leadership has helped shape the curriculum and student experience, preparing the next
generation of global business leaders.” 

The Institute, in conjunction with the Department of International Business, offers
several undergraduate and graduate academic programs of study in international business. 

The other 2024 Global Ambassador Award honorees included Yemi Akande-Bartsch, Ph.D.,
president and CEO, FOCUS St. Louis; Sekhar Prabhakar, CEO and founder, CEdge; Luz
Irina Calderón Villalobos, Ph.D., scientific affairs manager for Americas and China,
KWS Gateway Research; and Marie-Hélène Bernard, president and CEO, St. Louis Symphony.

Alhorr has led the Boeing Institute for International Business since 2016. In 2019,
the Institute was honored with the Emerson Gateway Globe Award for Business: Global
Outreach Award, from the World Affairs Council of St. Louis. This event honors leaders
who connect the St. Louis region to the world.

In 2023, a project started by Alhorr years earlier came to fruition as students in
Alpha Kappa Epsilon, the International Business Club at Saint Louis University, sent
10,000 business books to Pakistan as part of the 39 Country Initiative.

The 39 Country Initiative allows university faculty members in 39 countries with a
per capita GDP of less than $2,000 a year to use Ivey Publishing’s digital catalog
at no charge, while also joining the list for a physical shipment of books. Since
the project’s founding in 2014, over 2,000 professors have registered for access.
The Initiative also aims to collect and ship large quantities of printed books, journals,
and business case studies to higher education institutions in the 39 countries. Each
shipment is comprised of approximately 10,000 individual items. 

The shipment from SLU was the first from a university in the United States.

Boeing Institute of International Business

Established in 1984, the Boeing Institute of International Business at Saint Louis
University’s Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business offers a breadth of global business
resources for students and alumni, as well as the business community, faculty, government
and professional organizations. Offering many strategic initiatives focused on international
business at the undergraduate, graduate and doctoral levels, as well as events, professional
programs, and a global research and data center, The Boeing Institute of International
Business continues to be among the top academic institutes for practice and education
of international business.