On Wednesday, March 23, 2011, the British American Business Council of Greater Philadelphia (BABC) hosted a reception for Andrew Witty, Chief Executive Officer of GlaxoSmithKline at Philadelphia’s City Hall in conjunction with the Honorable Mayor of Philadelphia, Michael A. Nutter; Oliver St. Clair Franklin, Honorary British Consul; and Select Greater Philadelphia. Immediately following a one-on-one meeting between Mr. Witty and Mayor Nutter, Mr. Witty and several of his colleagues shook hands and networked with reception attendees.
The intimate event at City Hall, attended by more than 80 leading executives and local and foreign officials was not without a stunning surprise announcement. After brief welcome remarks delivered by Oliver Franklin, Honorary British Consul; Neil Boyden Tanner, President, BABC; Thomas Morr, President, Select Greater Philadelphia; and Mayor Nutter, Mr. Witty was presented with a crystal Liberty Bell. The introductory comments focused on thanking Mr. Witty for GlaxoSmithKline’s commitment to the Philadelphia region and the company’s decision to move from Center City to the Navy Yard. Mr. Witty graciously accepted the Liberty Bell honor and while discussing the Company’s relationship with Philadelphia, surprised Mayor Nutter as well as everyone in the room by announcing a generous $5 million donation to the City of Philadelphia to “help the younger generation.”
News of the remarkable donation hit the wire immediately. Please follow these links for articles about the reception and GlaxoSmithKline’s $5 million donation.
http://articles.philly.com/2011-03-24/news/29181836_1_gsk-glaxosmithkline-million-donation
