In continuing the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the David A Benjamin Achievement Award, the ITA would like to recognize 2019 award recipient, Doug Conant.
The ITA David A Benjamin Achievement Award pays tribute each year to past participants in the world of varsity tennis who have achieved excellence in their chosen careers. The spirit of the award honors both professional success and contributions to society, made either as a direct result of a career, or through humanitarian efforts. In 2015, Margie and Stan Smith endowed the ITA Achievement Award in honor of Benjamin.
Conant was a four-year starter on the Northwestern University Men’s Tennis team, where he played at the No. 2 singles and No. 1 doubles positions. While at Northwestern, Conant earned a political science degree before graduating from Northwestern’s J.L. Kellogg School of Management. Following his graduation, Conant would go on to become an internationally renowned c-suite business leader, New York Times bestselling author, keynote speaker, and social media influencer with over 45 years of leadership experience at world-class global companies.
For the past 20 years, Conant has held positions of leadership, first as the President of Nabisco Foods Company, then as CEO of Campbell Soup Company, and then as Chairman of Avon Products. In 2011, he founded ConantLeadership, a mission driven community of leaders and learners championing leadership in the 21st century. While at the forefront of many large companies and organizations, Conant has delivered high-performance results across the board while building high-trust, high-performance teams that honor people, defy the critics and thrive in adversity.
Conant has been recognized for his great achievements, being awarded the Top Thought Leader in Trust Lifetime Achievement Award. He has also been selected as a Top 100 Leadership Speaker by Inc. Magazine, twice named a Top 100 Most Influential Author in the World, a Top 30 Leadership Professional by Global Gurus, a Leader to Watch by the American Management Association (AMA), a Top 50 Leadership Innovator Changing How We Lead, and a Top 75 Human Business Champion.
Today, Conant serves as Chairman of CECP, Board Member of the Partnership for Public Service and Board Member of RHR International.
