Mei-Wei ’72, P’22 and Amy Cheng P’22 establish Distinguished Lecture in Technology

Anne Chow ’88, M.Eng. ’89, MBA ‘90, CEO of AT&T Business, to be inaugural speaker

Mei-Wei ’72, P’22 and Amy Cheng P’22 have established the Distinguished Lecture in Technology at Cornell University, providing an intimate forum for CEOs and other leaders of transformative companies to interact with the university community.

Anne Chow ’88, M.Eng. ’89, MBA ’90, CEO of AT&T Business, will be the inaugural speaker and will give the virtual talk “Leading as a Lifelong Learner” on Thursday, March 25, from 4-5 p.m.

The focus of the Cheng Distinguished Lecture is technology leadership and the impact of technology on society. CEOs and other business leaders invited to give the lecture will use their unique perspectives to help faculty and students understand the broader implications of their research and how it is applied. Distinguished lecturers will also share their thoughts on disruptive technologies, strategies for successful decision-making, and innovation in science and engineering.

The annual lecture is also an opportunity for CEOs to gain exposure to emerging technologies being developed at Cornell, boosting the university’s reputation among corporate leaders and encouraging new partnerships between industry and campus. Lecturers engage with university leadership, faculty and students during the visit.

The lecture is supported by Cheng, who retired in 2014 as president and CEO of Siemens Ltd., China. He currently serves as the non-executive chairman of HCP Packaging and non-executive chairman of Interplex, among other responsibilities. He was previously group vice president for Ford Motor Company and vice president, regional executive and president of GE Appliance, Asia. Cheng earned a B.S. in Operations Research and Information Engineering from Cornell.

Chow is a fitting inaugural distinguished lecturer. She is the first women to hold the position of CEO of AT&T Business and is the first women-of-color CEO in AT&T's history. With decades in the industry, she has led several global organizations through major transformations, developing strategies for growth while remaining passionate about education, diversity and inclusion, advancing women in technology and cultivating next generation leaders. She holds an MBA from The Johnson School at Cornell and a B.S. and M.Eng. in electrical engineering from Cornell Engineering.