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

Hadi Alhorr, Ph.D., the Paul Lorenzini Professor of International Business and the director of the Boeing Institute of International Business at SLU, is pictured third from right with fellow honorees at the 25th annual Growing Global event. Submitted photo.
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.
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