Condé Nast's Townsend Named 2014 Prism Award Winner

NEW YORK—The Advisory Board of the NYU School of Continuing and Professional Studies (NYU-SCPS) Graphic Communications Management and Technology (GCMT) graduate program has selected Charles Townsend, CEO of Condé Nast, as the recipient of the 2014 Prism Award. Presented annually, the Prism Award recognizes distinguished leadership in the graphic communications media industry.

Sponsored by the NYU-SCPS Master of Arts in Graphic Communications Management and Technology program, the 28th Annual Prism Award Luncheon will take place on Tuesday, June 17, at Cipriani 42 in New York. Scott Dadich, editor-in-chief of WIRED, will accept the award on Townsend’s behalf and discuss future trends at the nexus of design and technology.

"We are honored and delighted to recognize Charles Townsend, an innovator in the media industry, with the 2014 Prism Award," said Dennis Di Lorenzo, dean of the NYU School of Continuing and Professional Studies. "His leadership qualities and his ability to anticipate and to navigate change in a continuously evolving business environment are an inspiration to us all."

Previous NYU Prism Award recipients include: Ursula Burns, chairman and CEO of Xerox Corp.; Steve Forbes, chairman and editor-in-chief of Forbes Media; Thomas Quinlan, president and CEO of RR Donnelley; Vyomesh (VJ) Joshi, former executive vice president of HP’s Imaging and Printing Group; Cathleen Black, former chairman of Hearst Magazines; Antonio Perez, former president and CEO of Eastman Kodak; Anne Mulcahy, former chairperson and CEO of Xerox Corp.; and Janet Robinson, former president and CEO of The New York Times.

"It is a source of great pride for Condé Nast to join this esteemed group of former recipients in supporting the NYU School of Continuing and Professional Studies," related Townsend. "Talent is at the cornerstone of what makes all our organizations successful—I can think of no better investment in our future than growing these scholarship programs."

The net proceeds of the Prism Award Luncheon help to fund student scholarships, as well as student and program support for the NYU-SCPS GCMT graduate program, which prepares the next generation of media communications industry leaders. Since its inception, the Prism Award Luncheon has raised millions of dollars in scholarship funds for students in the GCMT program.

"Over the years, hundreds of talented and deserving students have benefitted from Prism Award scholarship funds, graduating from the M.A. in Graphic Communications Management and Technology program and launching their own highly successful careers in an industry that continues to grow and thrive,” commented William “Buzz” Apostol, Prism Award Committee co-chair and vice president of sales-Americas at X-Rite/Pantone Inc.

Tickets for the Prism Award Luncheon are priced from $750 per person to $6,000 for a sponsor’s table of eight and $10,000 for a co-chairmanship (which includes a dais seat, as well as a table of eight). Tables, ticket reservations, and additional information are available through the NYU-SCPS Office of Development. Contact Melissa Malebranche at (212) 998‑6950 or by e-mail at melissa.malebranche@nyu.edu. Visit www.scps.nyu.edu/prism to learn more about the Prism Award Luncheon and Scholarship.