Eller College Presents UA Executive of the Year Award to Frederick W. Smith, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of FedEx Corporation

TUCSON, Ariz. – March 8, 2016 – Frederick W. Smith, founder, chairman and CEO of FedEx Corporation, will be recognized as the 2016 University of Arizona Executive of the Year on Friday, April 8. The luncheon takes place from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Westin La Paloma Resort, 3800 East Sunrise, in Tucson.

“Mr. Smith is a visionary whose revolutionary idea stemmed from a term paper he wrote while attending Yale College,” said UA Eller College Dean Paulo Goes. “In his paper, he proposed creating a new industry -- one that combined information technology with the airfreight industry to expedite urgent shipments.”

Based in Memphis, Tennessee, Federal Express officially began operations on April 17, 1973, with 389 team members.  That night, 14 small aircraft took off from Memphis and delivered 186 packages to 25 U.S. cities from Rochester, New York, to Miami, Florida. Though the company did not show a profit until July 1975, it soon became the premier carrier of high-priority goods in the marketplace and set the standard for the express shipping industry it established.

Today, Smith is responsible for providing strategic direction for all FedEx operating companies:  FedEx Services (including FedEx Office), FedEx Express, FedEx Ground and FedEx Freight.  FedEx serves more than 220 countries and territories with operations that include more than 650 aircraft and more than 100,000 vehicles.  More than 340,000 team members worldwide currently handle more than 10 million shipments each business day. 

“It’s that kind of innovation and commitment to succeed that we at Eller regard so highly. We’re honored to name Mr. Smith as this year’s University of Arizona Executive of the Year,” Goes said.

The University of Arizona Executive of the Year program was established by the Eller College National Board of Advisors in 1983 to honor individuals who exemplify executive qualities in private enterprise and public service. Recent honorees include Sam Fox, CEO and founder of Fox Restaurant Concepts (2015); Janet Napolitano, former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security and former Arizona Governor (2014); Larry Baer, president and CEO of the San Francisco Giants (2013); former U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates (2012); and Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz (2011).

About Frederick W. Smith

Born in 1944 in Marks, Mississippi, Frederick W. Smith (Yale College 1966) is the founder and CEO of FedEx Corporation. The original analyses about the logistic needs of a highly automated future society were done during his tenure as an undergraduate.

After four years of service in the Marines, including two tours of duty in Vietnam, he launched the original air-ground Federal Express network, which began operations in 1973 to serve the rapidly growing high-tech/high-value added sectors of the economy Smith had predicted. The company has since grown into a $49 billion global enterprise.

Smith is responsible for providing strategic direction for all FedEx operating companies: FedEx Services (including FedEx Office), FedEx Express, FedEx Ground, and FedEx Freight. FedEx serves more than 220 countries and territories with operations that include 634 aircrafts and over 90,000 vehicles. More than 350,000 team members worldwide currently handle more than 11 million shipments each business day.

FedEx has been widely acknowledged for its commitment to total quality service. FedEx Express was the first service company to win the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award in 1990. FedEx has consistently been ranked on Fortune magazine’s industry lists, including “World’s Most Admired Companies” and “100 Best Companies to Work For,” and is on Fortune’s “Blue Ribbon Companies List.”

Smith is co-chair of the Energy Security Leadership Council, a Trustee for the United States Council for International Business, and a member of both the Business Council and Business Roundtable. He served as chairman of the U.S.-China Business Council and co-chair of the French-American Business Council. He has served on the boards of several large public companies – Malone and Hyde (AutoZone), First Tennessee, Holiday Inns, EW Scripps, and General Mills – and charitable organizations including St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the Mayo Foundation. He was formerly chairman of the Board of Governors for the International Air Transport Association and chaired the executive committee of the U.S. Air Transport Association.

Smith has received several honorary degrees and numerous civic, academic, and business awards including the Global Leadership Award from the U.S.-India Business Council, George C. Marshall Foundation Award, Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy, and Circle of Honor Award from the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation. In addition, Smith is a member of the Aviation Hall of Fame and the Business Hall of Fame. He served as co-chairman of both the U.S. World War II Memorial project and the campaign for the National Museum of the Marine Corps. He has been named a top CEO by both Barron’s and Chief Executive magazines.