A Global Organization, Driven By Its Members

December 12, 2024

The year is coming to a close, and with it, my time as the 2024 IEEE President. I want to use this occasion to discuss the most important thing I’ve learned about this organization over the past year.

I had always suspected that IEEE’s members brought a significant amount of passion and energy to their work on the organization’s behalf. But the past year has left me astounded at the degree to which IEEE’s volunteers and members not only drive the organization forward, but drive its mission of advancing technology for the benefit of humanity.

IEEE members provide relief in the aftermath of natural disasters. In underdeveloped locales, they help people reap the benefits of technology that they may not otherwise be able to access. They spend their professional lives developing the products that move economies forward. At night, on weekends, and even on vacation, they help develop policies and standards to ensure that the way technology is deployed is interoperable, ethical, and sustainable.

IEEE helps provide solutions to some of the most difficult challenges in the world, and these solutions are driven by the work of our members. For example, businesses across the globe have wrestled with the question of how to track emissions across their supply chain. Our new e-liability standard makes important contributions to the field. Our efforts in the ethical design of intelligent and autonomous systems and standards to implement these principles may profoundly influence how we develop and use AI. IEEE is also furthering the importance of diversity in technical fields. We want to make sure everyone has the opportunity to participate in the development of technology, and that we’re bringing different perspectives together to collaborate on impactful and innovative solutions.

Despite being involved with IEEE for much of my career, I did not have a full picture of the breadth of its activities until I had the honor of serving as its president. Very few people are afforded such a birds-eye view. We have more than 460,000 members in every corner of the world. Our members can be proud that they are taking part in an enterprise with a truly global impact.

Thank you, to all our members! My hope is that you have developed a sense of satisfaction in knowing that you have contributed to making our world a better place. I am honored to have had an opportunity this year to support and further IEEE’s mission to foster technological innovation and excellence for the benefit of humanity.
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