The Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) of the U.S. Department of Commerce recently honored AMD Chairman and CEO Hector Ruiz with the National Director’s Award for Entrepreneurial Innovation. This prestigious annual award recognizes individuals and organizations with an outstanding record of entrepreneurial innovation that contributes to the public and private sectors of the economy, and brings visibility to the national minority business community.

The award was presented by Ronald Langston, MBDA national director, to Mia Cole, AMD director of Supplier Diversity at AMD, who accepted on Hector’s behalf. In his introduction, Ronald spoke about Hector’s accomplishments in the technology industry and his influential role on the President’s Council of Advisors for Science and Technology. He specifically recognized Hector’s role in AMD’s 50x15 initiative, and its impact on the global economy, which received a standing ovation from the nearly 1,100 attendees, including U.S. Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez.