Established in 1999, The Morgan Stanley Leadership Award for Global Commerce recognizes individuals whose personal leadership has made a critical contribution to the effective use of information technology throughout the world.

"I really believe in what Tim Berners-Lee and the other great visionaries had in mind regarding the Internet in that it was supposed to be the great equalizer. It doesn't know race; it doesn't know creed; all it knows is a good idea."

- Matthew J. Szulik, April 25, 2005

The 2005 recipient Matthew J. Szulik, has been helping to transform early-stage technology companies into global, publicly traded firms for more than 20 years. In 1998, Szulik developed a vision that the collaborative approach of open source, coupled with a strong brand, could redistribute the economics of the technology industry from vendor to customer.

As a spokesperson to industry, government and education leaders on open source computing, Szulik is passionate about improving educational opportunities for students worldwide through open source technology. He is Chairman of the Science and Technology Board for the State of North Carolina's Economic Development Board. He is also an Executive Director, and former Chairman, of the North Carolina Electronics and Information Technologies Association.