The National Safety Council honored former U.S. Treasury Secretary and Alcoa CEO Paul O’Neill with the Council’s President’s Award at its annual Congress & Expo – the world’s largest annual gathering of safety and health professionals.

“As CEO of Alcoa from 1987 to 1999, O’Neill stood steadfast in his unwavering belief that safety is the number one priority above profits and production,” said Janet Froetscher, National Safety Council president and CEO. “By successfully demonstrating the critical role of leadership in building a strong safety culture, O'Neill has transformed the way business leaders view safety for generations to come.”

During his time at Alcoa, O’Neill led significant improvement in the company’s safety record. During his 13 year reign, the company’s lost-workday rate was cut from 1.86 to 0.23 while market value increased from $3 billion in 1986 to $27.5 billion in 2000 and net income increased from $200 million to $1.48 billion. O’Neill also co-founded the Pittsburgh Regional Health Initiative, which has led to quality and safety improvements in Pittsburgh-area hospitals.