Akshata Murty, MBA ’06, investor and philanthropist, and Rishi Sunak, MBA ’06, the former prime minister of the United Kingdom, will deliver the commencement address at the Stanford Graduate School of Business diploma ceremony on Saturday, June 14. The couple, who met as MBA students, married in 2009.

“Together, Akshata and Rishi exemplify the leaders we strive to develop here at Stanford GSB – those who bridge business, government, and society,” said Peter M. DeMarzo, Philip H. Knight Professor and interim dean of the Graduate School of Business. “As we celebrate our graduates – and our centennial year – I look forward to hearing our speakers’ reflections on their journey from Stanford to the world stage.

Sunak served as the 57th prime minister of the United Kingdom from October 2022 to July 2024. He had previously served as chancellor of the exchequer and played a critical role in shaping the U.K.’s economic response to the COVID-19 pandemic. First elected to Parliament in 2015, he currently represents the constituency of Richmond and Northallerton in North Yorkshire. Sunak has been named the William C. Edwards Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Hoover Institution, where he will work on issues including trans-Atlantic relations, economic policy, technology, and global security challenges.

Murty has spent over a decade investing in early-stage, consumer-focused British companies. While living at Downing Street, she created Lessons at 10, a program that gave students a better understanding of how their government works. She currently leads the Office of Akshata Murty & Rishi Sunak, which promotes initiatives to drive positive impact in Britain, including launching an education-focused charitable foundation. Murty was a trustee of the San Francisco Exploratorium and serves on the board of Claremont McKenna College, her undergraduate alma mater.