Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella was in Paris last week for a tech conference and to meet with French President Francois Hollande. He left the country on Monday, just four days before terrorist organizations carried out a series of attacks on Friday night that left at least 129 dead and sent a shockwave around the world.
Nadella made his first public appearance since the attacks on Monday morning, speaking to a group of teachers that were visiting the company’s Redmond, Wash. campus to hear how Microsoft products can be used in the classroom.
But Nadella kicked things off on a more somber note, taking a moment to pass along his thoughts and to encourage worldwide solidarity in the wake of last week’s events.
“It’s a tragedy for all of humanity,” Nadella said. “It impacts all of us and I hope that we all find strength collectively across the globe to be able to pick ourselves up from this tragedy and move forward, because that is what is needed.”
We are deeply saddened by the news from Paris. My heart and thoughts are with you, especially after our time together this week.
— Satya Nadella (@satyanadella) November 14, 2015
Here are Nadella’s complete comments:
“Before I start today I just wanted to say that our thoughts and prayers are with everyone worldwide impacted with what happened in Paris on Friday. I was, in fact, there in Paris the previous Monday. It’s a tragedy for all of humanity. It impacts all of us and I hope that we all find strength collectively across the globe to be able to pick ourselves up from this tragedy and move forward, because that is what is needed. We need to show solidarity with the people of Paris and France, but also as a global community to come together and realize that violence is not a path forward for any one of us.”