Toastmasters’ most prestigious award is the Golden Gavel. For the past 52 years, it has been given annually to an individual distinguished in the fields of communication and leadership. The award is presented at the Toastmasters International Convention, during a dinner in the recipient’s honor.

Toastmasters International has named Susan Cain its 2013 Golden Gavel recipient. Cain is an author and celebrated TED speaker who advocates for introverts. Her book, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking, topped last year’s best-seller lists of The New York Times and The Washington Post, and has been translated in over 30 languages. Her TED2012 talk in Long Beach, California, titled “The Power of Introverts,” has generated more than 4 million views and was named by Bill Gates as one of his all-time favorite talks.

Susan, a graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Law School, is a former corporate lawyer and negotiations consultant. A self-proclaimed introvert who always wanted to become a writer, she spent six years working on Quiet, researching the often hidden potential of introverts and why they make great leaders.

Her writing has also appeared in The New York Times, Forbes, People, USA Today, The Atlantic, The Wall Street Journal and O, The Oprah Magazine. Susan has spoken for Google, the U.S. Treasury and National Public Radio and credits her participation in a Toastmasters club with giving her the confidence to share her message in speeches and media interviews.