Meet the Final Judges of The 2012 American Business Awards

Posted by Liz Dean on Thu, May 31, 2012 @ 11:02 AM

The following professionals participated on the 10 final judging committees of The 2012 (10th Annual) American Business Awards, the nation’s premier business awards program. Their average scores determined the 2012 Stevie® Award winners. We thank them for their time, insights, and support. (2012 winners will be announced at one of our two awards banquets: June 18th at the Marriott Marquis in New York City or September 17th at the Julia Morgan Ballroom in San Francisco. Click here to order tickets.)


2012 Management
Final Judging Committee
Chair:
Therese Tucker, CEO, BlackLine Systems, Los Angeles, CA, USA

Committee:
Charles Best, CFO, BlackLine Systems, Los Angeles, CA, USA 
Chris Blake, President, Pacific Western Bank, Brea, CA, USA
Carlo Brignardello, Principal, CresaPartners, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Peter Cyffka, Former CFO , O'Melveny & Meyers, Calabasas, CA, USA
Dan Dougherty, CFO, Nexus, Valencia, CA, USA
Leo Fang, President & CEO, Easyconnex, San Mateo, CA, USA
Anthony Ferguson, Partner, BDO, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Josette Ferrer, Owner, Clarient Advisors, Belmont, CA, USA
Jack Fitzpatrick, CFO, Skylight Healthcare Systems, San Diego, CA, USA
Bill Hall, Partner, KPMG LLP, Woodland Hills, CA, USA
Stephen Hughes, SVP, Silicon Valley Bank, Sherman Oaks, CA, USA
Jason Lawson, Partner, Moss Adams LLP, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Bob Pearlman, Partner, BDO, Atlanta, GA, USA
Kami Rafa, Business Assurance Senior Manager, Moss Adams LLP, Irvine, CA, USA
Lonnie Schnell, CEO, Talon International, Inc., Woodland Hills, CA, USA
David Schofield, Former CEO, Skylight Healthcare Systems, San Diego, CA, USA
Gene Spies, CFO, Nexsan.com, Thousand Oaks, CA, USA
Rod Vesling, President, Softpro NA, Westlake Village, CA, USA


2012 Company/Organization Final Judging Committee
Chair:
Doron Reuveni, CEO and co-founder, uTest, Southborough, MA, USA
 
Committee:
Deirdre Breakenridge, Chief Executive Officer, Pure Performance Communications, Marlboro, NJ, USA
Travis Connors, Partner, Egan-Managed Capital, Boston, MA, USA
Sharon Erde, Director of Marketing Communications, Pitango Venture Capital, Herzliya, Israel
Yaniv Golan, Managing Partner, Lool Ventures, Tel Aviv, Israel
Erik Hogan, VP of Product, Attributor, San Mateo, CA, USA
Matt Johnston
, CMO, uTest, Southborough, MA, USA
David Kaufer
, Chief Dynamic Officer, Twelve23, Seattle, WA, USA
Brittany Lincoln, Social Media Director, Crowdsortium, Denver, CO, USA
Ayelet Noff, Co-CEO and Founder, Blonde 2.0, Tel Aviv, Israel
Neil Robertson, CEO, Trada, Boulder, CO, USA
Erik Robinson
, Managing Director, eBusiness, AAA, St Louis, MO, USA
Michael Ruby
, Creative Director, Stein & Partners Brand Activation, New York, NY, USA
Doug Shattuck, CFO, OwnerIQ, Boston, MA, USA
Narinder Singh, Co-Founder, Chief Strategy Officer, Appirio, Cambridge, MA, USA
Savaneet Singh, Founder, Gold Bullion International, New York, NY, USA
Erica Smith, Principal, Social Combustion Promotions
Bill Southard
, Founder/President, Southard Communications, New York, NY, USA
Eric Tilenius, Executive-in-Residence, Scale Venture Partners, Foster City, CA, USA
Sharon Wrenbar, Managing Director, Scale Venture Partners, Foster City, CA, USA


2012 Marketing
Final Judging Committee
Chair:
Charles Kirby Wadsworth, Vice President of Global Marketing, F5 Networks, Seattle, WA, USA
 
Committee:
Bart Bartlett, VP, Marketing, Acunu, Raleigh, NC, USA
Lynn Cannavan*, Marketing Manager, IBM Corporation, Dedham, MA, USA
Lee Caswell, Founder & Chief Strategy Officer, Pivot3, Inc., Palo Alto, CA, USA
Laurie Cole, Founder/CEO, DSI Marketing, Chelmsford, MA, USA
Alyssa Dver, Founder/CEO, Mint Green Marketing, Westborough, MA, USA
Dianna Eastty, VP Marketing, Enterprise Strategy Group, Milford, MA, USA
H. David Hennessey, Professor of Marketing, Babson College, Charlestown, MA, USA
Eric Herzog, SVP, EMC, Hopkinton, MA, USA
Bill Hobbib, VP of Marketing, ExaGrid Systems, Inc., Westborough, MA, USA
James Johnson, Chairman, The Standish Group International, Inc., Boston, MA, USA
Michael J. Katz, Chief Penguin, Blue Penguin Development, Inc, Hopkinton, MA, USA
Sharon McGowan-Spinelli, Director, Corporate Communications, Avid, Burlington, MA, USA
Anne O'Donnel*, Global Marketing Manager, IBM Global Alliances, Walpole, MA, USA
Rob Peglar, CTO Americas, EMC Isilon, Wildwood, MO, USA
Barbara Riordan, Sr. Director Market Solutions, Avid, Burlington, MA, USA
Allyson Stewart-Allen, Chief Executive, International Marketing Partners Ltd., London, United Kingdom
Edward Weisberg, Senior VP of Marketing and Business Development, GXT Green, Billerica, MA, USA


2012 Support
Final Judging Committee
Chair:
Jerry Weinberger, Sr. Director, Customer Service and Retention, Webs, Inc., Silver Spring, MD, USA
 
Committee:
Dawn Byrd, Project Manager-Services Delivery, BT Americas, Silver Spring, MD, USA
Faye Cooley-Healy
, Sales & Customer Service Specialist, Cedar Rapid, IA, USA
Linda Olsan, Director, Operations & Customer, 3iCorp.com, Irvine, CA, USA
Lori R Stone, Managing Partner/CEO, Integrity Informatics, LLC, Germantown, MD, USA
Cory T. Taylor, Manager, Product and Premium Support, Webs.com, Silver Spring, MD, USA


2012 Creative
Final Judging Committee
Chair:
Stafford Kendall, Principal, Covalent Logic, Baton Rouge, LA, USA

Committee:
John Forrest Ales, Senior Director - Global Brand, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, McLean, VA, USA
Suraya Bliss, Senior Director, Digital Communications, Walmart, Bentonville, AL, USA
Rob Davis, CEO & Founder, Akavit, Denver, CO, USA
Richard J. Dixon, Advertising Director, Dallas Business News, Keller, TX, USA
Scott Hoffman, COO, Sociocast, New York, NY, USA
Ross Kimbarovsky, CoFounder, crowdSPRING, Chicago, IL, USA
Janice Lamy, VP, Marketing & Development, HCA North Florida Division, Tallahassee, FL, USA
Rob Leggat, Senior Vice President, Goddard Global, Brussels, Belgium
Susan Saurage-Altenloh, President, Saurage Research, Inc, Houston, TX, USA
Manuel F. Valencia, Founder, 300seats, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
Emily Wilson, Managing Director, NJF PR, New York, NY, USA
Nancy J Friedman, CEO, NJF PR, New York, NY, USA
Lucy Zepp, Senior Vice President, Murphy O'Brien, Santa Monica, CA, USA 


2012 Corporate Communications/Investor Relations/Public Relations
Final Judging Committee
Chair:
Alison Graves, WW Influencer Relations, Printing, Hewlett-Packard Company, Escondido, CA, USA
 
Committee:
Ray Aldrich, Director, Development, Marketing & Communications, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
Patricia Beitler, President, Velocitas, Miami, FL, USA
Andy Blankenburg, Associate Partner, VSA Partners, Chicago, IL, USA
Abbott Chaz, Senior Manaager, Public Relations, LG Electronics, San Diego, CA,  USA
Connie Guglielmo, Technology Reporter, Forbes Magazine, Los Altos, CA, USA
Jeremy James, Partner, Seismic Marketing LLC, Poway, CA, USA
Derik A. Johnson, Creative Director, N2itive, Inc., Las Vegas, NV, USA
Jonathan Littman, Founder, Snowball Narrative, Mill Valley, CA, USA
Jackie Mathys, Principal, Mathys + Potestio Creative Staffing, Portland, OR, USA
Anne McCarthy, Founder, Westmeath Communications, Castle Rock, CO, USA
Mary Petterson, Director, Corporate/Financial, Burson-Marsteller, Chicago, IL, USA
Cliff Pia, Creative Director/President, M Creative Group, Carlsbad, CA, USA
Craig Rettig, Senior Vice President, Praxis Integrated Communications, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Lisa Rodriguez, Managing Director, Seismic Marketing LLC, Orinda, CA, USA
Natalia Sandin, Senior Vice President, Edelman Silicon Valley, San Mateo, CA, USA


2012 Human Resources
Final Judging Committee
Chair:
John Hovnanian, Senior VP of Human Resources & Chief Talent Officer, Williams Lea Americas, New York, NY, USA
 
Committee:
Thomas Connolly, SVP- HR, MF Global, New York, NY, USA
Drew Dippolito, VP, HR Field Operations - North America, DHL Global Forwarding, Jamaica, NY, USA
Michael Elliott, Vice President, Crew Relations, JetBlue, Long Island City, NY, USA
Jim Minogue, Chief Human Resources Officer, Gleacher & Company, New York, NY, USA
Ramsey Mirza, European Head of HR, Williams Lea, New York, NY, USA 
Kathy Walker, HR Director, Select Business Insurance Travelers, Hartford, CT, USA 


2012 Customer Service
Final Judging Committee
Chair:
Anita Samojednik, VP, Customer Operations, The Ladders, New York, NY, USA
 
Committee:
Angelique Electra, Vice President-Law, Vonage Holdings Corp., Holmdel, NJ, USA
Jim Fernandez, Vice President of Operations, Universal Survey, New York, NY, USA
Art Gairo, SVP of Operations, Broadview Networks, Schwenksville, PA, USA
Dennis Gallagher, Director of Customer Service & Inside Sales, Shutterstock Images LLC, New York, NY, USA
Sairam Gopolan, VP - OpEX Optimization, iOPEX Technologies, Inc., New York, NY, USA
Rene Joseph, Director, Universal Survey, New York, NY, USA
Paulo Kluber, AVP of Reengineering, Genpact, New York, NY, USA
Diana Kyser, Sr. Director SEM Operations, LexisNexis, Summit, NJ, USA
Mario Lopez Alcala, Senior Analyst, Morgan Stanley Capital International, New York, NY, USA
Josie Martinez, Senior Area Manager, Datamatics Inc., Corona, CA, USA
John M Perez, Customer Experience Strategist, Oracle, New York, NY, USA
Matthew Restucci, VP, Inside Sales/Customer Service, McGraw-Hill Construction, Hightstown, NJ, USA


2012 New Product/Product Management Final Judging Committee
Chair:
Mike Oeth, CEO, OnSIP Business VoIP, New York, NY, USA
 
Committee:
Cynthia Artin, Partner, Artin Arts, USA
Joseph Brennan, President, Trinity-Noble, LLC, Doylestown, PA, USA
John Calderaio , Chemist, Dow Chemical Company, Warrington, PA, USA
William Campbell, Vice President, Orbit FR, PA, USA
Graham Francis, CEO, The SIP School, Birmingham, United Kingdom
John Garbarino, Founder/VP of Business, Yabblr, Maplewood, NJ, USA
Jason Hendry, President/ Owner, RSWH Consulting, Wallingford, CT, USA
Jeremy Kagan, CEO & Founder, Price Engine, New York, NY, USA
Julie Libman, Senior Technology Project Manager, National Geographic Learning, Pacific Grove, CA, USA
Lily Liu, CEO & Founder, PublicStuff, New York, NY, USA
Joel Maloff, Principal Consultant, Maloff NetResults, Baltimore, MD, USA
Bita Milanian, President, BMG Consulting, Beverly Hills, CA, USA
Matt Mlodzinski, Category Manager, Commercial Services Procurement, Johnson and Johnson Consumer Companies, Inc., Fort Washington, PA, USA
Christopher Pacilio, Product Manager, Eagle Ridge Paper Company, Chalfont, PA, USA
Julie Ridenour, Senior QA Specialist, Cigna, West Hartford, CT, USA
Francesca Schuler, Chief Marketing Officer, BevMo!, Concord, CA, USA 


2012 Information Technology
Final Judging Committee
Chair:
Elizabeth Redding, President, Tellago, Inc., Schaumburg, IL, USA
 
Committee:
Teri Power, Director, Application Development, Bluegreen Corporation, Boca Raton, FL, USA
Samvit Raina, Senior Vice President, Patni Americas, Inc., Fremont, CA, USA
Rick Rumbarger, VP, Product Management, Neustar, Inc., Sterling, VA, USA
Barbara Russo, PMO Director, JM Family Enterprises, Deerfield Beach, FL, USA
Jack L. Stem, Senior Vice President, Maritime and Defense Agencies, CACI International, Inc., Ashburn, VA, USA
Dr. Peggy Strong, Global Technology Education, eBay, Inc., Austin, TX, USA
Anyck Turgeon, EVP of Artistic Promotion, Classical Artists Development Foundation, Austin, TX, USA

*Statements and decisions by Judges are not made on behalf of IBM and do not reflect any representations or endorsements by the IBM company.

Topics: judging, American business awards, stevie awards, ABAs, judges

One Month to International Business Awards Final Entry Deadline

Posted by Liz Dean on Fri, May 25, 2012 @ 09:51 AM

The final entry deadline for The 2012 International Business Awards, the world's premier business awards competition, is quickly approaching on 27 June. All individuals and organizations worldwide – public and private, for-profit and non-profit, large and small – may submit nominations to the IBAs. If you haven't yet done so, you can request your entry kit here.

The International Business AwardsThe International Business Awards honors all facets of the workplace, our award categories include: annual report awards, app awards, company/organization awards, customer service awards, human resources awards, information technology awards, management awards, marketing awards, new product awards, public relations awards, support awards, and website awards, among others. See all corporate awards categories.

All IBA entries are submitted directly online through your account. You can begin by registering here.

The 2012 International Business Awards will include the Second Annual People’s Choice Stevie Awards for Favorite Companies, in which the general public worldwide will vote for their favorite companies. Each company honored with a Gold, Silver or Bronze Stevie Award in The International Business Awards’ company of the year categories will automatically be included in people’s choice voting, which will open in late July.

Winners of the competition will be celebrated at the ninth annual awards banquet on Monday, 15 October at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Seoul, South Korea. 

Have questions about the 2012 IBAs? Email us at help@stevieawards.com  or call us at + 1 703-547-8389 and we'll get back to you right away.

Topics: hr awards, business awards, app awards, website awards, International business awards, PR awards, stevie awards, it awards, The International Business Awards

3 Ways Business Awards Winner, Cisco, Achieves Global Impact

Posted by Liz Dean on Thu, May 17, 2012 @ 01:57 PM

Cisco of San Jose, California, won a Stevie® Award for Corporate Social Responsibility Program of the Year, in the company awards categories of The 2011 American Business Awards, the premier business awards program in the U.S.A. (Final judging is now underway for the 2012 ABAs. 2012 winners will be announced at one of our two awards banquets: June 18th at the Marriott Marquis in New York City or September 17th at the Julia Morgan Ballroom in San Francisco. Click here to order tickets.) Here we profile the company’s award-winning efforts in 2010, and how Cisco’s tremendously successful CSR programs continued to expand in 2011.John Chambers

Cisco’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs are designed to provide long-term benefits not just to its employees, customers, shareholders, and partners, but also to individuals in communities around the world. In 2010, Cisco focused on three main areas: its employees, the environment, and social investments.  In 2010, Cisco’s corporate awards-winning CSR programs covered:

Employees

  • A record 85% of employees completed Cisco's annual Pulse employee survey, up 5 percentage points from fiscal year 2009.
  • Talent Connection and CareerPath initiatives were piloted to facilitate career-development opportunities for Cisco employees.
  • Telecommuting and flextime opportunities have been long-standing and are used by 95% of Cisco employees.

The Environment

  • Nearly 20,000 Cisco employees used Cisco Virtual Office to extend Cisco's own network into their homes, permitting high-speed access to voice, video, and data applications and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by telecommuting one or more days each week.
  • To reduce air travel, Cisco installed over 800 Cisco TelePresence® units in conference rooms, customer briefing centers, and individual management offices in over 200 cities in almost 60 countries worldwide. Cisco used WebEx desktop conferencing more than 19 million people-hours in fiscal year 2010.

Society

  • Cisco provided $138.7 million in corporate and foundation cash and in-kind contributions to nonprofit organizations worldwide in 2010.
  • Cisco employees volunteered 148,355 hours of service with nonprofits around the world.
  • The company supported the installation of networking equipment at 83 schools, hospitals, and clinics as part of Cisco's Connecting Sichuan Initiative.
  • As part of its Clinton Global Initiative commitment, Cisco helped establish more than 23 Community Knowledge Centers in sub-Saharan Africa.
  • Cisco Networking Academy®, Cisco's flagship CSR initiative, offered information and communications technology education to more than 900,000 students in 165 countries.

Continuing Commitment in 2011
Cisco continuing commitment to CRS is underscored in its 2011 Cisco® Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Report, which provides details of how the company applied its expertise, technology, and partnership strategies to address environmental, social, and governance issues in 2011—and lays out the company's 2012 objectives.

The report, published earlier this year, outlines Cisco's efforts in five areas: governance and ethics; value chain; Cisco employees; society; and the environment.  Commented John Chambers: "In a time of rapid transition for both Cisco and the communities we serve, Cisco remains deeply committed to acting responsibly, operating sustainably, and contributing to the communities in which we work and live. At Cisco, we know that an intelligent network is not only a powerful tool for doing business, but also for transforming lives, building communities, and protecting the environment. Through the network and strategic partnerships, we can increase the capacity for all of us to succeed." 
Highlights of Cisco’s 2011 CSR program included:

  • The company provided $295 million in corporate and foundation cash and in-kind contributions worldwide, including to its flagship Cisco Networking Academy® program;
  • The Networking Academy offered information and communications technology education to more than 1 million students enrolled in Networking Academy courses at approximately 10,000 academies in 165 countries;
  • Cisco employees volunteered 166,445 hours and donated more than $6.3 million to Cisco CRS programs, generating more than $5.7 million in matching funds from the Cisco Foundation;
  • Cisco installed ICT infrastructure, including Cisco HealthPresence®, in 66 healthcare facilities as part of its Connecting Sichuan initiative. More than 7,000 healthcare practitioners use these facilities, which support approximately 15,000 inpatients and 280,000 outpatients per month.

In keeping with its ongoing commitment to the environment, in 2011 Cisco conserved approximately 16.9 million kWh of energy and avoided 7,400 metric tonnes of CO2e emissions by investing $1.9 million in energy-conservation projects. Twenty-six percent of Cisco's global energy use was from renewable sources.

Evolution

Cisco’s CSR reporting evolves from year to year—as does the environment in which all businesses operate. What meets the needs of certain audiences one year may not satisfy a different group of stakeholders the next year.  In response, Cisco conducts stakeholder engagement sessions to gain feedback about its annual CSR report and to stay up-to-date with emerging reporting trends.

Cisco has sought feedback from a range of stakeholders, including:

  • MBA students from Georgetown University
  • SustainAbility, a sustainable development think tank and strategy consultancy
  • Representatives of the socially responsible investment community including SAM and the Vigeo Group
  • Experts in environmental issues including Gartner, Inc.

Cisco stakeholders highlighted the need to focus on materiality and robust performance-related data, as well as the need for the company to make greater use of the web. Cisco has used their feedback as an opportunity to educate employees about the importance of focusing on the most significant issues and to track progress on its key performance indicators.

Looking Ahead
Cisco’s Chairman & CEO John Chambers recently attended the 12th World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where he spoke on what transformations the world will see in the coming decade.  He commented that  “solving the worlds problems takes bringing diverse people together…not just physically, but more and more through collaborative platforms.” You can view more of his comments at Cisco’s own blog, The Platform.

About John Chambers:
John T. Chambers is Chairman and CEO of Cisco. He has helped grow the company from $70 million when he joined Cisco in January 1991, to $1.2 billion when he assumed the role of CEO, to its current run rate of $40 billion. In 2006,
Chambers was named Chairman of the Board, in addition to his CEO role. Prior to joining Cisco, he spent eight years at Wang Laboratories (1982-1990) and six
years with IBM (1976-1982). He holds a BS/BA degree in business and a law degree from West Virginia University and an MBA in finance and management from Indiana University.

About Cisco:
Cisco, (NASDAQ: CSCO), the worldwide leader in networking that transforms how people connect, communicate, and collaborate, this year celebrates 25 years of technology innovation, operational excellence and corporate social responsibility. Information about Cisco can be found at http://www.cisco.com.

Topics: business awards, corporate awards, American business awards, csr awards, company awards, CSR programs, corporate social responsibility, Cisco, John Chambers

Entry Deadline Today for The 2012 International Business Awards

Posted by Liz Dean on Wed, May 16, 2012 @ 04:06 PM

Today is the entry deadline for The 2012 International Business Awards, the world's premier business awards competition. All individuals and organizations worldwide -- public and private, for-profit and non-profit, large and small -- may submit nominations to the IBAs.

If you haven't already done so, you can request your entry kit here and you will receive it right away. If you can't make the 16 May entry deadline, we will still accept entries submitted after 16 May, through the final entry deadline of 27 June, with a late fee of $35 in addition to any entry fee.

All IBA entries are submitted directly online through your account and the web site will be open all night to accept your entries. You can begin by registering here.

The International Business AwardsThe International Business Awards honors all facets of the workplace, our award categories include: annual report awards, app awards, company/organization awards, customer service awards, human resources awards, information technology awards, management awards, marketing awards, new product awards, public relations awards, support awards, and website awards, among others. See all corporate awards categories.

Benefits of submitting a business award entry:

  1. More chances to win
    The 2012 International Business Awards will include the Second Annual People’s Choice Stevie Awards for Favorite Companies, in which the general public worldwide will vote for their favorite companies. Finalists in the company of the year categories will automatically have the opportunity to win two awards: a Stevie® Award, as voted by your peers, and a crystal People's Choice Stevie Award, as voted by your customers.
  2. New award distinctions
    The International Business Awards banquets will showcase our three levels of award distinction: Gold, Silver and Bronze Stevie Awards. You can learn more about the new awards here.

Resources to help you make the most out of your entries:

  1. Read past winners' entries here.
    They're great models for how you should write your entries.
  2. 7 tips on submitting winning entries
    Read our tips on how to submit winning entries.

Finalists will be announced in late July and 2012 honorees will be celebrated at the 9th annual awards banquet on Monday, 15 October in Seoul, South Korea.

Need help answering  your IBA submission questions?  Email us at help@stevieawards.com  or call us at + 1 703-547-8389 and we'll get back to you right away.

Topics: hr awards, business awards, app awards, website awards, International business awards, PR awards, stevie awards, it awards, The International Business Awards

1 Day to International Business Awards Deadline

Posted by Liz Dean on Tue, May 15, 2012 @ 01:05 PM

Tomorrow, Wednesday, 16 May, is the entry deadline for The 2012 (Ninth Annual) International Business Awards, the world's premier business awards competition. (If you miss the 16 May deadline, late entries will be accepted through 27 June with payment of a $35/entry late fee.)

All individuals and organizations worldwide -- public and private, for-profit and non-profit, large and small -- may submit nominations to the IBAs. If you haven't already done so, you can request your entry kit here and you will receive it right away.  

The International Business Awards recognize achievement in every facet of the workplace. Types of award categories include:

See the full list of business awards categories.

Finalists will be announced in late July and 2012 honorees will be celebrated at the 9th annual awards banquet on Monday, 15 October in Seoul, South Korea.

Have last minute questions regarding your IBA entries?  Email us at help@stevieawards.com  or call us at + 1 703-547-8389 and we'll get back to you right away.

Topics: hr awards, business awards, app awards, website awards, International business awards, PR awards, stevie awards, it awards, The International Business Awards

Two Days to International Business Awards Entry Deadline

Posted by Liz Dean on Mon, May 14, 2012 @ 11:10 AM

The entry deadline for The 2012 International Business Awards, the world's premier business awards competition, is Wednesday, May 16, 2012.

The International Business AwardsAll individuals and organizations worldwide may submit nominations to the IBAs. To begin your submission process, you should:

1. Request an entry kit. 
The entry kit will have all of the information you need regarding entry preparation and submission.

2. Review the 2012 IBA categories.
The International Business Awards honors all facets of the workplace, our award categories include: annual report awards, app awards, company/organization awards, customer service awards, human resources awards, information technology awards, management awards, marketing awards, new product awards, public relations awards, support awards, and website awards, among others. See all corporate awards categories.

3. Submit your entries.
Select your categories, write your submissions according to the instructions, and submit your entries.

The 8th Annual International Business Awards were presented in October 2011 in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates.  Honorees included American Express, Bombardier, Inc., Etisalat, Everything Everywhere, Saudi Basic Industries Corporation, Siemens AG, TATA Motors, Tesco Poland, Toyota Motor Corporation, Turk Telekom, and Unilever N.V., among others.  2011 results are summarized at http://www.stevieawards.com/pubs/iba/awards/408_2219_21081.cfm

Finalists will be announced in late July and 2012 honorees will be celebrated at the 9th annual awards banquet on Monday, 15 October in Seoul, South Korea.

Can't make the 16 May entry deadline? Don't worry, we will still accept entries submitted after 16 May, through the final entry deadline of 27 June, with a late fee of $35 in addition to any entry fee.

Topics: hr awards, business awards, app awards, website awards, International business awards, PR awards, stevie awards, it awards, The International Business Awards

One Month to America Means Business

Posted by Liz Dean on Mon, May 14, 2012 @ 10:17 AM

America Means Business, a new event about how to start, grow, and manage a business, will take place June 13-15 in New York City. If you haven't yet registered, you can register for free through May 25 hereAmerica Means Business

As we get closer to this landmark event about entrepreneurship, we want to take this opportunity to inform you of the new and exciting opportunities available for small business owners and entrepreneurs alike.

  • FREE registration through May 25
    Share FREE registration with your friends and family.  Registration for America Means Business is free through May 25 and just $10 thereafter. Don't forget, the first 2,000 AMB registrants will be entered into a drawing for a free iPad.
  • Additional events added
    We've added several new events about how to start and grow your own business, and everything in between to The America Means Business Calendar of Events. AMB events include "How to Get Started" and "Which Business is Right for You," presented by SCORE, "How to Be a Pro at Hiring," presented by Joanna Shows of ActionCOACH, "Sales Fundamentals for the New Economy," presented by Julie Thomas of ValueSelling Associates, a  1-to-1 Counseling Lounge by SCORE’s small business professionals, and an exhibition, among others.
  • More ways to get involved
    Watch our video, "How to Participate in America Means Business" to learn how your organization can participate in America Means Business as a speaker, exhibitor, and/or sponsor. Watch the video now.
  • New ways to spread the word
    We've created several promotional materials to help you inform your coworkers, friends, students, employees, subscribers, and others about America Mean Business, its free registration and benefits of attending. Download America Means Business logos and flyers here.

America Means Business is presented by the Stevie® Awards, the organizer of the annual American Business Awards. America Means Business will culminate with the presentation of the 10th annual ABAs on June 18. Connect with us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter to get up to the minute news about the program.

Topics: America Means Business, entrepreneur, entrepreneurship, starting a business, small business, home business, grow a business, franchise, opportunities for entrepreneurs, stevie awards

141 MVPs of The 2012 American Business Awards

Posted by Liz Dean on Fri, May 11, 2012 @ 04:24 PM

The following professionals participated in preliminary judging of The 2012 American Business Awards, the nation’s premier business awards program, in April-May. Their average scores determined the Finalists.  We thank them for their time, insights, and support.

Tsvika Abramovitch, Vice President, HR, Hadera Paper, Hadera, Israel
Ilene Adler, CEO, Vantage Communications, San Francisco, CA
Stewart Andrews, Creative Director, Noodlebox Design, LLC, Arlington, VA   
Zainab Ansari, Director/CEO, Xenith PR (Pvt.) Ltd, Karachi, Pakistan  
Jon Baer, President, Wakefly, Westborough, MA             
Jeff Bell, Partner, NCT Ventures, Kirkland, OH
Ray Benjamin, President, Ray Benjamin Productions, New York, NY        
Israel Bonequi, Creative Director, Birds Nest Foundation, Montreal, Canada
Jonathan Bruns, Art Director, The Design Channel, Chevy Chase, MD
Heena Bulchandani, Specialist - Training & Development, Dubai Electricity & Water Authority, Dubai, UAE            
Joy Carter, Communications Manager, American Cast Iron Pipe Co., Birmingham, AL       
William Casey, Vice President, Global Marketing, Brightpoint, Inc., Indianapolis, IN          
Annie  Castellano, Chief Creative Officer, Switch, St. Louis, MO         
Susan Chait, VP, Creative Director, Lebowitz | Gould | Design, Inc., New York, NY       
Kevin Chen, President/CEO, Business Methods Corporation, Randolph, NJ
Denise Clancey, President, Teledirect Partners, Boston, MA       
David Clarke, Managing Director, BGT Partners, Miami, FL            
David Craig, Vice President, Human Resources, Fazoli's Restaurants, Lexington, KY          
David Crawford, Senior VP, Managing Group Creative Director, GSD&M, Austin, TX        
Cynthia Cruz, PR Account Coordinator, iolo technologies, Los Angeles, CA      
Karen Danielson, Marketing Communications & Brand Manager, US Water Services, Inc, St Michael, MN              
Sherri Davis, Manager, Internet Marketing Services, Delphi, Troy, MI      
Jennifer Deare, President, Deare Marketing, Inc, Tenafly, NJ     
Rachel Deutsch, Creative Director, The Design Channel, Chevy Chase, MD
Kevin Elliott, Senior Vice President, Hill & Knowlton Strategies, Irvine, CA           
Hossein Eslambolchi, Chairman and CEO, 20/20 Venture Partners, Charlotte, NC    
Robert Feeney, Sales Manager, catchfire, Minneapolis, MN       
Mike Fernandez, Corporate VP, Corporate Affairs, Cargill, Inc., Wayzata, MN     
Jennifer Fisher, Director, Sales Operations and Production, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Washington, DC
Marc Foelsch, Senior Art Director, Fraser Wallace Advertising, Montgomery Village, MD 
Anna Garcia, Owner, CouponAnna, West Covina, CA      
Kristina Garcia, Managing Director, German State of Hessen U.S. Office for Economic Development, New York, NY          
Mark Geiger, Assoc. Director of Marketing & Communication, Georgia World Congress Center Authority, Atlanta, GA    
Paul Gennaro, Senior Vice President, Chief Communications Officer, AECOM, New York, NY       
Stephen Gifford, Director of Human Resources, Eurpac Service, Inc., Norwalk, CT            
David Gilman, President, Gilman Performance Systems, Brookfield, CT 
Justin Grenier, Support Team Manager, Listrak, Lititz, PA             
Andrew Gutman, Chief Financial Officer, Farbman Group, Southfield, MI             
Rosemary Haefner,Vice President, Human Resources, CareerBuilder.com, Minneapolis, MN       
Christopher Harmon, Principal & CEO, theBATstudio, Oakland, CA            
Peggy Heafey, Director - Intermediary Partner Care, Marriott Intl, Inc., Omaha, NE          
Courtenay Higgins, Senior Partner, Winning Strategies, Newark, NJ         
Diego Hoic, Product Manager, Church & Dwight, Princeton, NJ  
Carole Holden, Founder/CEO, Gelmtree Advertising, Howey in the Hills, FL         
Jamie Holt, President/CEO, JMK Notary & Services, Miami, FL    
Susan Hudgins, Technical Producer, Fourth Wall Events, New York, NY           
Jodi Hutchison, Director of Communications, Hamilton Sundstrand, Windsor Locks, CT   
Ananda Jagoda, Chief Creative Officer, Smart Media - The Annual Report Company, Colombo, Sri Lanka
Robert Jeppsen, Sr. Vice President, Commercial Sales, Zions Bank, Salt Lake City, UT       
Allen Jernigan, President & CEO, My Marketing Department, Inc., Seminole, FL
Mike Jingozian, Founder and CEO, AngelVision, New York, NY               
Robert Jones, Vice President, Corporate Development, DRC, Reston, VA
Peter Justen, CEO, MyBizHomepage, Inc., Middleburg, VA          
Nagib Khallouf, President, Trademart International Trading, Santa Rosa, CA        
Ross Kimbarovsky, Co-Founder, crowdSPRING, Chicago, IL          
Patrick King, Founder, ImagineDesign, Manassas, VA     
Bob Klee, CEO, HometownQuotes.com, Franklin, TN      
Nitin Kumar, Director, PWC, New York, NY          
Micah Laney, Sr. Digital Communications Manager, Walmart Global Associate Communications, Fayetteville, AR         
Brook Larios, CEO and Founder, PlainClarity Communications, San Diego, CA
Laure LeBlanc, President, ubi.Q Inc, East Greenwich, RI 
Peter Levy, President, Corniche Productions, Brooklyn, NY         
Lloyd Lofton, Vice President COO, American Eagle Consultants, Inc, Smyrna, GA               
Krushna Prasad Mahapatra, Global Head HR- GE ISU, Tata Consultancy Services, Edison, NJ         
Janice Maiman, Senior Vice President, Communications & Media Channels, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, New York, NY        
Joseph Mangiaracina, Principal/Owner, SurfNet.Inc., Levittown, PA        
Laura Maniccia, Principal, Interactive Marketing Solutions, South Lyon, MI           
Andrew Mauriello, Sr. Manager, Global Sales Operations, Mimio - A Newell Rubbermaid Company, Cambridge, MA       
Maggie Mayer, Founder, Mayer & Associates, CPA, LLC, Madison, CT     
Dawn McDermott, Marketing Associate Director, Sun Life Financial, Wellesley Hills, MA
Jeannine McHenry, Art Director, One17 Creative, Marina Del Rey, CA    
Colin McKillop, Chief Executive Officer, Butcher Enterprises, Windsor, Canada   
Catherine McQuaid, Principal, Big Game Hunting, Toronto, Canada          
Gabrielle Medecki, Chief Marketing Officer, Wolfgang's Vault, San Francisco, CA              
Stan Mendoza, President, Mendoza Media, Montclair, NJ 
Kathy Menzie, Associate Professor & Chair, Washburn University, Topeka, KS   
Jessica Merz, Director Global Corporate Communications, Bacardi-Martini, Inc, Coral Gables, FL
Sharon Metzung, Publications & Graphics Manager, Lake Metroparks, Concord Township, OH   
Andrea Michaels, President, Extraordinary Events, Sherman Oaks, CA   
Thaddeus  Miles, President, Neighborhood Networks National Consortium, North Little Rock, AR            
Carlos Minetti, President, Consumer Banking, Discover Financial Services, Riverwoods, IL             
Simona Mollova, CEO, www.nokbg.eu, Sofia, Bulgaria   
Brian Mulvey, Vice President, Investor Growth Capital, New York, NY    
Christina Mulvihill, Director, Government and Public Affairs, Sony, Washington, DC         
Ann Murphy, Senior VP, O'Neill & Associates, Boston, MA           
Kirk Musselman, Director, Human Resources, Classified Ventures LLC, Chicago, IL            
Rajendran Nair, Director, Marketing, Callidus Software, Pleasanton, CA
Steve Nelson, Partner & CTO, AP42, San Ramon, CA       
Cheryl Nguyen, Manager, Sales & Marketing Communications, Marriott International, Inc., Bethesda, MD           
Judilynn (Judi) Niedercorn, President and CEO, SysTactics, McLean, VA 
Kevin O'Donnell, Vice President, Credit Issuance, Discover Financial Services, Riverwoods, IL      
Bob Older, President, Creative Travel Inc. dba Rainbow Charter Service, Wilmington, DE               
Kirsten Osolind, CEO, Reinvention Marketing, San Diego, CA      
Mark O'Toole, Managing Director, Public Relations & Content Marketing, H|B, Newton, MA       
Audrey Pannell, Director of Public Relations & Social Media, STYLE Advertising, Birmingham, AL 
Paul Patton, Senior Product Development Manager, Delta Faucet Co., Indianapolis, IN  
Michael Pisner, Graphic Designer, The Design Channel, Chevy Chase, MD
Mac Premo
, Creative Director, MacPremo, Brooklyn, NY              
Fabi Preslar, President, SPARK Publications, Matthews, NC         
Toni Purry, President, Purry Communications Group, Los Angeles, CA    
Gillian Rawcliffe, Business Development Manager, Vérité, Sandy, UT     
Dennis Reno, Vice President, Global Customer Service, Oracle, San Francisco, CA             
Avis Richards, President/CEO, Birds Nest Productions, Purchase, NY       
Bridgette Ridgeway, President & CEO, Taylorfield & Company, Brown Deer, WI 
Viurniel Sanchez, Program Management Coordinator, NextEra Energy, Inc., Miami, FL   
Scott Sanfilippo, Co-Founder, Solid Cactus, Shavertown, PA        
Russell Sarder, CEO and Chairman, NetCom Learning, New York, NY       
John Sawyer, Senior Security Analyst, InGuardians, Inc., Gainesville, FL 
Karen Schadow, President, The Voice of Success, New York, NY               
Francesca Schuler, Chief Marketing Officer, BevMo!, Concord, CA           
David Sentman, SVP-Change Management Executive, Bank of America, Newark, DE      
Bill Shelton, Vice President, USHEALTH Advisors, Grapevine, TX
Gary Shumaker, President, Gary E. Shumaker, Inc., Fairfax, VA 
Jeffrey Shuman, Senior VP Chief Human Resources and Administrative Officer, Harris Corp., Melbourne, FL       
Ravinder Paul Singh, Director - Strategy and Online Marketing, Kulwant Advisory, Nairobi, Kenya             
DeAllous Smith, Public Information Officer, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Atlanta, GA              
Julian Soler, Director of Marketing, Studio One Networks, New York, NY              
Cate Sommervold, Vice President of Development and Patient Outreach, pharmaCline, Sioux Falls, SD 
Lacey Stephen, Project Manager, Strativity Group, LLC, Rochelle Park, NJ             
Caroline Storey-Sabetti, Executive Director, Marketing & Business Solutions, Staff Management | SMX, Amherst, MA   
Julie Suntrup, SVP Marketing and Business Development, Switch, St. Louis, MO               
Daniel Sweeza, SVP, Operations, Air Evac EMS, Inc., West Plains, MO     
Julie Thomas, CEO, ValueSelling, Santa Fe, CA    
Stephen Thompson, Executive Creative Director, iCrossing, Chicago, IL  
Michelle Thorsell, Principal, SMT Architects, P.C., Glen Ellyn, IL  
Han Tjan, Corporate Communications, Daimler, New York, NY   
Beverly Turek, Owner/Operator, Turek's Computer Dr, Bryan, TX            
Rajani Veeramachaneni, President, E Center, Inc., Newtown, PA             
Vinny Verdi, Producer, CUNY-TV, New York, NY
Kate Watts, VP of Client Services, Huge, Brooklyn, NY    
Jake Wengroff, Global Director, Social Media Strategy & Research, Frost & Sullivan, San Antonio, TX       
Vicki Whisenhant, SVP Cultural Transformation, Medtech, Atlanta, GA  
Kirsten Wilkinson, Customer Service Manager, Heeling Sports, Ltd., Carrollton, TX           
Keith Wolf, VP of Marketing, Murray Resources, Houston, TX    
Leslie Yeransian, Communications/Media, Rising Medical Solutions, Chicago, IL
Michael Yue, Senior Writer, The Design Channel, Chevy Chase, MD
Didi Yunginger, Director of Strategy & Development, Wolper Subscription Services, Easton, PA           
Julia Zamorska, VP of Corporate Communications, iolo technologies, Los Angeles, CA     
Matthew Zintel, President, Zintel Public Relations, Cypress, TX  
Joseph Zitzelberger, Director of Manufacturing Development, PACCAR Inc, Chillicothe, OH         
Chris Zoloth, Director, Global Customer Care, IHG, Salt Lake City, UT       

Topics: judging, American business awards, stevie awards, ABAs, judges

The American Business Awards Announce Finalists in 10th Annual Competition

Posted by Liz Dean on Thu, May 10, 2012 @ 11:45 AM

Coveted Stevie® Awards to Be Presented at Ceremonies in New York and San Francisco

New York, NY – May 10, 2012– Finalists were announced today in The 10th Annual American Business Awards. Companies as diverse as Apple, Chipotle Mexican Grill, The Coca-Cola Company, Delta Air Lines, Ford Motor Company, ING DIRECT, NASCAR, Overstock.com, and YouSendIt are among those recognized.  Lists of Finalists by category have been published at http://www.StevieAwards.com/ABAThe American Business Awards

The American Business Awards are the nation’s premier business awards program. All organizations and individuals in the U.S.A. are eligible to submit nominations.

This year’s Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Award winners will be announced at two award banquets: the first will take place on June 18 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York; and the second, a new event, will be held on September 17 at the Julia Morgan Ballroom in San Francisco, California and will honor Stevie Award winners in all tech-related categories. More than 800 executives are expected to attend the events.  The ceremonies will be broadcast nationwide by the Business TalkRadio Network.    

A record number of nominations were submitted this year with more than 3,000 from organizations of all sizes and from virtually every industry.  The ABAs include a wide variety of categories including management awards, new product awards, marketing awards, public relations awards, human resources awards, information technology awards, web site awards, and more.

Finalists were chosen by business professionals nationwide during preliminary judging in April and May.  Members of 10 specialized final judging committees will determine Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Award placements from among Finalists in judging that will begin next week.  More than 250 executives will participate in the judging process this year.

Voting will open in early July for the People’s Choice Stevie Awards for Favorite New Products, a component of The American Business Awards that invites the general public to vote for their favorite new products of the year in a number of categories including Favorite New Smartphone, Favorite New Tablet, Favorite New Consumer Product, and Favorite New Smartphone or Tablet App. 

For press credentials for the June 18 and September 17 award banquets or for more information, contact jill@mediashoppr.com.

About the Stevie® Awards
Stevie Awards are conferred in four programs: The American Business Awards, The International Business Awards, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service.  Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide.  Learn more about the Stevie Awards at www.StevieAwards.com/, and follow the Stevie Awards on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube

Sponsors and partners of The 2012 American Business Awards include American Support, Business TalkRadio Network, Callidus Software, Citrix Online, Dynamic Research Corporation, iolo technologies, John Hancock Funds, LifeLock, PetRays, Primus Telecommunications Group, SoftPro, and VerticalResponse.

Topics: hr awards, business awards, marketing awards, American business awards, web awards, it awards, new product awards, management awards, public relations awards

ENTRY DEADLINE APPROACHING FOR NINTH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS AWARDS

Posted by Liz Dean on Wed, May 09, 2012 @ 09:39 AM

16 May Is Entry Deadline for 2012 International Business Awards; Ceremony to Take Place in Seoul, South Korea

Fairfax, VA – 9 May, 2012 – Organizers of The Ninth Annual International Business Awards, the world’s premier business awards competition,  are reminding businesses and individuals that the entry deadline is on 16 May. While the competition is on track to receive a record number of entries, there are still many opportunities for aspiring entrants.

All individuals and organizations worldwide – public and private, for-profit and non-profit, large and small – may submit nominations to The International Business Awards.  The entry deadline is Wednesday, 16 May, and late entries will be accepted until 27 June with an additional fee.  Entry details are available at www.stevieawards.com/iba

The International Business Awards recognize achievement in every facet of the workplace.  Categories include:

The 2012 International Business Awards will include the Second Annual People’s Choice Stevie Awards for Favorite Companies, in which the general public worldwide will vote for their favorite companies. Each company honored with a Gold, Silver or Bronze Stevie Award in The International Business Awards’ company of the year categories will automatically be included in people’s choice voting, which will open in late July.

Winners of the competition will be celebrated at the ninth annual awards banquet on Monday, 15 October at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Seoul, South Korea. 

The 8th Annual International Business Awards were presented in October 2011 in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates.  Honorees included American Express, Bombardier, Inc., Etisalat, Everything Everywhere, Saudi Basic Industries Corporation, Siemens AG, TATA Motors, Tesco Poland, Toyota Motor Corporation, Turk Telekom, and Unilever N.V., among others.  2011 results are summarized at http://www.stevieawards.com/pubs/iba/awards/408_2219_21081.cfm

About The Stevie Awards
Stevie Awards are conferred in four programs: The American Business Awards, The International Business Awards, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service.  Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide.  Learn more about The Stevie Awards at http://www.stevieawards.com/, and follow the Stevie Awards on Twitter @TheStevieAwards

Topics: hr awards, business awards, app awards, website awards, marketing awards, International business awards, PR awards, stevie awards, it awards, new product awards, IBAs

10 Days to International Business Awards Deadline

Posted by Liz Dean on Mon, May 07, 2012 @ 03:33 PM

16 May is the entry deadline for The Ninth Annual International Business Awards, the world's premier business awards competition.

If you haven't downloaded the 2012 entry kit, you can request your entry kit here and you will receive it right away.  

The International Business Awards recognize achievement in every facet of the workplace and all individuals and organizations worldwide -- public and private, for-profit and non-profit, large and small -- may submit nominations to the IBAs. Types of award categories include:

See the full list of international business award categories.

Entries submitted after 16 May, through the final entry deadline of 27 June, will be assessed a late fee in addition to any entry fee. Finalists will be announced in late July and 2012 honorees will be celebrated at the 9th annual awards banquet on Monday, 15 October in Seoul, South Korea.

Need help answering  your IBA submission questions?  Email us at help@stevieawards.com  or call us at + 1 703-547-8389 and we'll get back to you right away.

Topics: hr awards, business awards, app awards, website awards, International business awards, PR awards, stevie awards, it awards, The International Business Awards