Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a future consideration—it is already transforming the way organizations operate, compete, and innovate.

During the first Women|Future Webinar of 2026, "Future-Proofing Your Organization: Crafting an AI Strategy to Navigate Risks and Unlock New Opportunities," industry leaders explored how organizations can develop practical AI strategies, balance innovation with risk, and prepare their workforce for a rapidly evolving future.

The Women|Future Webinars are an annual series of free webinars hosted by the Stevie® Awards, designed for women small business owners, executives, entrepreneurs, and anyone interested in starting a business.

The first webinar took place on June 17, 2026 and featured insights from past Stevie Award-winning women from leading global organizations. Speakers included:

• Ipsita Mohanty, Applied Science Manager at Amazon and Vice Chair of IEEE Women in Engineering

• Mariesa Coughanour, Head of the Growth Office and AI Workforce Transformation for Cognizant Consulting

• Jaya Eripilla, VP, Senior Technology Manager at Bank of America

• Casey Foss, Chief Growth Officer at Penta Group

The Cost of Standing Still
One of the strongest themes throughout the discussion was that organizations face significant risks when they delay AI adoption. While concerns about security, governance, and compliance are valid, panelists emphasized that companies that fail to build AI capabilities today may quickly lose ground to competitors that are actively experimenting and learning.

As Casey Foss noted, organizations are already seeing a widening gap between employees who embrace AI tools and those who do not. Rather than focusing solely on the risks of AI, leaders should also consider the risks of inaction.

Start With Business Problems, Not Technology
The panel repeatedly stressed that successful AI strategies begin with business objectives rather than technology selection. Instead of asking, “What is our AI strategy?” organizations should ask, “How can AI help us achieve our business goals?”

Leaders were encouraged to identify high-impact business challenges, define measurable outcomes, and then determine whether AI is the best solution. Whether the goal is to improve customer experiences, increase operational efficiency, or accelerate decision-making, AI should serve as a strategic enabler rather than a standalone initiative.

Governance and Innovation Must Work Together
While organizations are eager to move quickly, panelists emphasized the importance of balancing innovation with responsible governance. Building clear policies, involving security teams early, and establishing guardrails can help organizations reduce risk while still empowering employees to experiment and innovate.

Mariesa Coughanour highlighted that employees are often already using AI tools independently. Rather than resisting this reality, organizations should create frameworks that support responsible experimentation, encourage collaboration between business and technology teams, and provide visibility into emerging use cases.

People Remain the Competitive Advantage
Although AI capabilities continue to advance rapidly, panelists agreed that uniquely human skills will become even more valuable in the future. Trust, judgment, empathy, leadership, and relationship-building remain difficult to replicate through technology. As organizations automate routine tasks, employees will increasingly focus on supervising systems, making complex decisions, and building meaningful connections with customers and colleagues.

Jaya Eripilla emphasized that organizations should view AI as a collaborator rather than a competitor. The goal is not to replace human expertise but to augment it—allowing employees to spend more time on higher-value work that requires creativity, critical thinking, and emotional intelligence.

Creating a Culture of AI Adoption
The panelists also highlighted the importance of organizational culture in successful AI adoption. Companies that foster excitement, psychological safety, and learning opportunities are more likely to uncover innovative ideas across their workforce. Examples included AI innovation challenges, hackathons, gamification programs, and AI fluency initiatives designed to help employees build confidence and practical skills.

Rather than limiting AI exploration to a small group of specialists, organizations should encourage broad participation and provide employees with opportunities to contribute ideas and solutions.

Focus on Proof of Value
When beginning an AI journey, panelists recommended focusing on projects that demonstrate clear business value rather than small experiments that fail to generate meaningful impact.

Organizations should prioritize initiatives with measurable outcomes, whether through increased revenue, improved customer experiences, reduced operational costs, or greater employee productivity. Demonstrating tangible results helps build organizational momentum and encourages broader adoption.

One Final Piece of Advice
When asked for their most important recommendation for leaders looking to future-proof their organizations, the panelists delivered a consistent message: invest in your people.

Providing AI training, fostering a culture of experimentation, and preparing employees to work alongside AI technologies will be critical for long-term success. Organizations that empower their workforce while maintaining strong governance will be best positioned to adapt, innovate, and thrive in an AI-driven future.

As the discussion concluded, one message stood out above all others: AI is not a temporary trend. It is becoming a fundamental part of how work gets done, and organizations that combine technology, strategy, and human potential will be best equipped for what comes next.

Upcoming Women|Future Webinar Sessions

Join the next two webinars to discover practical strategies to build credibility through business awards, and get firsthand perspectives from women entrepreneurs who have successfully built and scaled their businesses. Register individually for each webinar you wish to attend:

Your Competitive Edge: How Earning Business Awards Boosts Recognition

 

The Founder Mindset: Overcoming Fear, Failure & Doubt to Build a Business

 

Einsendeschluss für die German Stevie® Awards 2026 bis zum 29. Juli verlängert

Die zwölfte Ausgabe des deutschsprachigen Wirtschaftspreises nimmt nun noch für einen weiteren Monat Nominierungen entgegen

Unternehmen und Organisationen, die ihre Nominierungen für die 12. German Stevie® Awards bislang noch nicht eingereicht haben, erhalten zusätzliche Zeit: Die Veranstalter haben die Bewerbungsphase verlängert und ermöglichen damit weiterhin die Teilnahme am renommierten Wirtschaftspreis. Eigentlich sollte die Einreichungsfrist bereits gestern enden. Aufgrund zahlreicher Anfragen und des großen Interesses an einer Verlängerung haben sich die Verantwortlichen jedoch dazu entschlossen, den Teilnehmenden entgegenzukommen. Der neue und zugleich finale Einsendeschluss ist nun der 29. Juli 2026. Bis zu diesem Termin können Bewerbungen in allen Kategorien eingereicht werden.

„Die hohe Resonanz auf die German Stevie® Awards freut uns außerordentlich. Bereits jetzt haben viele namhafte Unternehmen ihre innovativen und beeindruckenden Projekte zur Bewertung eingereicht“, sagt Maggie Miller, Präsidentin der Stevie® Awards. Die Fristverlängerung biete weiteren Organisationen die Chance, ihre Erfolge und Leistungen einzureichen und sich um eine der begehrten Stevie®-Award-Trophäen zu bewerben.

Die Bewertung der eingegangenen Nominierungen beginnt am 24. Juni 2026. Insgesamt werden fünf unabhängige Fachjurys die Einreichungen eingehend prüfen und bewerten. Unternehmen, die ihre Bewerbungen erst im Rahmen der verlängerten Frist einreichen, werden dabei selbstverständlich gleichberechtigt berücksichtigt und haben keinerlei Nachteile im Wettbewerbsverfahren.

Die German Stevie® Awards sind ein hochkarätiger Wirtschaftspreis für die deutschsprachige europäische Unternehmenswelt. Ausgezeichnet werden herausragende Leistungen in vielfältigen Kategorien - vom "Manager des Jahres" über die "Marketingkampagne des Jahres" bis hin zum "Produkt des Jahres" und vielen weiteren. Umfassende Informationen über die Awards und die Teilnahmeunterlagen erhalten Sie unter https://gsa.stevieawards.com/

Den Teilnehmenden steht eine Vielzahl an etablierten Kategorien mit zahlreichen
Unterkategorien zur Verfügung. Unter anderem:

• Awards Unternehmen/Institutionen
• Awards für Unternehmer
• Innovations-Awards
• Awards für Künstliche Intelligenz
• Marketing-Awards
• PR-Awards
• Human Resources-Awards
• Awards für Kundenservice
• Awards für neue Produkte und Dienstleistungen
• Podcast-Awards
• Video-Awards
• Thought Leadership-Awards
• und viele weitere
  
  

Neu in diesem Jahr:

Für die 12. German Stevie Awards 2026 gibt es auch einige neue Kategorien,
speziell für den Bereich der Künstlichen Intelligenz (KI).

Wieder dabei: People’s Choice Stevie Awards für die beliebtesten Unternehmen

Wer die Stevie Awards kennt, weiß, dass die Preistragenden mit einer Stevie Awards Trophäe in Gold oder einer Medaille in Silber oder Bronze ausgezeichnet werden. Auch in diesem Jahr wartet wieder eine weitere Auszeichnung auf die Teilnehmenden der German Stevie Awards: die People's Choice Stevie Awards für die beliebtesten Unternehmen. Alle Organisationen, die mit einem Gold, Silber oder Bronze Stevie Award der German Stevie Awards 2026 ausgezeichnet werden, haben die Möglichkeit zusätzlich mit dem People's Choice Stevie Award für die beliebtesten Unternehmen prämiert zu werden. Dazu findet von Ende August bis Ende September 2026 eine öffentliche Online-Abstimmung statt, bei der jeder für seinen Favoriten abstimmen kann. Das Unternehmen mit den meisten Stimmen in jeder Kategorie erhält als Auszeichnung eine wunderschöne Kristalltrophäe.

Asiacell Communications is a major provider of mobile telecommunications and digital services in Iraq, serving nearly 20 million customers across all 19 governorates. Since its founding in 1999, the company has consistently pioneered innovation in the country’s telecom sector. Today, its 4G network reaches the majority of Iraq’s population.

Over the past two years, Asiacell has strengthened its position as a digital leader through significant investments in artificial intelligence, cloud-native infrastructure, and customer experience. These efforts are helping transform not only the company’s operations but also the broader telecommunications landscape in Iraq.

AI-powered Customer Support Platform
One of Asiacell’s most notable achievements was the launch of LAILA, an AI-powered customer support platform. Introduced in 2024, the intelligent chatbot assists customers across mobile, web, and social media channels, handling thousands of inquiries each day. Building on that success, Asiacell introduced LAITH in 2025, an enterprise-grade AI assistant designed to support employees by streamlining access to information and standardizing workflows throughout the organization.

The company also completed a major modernization of its Business Support System (BSS), implementing a cloud-native, AI-enabled platform that now manages services for nearly 20 million customers. The upgrade was completed without service disruption, supported by one of Iraq’s most advanced telecom infrastructures, including 22 data centers, four of which are Tier III-certified by the Uptime Institute. Asiacell’s network currently includes more than 8,300 towers, with plans to add 1,000 more.

Beyond its commercial achievements, Asiacell continues to play an important role in Iraq’s development through initiatives supporting digital education, entrepreneurship, humanitarian relief, and youth development. Hundreds of corporate social responsibility programs have helped expand digital access and create opportunities for communities throughout the country.

Asiacell Communications PJSC won a Silver Stevie Award for Company of the Year - Information Technology - Telecommunications and two Bronze Stevie Awards for Technical Innovation of the Year - Artificial Intelligence and New Service of the Year - Artificial Intelligence in the 2025 Stevie Awards for Technology Excellence.

Interested in entering for 2026?

The Stevie^® Awards, organizers of The International Business Awards^®, announced today that the final entry deadline for the 2026 (23rd annual) edition of the awards has been extended through 16 July by popular demand. The original final entry deadline was 17 June.

The International Business Awards are widely recognized as the world's premier business awards competition, attracting nominations from organizations in over 70 nations and territories each year.

All individuals and organizations worldwide—public and private, for-profit and non-profit, large and small—may submit nominations to The International Business Awards. Entry details are available at http://IBA.StevieAwards.com.

“The extended entry period will give organizations additional time to prepare and submit their nominations," said Stevie Awards President Maggie Miller.

Juries featuring more than 250 executives worldwide will determine the Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Award winners. Winners will be announced on 12 August and celebrated at a joint gala award ceremony in Paris, France, at the Pullman Paris Montparnasse on Wednesday, 28 October.

Winners in the 2026 editions of The International Business Awards, the German Stevie Awards, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, and the Stevie Awards for Technology Excellence will be celebrated together in Paris. Grand, Gold, Silver, Bronze, and People's Choice Stevie Award trophies and medallions will be distributed to winners.

Tickets for the awards banquet will be available starting 12 August, when the winners are publicly announced.

“We are thrilled to announce that this year’s International Business Awards banquet will be held in Paris, France," added Miller. "We anticipate over 400 professionals from more than 20 nations to attend the awards ceremony.”

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

• Achievement Categories
• Achievement in Management Categories
• Achievement in Marketing Categories
• Achievement in Public Relations Categories
• AI Innovation & Transformation Categories (New for 2026)
• App Categories
• Company/Organization Categories
• Creative Categories
• Customer Service Categories
• Entrepreneur Categories
• Event Categories
• Human Resources Categories
• Individual Categories
• New Product & Product Management Categories
• Podcast Categories
• Public Sector & Government Innovation Categories (New for 2026)
• Publication Categories
• Social Media Categories
• Support Categories
• Sustainability Categories
• Technology Categories
• Thought Leadership Categories
• Video Categories
• Web Achievement Categories

There are many new and revised features of The International Business Awards for 2026:

• There are two entirely new category groups
  • AI Innovation & Transformation Categories
  • Public Sector & Government Innovation Categories

In addition to the new AI and Public Sector category groups, The 2026 International Business Awards have expanded significantly across many existing award areas. New categories recognize achievements in areas such as data and analytics, digital transformation, operational excellence, product-led growth, customer service innovation, employee wellbeing, diversity and inclusion, and emerging leadership disciplines including cybersecurity, sales, business development, and data leadership. The awards have also introduced new industry sectors throughout the Company of the Year, Entrepreneur, and Management categories, including Agritech, Biotechnology, Cybersecurity, E-commerce, Education & EdTech, Gaming & Esports, Logistics & Supply Chain, and Venture Capital.

The program has also expanded its recognition of innovation in marketing, communications, events, creative work, mobile apps, products, and technology solutions. New categories highlight areas such as accessibility, sustainability, customer retention, employer branding, experiential marketing, hybrid and AI-powered events, as well as emerging technologies including robotics, quantum computing, AI security, digital twins, smart manufacturing, and ESG technology. These additions reflect the evolving priorities of organizations worldwide and provide new opportunities for entrants to showcase achievements in fast-growing fields and emerging business disciplines.

Notable 2025 International Business Awards winners include Azul, Cathay Pacific, Cisco, Critical Mass, Deloitte, DHL Express, EBizCharge, Foundever, GigaCloud Technology, HALKBANK, IBM, IntouchCX, Jenzabar, Manulife, Manila Electric Company, Origence, pladis, SoftPro, Tata Consultancy Services, VelocityEHS, and many more.

Informativ provides fraud prevention, compliance, and credit solutions for the automotive and consumer finance industries across the United States. The company’s software is designed to help auto dealers and lenders streamline finance qualification processes, maintain regulatory compliance, and reduce risk through automation and integrated technology solutions.


Unifying Compliance, Credit, and Fraud Prevention
Since 2023, Informativ has undergone a significant transformation to simplify and modernize compliance and risk management for automotive retailers. Following a strategic rebrand, the company unified several existing platforms under the Informativ name, bringing together tools focused on identity verification, credit management, and fraud prevention into a more cohesive ecosystem.

A major milestone came in February 2024 with the launch of Total Solution, a platform integrating identity verification, credit controls, and FTC Safeguards Rule compliance into a single workflow. The launch addressed growing pressure on dealers to strengthen data security and compliance processes while maintaining operational efficiency and customer experience.

By consolidating multiple compliance and risk-management functions into a single platform, Informativ sought to address a longstanding challenge in the automotive technology sector, where dealers often rely on disconnected systems for fraud prevention, compliance oversight, and financing workflows.

Supporting Evolving Industry Demands
The company has expanded its capabilities through acquisitions and integrations, increasing both technical functionality and customer reach. These efforts contributed to broader market penetration and accelerated product development while supporting partnerships with lenders, credit bureaus, and dealer technology providers.

Operational growth has accompanied these initiatives. Informativ earned a place on the 2024 Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing private companies and was recognized as a Great Place to Work-certified employer based on employee feedback.

As regulatory requirements continue to evolve across automotive retail and consumer finance, Informativ has focused on building tools that allow dealers to proactively manage compliance obligations while reducing friction within the financing process. The company’s emphasis on integrated workflows and automation reflects broader industry demand for more scalable and efficient technology solutions.

Informativ earned a Bronze Stevie® Award for Company of the Year – Financial Technologies in the 2025 Stevie Awards for Technology Excellence.

Interested in entering for 2026?

Bongo was created to address a practical challenge in higher education. A professor at Colorado State University needed a more effective way to assess communication skills in entrepreneurship and business communications courses. After finding that existing tools did not adequately measure how students communicated and applied knowledge, he developed a new solution focused on video-based assessment and feedback.

That solution became Bongo, a platform designed to evaluate not only what learners know, but how effectively they can communicate and demonstrate skills in real-world scenarios.

Initially adopted by colleges and universities, Bongo helped educators assess soft skills through video assignments and structured feedback. As demand for scalable coaching and performance evaluation grew beyond academia, the platform expanded into corporate learning and enterprise training.

Scaling Coaching and Skill Verification
Today, Bongo supports enterprise organizations across sales, partner enablement, and customer success functions by helping teams reinforce learning and verify skills at scale. Learners record video responses that demonstrate their understanding and application of key concepts, enabling organizations to assess practical performance rather than relying solely on traditional testing methods.

The platform combines AI-powered analysis with human-reviewed feedback to help organizations identify strengths, reinforce learning objectives, and support ongoing professional development. A key advancement within the platform is Bongo’s AI Score technology, which automates the evaluation of learner-recorded videos while generating detailed feedback aligned with organization-specific requirements.

Advancing AI-Driven Performance Evaluation
Bongo’s AI Score operates through a multi-step process designed to produce tailored, scalable assessments. Organizations first upload training materials and learning content into the platform, allowing Bongo to generate customized questions and success criteria based on specific business objectives and skill requirements.

Learners then record video responses demonstrating their understanding and application of those concepts in practical scenarios. Using a combination of predefined evaluation criteria, publicly available large-language models, and Bongo’s proprietary algorithms, the platform automatically scores learner performance and provides detailed explanations for each evaluation.

The system is designed to provide actionable feedback with minimal human intervention, helping organizations scale coaching and assessment programs more efficiently.

Addressing Security and AI Bias Concerns
One of the primary challenges facing organizations adopting AI-driven evaluation systems is how to securely use sensitive company information without exposing proprietary data to public AI models.

To address this concern, Bongo developed a patent-pending process that allows learner performance to be evaluated against confidential organizational data while preventing that data from being exposed to public large-language models. This approach enables organizations to use advanced AI capabilities while maintaining control over sensitive information.

The company also developed consensus algorithms to reduce bias and response inconsistencies in AI-generated evaluations. By structuring interactions with large-language models as multi-part conversations and combining them with proprietary evaluation methods, Bongo aims to improve the fairness, consistency, and reliability of assessment outcomes.

As organizations continue to search for scalable ways to measure communication, performance, and applied skills, Bongo’s technology reflects a growing interest in AI-supported learning systems that balance automation, personalization, and data security.

Bongo earned a Gold Stevie® Award for Technical Innovation of the Year – Educational Technology in the 2025 Stevie Awards for Technology Excellence.

Interested in entering for 2026?

The Stevie^® Awards, organizers of the world’s premier business awards, have announced a final deadline extension in the newest Stevie Awards program, the Stevie Awards for Technology Excellence.

The original final entry deadline was June 11, but entries will now be accepted through July 8. Entries through the extended final entry deadline will not be penalized in any way. Entry details are available at Tech.StevieAwards.com.

This new Stevie Awards program celebrates the remarkable accomplishments of individuals, teams, and organizations shaping the future of technology across all industry sectors.

Individuals and organizations worldwide are eligible to enter - public and private, for-profit and non-profit, large and small. The program will recognize the world’s best technology professionals, organizations, achievements, products, and services since the beginning of 2024.

Michael Gallagher, founder and Executive Chairman of the Stevie Awards, shared his enthusiasm for the latest Stevie Awards competition and the extended entry timeline:

"Due to popular demand, we've extended the final entry deadline to July 8, giving individuals and organizations additional time to craft their nominations. We look forward to honoring the remarkable accomplishments of technology innovators from around the world in the 2026 Stevie Awards for Technology Excellence."

The program features more than 250 categories across 23 technology-industry groupings, with a broader set of categories for Information Technology. Category groupings include:

• Advertising, Marketing & Public Relations Technology Categories
• Aerospace Technology Categories
• Agricultural Technology Categories
• Architectural Technology Categories
• Artificial Intelligence Categories
• Assistive Technology Categories
• Biotechnology Categories
• Business Technology Categories
• Communication Technology Categories
• Construction & Civil Engineering Technology Categories (New for 2026)
• Educational Technology Categories
• Energy Technology Categories
• Entertainment Technology Categories
• Financial Technology Categories
• Government Technology Categories
• Green & Clean Technology Categories
• Healthcare Technology Categories
• Information Technology Categories
• Manufacturing Technology Categories
• Marine Technology Categories
• Retail & E-Commerce Technology Categories (New for 2026)
• Sports, Fitness & Recreation Technology Categories (New for 2026)
• Transportation & Mobility Technology Categories

Each year, Stevie Awards competitions receive more than 12,000 nominations from organizations of all types and sizes in more than 70 nations and territories. Past Stevie Award winners include Cisco Systems, Inc., DP DHL, EY Global Services Limited, HCLTech, Google, IBM Corporation, LLYC, Meta, Procter & Gamble, Samsung, Toyota, Verizon, Viettel Group, and many others.

Juries featuring more than 100 executives worldwide will determine the Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Award winners. Winners will be publicly announced on July 23 and celebrated at a joint awards gala on October 28 in Paris, France, with winners of the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, The International Business Awards®, and the German Stevie Awards.

The Stevie® Awards, organizer of the Stevie® Awards for Great Employers, announced today that the final entry deadline for the eleventh annual competition has been extended to Wednesday, July 1. The Stevie Awards for Great Employers honor the world's best companies to work for and the HR teams and professionals, HR achievements, new products and services, and suppliers that help to create and drive great workplaces.

"Each year, we hear from organizations that are doing remarkable work but need a little more time to prepare their nominations," said Stevie Awards President Maggie Miller. "By extending the deadline, we're ensuring that more organizations have the opportunity to share their achievements. Entries submitted during the extension period will not incur late fees and will be judged alongside all other nominations under the same criteria."

All organizations now have two more weeks to prepare and submit their entries. All individuals and organizations worldwide - public and private, for-profit and non-profit, large and small - may submit nominations to the Stevie Awards for Great Employers. The 2026 awards will honor achievements since the beginning of 2024. Entry details are available at http://HR.StevieAwards.com.

The 2026 competition introduces a variety of new categories, including a new group of 12 AI categories designed to honor individuals, teams, organizations, and solutions advancing artificial intelligence.

New HR Team categories include Leadership Development Team of the Year and Workplace Health and Wellbeing Team of the Year.

New Solutions and Implementations categories include Employee Wellbeing and Mental Health Solution Implementation - Implementation, Employee Wellbeing and Mental Health Solution Implementation - New or New-Version.

AI and People Analytics Provider of the Year is a new Solution Provider category.

AI Training for HR Professionals is a new Training Program or Media category.

20 of the 24 HR Individual categories do not require payment of entry fees, including Human Resources Executive of the Year, HR Rising Star of the Year, Employee Relations Professional of the Year, Onboarding Professional of the Year, Recruiting or Talent Acquisition Professional of the Year, and others.

Winners in the 42 industry-specific Employer of the Year categories will be determined by a unique blending of public votes and professional ratings. Public voting will take place from June 11 to July 9.

The Stevie Awards for Great Employers recognize achievement in many facets of the workplace. Categories include:

• AI Achievement Categories (New for 2026)
• Curated Training Platform of the Year Categories
• Employer of the Year Categories
• HR Achievement Categories
• HR Individual Categories
• HR Team Categories
• Solutions & Implementations Categories
• Solution Provider Categories
• Training Programs or Media Categories
• Thought Leadership Categories

More than 100 professionals worldwide, working on several juries, will determine the Stevie Award winners. Winners in the 2026 Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Awards will be announced on July 16 and celebrated during a gala banquet in conjunction with the Stevie Awards for Technology Excellence, The International Business Awards®, and the German Stevie Awards ceremony on October 28 in Paris, France.

About the Stevie® Awards

Stevie Awards are conferred in nine programs: the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, the Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards, The American Business Awards®, The International Business Awards®, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service, and the newest Stevie Awards program, the Stevie Awards for Technology Excellence. Stevie Awards competitions receive over 12,000 entries annually from organizations in more than 70 nations. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performance in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about the Stevie Awards at http://www.StevieAwards.com.

More than 550 representatives of Stevie® Award-winning organizations, competition jurors, sponsors and other VIPs will gather in the Broadway Ballroom of New York's Marriott Marquis Hotel on Tuesday, June 9 for the 24th edition of The American Business Awards®, the USA's top honors for achievement in the workplace.

All individuals and organizations operating in the United States are eligible to submit nominations to the ABAs - large and small, public and private, for profit and non profit.  The 2026 ABAs recognize achievements since the beginning of 2024 in a wide variety of categories representing most aspects of work life, including management, marketing, customer service, product management. innovation, and much more.

Grand, Gold, Silver, Bronze, and People's Choice Stevie Award winners were announced in April and May.  Winners who attend Tuesday's event will be celebrated on stage and deliver short acceptance speeches.

The American Business Awards are the oldest and one of nine Stevie Awards programs, which also include The International Business Awards®, the German Stevie Awards, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, and the Stevie Awards for Technology Excellence, all of which have entry deadlines in the next two weeks.

Tuesday's presentations will feature the presentation of the AI Waymakers Awards, by sponsor Persistent, and a special presentation about the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the Costello School of Business at George Mason University.

Here is the list of organizations that will be represented at Tuesday's American Business Awards:

(as of June 4)
1871 & BMO Financial Group, Chicago, IL
8x8, Campbell, CA
AB Studios and Passion Struck, St Petersburg, FL
Accenture, New York, NY
Actionstep, Denver, CO
ADI Global Distribution, Melville, NY
Adler Public Relations, Scottsdale, AZ
Affortech LLC, Orlando, FL
AmeriTech Contracting, Berlin, CT
Aptia, Boston, MA
Arch Street Communications, New York, NY
Asheria Marketing, New York, NY
Automation Anywhere, San Jose, CA 
Better Parenting Plan, San Francisco, CA
Beyond Finance, Chicago, IL
Bimbo Bakeries USA, Irving, TX
Black Men's Health Clinic, Austin, TX
BrightSpring Health Services, Louisville, KY
BW Events Tech, Gilbert, AZ
CardWorks, Woodbury, NY
Carestream NDT, Rochester, NY
Catalight, Walnut Creek, CA
Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary, Newtown, CT
CCS Fundraising, New York, NY
CenterLight Health System, Flushing, NY
Channel Partners, Tampa, FL
Chargebacks911, Clearwater, FL 
Chef Works, Poway, CA
Ciber Digita Inc., Flanders, NJ
Cisco Systems, San Jose, CA
Cisco, Jersey City, NJ
Cisco Network Engineering & Operations, Rolesville, NC 
Collaborative Co-Parent, Sydney, Australia
Concept Construction Services Inc., New York, NY
Corn Refiners Association, Washington, DC
Critical Mass, New York, NY 
CVS Health, Phoenix, AZ
Dassault Systemes, Waltham, MA 
Design-Build Institute Of America, Washington, DC
DirectEmployers Association, Indianapolis, IN
DocuWare Corporation, Beacon, NY
Drc Ventures, Franklin, TN 
Emota, Philadelphia, PA
ESI Flow, San Francisco, CA
Ever.Ag, Lewisville, TX
EX.CO, New York, NY
Experis - ManpowerGroup, Milwaukee, MI
Eye Conic Spot LLC, Coral Springs, FL
First Advantage, Atlanta, GA
First Interstate Bank, Billings, MT
Ford Pro, Dearborn, MI
FrankCrum, Clearwater, FL
Fulcrum Solutions, New Rochelle, NY
Fusion5, Odessa, FL
Gema’s Childcare, West Babylon, NY 
Genzeon, Exton, PA
George Mason University, Fairfax, VA
Givelify, Indianapolis, IN
Glassesusa.com, College Park, GA
GTE Financial, Tampa, FL
Heraeus Incorporated, Yardley, PA
Hexaware Technologies, Iselin, NJ
History Factory, Washington, DC
Hive Group LLC, McLean, VA
IBM, Armonk, NY
Innovative Life Sciences, McKinney, TX
Iowa Department Of Human Services And Vimo, Change And Innovation Agency (C!A), Mountain View, CA
Jasmine Norris Photography, Lafayette, IN
Jelvix, Tallinn, Estonia
JFK International Air Terminal, LLC, Jamaica, NY
Khanect The Dots, Kansas City, MO
KNAPP, Kennesaw, GA
Kodak, Rochester, NY
Krupp Agency, New York, NY
Lawyer.com, Basking Ridge, NJ
Lee Andrews Group, Los Angeles, CA
LifeVantage, Lehi, UT
LifeWave, Draper, UT
LPL Financial, Princeton, NJ
LQ™ Listening Intelligence, Rancho Cordova, CA
LTG Re-Teck Renewable Energy Solutions, San Francisco, CA
Machinify Inc, Palo Alto, CA
Manulife John Hancock Retirement, Boston, MA
Marketplace PHL, Philadelphia, PA 
Merrick Bank, South Jordan, UT
MicroHealth, LLC, Vienna, VA
Microsoft Corp, Redmond, WA
Mountain View Group, Atlanta, GA
Musclesport, Ronkonkoma, NY
N-able, Burlington, MA
Naish Partners, Santa Barbara, CA
NextGen Healthcare, Fredericksburg, VA
NMFTA, Alexandria, VA
NorthGate, Flint, MI
NTT Data, Plano, TX
Ohio River South, Atlanta, GA 
OKANA Resort & Indoor Waterpark, Oklahoma City, OK
One Step GPS, San Fernando, CA
Paysafe, Jacksonville, FL
Persistent Systems, Santa Clara, CA
Picore International, Calabasas, CA
Praxis AI, Pleasanton, CA
Precision Point Partners, Fort Lauderdale, FL
Publicis Sapient, New York, NY
Q2i, Boston, MA
Remarkably Resilient, Inc., Shawnee, KS
Revolve Solutions LLC, Alexandria, VA
Rockwell Automation, Milwaukee, WI 
Ruder Finn, New York, NY
Runway 7 Fashion, New York, NY
Selerix Systems, Plano, TX
Shaker Recruitment Marketing, Oak Park, IL
Siemens Energy Inc., Orlando, FL 
Sodexo, Dilworth, MN
Sofidel, Horsham, PA
Speakcore, Pennington, NJ
SPECTRAFORCE, Raleigh, NC
SportsMed Physical Therapy, Glen Rock, NJ
SPS North America, New York, NY
Steno, Los Angeles, CA
STORE Capital, Scottsdale, AZ
Synoptek LLC., Costa Mesa, CA
Tahgis Imports Inc, Cleveland, OH
Takeda, Cambridge, MA
Tata Consultancy Services, Edison, NJ
TeamUp Remote Talent Staffing, Cincinnati, OH
TermScout, Denver, CO
The Dr Z Functional Medicine Academy LLC, Sheridan, WY
The Flora May Foundation, San Clemente, CA
The Shelf, Inc., Atlanta, GA
The Stories And Wisdom Company®, Seattle, WA
The Surplus Line Association Of California, San Ramon, CA
TIAA, New York, NY
Tribeca Softech, New York, NY
Tricentis, Austin, TX
Vensure Employer Solutions, Chandler, AZ
VEON Ltd., New York, NY
Vereigen Media, Austin, TX
Verge Therapy, Milton, MA
West Monroe, Chicago, IL
Yapp Sailing Course, Seattle, WA
YELO Software, Boston, MA

The 25th Annual American Business Awards will begin accepting nominations this coming October.  Learn more and get the entry kit at https://ABA.StevieAwards.com. 

Grand Stevie winners Eastern Health Cluster “EHC” of Saudi Arabia and the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources “FAHR” of the United Arab Emirates will be celebrated at an awards gala on 11 September

The Stevie® Awards have announced two Grand Stevie Award winners in the seventh annual Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards. These are the top prizes in the competition. Grand Stevie winners will be presented their awards at a gala banquet at the InterContinental Istanbul, Türkiye, on Friday, 11 September.

The Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards, sponsored by the Ras Al Khaimah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, is an international business awards competition open to all organizations in 18 nations in the Middle East and North Africa. The focus of the awards is recognizing workplace innovation in all its forms.

This year, more than 1,400 nominations were considered in the judging process by more than 155 professionals, whose average ratings determined the Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Award winners announced earlier in January. For a complete list of the 2026 Stevie Award winners, visit https://MENA.StevieAwards.com.

In addition to the Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Awards, the organizations with the most award points (total number of points conferred by total Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie wins) and the highest-scoring nomination are awarded the Grand Stevie Awards, which cannot be applied for directly. These are the top prizes in the competition.

Organization of the Year: With 84.5 award points, earned through nine Gold, 19 Silver, and 14 Bronze Stevie Award wins across various categories, Eastern Health Cluster (EHC), Saudi Arabia, is the most honored organization in this year’s competition.

Eastern Health Cluster is one of the largest integrated healthcare network operators in Saudi Arabia. It serves over two million beneficiaries, making it a key pillar of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 healthcare transformation. The cluster’s extensive medical service network spans the entire Eastern Province, operating 22 general and specialized hospitals, one medical city, and more than 120 primary healthcare centers. With specialized centers of excellence in cardiology, oncology, neurosurgery, and organ transplantation, EHC’s network has an overall capacity exceeding 3,450 medical beds and a team of more than 4,500 doctors. EHC won Gold Stevie Awards in categories recognizing innovation in Academic Institution Events, Finance, Human Resources Management, Planning & Practice, Management in Health Care Industries, Thought Leadership, and more.

Highest Rated Nomination of the Year: With an average score from the judges of 9.66 out of a possible 10, the nomination submitted by the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources, “FAHR,” Dubai, United Arab Emirates, received the highest average score in the 2026 competition. The nomination, about their development of their HR AI Agent, also won a Gold Stevie Award in the Award for Excellence in Innovation in Artificial Intelligence category.

FAHR is an independent federal entity responsible for managing and developing human capital within the United Arab Emirates federal government sector. Acting under the supervision of the UAE Council of Ministers, FAHR designs, reviews, and implements modern workforce policies, performance management programs, and civil service legislation across all federal ministries.

"We are delighted to announce the 2026 Grand Stevie Award winners. EHC and FAHR exemplify the outstanding caliber of nominations received for the 2026 Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards," said Maggie Miller, President of the Stevie Awards. "The judges were highly impressed by the Grand Stevie winners' creativity, resourcefulness, and expertise in driving their organizations forward over the past two years. We eagerly anticipate celebrating their achievements at the gala on 11 September."

Complete information about the awards banquet in Istanbul is available at https://mena.stevieawards.com/tickets/awards-banquet/

Press representatives interested in covering the Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards ceremony on 11 September in Istanbul, Türkiye, may contact May@stevieawards.com.

The eighth edition of the Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards will open for entries in late September 2026.

 

 

Winners have been announced in the 2026 People's Choice Stevie® Awards for Favorite New Products, an annual feature of The American Business Awards®, the USA’s top business awards program, which is now in its 24th year.

The worldwide public vote was conducted in April and May, with the highest number of votes determining the winners in dozens of product and service categories. More than 22,000 votes were cast. To win, a category’s leading vote-getter had to have received at least 100 votes.

The winners of the crystal People’s Choice Stevie Awards will be recognized during the ABA’s awards ceremony on June 9 in New York City, along with the winners of the Grand, Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie winners announced in April and May.

All new products and services nominated in the new product awards categories of this year’s ABAs were eligible to be included in voting for the People’s Choice Stevie Awards.

The winners of the 2026 People’s Choice Stevie Awards for Favorite New Products are:

Business-to-Business Products: Carestream NDT: Carestream NDT's INDUSTREX HPX-ARC Bendable Detectors

Business-to-Business Services: Golden Hour Veterinary Telemedicine: Golden Hour's SUPER STAT Teleradiology Service

Consumer Products & Services: 2500Divorce.com: 2500Divorce.com

Education - Emerging Technology Solution For Administrators: Luxor Workspaces: CellGuard™ Cell Phone Storage Cabinet

Education – Other: Savvas Learning Company: MyPerspectives English Language Arts With SavvyWriter By Savvas

Electronic Commerce Solution: Constructor: Constructor AI Product Insights Agent

Financial Services: Manulife John Hancock Retirement: FutureStep

FinTech Solution: EBizCharge: EBizCharge

Governance, Risk & Compliance Solution: TermScout: TermScout

Health & Pharmaceuticals: Golden Hour Veterinary Telemedicine: Golden Hour's 6-Channel Veterinary ECG Device

Healthcare Technology Solution: OnMed: OnMed CareStation™

Insurance Solution: Arch Insurance: Arch APEX

Legal Solution: Opus 2: Opus 2 Cases

Payments Solution: EBizCharge: EBizCharge

Supply Chain Management Solution: RapidRatings: ActionPath

Technology Solution – Other: Vereigen Media: Verified Content Engagement

Supporting sponsors of The 2026 American Business Awards include Golden Hour Veterinary Telemedicine, Melissa Sones Consulting, and SoftPro. Persistent Systems is the sponsor of the competition’s AI Waymakers Awards categories.

 

The Women|Future Webinars are back for 2026 with a new season of free virtual sessions designed to empower, educate, and connect women in business around the world.

Hosted by the Stevie® Awards, the world’s premier business awards, the Women|Future Webinars are designed for women entrepreneurs, executives, small business owners, and professionals interested in starting or growing a business. The webinar series continues the mission established by the Women|Future Conference in 2018: creating a space where ambitious women can learn from experts, share ideas, and build meaningful professional connections.

After seven successful years as a live conference, the program evolved into a webinar series to make these conversations and resources accessible to even more women globally. Registration is free, and attendees may register individually for each session.

This year’s webinar lineup features three sessions taking place in June, July, and August 2026—in line with the 23rd annual Stevie Awards for Women in Business, which is now accepting nominations. The early-bird entry deadline, with discounted entry fees, is June 24.

What to Expect

The 2026 Women|Future Webinars will feature practical insights and expert guidance centered around some of today’s most relevant business challenges and opportunities. Led by accomplished entrepreneurs, executives, and Stevie Award winners, each session is designed to help attendees grow as leaders and prepare for the future of business.

This year’s webinar topics include:

• Future-proofing your organization and developing strategies to adapt in a rapidly changing business environment
• Crafting an AI strategy to navigate risks, embrace innovation, and unlock new opportunities for growth
• How earning business awards can strengthen brand recognition, credibility, and visibility in a competitive marketplace
• Developing a founder mindset by overcoming fear, doubt, and failure in business and leadership

Attendees will gain practical tools, fresh perspectives, and real-world advice they can apply to their organizations, careers, and entrepreneurial journeys.

Who Should Attend?

The Women|Future Webinars are designed for women professionals at every stage of their careers and across all industries. Whether you are an entrepreneur, small-business owner, executive, manager, consultant, student, or someone exploring a new professional path, the sessions offer valuable insights and meaningful conversations for ambitious women seeking personal and professional growth. 

Our Mission and Tagline

Our mission is to inspire and accelerate women in business by fostering professional and personal development through live educational sessions. Cultivate Your Tomorrow is our tagline. We chose this phrase because The Women|Future webinars encourage you to not only embrace your tomorrow, but to walk away with inspiration and thought leadership to tackle your career, personal, and life aspirations!

Sign up individually for each webinar session you wish to attend below.

June 17, 2026, 2:00 PM ET
Register Now

July 15, 2026, 2:00 PM ET
Register Now

August 12, 2026, 2:00 PM ET

Register Now

Sponsorship/Partnership Opportunities

Want to connect with a global community of ambitious women? Sponsoring the Women|Future Webinars is an opportunity to showcase your brand to a global network of business leaders and entrepreneurs. Sponsors receive visibility across our website, social media, email campaigns, and live webinar sessions. Email Lindsey@stevieawards.com for 2026 sponsorship opportunities.

 

The Stevie® Awards announced today the Grand Stevie Award winners in The 24^th Annual American Business Awards^® competition. Winners will be honored during an awards banquet on June 9, 2026, in New York City. Registration for the event is now open.

All organizations operating in the USA—large and small, public and private, for-profit and non-profit—are eligible to submit nominations to the ABAs in a wide range of categories, honoring achievement in every aspect of work life, from customer service and management to public relations and product development.

This year, more than 3,700 nominations were considered in the judging process by more than 230 professionals on nine juries. Their average ratings determined the Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Award winners announced earlier this month. For complete lists of those Stevie Award winners, visit ABA.StevieAwards.com.

The Grand Stevie Awards are best-of-competition prizes awarded to the organizations that submit the best body of work to the competition, in their own name or in the names of one or more clients. Grand Stevie Awards cannot be applied for directly.

Grand Stevie winners in the 2026 program are as follows:

Organization of the Year: Delta Dental of Kansas, Wichita, is the most honored organization in the 2026 competition, earning four Gold, six Silver, and seven Bronze Stevie Awards, collecting a total of 34.5 award points. Delta Dental also won this Grand Stevie Award in 2024.

Most Honored Public Relations Agency of the Year: MikeWorldWide, New York, New York, wins the honor this year with 30 award points earned on behalf of itself and clients American Dairy Queen, ICSC, and the Travelers Championship. MikeWorldWide is among the world's leading independent, integrated PR agencies with five offices across the United States, Latin America, and the United Kingdom. The agency won this top honor in 2025 as well, in addition to winning Grand Stevies in the ABAs in 2013-2016.

Most Honored Marketing Agency of the Year: Mountain View Group, Atlanta, Georgia, earned 12 award points with two Gold and four Bronze Stevie wins for videos produced for clients Amneal Pharmaceuticals, GE Healthcare, and RTX Corporation.

Highest-rated Nomination of the Year: With an average score from the judges of 9.88 out of a possible 10, the nomination entitled “From Vision to Legacy: AstraZeneca and Emota Driving Sustainable Innovation,” submitted by the Emota Experience Agency in London, United Kingdom, is this year’s highest-rated nomination. The entry, which won the Gold Stevie for Best Cause & Green - Sustainable Event, describes the agency’s work with AstraZeneca to create the pharmaceutical giant’s presence at the 2025 edition of The American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting, the world’s largest oncology congress.

Highest-rated New Product Nomination of the Year: Praxis AI, Pleasanton, California, wins this year’s top product-nomination honor for “The AI That Showed Up for the Students Nobody Else Scaled For,” a submission about their use of artificial intelligence in education, specifically “Human-First Digital Twins — AI powered by an expert’s real brain, personality, and wisdom, with constitutional governance and patent-pending IP protection.” Deployed across education, workforce development, and enterprise, their 1,000+ twins have driven 70% student engagement, 3× wage increases, and full letter-grade improvements. The nomination won the Gold Stevie for Best AI Solution in EdTech.

The 2027 edition of The American Business Awards will begin accepting nominations this October. Learn more and get the entry kit at ABA.StevieAwards.com.

Founded in 2024, Award Writing Services is an Australia-based agency specializing in award submissions and thought leadership strategy for businesses and entrepreneurs. Established by Annette Densham, the company is built on more than four decades of journalism and communications experience, with a focus on helping organizations strengthen their visibility, perception, credibility, and digital presence.

The agency was launched following a business transition, beginning with two clients and a lean operational model. Within 12 months, Award Writing Services expanded to support 21 clients across industries, including legal, wellness, education, nonprofit, and ecommerce.

Award Writing Services’ approach centers on simplifying how organizations manage visibility and perception across multiple channels. Rather than treating PR, awards, and SEO as separate activities, the company integrates them into a single strategy designed to build sustained recognition and measurable business outcomes.

Developing a Unified Visibility Framework
A defining feature of the company’s work is its proprietary “Breadcrumb Method,” a framework that connects awards, PR, SEO, and content into a coordinated system. The approach is designed to ensure that each piece of content contributes to a broader digital footprint, supporting search visibility, media opportunities, and brand credibility over time.

The method was developed in response to changes in the communications landscape, where traditional PR and marketing efforts often operate in isolation. By aligning these functions, Award Writing Services provides clients with a more consistent and strategic approach to building visibility across platforms.

This integrated model has supported clients in achieving more than 80 finalist or winning placements in national and industry awards programs. In parallel, the company has contributed to securing over 70 media placements across outlets, including News.com.au, ABC News, and SmartCompany.

Measurable Impact for Clients
The company’s work focuses on delivering outcomes that extend beyond visibility alone. Clients have reported measurable improvements in organic search performance, including traffic increases of up to 130% within three months of implementing award-driven PR strategies.

Additional outcomes include increased lead generation, improved brand positioning, and expanded business opportunities. In some cases, award recognition and media exposure have contributed to higher investor engagement and conversion rates, demonstrating the commercial impact of integrated communications strategies.

Operationally, Award Writing Services has combined traditional communications expertise with modern tools to enhance efficiency and scalability. These include AI-assisted data tracking, and workflow automation systems designed to streamline internal processes and client delivery.

Leadership and Industry Experience
Founder Annette Densham brings 45 years of experience across journalism, corporate communications, publishing, and business storytelling. She began her career in newspapers at age 15 and has since worked across editorial and corporate environments, developing expertise in media relations, executive communications, and brand strategy.

Prior to launching Award Writing Services, she founded Publicity Genie and co-founded The Audacious Agency, where her work earned multiple industry recognitions, including a Grand Stevie® Award. In addition to client work, Densham has contributed to industry education through workshops, keynote presentations, and mentorship initiatives focused on helping small business owners navigate PR, awards, and visibility strategy.

Award Writing Services and Annette Densham’s recent recognition reflect the growing importance of integrated communications approaches in supporting business growth and long-term visibility.

Award Writing Services won a Bronze Stevie Award for Company of the Year – Advertising, Marketing & Public Relations – Small, Grand Stevie for Most Honored Award Agency, and Annette Densham won a Silver Stevie Award for Communications Professional of the Year in The International Business Awards®.

Interested in entering for 2026?

Seventh Annual Awards Sponsored by RAK Chamber of Commerce and Industry Recognize Innovation in 18 MENA Nations

Winners in the seventh annual Middle East & North Africa Stevie® Awards, the only awards program to recognize innovation in the workplace throughout 18 nations in the Middle East and North Africa, have been announced. The awards are sponsored by RAK Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The list of Gold, Silver and Bronze Stevie Award winners is available at http://MENA.StevieAwards.com.

The 2026 Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards have recognized organizations in 15 nations including Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Türkiye and United Arab Emirates. More than 1,400 nominations in Arabic and English were evaluated in this year’s competition. Winners were determined by the average scores of 155 professionals worldwide, acting as judges on five juries to recognize innovative apps, achievements, entire organizations, public relations, customer service, human resources, individual professionals, live and virtual events, management, sustainability, technology, thought leadership, and more. 

Winners of multiple Gold, Silver, or Bronze Stevie® Awards include Abu Dhabi Heritage Authority, UAE; Abu Dhabi Housing Authority, UAE; ADNEC Services, UAE; ADNOC Drilling, UAE; Al Dhafra Region Municipality, UAE; Batı Anadolu Group of Companies, Türkiye; Byrne Equipment Rental, UAE; Capital 360 Event Experiences, UAE; CarrefourSA, Türkiye; Dubai Culture & Arts Authority, UAE; Dubai Customs, UAE; Eastern Health Cluster, Saudi Arabia; Etihad Water and Electricity (EtihadWE), UAE; Federal Authority for Government Human Resources, UAE; FLO Group, Türkiye; GSTC, Saudi Arabia; Hail Region Municipality, Saudi Arabia; Samsung, Saudi Arabia ; Le Chene, UAE; National Partnerships and Capacity Development Agency, Ministry of Culture, Saudi Arabia; NEOVA KATILIM SİGORTA, Türkiye; NMDC Energy, UAE; Ooredoo Kuwait, Kuwait; Qatar Foundation, Qatar; Qatar Vision Production Company, Qatar; QNET, Hong Kong; Quill Communications, UAE; Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones (MODON), Saudi Arabia; Saudi German Health UAE, UAE; TCS Dubai, UAE; Tosyalı Holding, Türkiye; Türkiye Sigorta, Türkiye; Ülker Bisküvi Sanayi A.Ş., Türkiye; and VakıfBank, Türkiye, among others.

Stevie winners will be presented their awards at a gala banquet at the InterContinental Hotel, Istanbul, Türkiye on Friday, 11 September. Tickets for the event will be on sale this summer.

“We are delighted to recognize the achievements of such a diverse group of organizations across the MENA region in the 2026 edition of the Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards,” said Stevie Awards President Maggie Miller. “We look forward to celebrating Stevie winners during our gala event on 11 September in Istanbul, Türkiye. The quality of nominations received this year was exceptional. The program has grown considerably every year, showing the vast amount of innovation in the MENA region.”

Winners to be celebrated during an event in New York City on June 9.

The Stevie® Awards, organizers of the world's premier business awards programs, today announced the Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie winners in The 24th American Business Awards®.

All organizations operating in the USA - large and small, public and private, for-profit and non-profit - are eligible to submit nominations to the ABAs in a wide range of categories honoring achievement in every aspect of work life, from customer service and management to public relations and product development.

More than 3,700 nominations were considered in the judging process this year by more than 230 professionals worldwide, whose average scores determined the winners.

Winners of three or more Gold Stevie Awards include:

A-One Janitorial LLC, Newport Beach, CA (5), MikeWorldWide & American Dairy Queen, New York, NY (5), Cisco, San Francisco, CA and Jersey City, NJ (4), Delta Dental of Kansas, Wichita, KS (4), Invision, Walnut Creek, CA (4), VelocityEHS, Chicago, IL (4), VUMI Group, Miami, FL (4), Azul, Sunnyvale, CA (3), Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary, Newtown, CT (3), Critical Mass, New York, NY (3), Deloitte Services LP, New York, NY (3), EBizCharge, Irvine, CA (3), Espresa, Palo Alto, CA (3), GigaCloud Technology, El Monte, CA (3), IBM, Armonk, NY, USA (3), Jenzabar, Boston, MA (3), London Computer Systems, Cincinnati, OH (3), Manulife John Hancock Retirement (3), MikeWorldWide, New York, NY (3), Origence, Irvine, CA (3), Proximity, Centerville, UT (3), SoftPro, Raleigh, NC (3), SynergySuite, Sandy, UT (3), The Holliday Collaborative Agency, Indianapolis, IN (3), and The Surplus Line Association of California, San Ramon, CA (3).

For a complete list of the Stevie Award winners announced today, visit https://aba.stevieawards.com.

Winners of five best-of-show prizes will be awarded Grand Stevie Award trophies, to be announced the week of May 4.

2026 Stevie winners will be celebrated during an awards banquet on Tuesday, June 9 at the Marriott Marquis in New York City. Tickets for the event are now on sale.

The categories that recognize outstanding new products and services introduced in the USA are among the most heavily subscribed to in the ABAs. Every new product or service nominated in the program will be included in voting for the People's Choice Stevie Awards for Favorite New Products, an annual feature of the ABAs in which the general public votes for their favorite new products. Voting opens on tomorrow, April 27 at https://aba.stevieawards.com/Awards/PeoplesChoiceVoting/ and will conclude on May 23. People's Choice Stevie winners will be announced the week of May 25 and will be honored during the June 9 awards presentations.

“We’re proud to recognize the breadth and quality of achievements demonstrated by organizations and individuals honored in The 2026 American Business Awards,” said Michael Gallagher, founder and Executive Chairman of the Stevie Awards. “This year’s nominations reflect the many ways organizations across the United States are driving progress, from advancements in artificial intelligence to excellence in communications and beyond. We look forward to celebrating the accomplishments of the 2026 Stevie winners at our June 9 awards ceremony in New York City.”

Supporting sponsors of The 2026 American Business Awards include Golden Hour Veterinary Telemedicine, Melissa Sones Consulting, Persistent, and SoftPro.

Business awards can be easy to dismiss as vanity metrics. In practice, the right recognition can do much more: validate a company’s credibility, strengthen trust with clients and partners, support employer brand, and give internal teams proof that their work stands out beyond their own market. That is especially true when the judging process is structured and based on expert review.

In this article, I will share practical steps that can help businesses pursue credible international awards more strategically and effectively. It will be especially useful for PR managers, marketing leaders, founders, and business owners who want to turn real achievements into recognition that strengthens reputation, trust, and market positioning.

Awards: Vanity metrics or business impact?

Choosing the right awards program is just as important as preparing the entry itself. For business owners and PR managers, a good starting point is to look at credibility, relevance, and long-term value. Ask simple questions:

• Is the award recognized in your industry or region?
• Is the organizer a credible source?
• Is the judging process transparent?
• Are judges independent and experienced?
• Does the program attract strong companies and meaningful competition?

It is also worth considering what happens after the announcement, including:

• Feedback from the judges
• Media coverage and visibility
• Networking opportunities.

The best awards are those that align with your business goals, reflect real achievement, and earn recognition respected by clients, partners, and future talent.

This is one of the reasons Stevie® Awards programs are widely respected in the business world. Founded in 2002, the Stevie® Awards now run multiple international competitions, receive thousands of nominations from more than 70 nations, and use judging panels made up of more than 1,000 professionals worldwide each year. Each entry is reviewed and rated by at least five judges, and entrants receive judges’ comments after results are announced. 

At ZONE3000, we have experienced that firsthand. Our company received a Gold Stevie® Award in the 2025 Middle East & North Africa Stevie® Awards for Innovative Achievement in Organization Recovery. We also received a Bronze Stevie® Award in the 2026 Stevie® Awards for Sales & Customer Service in Achievement in AI-Driven Sales Automation.

How to prepare an entry that deserves to win

From my perspective as a PR & Communications manager, a strong award is not only a logo for a website footer. It is a framework that helps you package achievements clearly, test whether your story is convincing to outside experts, and turn business results into a credible market narrative. A very important thing to remember is understanding how to prepare an entry that deserves to win. Below, I share tips based on my own experience that helped my company win credible business awards.

1. Start with business significance, not with self-praise

One of the most common mistakes in award submissions is trying to sound impressive instead of being specific. Judges do not need adjectives. They need evidence, context, and outcomes.

When we prepared ZONE3000’s organization recovery case, the story was not “we are resilient.” The real story was much more concrete. The majority of our team was based in Ukraine when the full-scale Russian invasion began. The challenge was to evacuate people, secure infrastructure, protect continuity, and keep client delivery stable under extraordinary pressure. The case became strong because it showed actions and results: safe workplaces, evacuation support, remote work readiness, cybersecurity enhancements, backup planning, stronger internal communications, and continuity of service.

The same principle worked in our AI-driven sales automation case. Instead of presenting AI as a trend, the entry focused on a real business problem: fragmented sales data, manual qualification, and limited visibility into opportunity readiness. The story became compelling when connected to the solution, technologies used, and business outcomes such as faster sales cycles, stronger forecasting, and better use of sales resources.

My first recommendation is simple: do not think like, “How do we make this sound award-worthy?” Emphasize, “What changed in the business, why did it matter, and what can we prove?”

2. Choose the category as carefully as you write the entry

A great story placed in the wrong category can easily become an average entry.

This is where many PR teams lose points. The temptation is to choose the broadest or most prestigious-sounding category. In reality, awards are won by relevance. The closer the fit between your case and the category criteria, the easier it is for judges to understand why the nomination belongs there.

In my experience, category selection is a strategic step. You need to study the category, compare it to your actual achievement, and decide on the strongest angle. Is your case about innovation, leadership, customer impact, technology implementation, team performance, or market growth?

If you are not fully sure which category fits best for your story, it is absolutely fine to contact the organizers and ask for guidance. A short clarification can help you avoid a mismatch and significantly improve the chances of placing your case in the category where it has the strongest potential.

3. Treat communication with organizers as part of the process

One thing I value in awards programs is the quality of communication with organizers. Good organizational communication reduces uncertainty and helps applicants navigate categories, deadlines, and practical requirements with more confidence.

With Stevie® Awards, the process is structured and transparent, supported by entry kits, category descriptions, FAQs, and competition-specific materials. They also regularly run free live webinars for entrants on topics such as choosing categories, understanding the judging process, and crafting stronger nominations. In my own experience, attending these webinars was genuinely helpful: they made it easier to see that we already had strong stories worth submitting and helped me understand how to shape them into award-ready entries.

My advice is to approach organizers’ materials the same way you would approach a media brief: read carefully, use the available resources, and take advantage of webinars and Q&A opportunities to strengthen your submission before you enter.

4. Write for judges, not for your website

Award entries are not marketing brochures. They are evidence-based narratives. A strong submission usually has three qualities.

• It gives enough context for an outside reviewer to understand the scale of the challenge.
• It explains the solution in plain business language, not only internal terminology.
• It proves outcomes with facts, metrics, or credible indicators.
• It includes strong supporting materials that back up the claims made in the nomination, through links, visuals, case examples, testimonials, or other relevant evidence.

This is also where PR expertise becomes especially valuable. A communications professional knows how to structure a story so that technical, operational, and business details become readable without losing precision. In many companies, the achievement already exists, but the narrative does not. Building that narrative is the real work.

5. Respect the judging process and use the feedback

What makes awards especially useful is that the process does not end when results are announced. In the Stevie® Awards, entrants receive judges’ anonymous comments, which also function as a valuable external review mechanism. Based on my experience with other awards programs, receiving judges’ comments is not always typical, which makes this a real advantage of the Stevie® Awards process.

That is valuable for two reasons. First, feedback helps you understand how your story was perceived by external reviewers. Second, it can make future submissions stronger. Sometimes, comments show that the case itself was strong but presented too broadly. In other cases, they highlight that the business impact was compelling, but the evidence was not supported clearly enough, for example, through stronger supporting materials, external links, or proof points.

The smartest way to approach awards is not to submit once and simply hope for the best. It is to learn from the process, refine your approach, and build a stronger recognition strategy over time.

6. Do not underestimate the ceremony and networking value

Awards ceremonies are often viewed as symbolic, but they can also be highly practical. Stevie® Awards ceremonies bring together winners, judges, executives, and guests from multiple industries, and official ceremony information highlights networking, on-stage recognition, photography, and interviews as part of the experience.

For communications teams, this creates additional value around the award itself. The ceremony can become an opportunity for content, establishing relationships, and visibility.

7. Plan your post-award communication before the result arrives

Winning is not the end of the story. It is the start of a communications cycle. If you wait until the award is announced to decide what to do with it, you lose momentum.

Prepare a post-award plan in advance:

• internal communications
• LinkedIn content
• media outreach
• leadership commentary
• website updates
• case-study repackaging
• award page integration
• partner-facing materials.

The goal is not to overpromote. The goal is to translate recognition into trust.

Final thoughts: Turn recognition into business assets

If I had to sum it up in one principle, it would be this: business awards are won through strong achievements, clear storytelling, solid evidence, and professional communication.

At ZONE3000, our strongest award results have come not only from the recognition itself, but also from how we turned that recognition into a credible business narrative. Our awards and recognitions also support marketing and sales efforts by helping demonstrate trust, credibility, and proven expertise when approaching new leads. Referring to winning cases allows us to show the business community tangible results, strengthen our market positioning, and attract new partners and clients.

My advice: Identify what is truly meaningful inside the business, shape it into a credible narrative, and present it in a way the market can trust. That is how awards become more than recognition. They become business assets

Launched in 2021, Sheetcast is a cloud-based business technology solution that helps organizations convert Excel spreadsheets into secure, fully functional web applications.

Built as an Excel add-in, the platform enables users to transform familiar spreadsheet models into interactive apps in minutes, without writing code. The approach addresses a common operational challenge: modernizing spreadsheet-driven workflows without rebuilding them from scratch.
Sheetcast is positioned primarily for non-technical users. Rather than relying on developers, teams can build and publish applications directly within Excel using tools they already understand. This makes it possible to streamline internal processes, replace fragmented spreadsheet systems, and centralize data collection across multiple users simultaneously. The result is improved efficiency while preserving the flexibility that has long made Excel a workplace standard.

The platform supports a broad range of functionality. Applications built with Sheetcast can include custom data-entry forms, automated workflows, interactive dashboards, file attachments, signature capture, and integrations with external data sources such as web APIs, media files, and GPS inputs. Outputs can range from structured datasets and charts to PDFs, automated email notifications, and API calls to other systems. In effect, the technology converts static spreadsheets into dynamic, database-driven web tools.

Security and governance are central components of the system. Administrators can assign user-specific access permissions, lock or hide formulas, enforce validation rules, and maintain audit trails.

By shifting users from editing raw spreadsheets to interacting through controlled forms and reports, organizations reduce the risks of formula errors, accidental overwrites, and data leaks. At the same time, intellectual property embedded within Excel models remains protected.

Sheetcast won a Silver Stevie® Award for Best Cloud Application/Service Business Technology Solution in The 2025 International Business Awards®.

Interested in entering for 2026?

This Friday, April 17 we’ll stage the 13^th annual Asia-Pacific Stevie® Awards at the Venetian Hotel in Macao, China. More than 250 executives from across the region will gather to celebrate the recent achievements of organizations and individuals.

This Stevie Awards program celebrates the innovative achievements of working professionals across a wide variety of categories. The 2026 Gold, Silver and Bronze Stevie Award winners in the competition were announced in early March. As in all Stevie Awards programs, winners were invited to attend the event to be celebrated on stage and to make an acceptance speech, but attendance isn’t required to win.

Download the digital version of the program book for the awards evening.

Here is the list of organizations that will be represented at Friday’s event in Macao.

2GO Group, Inc.

Aboitiz Construction, Inc.

ACCIONA

Adobo Magazine

Angel One

Arcadyan Technology Corporation

Bank For Investment And Development Of Vietnam

Bases Conversion And Development Authority

BDMS Wellness Clinic

Big Picture Asia Incorporated

B'yond Platforms

Bytedance - TikTok

CleverTap

Coca-Cola Bottlers Japan Inc.

Delivery Hero Philippines Inc.

Dermorepubliq

DITO Telecommunity

DocuWare

Dynamic Insurance Services

Earthlab Inc.

Eastern Communications

Floridablanca Enviro Corp

GARASI TRAVEL (PT GARA INDONESIA GROUP)

Generali Hong Kong

Gosoft (Thailand) Co.,Ltd.

Guild Solutions

G-Xchange Inc. (GCash)

HGC Global Communications Philippines Inc.

HSBC

Hylove Business Inc.

IBM

IBM India

IBM Institute For Business Value

ID8, Inc.

Inclusive Mamas Club

JingAn Kerry Centre, Kerry Properties Limited

Johnson&Johnson

Junior Achievement of the Philippines

Junior Chamber International Manila

Just Right Parking

MANILA ELECTRIC COMPANY (MERALCO)

Mason Korea

Massive Act Inc.

Max's Restaurant

MedAsian

MediaOne

Megaworld Lifestyle Malls

Metro Manila Persons With Disability Vendors’ Association, Inc.

Metro Pacific Iloilo Water

Metro Pacific Investments Corporation

Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co. (Metrobank)

Million Advertising & Silk-Screen Pte Ltd

Mission Ready HQ Ltd

MR. DIY Philippines

MRANTI Corp.

NeuroLead

New Aim

New Image International

OHIO Myanmar International Co.

ONEBPO

Palo Alto Networks

Pertamina Gas Negara

PLDT And Smart and PLDT Global

PRN Asia

Pru Life UK

Prudence Foundation

PT ABM INVESTAMA Tbk

PT Petrokimia Gresik

PUNX

Q Media 360 Advertising Corp.

Quezon City Business Permits and Licensing Department

Rebel Manila Brand Marketing Services

SAGAEVENTS, INC.

Samsung Electronics Philippines Corporation

San Miguel Global Power

SANAME - Multi-Collagens, Bone Broths & Soups

Schweigen

Seattle's Best Coffee

Shanghai XuanKe Technology Co., Ltd.

Shell companies in the Philippines

Siam Kubota Corporation

SM Supermalls (China)

Strategic Public Relations Group

Sun Life of Canada (Philippines) Inc

Tata Consultancy Services

TTEC

UnionDigital Bank

Uniquecorn Strategies

Vivant Corporation

Wells Fargo

Women Impact Studio

YES GLOBAL MARKETING SDN BHD

Zoho Corporation

The 2027 edition of the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards will begin accepting nominations this October. Join the mailing list to be sent the entry kit as soon as it’s available.

Freelancer.com has evolved from a traditional freelancing marketplace into a platform designed to coordinate complex, enterprise-level innovation in the AI era. With more than 80 million users globally, the company’s recent transformation reflects a broader shift in how organizations access and deploy specialized talent at scale.


As AI adoption accelerates, organizations are encountering a growing challenge: while automation reduces the need for routine work, it simultaneously increases demand for highly specialized human expertise. Projects involving AI development, validation, and multilingual data training require niche skills that are globally distributed and difficult to source through traditional hiring models.

A Platform Built for Coordination, Not Replacement
Freelancer’s response was to rethink the role of its platform. Rather than positioning AI as a substitute for human work, the company developed systems that use AI to coordinate human expertise more effectively.

This shift is reflected in several key developments:

Intelligent Talent Orchestration: AI-driven systems that match and coordinate teams across disciplines, languages, and geographies—demonstrated through large-scale projects spanning more than 50 languages.

Enterprise-Grade Infrastructure: Financial and technical systems capable of supporting high-value, complex engagements, including transactions reaching tens of millions of dollars.

Moonshot Innovation Program: A framework for tackling large-scale, multi-phase challenges by coordinating distributed teams, managing intellectual property, and structuring collaborative research.

Together, these capabilities move the platform beyond task-based freelancing into coordinated innovation delivery.

Positioning for Emerging Technologies
Freelancer’s model is increasingly aligned with emerging fields such as quantum computing and advanced AI, where expertise is scarce and globally dispersed. By enabling organizations to access and coordinate that expertise, the platform is positioning itself as infrastructure for a new category of innovation work.

Rather than replacing human input, the company’s approach reinforces the role of human judgment, creativity, and problem-solving—supported by systems that enable large-scale collaboration.

Freelancer.com earned a Gold Stevie® Award for Best Business Technology Pivot in The 2025 International Business Awards®.

Interested in entering for 2026?

Virgin Voyages is an adults-only luxury cruise line reshaping the hospitality and leisure industry with a modern, experience-driven approach to ocean travel. Founded in 2014 by Richard Branson, the company launched its first voyage in 2021 and has since established itself as a distinct alternative to traditional cruise models.

With a fleet of “Lady Ships” and a focus on inclusive, no-surprise pricing, Virgin Voyages delivers a streamlined, elevated travel experience across destinations in the Caribbean, Mediterranean, and beyond.
The global cruise industry has long been defined by legacy operators, standardized offerings, and incremental innovation. Virgin Voyages entered this space with a fundamentally different model—targeting adult travelers seeking a more contemporary, flexible, and design-forward experience.

By eliminating common industry practices such as surcharge-heavy pricing and gratuity-dependent service structures, the company addressed long-standing friction points in customer experience while aligning more closely with modern hospitality expectations.

A Distinctive and Technology-Forward Approach
Virgin Voyages has introduced a range of innovations across both onboard experience and operational strategy. Its ships feature award-winning dining, entertainment, and wellness offerings included in the base fare, reducing complexity for travelers. The brand has also invested in advanced connectivity, offering high-speed internet capabilities that rival land-based environments, supporting both leisure and remote work needs at sea.

Beyond onboard features, the company has expanded rapidly, introducing 19 new destinations and 27 itineraries through April 2025, with routes spanning Europe, the Caribbean, and additional global markets. Strategic initiatives, including new market entries and experiential partnerships, position the brand as both a travel provider and a broader lifestyle offering.

Delivering Measurable Growth and Industry Recognition
Since 2023, Virgin Voyages has achieved significant industry recognition across multiple independent platforms. The company was named the #1 Mega-Ship Ocean Cruise Line by Travel + Leisure and earned top rankings in the Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards. It also received multiple honors from Cruise Critic, including Best Overall Cruise Line, Best Dining, and Best Service.

Operationally, the company has supported its growth with a capital raise to accelerate international expansion and enhance customer experience. At the same time, it has maintained a strong focus on workforce practices, implementing policies that ensure crew members receive living wages independent of gratuities—an approach that contributes to employee satisfaction and service quality.

What distinguishes Virgin Voyages is its integrated approach to innovation, employee experience, and brand positioning. Rather than adapting existing cruise frameworks, the company has built a model centered on transparency, design, and cultural relevance. Its adults-only positioning, emphasis on inclusivity, and continued investment in both technology and global expansion reflect a broader shift toward experiential travel.

Virgin Voyages earned a Gold Stevie® Award for Company of the Year – Hospitality & Leisure – Large and a Gold Stevie Award for Most Innovative Instagram Feed in the 2025 International Business Awards®.

Interested in entering for 2026?

Founded in 1985, Collaborative Support Programs of New Jersey (CSPNJ) is a peer-led nonprofit organization that provides community-based services promoting recovery, wellness, and independence for individuals with lived experience of behavioral health conditions. Over four decades, CSPNJ has grown from three drop-in centers into a statewide network offering community wellness centers, supportive housing, advocacy, and outreach services.

Today, CSPNJ serves more than 16,000 community wellness center members and 600+ supportive housing residents across New Jersey. The organization employs over 360 staff, many of whom bring lived experience to their roles, reflecting CSPNJ’s commitment to peer-led service delivery.

Expanding Housing, Outreach, and Crisis Services
CSPNJ has expanded significantly in recent years, particularly in homelessness outreach and crisis response services. Through partnerships with state agencies and community organizations, the organization provides preventative services, street outreach, and warming centers across multiple counties. Since 2023, CSPNJ has launched several new statewide and county-specific programs, including initiatives supporting veterans and individuals experiencing homelessness.

The organization has also strengthened its crisis response capabilities. Its Peer Wellness Respite programs, which serve as alternatives to hospitalization, increased occupancy rates from 72.2% to 92.6% between 2023 and 2024. In 2025, CSPNJ introduced Mobile Crisis Outreach Response Teams (MCORT), providing rapid, community-based mental health support through peer specialists and behavioral health professionals.

Growing Impact and Community Reach
Since October 2023, CSPNJ has grown by 28%, reflecting the addition of new programs and increased demand for services. Over the past year alone, the organization has reached more than 12,000 individuals through homelessness outreach and related services.

The organization is also seeing increased engagement from younger populations. Across its statewide network, CSPNJ has welcomed hundreds of new members aged 18–30, reflecting shifting community needs and the ongoing impact of mental health challenges following the pandemic.

Internally, CSPNJ has focused on workforce development and organizational culture. The organization has been recognized as a Top Workplace in both 2024 and 2025, with 90% of employees reporting that their work is meaningful.

Strengthening Visibility and Communications
Alongside program expansion, CSPNJ has increased its public visibility and communications efforts. Historically operating with a limited external presence, the organization has expanded its reach across digital platforms, media outlets, and community partnerships, increasing awareness of its services and mission.

These efforts have supported greater accessibility to services and strengthened CSPNJ’s role as a resource for individuals and communities across New Jersey.

Supporting Communications Leadership
This work has been supported in part by Chelsea Triano, CSPNJ’s Marketing Coordinator, who was also recognized in The 2025 International Business Awards®. As a one-person communications team, Triano has led efforts to expand CSPNJ’s digital presence, increasing social media engagement and building stronger connections with community partners.

Her initiatives include developing accessible communications tools, expanding partnerships, and leading events that support community engagement and awareness. These efforts have contributed to increased visibility and improved access to CSPNJ’s services across the state.

Collaborative Support Programs of New Jersey won a Silver Stevie® Award for Organization of the Year – Non-Profit or Government Organizations – Large, and Chelsea Triano won a Silver Stevie Award for Communications Professional of the Year in The 2025 International Business Awards.

Interested in entering for 2026?

Apexon is a technology services firm that works with organizations across industries, including financial services, retail, and automotive. The company focuses on digital engineering, technology solutions, and transformation initiatives that help clients modernize systems, improve operations, and support long-term business growth.

Because that work depends on specialized technical talent, recruitment plays an important role in the company’s ability to deliver for clients. Finding candidates with expertise in cloud computing, cybersecurity, AI/ML, and full-stack development has become increasingly important as technology needs continue to evolve.

Apexon Talent Acquisition Manager Mischelle S Martis has developed a structured and forward-looking approach to technical recruitment, combining over eight years of experience with evolving technologies and market insights. 

Working across industries including automotive, banking and financial services, and retail, Mischelle has focused on aligning hiring strategies with business priorities. Her work emphasizes efficiency, scalability, and responsiveness to changing technical skill demands—particularly in high-growth areas such as AI/ML, cloud computing, cybersecurity, and full-stack development.

A key aspect of her approach has been integrating AI-powered tools into recruitment workflows. By automating sourcing, screening, and candidate engagement, she has helped streamline processes and improve the speed and consistency of hiring outcomes.

Strengthening Recruitment Operations Through Process Innovation
Since early 2023, Mischelle has led the implementation of GenAI-driven recruitment solutions across the hiring lifecycle. These tools have enabled more targeted candidate matching, reduced manual workloads, and improved overall efficiency.

In addition, Mischelle introduced enhanced technical assessment processes and developed an Interview Training Program for hiring managers. These efforts resulted in a 20% improvement in quality of hire, reflecting stronger alignment between candidate capabilities and organizational needs.

Mischelle has also prioritized integrating diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) principles into recruitment strategies. Her work has focused on building more inclusive talent pipelines across technical disciplines.

One of her key initiatives was the launch of a DEI-focused Employee Referral Bonus Program, designed to encourage internal advocacy and broaden access to underrepresented talent. By collaborating with external partners and supplier networks, she has supported the development of more diverse candidate pools and strengthened inclusive hiring practices throughout the recruitment lifecycle.

Beyond sourcing and hiring, Martis has contributed to operational improvements within talent acquisition. She led a Reporting Optimization Initiative that standardized recruitment dashboards and key performance metrics, improving data accuracy and enabling more informed decision-making.

Her experience in areas such as vendor management, zero-based budgeting, and margin optimization has also supported cost efficiency and scalability across recruitment functions. These efforts have helped position talent acquisition as a more strategic contributor to business performance.

Mischelle was recognized with a Silver Stevie® Award for Recruiting Professional of the Year in the 2025 Stevie Awards for Great Employers.

Interested in entering for 2026?

Erste Teilnahmefrist läuft bis zum 13. Mai 2026

Spannende neue Kategorien für 2026

Die Stevie® Awards verkünden den Start der Nominierungsphase für die German Stevie Awards 2026. Damit geht der Wirtschaftspreis für das deutschsprachige Europa in die zwölfte Runde seines Bestehens. Interessierte Unternehmen und Organisationen aus Belgien, Deutschland, Liechtenstein, Luxemburg, Österreich und der Schweiz können sich ab sofort mit ihren Unternehmensleistungen und Projekten in zahlreichen Kategorien bewerben.  

Bis zum 13. Mai 2026 profitieren die Teilnehmenden von der vergünstigten Preisträgergebühr. Teilnahmeberechtigt sind Unternehmen und Organisationen jeder Größe, öffentliche und private Organisationen, gewinnorientiert oder gemeinnützig, aber auch Einzelpersonen aus der Wirtschaft dürfen teilnehmen. Umfassende Informationen über die Awards und die Teilnahmeunterlagen erhalten Sie unter GSA.StevieAwards.com.

Den Teilnehmenden steht eine Vielzahl an Kategorien zur Verfügung. Unter anderem:

• Awards im Bereich Künstliche Intelligenz (neu in 2026)
• Awards für Unternehmen/Institutionen
• Awards für Unternehmer*innen
• Marketing-Awards
• PR-Awards
• Human Resources-Awards
• Kundenservice-Awards
• Awards für Produktentwicklung
• Awards für App-Entwicklung und Webseiten
• Thought Leadership-Awards
• Podcast-Awards
• u.v.m.
  

Neu in diesem Jahr

Für die 12. German Stevie Awards 2026 gibt es eine ganze Reihe neuer Kategorien. Ein besonderes Highlight ist der neue Fachbereich Künstliche Intelligenz, der Innovationen, Anwendungen und spezifische Branchenlösungen würdigt. Auch in den bestehenden Kategorien gibt es Zuwachs: So wurden im Bereich Klimaschutz & Nachhaltigkeit Kategorien für Green-Tech-Lösungen und Climate-Tech-Startups ergänzt, während im Bereich Unternehmen & Unternehmensleistungen nun auch das 'Business-Netzwerk des Jahres' ausgezeichnet wird.

„Wir freuen uns, den führenden Unternehmen im deutschsprachigen Europa nicht nur unsere bewährten, langjährigen Award-Kategorien zu präsentieren, sondern – so hoffen wir – auch einige spannende neue Ergänzungen im diesjährigen Wettbewerb“, sagt Maggie Miller, Präsidentin der Stevie Awards. „Unser Team bei den Stevie Awards ist schon jetzt gespannt auf die Beiträge, die uns in diesem Jahr erreichen werden.“

Wieder dabei: People’s Choice Stevie Awards für die beliebtesten Unternehmen

Wer die Stevie Awards kennt, weiß: Die Gewinnerinnen und Gewinner werden mit einer Stevie® Award-Trophäe in Gold oder einer Medaille in Silber oder Bronze ausgezeichnet. Auch in diesem Jahr erwartet die Teilnehmenden der German Stevie Awards eine zusätzliche Auszeichnung: die People’s Choice Stevie® Awards für die beliebtesten Unternehmen.

Alle Organisationen, die bei den German Stevie Awards 2026 mit einem Gold, Silber oder Bronze Stevie® Award ausgezeichnet werden, haben die Chance, einen People’s Choice Stevie® Award zu gewinnen. Hierfür findet von Ende August bis Ende September 2026 eine öffentliche Online-Abstimmung statt, bei der jede*r für seine Favoriten abstimmen kann. Die Unternehmen mit den meisten Stimmen in den jeweiligen Kategorien werden mit einer Kristalltrophäe ausgezeichnet.

Teilnahmefristen und Termine

Alle Unternehmen und Organisationen dürfen kostenfrei beliebig viele Nominierungen einreichen. Erst bei erfolgreicher Nominierung - die mit einem Gold, Silber und Bronze Stevie Award ausgezeichnet wird - fällt eine Preisträgergebühr an. Teilnehmende, die ihre Bewerbungen bis zur ersten Teilnahmefrist, dem 13. Mai 2026, abgeben, profitieren von einem Rabatt auf diese Preisträgergebühren. Wer die Teilnahmefrist am 13. Mai verpasst, darf seine Bewerbungen noch bis zum 18. Juni 2026 einreichen.

Mehrere Fachgremien werden dann die Gold, Silber und Bronze Preisträgerinnen und Preisträger ermitteln. Die Gold-, Silber- und Bronze-Gewinner*innen werde im Rahmen des Stevie Awards Super Events am 28. Oktober in Paris gemeinsam mit den Gewinnern der International Business Awards, der Stevie Awards for Technology Excellence und der Stevie Awards for Great Employers geehrt.

Zu den Preisträgerinnen und Preisträgern der German Stevie Awards 2025 zählen unter anderem BITZER Kühlmaschinenbau GmbH (Sindelfingen, Deutschland), boneArtis AG (München, Deutschland), EuroTube Foundation (Dübendorf, Schweiz), Globus Handelshof St. Wendel GmbH & Co. KG (Koblenz, Deutschland), HASE & IGEL GmbH (Oldenburg, Deutschland), Mamer (Mamer, Luxemburg), PALFINGER AG & Tchitii Communication (Salzburg, Österreich), Raiffeisen Bank International (Wien, Österreich), Werner Schmid GmbH (Fulda, Deutschland), ZDF (Mainz, Deutschland) und ZF (Bielefeld, Deutschland).

Eine Übersicht über alle Preistragenden der German Stevie Awards 2025 finden Sie unter https://gsa.stevieawards.com/Auszeichnungen/Stevie-Award-Gewinner/.

Die German Stevie Awards sind Teil der Stevie® Awards, welche die renommierten International Business Awards® ausrichten und in insgesamt neun Wettbewerbsprogrammen jedes Jahr mehr als 12.000 Einreichungen aus über 70 Ländern erhalten.

Pressefotos der Stevie Awards Trophäen und das German Stevie Awards Logo finden Sie unter https://gsa.stevieawards.com/Die-Presse/Fotos-und-Logos. Weitere Pressefotos stellen wir Ihnen auf Wunsch gerne zur Verfügung.

 

Founded in 1997, Blancco Technology Group develops secure data erasure and device diagnostics solutions designed to help organizations safely manage end-of-life IT assets. As companies face growing data privacy requirements and rising volumes of retired hardware, Blancco’s technology enables enterprises and IT asset disposition (ITAD) providers to securely remove data and prepare devices for reuse or resale.

From its early focus on certified data sanitization software, the company has expanded its capabilities to address broader operational and sustainability challenges tied to the lifecycle of IT equipment. Each year, tens of millions of Blancco erasures are performed worldwide, helping organizations protect sensitive information while allowing data storage assets to be redeployed or responsibly recycled.

Today, Blancco’s technology is used by enterprises, mobile industry stakeholders, recyclers, and ITAD providers that process large volumes of retired devices. The company’s diagnostic tools and erasure solutions help organizations securely transition devices into the secondary market while meeting increasingly strict privacy and compliance standards.

Linking Data Security With the Circular Economy
A defining feature of Blancco’s approach is its focus on combining data security with sustainability. As global electronic waste continues to grow, extending the usable life of IT equipment has become a priority for many organizations. Blancco’s solutions support this shift by enabling secure data removal while helping devices move safely into the circular economy rather than being destroyed or discarded.

The company continues to expand its technology portfolio, supported by more than 40 patented or patent-pending innovations. In November 2024, Blancco introduced Autopilot Detection, a feature designed to address a growing challenge for ITAD providers when processing enterprise devices enrolled in Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) systems, such as Microsoft Windows Autopilot and Intune.

Devices enrolled in these management systems can automatically reconnect to enterprise networks and resynchronize data even after initial erasure, creating a potential security risk if the device is intended for resale. Prior to the development of Autopilot Detection, identifying these enrollments often required manually powering on devices and inspecting them individually—an approach that slowed processing and introduced the risk of human error.

Automating Detection During the Erasure Process
Blancco Autopilot Detection was developed to automate this process. Integrated within the company’s flagship Blancco Drive Eraser software, the feature programmatically identifies and flags devices enrolled in UEM systems during the erasure workflow. This allows ITAD providers to detect potential risks in a single automated step rather than through manual inspection.

Industry trends highlight the significance of this challenge. Microsoft operating systems account for more than 70% of the global desktop OS market, and a substantial share of devices processed by ITAD providers are enrolled in enterprise management systems. By automating detection, Blancco’s technology reduces labor requirements, improves processing accuracy, and helps organizations protect sensitive data.

The operational benefits are measurable. Blancco reports that the automated detection process can reduce device processing time to roughly 2.5 minutes per asset, representing a significant improvement over previous manual workflows. For ITAD providers handling thousands of devices per week, this efficiency gain can shorten the time to bring refurbished devices back to market while reducing operational risk.

Continuing Product Expansion
Since the launch of Autopilot Detection, Blancco has continued expanding its capabilities. In 2025, the company acquired Key Deploy from Blair Technology Group and integrated it into its software platform as Blancco Asset Reimaging, allowing ITAD providers to reinstall the Windows operating system on sanitized devices as part of the preparation process for resale.

Blancco has also broadened its device support across the Apple ecosystem. Its erasure technology now supports Apple Watch®, AirPods®, iPhone®, iPad®, Mac® computers, and related accessories, reflecting the growing demand for secure processing of used consumer electronics entering secondary markets.

Together, these developments illustrate how Blancco continues to refine the infrastructure supporting the circular IT economy, helping enterprises protect data while extending the useful life of millions of devices worldwide.

Blancco won a Gold Stevie® Award for Technical Innovation of the Year – Information Technology in the 2025 Stevie Awards for Technology Excellence.

Interested in entering for 2026?

Seven winners of a public vote for favorite organizations honored with crystal People’s Choice Stevie Award trophies.

The Stevie® Awards, organizer of the world’s premier business awards programs, announced winners of seven People’s Choice Stevie® Award trophies in the 13th annual Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the only awards program to recognize innovation in the workplace throughout the Asia-Pacific region.

The People’s Choice Stevie Awards for Favorite Companies, a long-time feature of several Stevie Awards programs, was introduced to the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards in 2023. All nominees in the Company/Organization categories in the 2026 competition were automatically included in voting for the People’s Choice Awards. Voting was conducted from 16 February through 13 March, with the highest number of votes determining the winners in several industry categories. More than 35,000 votes were cast this year by members of the general public worldwide.

Each People’s Choice winner received at least 100 votes, the minimum number required to be eligible to win.

The winners of the 2026 People’s Choice Stevie Awards for Favorite Companies are:

Business Products & Services: Just Right Parking Co., Ltd., Taiwan

Education: Megaworld Foundation, Inc., the Philippines

Healthcare Industries: SANAME, Australia

Startups: Garasi Travel (PT GARA Indonesia Group), Indonesia

Tech Startups: Deegenics Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka

Technology Industries: ASRock Inc., Taiwan

All Other Industries: Quezon City Business Permits and Licensing Department, the Philippines

These honorees will receive crystal People’s Choice Stevie Award trophies.

The 2026 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards have recognized organizations in 23 markets, including Australia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, France, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, United States, and Vietnam. More than 1,000 nominations about innovative achievements were considered by the judges this year.

Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Award winners in various categories were announced on 12 February. Those awards were determined by the average scores of more than 250 executives worldwide acting as judges. Five Grand (“best of show”) Stevie Award winners were announced on 24 February.

Winners in attendance will be celebrated on stage during a gala event at the Venetian Hotel in Macau, China, on Friday, 17 April.

The 2027 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards will begin accepting nominations this October. Sign up to get the entry kit at https://Asia.StevieAwards.com.

Founded in 2017 as a home-based venture on a cattle station in regional Australia, Little Windmill Clothing Co. began with a simple idea: create practical, sun-safe clothing suited to rural life.

Established during Founder Katie Eslick's maternity leave, the business initially focused on cotton children’s wear inspired by a Western aesthetic. What started as a small creative project quickly gained traction among parents seeking durable, stylish alternatives to mainstream children’s fashion.

By 2020, demand had grown enough for the company to formalize its own label and original designs. In its early years, operating around the demands of a young family, Katie steadily expanded production and distribution.

Today, Little Windmill operates two retail shopfronts, a warehouse facility, and employs eight staff members. The product range has broadened to include unisex adult apparel, accessories, footwear, baby items, and curated gift hampers featuring products from other local businesses.

A defining feature of the brand has been its emphasis on quality and durability. The company reports a return rate of under five percent, significantly below broader apparel industry averages. Its clothing is designed for longevity, with customers frequently citing fit and fabric durability as distinguishing characteristics. Ethical sourcing and careful material selection are core to its operating model, reflecting a deliberate move away from fast-fashion production cycles.

Growth has been steady and measurable. Retail sales have risen substantially since the company’s first year. Online sales now account for approximately 80% of total revenue, with website visits continuing to increase annually. Wholesale expansion has also played a role, with more than 22 wholesalers stocking the brand, including partners in the United States. The company regularly participates in trade events such as Rockhampton’s Beef Week to maintain in-person engagement with customers.

Beyond financial performance, the business remains closely tied to its regional roots. It supports local events, school fundraisers, and community initiatives, and has created retail and customer service jobs in rural areas. While its online presence drives most sales, its physical stores continue to serve as community gathering points.

From its beginnings on a cattle station to its current national and international reach, Little Windmill illustrates how a niche concept, grounded in authenticity and operational focus, can evolve into a scalable enterprise.

Little Windmill won a Gold Stevie Award for Small Retail Company of the Year, and two Bronze Stevies for Company of the Year- Consumer Products - Durables - Small and for Startup of the Year - Consumer Products Industries in The 2025 International Business Awards®.

Interested in entering for 2026?

Top Business Honors to Accept Final Nominations Through April 7

The Stevie® Awards, organizer of The American Business Awards®, announced today that the final entry deadline for the 24th annual competition has been extended through April 7. No additional late fees will be charged. Entries submitted through the new deadline will not be penalized in any way in the judging process.

“We’ve received so many requests for individual deadline extensions that we’ve decided to extend the deadline for everyone,” said Stevie Awards President Maggie Miller. The original final deadline was March 4.

The American Business Awards are widely considered to be the premier business awards program in the U.S.A. All organizations operating in the U.S.A. are eligible to submit nominations— public and private, for-profit and non-profit, large, and small. The 2026 awards will honor achievements since the beginning of 2024. Entry details are available at http://www.StevieAwards.com/ABA.

The American Business Awards recognize achievement in every facet of the workplace.

Categories include:

Achievement Categories

AI Categories (New for 2026)

App Categories

Company / Organization Categories

Achievement in Corporate Communications, Investor Relations, & Public Relations Categories

Creative Categories (New for 2026)

Customer Service Categories

Entrepreneur Categories

Event Categories

Human Resources Categories

Achievement in Management Categories

Achievement in Marketing Categories

New Product & Product Management Categories

Podcast Categories

Publication Categories

Social Media Categories

Support Categories

Sustainability Categories

Technology Categories

Thought Leadership Categories

Video Categories

Web Achievement Categories

More than 200 professionals nationwide will participate in the judging process through mid-April. The Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie® Award winners will be announced on April 24 and celebrated during a ceremony in New York City on June 9.

Every new product or service nominated in The 2026 American Business Awards will automatically be included in voting for the People's Choice Stevie Awards for Favorite New Products, an annual feature of the ABAs in which the general public votes for their favorite new products. Voting will open on April 27.

The list of past Stevie Award winners in The American Business Awards reads like a who’s who of innovation and business success in the U.S.A. Explore the list of last year’s winners.

More than 300 representatives of Stevie-winning organizations, jury members, and sponsors will attend the 20th annual Stevie® Awards for Sales & Customer Service at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City this Thursday, March 5.

The Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service are the world's top honors for achievement in business development, customer service, and sales.  All organizations and individuals worldwide are eligible to submit nominations in a wide variety of categories.

More than 2,100 nominations from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry, in 41 nations and territories, were considered in this year's competition. Winners were determined by the average scores of 150 professionals worldwide on eight specialized judging committees. Entries were considered in more than 100 categories for customer service and contact center achievements, including Contact Center of the Year, Award for Innovation in Customer Service, and Customer Service Department of the Year; more than 70 categories for sales and business development achievements, ranging from Senior Sales Executive of the Year to Sales Training or Business Development Executive of the Year to Sales Department of the Year; more than 20 categories for AI in sales and customer service including Customer Service AI Trainer or Specialist of the Year, AI & Tech-Focused Customer Service Team of the Year, Best Use of AI Integration in Contact Centers, and Sales AI Trainer or Specialist of the Year; and categories to recognize new products, services, and solution providers. 

Gold, Silver and Bronze Stevie Award winners were announced in January.

Here is the list is the list of organizations that will be represented at Thursday's event.

Abdulla Fouad for Medical Supplies, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Achievers Solutions Inc, Toronto,  ON Canada
ACT - Advanced Call Center Technologies, Berwyn, PA USA
Aires, Pittsburgh, PA USA
Alaska Communications, Anchorage, AK USA
Allstate Identity Protection, Scottsdale, AZ USA
American Airlines, Phoenix, AZ USA
Ametros, Wilmington, MA USA
Banco Do Brasil S/A., Brasília, Brazil
Blackhawk Network, Pleasanton, CA USA
Blue Ocean Contact Centers, Halifax, NS Canada
Boston Globe Media, Boston, MA USA
CNP Seguros Holding Brasil, Distrito Federal DF, Brazil
Community First Health Plans, Inc., San Antonio, TX USA
Congruity HR, Winston-Salem, NC USA
Cornerstone OnDemand, Santa Monica, CA USA
Cotiviti Inc., South Jordan, UT, USA
CXAI, Mississauga, ON Canada
DataCore Software Inc., Ft. Lauderdale, FL USA
DMA - Digital Made Accessible, São Paulo, SP  Brazil
Dow Jones & Company, New York, NY USA
e.Republic, Folsom, CA USA
Element Fleet Management, Toronto, ON Canada
Elevance Health - Anthem, Indianapolis, IN USA
eMoney Advisor, Radnor, PA USA
EXL, New York, NY USA
EY, London, United Kingdom
Golden Hour Veterinary Telemedicine, Spring, TX USA
GS1 Global Office, Brussels, Belgium
Guusto, Vancouver, BC Canada
Heavy Construction Systems Specialists, Sugar Land, TX USA
Hilton Grand Vacations, Orlando, FL USA
HireVue, Herriman, UT USA
Huntress, Columbia, MD, USA
IBM, Armonk, NY USA
Ignite Selling, Inc., Asheville, NC USA
Infrascale, Raleigh, NC USA
Inktel Contact Center Solutions, Miami, FL USA
Ironclad, San Francisco, CA USA
ISN Software Corporation, Dallas, TX, USA
Judi Health | Capital Rx, New York, NY USA
Kneat Solutions, Limerick, Ireland
Kobie, St. Petersburg, FL USA
Lantern, Dallas, TX USA
LG Electronics, Englewood Cliffs, NJ USA
LifeStation, Union, NJ USA
L'Occitane En Provence, New York, NY USA
LTIMindtree Limited, Mumbai, India
MetTel, New York, NY USA
National Motor Freight Traffic Association, Inc. (NMFTA)™, Alexandria, VA USA
Ohio State University, Columbus, OH USA
PassportCard Europe GmbH, Hamburg, Germany
Percepta, Allen Park, MI USA
Petronect - Procurement Negocios SA, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Phenom, Ambler, PA USA
Planet Labs, San Francisco, CA USA
Policygenius, Topeka, KS USA
QNB Turkiye, İstanbul, Türkiye
Quest, Austin, TX USA
QuidelOrtho, San Diego, CA USA
ResultsCX, Norristown, PA USA
Revenue Storm Corporation, Schaumburg, IL USA
SalesboxAI, New York, NY USA
SAP, Newtown Square, PA USA
Second Nature AI, Covina, CA USA
Siam Kubota Corporation, Pathum Thani, Thailand
Snappy, New York, NY USA
SoftPro, Raleigh, NC USA
StoneX Group Inc., New York, NY USA
SYL Grup, Istanbul, Türkiye
TATA Consultancy Services Limited, Edison, NJ USA
TATA Consultancy Services, Iselin, NJ USA
TechSee, Edison, NJ
TTEC, Austin, TX USA
UnitedHealthCare Provider Service Operations, Minneapolis, MN USA
UPMC Health Plan, Pittsburgh, PA USA
ValuseSelling Associates, Rancho Santa Fe, CA USA
Vertisystem (A MOURI Tech Company), Fremont, CA, USA
Voya Financial, Gilbert, AZ USA
VXI Global Solutions, Los Angeles, CA USA
WebCE Dallas, TX USA
Western and Southern Financial Group, Cincinnati, OH USA
Window Nation, Fulton, MD USA
Wipro Ltd., Nodia, Uttar Pradesh, India
WP Engine, Austin, TX USA
ZT SYSTEMS, Secaucus, NJ USA

Entries for the 2027 edition of the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service will open later this summer.  Join the mailing list to get the entry kit as soon as its available.

More than 33,000 votes were cast for favorite customer service providers

Winners of the 2026 People's Choice Stevie Awards for Favorite Customer Service, a worldwide public vote, were announced today. Voting was conducted from January 30 through February 20, with the highest number of votes deciding the winners in a number of industry categories. More than 33,000 votes were cast this year.

All organizations honored in the Customer Service Department of the Year categories of this year’s Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service were eligible to be included in voting for the People’s Choice awards. The Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service, now in their 20th year, are the world’s top honors for customer service, contact center, business development, and sales professionals.

More than 2,100 nominations from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry, in 41 nations and territories, were evaluated in this year’s competition. Winners were determined by the average scores of more than 150 professionals worldwide on eight specialized juries.

Entries were considered in more than 100 categories for customer service and contact center achievements, including Contact Center of the Year, Award for Innovation in Customer Service, and Customer Service Department of the Year; more than 70 categories for sales and business development achievements, ranging from Senior Sales Executive of the Year to Sales Training or Business Development Executive of the Year to Sales Department of the Year; more than 20 categories for AI in sales and customer service including Customer Service AI Trainer or Specialist of the Year, AI & Tech-Focused Customer Service Team of the Year, Best Use of AI Integration in Contact Centers, and Sales AI Trainer or Specialist of the Year; and categories to recognize new products, services, and solution providers.

Winners in all peer-reviewed categories were announced on January 29. Stevie Award winners will be recognized at an award ceremony on March 5 in New York City. More than 300 winners and their guests from around the world are expected to attend.

This year’s People’s Choice winners, who will each receive the coveted crystal People’s Choice Stevie Award, are:

• Airlines, Distribution & Transportation: DHL Express Worldwide
• All Other Industries: Dow Jones & Company Inc., New York, NY USA
• Consumer Product & Services: Hendrick Autoguard, Charlotte, NC USA
• Financial Services - 100 or More Employees: Banco do Brasil S.A, Brasília, Brazil
• Global Operations: UnitedHealthcare Provider Service Operations, Minneapolis, MN USA
• Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals: Golden Hour, Spring, TX USA
• Retail: L'Occitane en Provence, New York, NY USA
• Software - 100 or More Employees: Heavy Construction Systems Specialists, Sugar Land, TX USA
• Software - Up to 100 Employees: DataCore Software Inc, Ft. Lauderdale, FL USA
• Telecommunications: AireSpring, Clearwater, FL USA

Nicknamed the Stevie, derived from the Greek word “crowned,” the Stevie Award trophy is one of the world's most coveted prizes. Since 2002, the Gold Stevie Award has been conferred for achievement in the workplace to organizations and individuals in more than 70 nations and territories.

The Stevie® Awards, organizer of the world's premier business awards programs, announced the winners of five Grand Stevie® Award trophies in the 13th annual Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the only awards program to recognize innovation in the workplace throughout the Asia-Pacific region.

Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Award winners in various categories were announced on 12 February. Those awards were determined by the average scores of more than 125 executives worldwide acting as judges.

The 2026 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards have recognized organizations in 23 markets, including Australia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, mainland China, France, Hong Kong SAR, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan region, Thailand, the United States, and Vietnam.

The Grand ("best of show") Stevie Award trophy is awarded to only a handful of organizations in each of the nine Stevie Awards competitions. In the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, one Grand Stevie Award is presented to the most honored organization, and one to each of the highest-scoring nominations in the four markets that submitted the most nominations.

ORGANIZATION OF THE YEAR: SM Supermalls, across China and the Philippines, is this year’s most honored organization, with 52 award points earned through four Gold, 11 Silver, and 12 Bronze Stevie wins. The organization also won this honor in the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards in 2019. SM Companies won Grand Stevies in the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards in 2020, 2021, and 2025.

Grand Stevie Awards will also be conferred upon the highest-rated nominations from the four nations that submitted the most nominations to this year’s competition. These winners are:

AUSTRALIA: Neurolead, of Tanawha, Queensland, received an average score from the judges of 9.0 out of a possible 10 for their nomination entitled “Neurolead: Scaling Health and Safety Excellence Through a Perfect NPS 100 Global Model,” which won the Gold Stevie Award in the category that recognizes Innovative Achievement in Health and Safety Excellence.

CHINA: Publicis Influence China, based in Shanghai, wins this honor with an average score of 9.1 for their nomination called “Publicis Influence: Transforming China's Influencer Investment with Data-Driven Precision,” winner of the Gold Stevie for Innovation in Social Media Marketing.

INDIA: Cisco Systems Ind Pvt Ltd, of Bengaluru, Karnataka, won the Gold Stevie in the category Innovation in AI-Driven Customer Service – Computer Industries, with an average score of 9.3—the highest in the entire competition—for the nomination “SPectra: Revolutionizing Service Provider and Hyperscaler Experience with AI-Driven Innovation, Powered by RADKitPulse and Agntcy.” This is the third Grand Stevie Award earned by Cisco Systems in India in the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, having won also in 2022 and 2023 (Organization of the Year).

THE PHILIPPINES: Manila Electric Company (Meralco), Pasig City, wins for the nomination “No One Left in the Dark: How Meralco Brought 24/7 Sustainable Power to Cagbalete Island.” The nomination earned the Gold Stevie for Innovation in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Videos, with an average score of 9.14.

The 2026 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards also includes the People’s Choice Stevie Awards for Favorite Companies, a worldwide public vote for all nominees in the competition’s Company/Organization categories. Voting is ongoing through 13 March. People’s Choice winners will receive a crystal People’s Choice Stevie Award trophy.

Winners in the 2026 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards will be celebrated during an awards banquet on 17 April at the Venetian Hotel in Macau. Tickets for the awards banquet are on sale now.

PR Newswire Asia is the official news release distribution partner of the 2026 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards.

adobo magazine is the official Creative Media Partner of the 2026 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards.

George Mason University Korea and the university’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship are sponsors of the Startup of the Year categories.

The Stevie® Awards, organizer of the world’s premier business awards programs, has announced that ValueSelling Associates will sponsor the 2026 (20th annual) Stevie® Awards for Sales & Customer Service for the 19th consecutive year.

ValueSelling has been a sponsor of the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service since 2009. ValueSelling Associates are again sponsoring the Sales Individual Categories, which include Woman of the Year in Sales, Senior Sales Executive of the Year, Virtual and Pre-Sales Professional of the Year, Sales Representative of the Year, and Sales Training or Education Professional of the Year, among others.

Complete details on the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service are available at Sales.StevieAwards.com.

Winners were announced in the 2026 competition on January 29. More than 2,100 nominations from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry, in 41 nations and territories, were evaluated in this year’s competition. Winners were determined by the average scores of more than 150 professionals worldwide on eight specialized juries.

Eligible nominees for this competition include departments, teams, and professionals from around the world who work in customer service, contact centers, business development, and sales. New products and services and solution providers used by those professionals are also eligible. The 2026 awards recognized achievements since July 1, 2024. Explore the full list of categories.

ValueSelling Associates is the creator of the ValueSelling Framework®, a sales methodology, training, and toolset that aligns your revenue engine with a common language, enabling sales professionals to compete on value rather than price, and saving time in all selling scenarios. Since 1991, ValueSelling Associates has helped thousands of sales professionals realize immediate revenue growth and achieve results they never thought possible. They offer bespoke training to FORTUNE 1000, mid-sized, and start-up companies to drive sales results.

“Maggie Miller, President of the Stevie Awards, said, ‘ValueSelling has been a loyal supporter of the competition from its earliest days and has contributed greatly to its growth. We’re delighted to partner with ValueSelling once again to honor exceptional sales professionals and organizations around the world. The Stevie Awards is proud to work with partners like ValueSelling who believe in the importance of recognizing excellence in the workplace.’”

President and Chief Executive Officer of ValueSelling Associates, Julie Thomas, said, “The Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service is an excellent platform for recognizing the accomplishments of our customers and business partners. We look forward to celebrating those sales professionals who found ways to connect, secure new business, and propel their companies forward in this tough selling environment.”

Winners will be celebrated during an awards banquet on March 5 in New York, NY USA.

View full details for the 20th annual Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service at Sales.StevieAwards.com.

About ValueSelling Associates
ValueSelling Associates, a leading global sales training company, offers a practical methodology for selling on value, not price. The ValueSelling Framework® is a proven formula that simplifies complex B2B sales, and the Vortex Prospecting™ program provides a repeatable process that increases connections and conversions to the revenue pipeline. Once trained on the ValueSelling method, organizations grow revenue and increase productivity. Since 1991, thousands of professionals around the world have chosen ValueSelling Associates for customized training, reinforcement, and coaching to drive sales results. Learn more at ValueSelling Associates, Inc.

 

Learning Dimensions Network (LDN), based in Fitzroy, Victoria, has established itself as a leader in corporate training, specializing in leadership and workplace safety.

With more than 30 years of experience, LDN has partnered with organizations across Australia and internationally to design and deliver bespoke training programs that produce measurable results. The company’s approach prioritizes adult learning principles, inclusivity, and the creation of engaging, empowering learning experiences tailored to each client's unique needs.

Under the guidance of CEO Melissa Williams, LDN has achieved remarkable outcomes for clients. The organization maintains a 95% client retention rate, 89% of participants meet their learning objectives, and 94% recommend LDN’s training to others. Programs are designed to develop leaders, enhance workplace safety, and drive organizational performance, equipping teams with practical strategies to inspire, motivate, and create safer work environments.

LDN is also Australia’s only provider of qualifications in creating Safety Leadership Cultures and one of the country’s largest corporate Registered Training Organizations specializing in leadership and safety, with over 23,000 enrollments.

In 2023 and 2024, LDN expanded its global footprint, delivering programs to organizations across Europe, Asia, and North America. The company introduced new initiatives addressing emerging workplace challenges, including diversity and inclusion, emotional intelligence, and leading through change. Bespoke programs have delivered tangible results, such as a 20% increase in employee engagement for a healthcare provider, a 15% reduction in workplace incidents for a construction company, and a 10% improvement in leadership effectiveness scores for a global technology firm.

LDN also partners with major infrastructure organizations to transform safety culture. The “Safety Builders for Frontline Leaders” program, developed with Webuild, was rolled out across multiple Australian projects, including the Melbourne North East Link. Designed to resonate with frontline teams, the program addresses cultural adaptation, short-service employees, and the leadership skills necessary to foster safe, productive workplaces. Over 500 participants completed the program, with 97% reporting that it met or exceeded expectations, demonstrating the program’s measurable impact on safety outcomes.

Beyond its client programs, LDN exemplifies thought leadership in corporate learning. Melissa Williams has spearheaded initiatives leveraging AI tools and interactive platforms to enhance accessibility and engagement, developed a custom IT platform to streamline project management, and shared insights with broader audiences through publications and social media. The organization’s commitment to innovation, adaptability, and high-quality delivery ensures that clients receive not only training but transformative learning experiences that drive lasting change.

LDN earned three Stevie® Awards: Gold for WHS Program of the Year; Silver for Thought Leader of the Year – Business Services, awarded to CEO Melissa Williams; and Bronze for Company of the Year – Business or Professional Services – Small in The 2025 International Business Awards®.

Interested in entering for 2026?

Teeny Tiny Homes, based in Caboolture, Queensland, is redefining homeownership in Australia. Founded in 2016 by David Antonacci, the family-owned business began by renovating transportable granny flats and has since evolved into designing and constructing custom-made tiny homes.

With a focus on high-quality materials, functional design, and durability, Teeny Tiny Homes has built a reputation for delivering affordable, sustainable, and beautiful homes to Australians from all socioeconomic backgrounds.

Since its inception, the company has responded to growing demand for accessible housing. By 2022, the business had relocated to a larger facility to increase production, now building 12 homes per month, a threefold increase from previous capacity. This expansion reflects Teeny Tiny Homes’ commitment to efficiency, innovation, and customer satisfaction while maintaining personalized service and direct communication with clients.

Innovation extends beyond production. The company has implemented time-saving technologies, such as a carpenter trolley system, and has pioneered transparent pricing based on material and labor costs. These practices empower customers with clarity and confidence while also reducing environmental impact by sourcing materials locally and partnering with Australian suppliers.

Teeny Tiny Homes has continued to take on ambitious projects, including its largest build to date: 16 custom portable units for a strawberry farm. The team has also grown to 20 skilled employees, enabling the company to deliver complex projects while maintaining the high-quality craftsmanship for which it is known. The business has garnered attention in local, national, and international media, further highlighting its leadership in the tiny home market.

At its core, Teeny Tiny Homes is more than a construction company; it is a solution provider addressing the Australian housing crisis. With housing affordability challenges, rising property prices, and increasing unmet demand, the company offers a sustainable, cost-effective alternative that empowers individuals to achieve homeownership and financial freedom. Each project contributes not only to a client’s personal goals but also to the broader community, reinforcing the company’s commitment to social impact.

TeenyTiny Homes earned two Gold Stevie® Awards for Company of the Year – Materials & Construction and Best Entrepreneur – Materials & Construction in The International Business Awards®.

Interested in entering for 2026?

Winners in Thirteenth Annual Competition to Be Celebrated at 17 April Award Ceremony in Macau

Winners have been announced in the thirteenth annual Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the only awards program to recognize innovation in the workplace throughout the entire Asia-Pacific region. The list of Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Award winners is available at https://Asia.StevieAwards.com.

The Stevie Awards are widely considered the world's premier business awards, conferring recognition for achievement over the past 24 years through programs such as The International Business Awards® and The American Business Awards®. The name Stevie is derived from the Greek word for “crowned.”

More than 1,000 nominations about innovative achievements from the 29 markets of the APAC region were considered by the judges this year in categories such as Innovative Achievement in Product Innovation, Award for Innovative Management, and Award for Excellence in Innovation in AI Strategy & Implementation, among many others.

The 2026 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards have recognized organizations in 23 markets, including Australia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, France, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, United States, and Vietnam. Winners in attendance will be celebrated on stage during a gala event at the Venetian Hotel in Macau, China on Friday, 17 April.

Among the top overall winners in the 2026 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards are SM subsidiaries including SM City La Union, SM Foundation, Inc., SM Supermalls and Ripple8, Inc. with 32 Stevie wins from their facilities in China and the Philippines. They won in categories including Award for Innovation in Cultural or Community Events, Award for Innovation in Purpose-Driven Marketing, Innovative Achievement in Diversity & Inclusion, Award for Innovation in Cultural or Community Events, and Award for Innovation in Non-Profit/NGO Publications, among others.

Megaworld Corporation of Taguig City, Philippines and its subsidiaries, including Megaworld Foundation, Inc. and Megaworld Lifestyle Malls, won 19 Stevie Awards in categories including Award for Innovation in AI-Driven Customer Service, Award for Innovation in Lifestyle Videos, Award for Excellence in Innovation in Non-Profit Organizations or NGOs, and Award for Excellence in Innovation in Education, among others.

Other winners of five or more Stevie Awards include IBM (12), Watsons (10), Manila Electric Company (9), PJ Lhuillier Inc. (Cebuana Lhuillier) (9), Tata Consultancy Services / Tata Consumer Products (9), The Catalyst For Lenovo Legion, Lenovo, and Lenovo Technology Sdn Bhd (9), Globe Telecom (8), IntouchCX (8), Kenny Rogers Roasters (7), PLDT and Smart / PLDT Global (7), Cisco Systems Inc. (6), Singapore Telecommunications Limited (6), Aboitiz (5), ACCOR (5), Bank of the Philippine Islands (5), and Samsung Electronics Philippines Corporation (5).

Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Award winners were determined by the average scores of more than 250 executives worldwide who served as judges from December through February.

The 2026 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards also includes the People’s Choice Stevie Awards for Favorite Companies, a worldwide public vote for all nominees in the competition’s Company/Organization categories. Voting will be open 16 February through 13 March 2026. Category winners in the public vote will receive a crystal People’s Choice Stevie Award.

“The thirteenth Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards drew a highly competitive and impressive range of submissions,” said Stevie Awards President Maggie Miller. “Judges noted the strong emphasis on innovation, execution, and measurable impact throughout the nominations. We congratulate this year’s Stevie Award winners and look forward to formally honoring them in Macau on 17 April.”

For details about the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the 17 April awards ceremony in Macau, and the list of Stevie Award winners, visit http://Asia.Stevieawards.com.

The Stevie® Awards have announced the winners of Grand Stevie Award trophies in the 20th annual Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service, recognized as the world's top honors for achievement in business development, customer service, and sales.

Nominees in the 2026 Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service were not able to apply for Grand Stevie Awards directly. These are “best of show” honors. Winners were determined by a points system based on the total number of awards won in the program, with a Gold Stevie win counting for three points, a Silver Stevie win for two points, and a Bronze Stevie win for 1.5 points.

This year's Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Award winners in the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service were announced on January 29. All winners in attendance will be recognized on stage during an awards ceremony on March 5 in New York City.

Winners of the Grand Stevie Awards in the 2026 competition are:

1. IBM, worldwide, earned 59.5 points on the back of seven Gold, eight Silver, and 15 Bronze Stevie wins across a broad range of categories. This is the tenth consecutive year that IBM has earned a Grand Stevie Award in the competition, and the second time they’ve won the #1 spot.

2. DP DHL, worldwide, scored 53 points with eight Gold, seven Silver, and 10 Bronze Stevie wins by DHL affiliates across the Americas, Asia, and Europe. This is the 14th consecutive year in which the international transportation and logistics firm has won a Grand Stevie in this program.

3. ValueSelling Associates, the sales consultancy headquartered in Carlsbad, California USA, won eight Gold, three Silver, and six Bronze Stevies, for a total of 39 points, for wins on behalf of clients Abdulla Fouad For Medical Supplies and Services, Alaska Communications, e.Republic, Element Fleet Management, Ironclad, Phenom, Quest Software, and Snappy. This is the sixth Grand Stevie won by ValueSelling in the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service.

4. Unitedhealthcare Provider Service Operations, Minneapolis, Minnesota USA, takes the fourth Grand Stevie spot with 38 points earned through four Gold, 10 Silver, and four Bronze Stevie wins.

5. Allianz Services Private Limited, Kerala, India, delivered 34.5 award points (three Gold, three Silver, and 13 Bronze Stevies) to earn themselves the final Grand Stevie spot. The firm also earned a Grand Stevie in the program in 2024.

More than 2,100 nominations from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry, in 41 nations and territories, were evaluated in this year's competition. Winners were determined by the average scores of more than 150 professionals worldwide on eight specialized juries.

The 2026 awards will begin accepting nominations this July. Those interested in participating may request the entry kit at https://Sales.StevieAwards.com.

Winners in the 20th annual Stevie® Awards for Sales & Customer Service, recognized as the world's top customer service awards and sales awards, have been announced. A complete list of all 2026 Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Award winners by category is available at https://Sales.StevieAwards.com.

Winners will be recognized during a gala banquet at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City on Thursday, March 5. Tickets are on sale now.

More than 2,100 nominations from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry, in 41 nations and territories, were considered in this year’s competition.

Winners were determined by the average scores of 150 professionals worldwide on eight specialized judging committees.

Entries were considered in more than 100 categories for customer service and contact center achievements, including Contact Center of the Year, Award for Innovation in Customer Service, and Customer Service Department of the Year; more than 70 categories for sales and business development achievements, ranging from Senior Sales Executive of the Year to Sales Training or Business Development Executive of the Year to Sales Department of the Year; more than 20 categories for AI in sales and customer service including Customer Service AI Trainer or Specialist of the Year, AI & Tech-Focused Customer Service Team of the Year, Best Use of AI Integration in Contact Centers, and Sales AI Trainer or Specialist of the Year; and categories to recognize new products, services, and solution providers.

The top winner of Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Awards is IBM, worldwide, with 30 Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Award wins.

Other winners of three or more Gold Stevie Awards include:

DHL Express, worldwide (8), BELBİM, Istanbul, Türkiye (5), Tata Consultancy Services, Dallas, TX and Edison, NJ USA (5), UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA USA (5), HALKBANK, Istanbul, Türkiye (4), MEXC, Mahe, Seychelles (4), Percepta, Allen Park, MI USA (4), UnitedHealthcare Provider Service Operations, Minneapolis, MN USA (4), Voya Financial, Gilbert, AZ USA (4), WNS, Mumbai, India, and New York, NY USA (4), ACT, Berwyn, PA USA (3), Allianz Services Private Limited, Kerala, India (3), AT&T, Dallas, TX USA (3), Blackhawk Network, Pleasanton, CA USA (3), CarrefourSA, Istanbul, Türkiye (3), eMoney Advisor, Radnor, PA USA (3), Heavy Construction Systems Specialists, Sugar Land, TX USA (3), RAIN Group, Boston, MA USA (3), Revenue Storm Corporation, Schaumburg, IL USA (3), and TTEC, Austin, TX USA and Krakow, Poland (3).

Winners in sponsored categories for SOCAP International will be announced in April. SOCAP International is the nation’s leading membership community for customer care and CX professionals.

Five winners of Grand Stevie Award trophies, for the five most-honored organizations in the competition, will be announced the week of February 9.

All organizations worldwide are eligible to compete in the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service and may submit any number of nominations in a wide range of award categories for sales, customer service, solution providers, business development, solutions and implementations, and thought leadership.

Nominations for the 2027 edition of the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service will be accepted starting this July. The entry kit may be requested at https://Sales.StevieAwards.com.

The awards are presented by the Stevie Awards, which organizes nine of the world’s leading business award programs, including the prestigious International Business Awards® and American Business Awards®.

Stevie winner Worthy is an Australian company founded by Angela Michel that is redefining sustainable product design by creating what they describe as the most sustainable drink bottle on the planet.

Built entirely from ethically sourced and sustainably produced sugarcane, Worthy’s bottles are carbon-negative and manufactured with zero waste—an approach that sets a new benchmark for environmentally responsible consumer products.

Central to Worthy’s model is its use of renewable resources and clean energy. The bottle is made from sugarcane stems, while the plant waste (bagasse) powers the factory, ensuring no material is discarded. The agricultural process for the raw materials relies solely on sunlight, rainwater, and natural sugarcane waste for fertilization, significantly reducing the overall environmental impact. Compared with traditional bottle materials, the process minimizes exposure to harmful chemicals, reduces industrial emissions, and supports a healthier manufacturing ecosystem.

A full-circle lifecycle is foundational to Worthy’s ethos. While the bottles are fully recyclable through standard household systems, customers are encouraged to return broken or unwanted components for repurposing into new sugarcane-based products. This closed-loop model ensures continual reuse of resources and helps keep plastic waste out of landfills and communities.

Worthy’s commitment to sustainability extends beyond environmental outcomes. The company partners with Vision Rescue, contributing 10% of each bottle’s proceeds to support education, nutrition, and clean water programs in Mumbai’s slum communities. Angela's firsthand visits to these neighborhoods reinforced the need for solutions that address both environmental and social challenges. Additional partnerships include RAMS, an Australian nonprofit that provides resilience programs for at-risk adolescents. Through workshops and student engagement, Worthy aims to inspire young people to pursue sustainability and social impact.

Ethical sourcing is equally central to Worthy’s operations. Its sugarcane resin supplier in Brazil is recognized for responsible environmental practices, fair wages, and safe working conditions. Worthy’s packaging further reflects these values, using FSC-certified recycled cardboard, compostable mailers, and solar-powered production facilities that recycle all manufacturing scraps.

In recent years, Worthy has earned recognition across multiple sustainability and consumer product awards, reflecting the strength and credibility of its mission. Since receiving a Stevie Award, founder Angela Michel has expanded the company’s reach, transitioning from her part-time radiography career to focus fully on growing Worthy globally. The brand secured a major partnership with an Australian supermarket, producing nearly 10,000 bottles for their centenary campaign. The company has also grown from a sole operation to a small team supporting its ongoing scale.

Worthy received a Silver Stevie® Award for Product of the Year - Sustainability and Climate Protection in the 2025 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards.

Interested in entering for 2026?

The Stevie® Awards, organizer of the world’s premier business awards programs, announced that they have revised the schedule for the 2026 (13th annual) Asia-Pacific Stevie® Awards.

By popular demand, the final entry deadline has been extended to 30 January. The judging process will extend through 6 February. Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Award winners will be announced on 12 February. Winners will be celebrated during an awards ceremony on 17 April at the Venetian Hotel in Macau.

The Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards is the only business awards program to recognize innovation throughout the entire Asia-Pacific region. The competition is open to all organizations across 29 markets of the Asia-Pacific region: large and small, for-profit and non-profit, public and private.

The awards focus on recognizing innovation in all its forms, wherever it is achieved in the workplace. Entries will be accepted in 30+ languages in the following award category groups:

• Achievement Awards
• Artificial Intelligence Awards
• Company/Organization Awards
• Corporate Communications & Public Relations Awards
• Customer Service Awards
• Event Awards
• Human Resources Awards
• Individual Professional Awards
• Management Awards
• Marketing Awards
• New Product & Product Management Awards
• Podcast Awards
• Publications Awards
• Social Media Awards
• Sustainability Awards
• Technology Awards
• Thought Leadership Awards
• Video Awards
• Website Awards and App Awards
  …and more

All organizations in the Company/Organization categories will automatically be included in voting for the People's Choice Stevie® Awards for Favorite Companies. People’s Choice winners will receive a special People’s Choice Stevie Award trophy, giving honorees in the Company/Organization categories the opportunity to receive a second award, as voted by the general public worldwide. Voting for the People’s Choice Stevie Awards for Favorite Companies will open on 16 February and go through 13 March.

Scores of professionals from throughout the region will participate in the judging process to determine the Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Award winners.

Some of the Asia-Pacific region’s most innovative organizations won Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards in 2025, including AstraZeneca Philippines (Philippines), Ayala Land, Inc. – Makati Development Corporation (Philippines), Cathay Financial Holdings Co., Ltd. (Taiwan), City of Sydney (Australia), CK Hutchison Holdings Limited (Hong Kong), Coca-Cola Bottlers Japan Holdings Inc. (Japan), DigiPlus Interactive Corp. (Philippines), Dong-A Pharmaceutical Co. (Korea), Eastern Communications (Philippines), Extendmax Vietnam Company Limited (Vietnam), Generali Hong Kong (Hong Kong), HP (Greater Asia) (Singapore), IBM Singapore (Singapore), IntouchCX (India), Kacific Broadband Satellites Group (Singapore), Link Asset Management Limited (Hong Kong), Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (Philippines), Ooredoo Maldives (Maldives), PJ Lhuillier Inc. (Philippines), PLDT and Smart (Philippines), PT Pertamina (Persero) (Indonesia), SM Supermalls (China), and Wolters Kluwer Tax & Accounting Asia Pacific (Australia).

The global education sector is facing significant challenges related to teacher retention, burnout, and staffing shortages, a trend reflected in multiple international surveys such as the Teacher Wellbeing Index 2023. Educators increasingly report high levels of stress and job dissatisfaction, and many school systems are experiencing difficulties filling classroom positions and maintaining stable staffing.

Stevie-winner Jannic Education Solutions was founded on a clear, deceptively simple question: How can we give teachers the support they actually need without adding to their workload? The company grew from the combined expertise of its founders Janet Moeller and Nick Spragg. Janet brings decades of experience in education across three continents, and Nick offers a long career designing conversational technologies and leading application development teams.

Early conversations revealed a shared interest in leveraging advanced AI for real-world, classroom-level impact, though the technology at the time was accessible only to large corporations with highly specialised systems. As generative AI matured, the opportunity finally emerged to build a tool tailored to the needs and working styles of teachers.

This led to the creation of Teacher PA, an AI-powered companion designed not to replace teachers or add another complex system, but to support educators in the moments they need it most—seamlessly, intuitively, and without increasing administrative burden. Teacher PA integrates Large Language Models (LLMs), Large Action Models (LAMs), and machine learning into a unified assistant that adapts to individual teaching styles and classroom realities. Instead of juggling multiple tools for lesson planning, communication, and documentation, teachers can rely on a single platform designed to reflect the relational and contextual nature of teaching.

Teacher PA centres on three virtual agents engineered to address the primary causes of teacher burnout: excessive workload, work intensification, and insufficient support. Hanna, the curriculum expert, drafts standards-aligned lessons, differentiates materials for diverse learners, and assists with marking. Ravi, the learning support specialist, guides teachers through identifying student challenges and provides immediate strategies for intervention—particularly valuable when working with students who have undiagnosed needs. Marlene, the professional coach, supports reflective practice and emotional resilience, helping teachers navigate stressful interactions and reduce feelings of isolation.

To assess its early impact, Jannic Education Solutions conducted a six-week pilot in which nine educators engaged with the MVP version of Teacher PA more than 400 times. Participants reported increased student engagement, more effective handling of emotionally sensitive communications, improved accessibility for students with learning disabilities, and streamlined administrative work such as incident reporting. Some educators saved up to three hours per week, while many noted a reduction in emotional strain due to the ongoing support provided by the agents.

Looking ahead, Teacher PA is evolving into a single, fully orchestrated virtual assistant capable of tracking student progress, generating report-card comments, drafting incident reports, and integrating LLM and LAM capabilities for more advanced task management. To ensure long-term reliability and trust, the system is being built to meet ISO 27001 and SOC 2 standards, and is supported by relational and vector databases to deliver personalised, continuity-based responses over time.

Rooted in the founders’ combined expertise and driven by a mission to support teachers in meaningful, practical ways, Jannic Education Solutions continues to refine a tool designed to work the way teachers do. When educators have the right support, they can focus on what truly matters—their students.

Jannic Education Solutions won a Gold Stevie Award for Innovation in Education or Training Apps, a Gold Stevie Award for Innovation in Education Technology (EdTech) – Other Service Industries, and one Bronze Stevie Award for Innovation in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) – Other Service Industries in the 2025 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards.

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