The following professionals participated in first-round judging of The 2015 American Business Awards.  Their average scores determined the Finalists who are eligible to be considered in final judging.  We thank them for their time and insights.

Final judging of the ABAs begins on May 27.

Ahmed Al Hai, Drilling Services Automation Project Manager & RTOC Project Member, ADCO, United Arab Emirates
Amal Al-Najjar, HR Manager, Fluor Kuwait, Kuwait    
Nirso Amaya, Accountant, Lynx, Orlando    Florida
Stewart Andrews, Noodlebox Design
Zainab Ansari, Director/CEO, Xenith PR (Pvt.) Ltd, Pakistan    
Daniel Arenas, Creative Director, Sunday Morning NY, Astoria, NY
Dean Aslinia, Managing Director, New Horizons Center for Healing, McKinney, TX
Jeff Bell, Partner, NCT Ventures, LLC Kirkland, WA
Justin Bell, CEO, Arc+Arrow Creative Group, Miami, Florida
Debra Bergevine, EVP, Marketing    DCR Workforce, Inc. Boca Raton Florida
Rob Betts, Director of Creative Services, Akavit, Denver, CO
Israel Bonequi, Creative Director, Birds Nest Foundation, Canada    
Tanya Candia, CEO, Candia Communications LLC, Los Gatos, CA
Kevin Chen, Ph.D., CMC, President/CEO, Business Methods Corporation, Management Consulting Division, Randolph, NJ    
Pamela    Clark, Founder/Director    New Heights Educational Group, Defiance, OH
Ken Collis, CEO, VIIVIIVII, Toluca Lake,  CA
Irene Corpuz, Head of Planning & IT Security, Western Region Municipality, United Arab Emirates    
Dave Craig, Vice President, HR, Fazoli's Restaurants, Lexington, KY
David Crawford, Senior VP, Managing Group Creative Director, GSD&M, Austin, TX
Scott Cullather, Global Managing Partner, inVNT, New York, NY
John Cushman, VP - eSales & Service, formerly AT&T, CA
Emilia D'Anzica,  Senior Director, Customer Success, WalkMe, San Francisco, CA
Suzanne Darmory, Creative Director, Moxie, New York, NY
Jordan Darrow, President, Darrow & Associates, Melville, NY
Kelley Dawkins, CEO and Owner, Imaginal Transformations, Tigard, OR
Saraida De Marchena Kaluche, President & CEO, Markatel, Strategic Communications, PR & Events, Dominican Republic
Jennifer Deare, President, Deare Marketing, Inc, Tenafly, NJ
Natalia Diaz, Marketing Specialist, Forte Payment Systems, Allen, TX
Frankie DiCarlantonio, Vice-President, Scaffidi Restaurant Group, Steubenville, OH
Mary DiMaggio, Senior Vice President, BioCentric Inc., Collingswood, NJ
Richard Dixon, Advertising Director, Dallas Business Journal, Keller, TX
Sue Dowd, SVP Retail Strategy, Miller Zell, Marketing for Financial Svcs, Atlanta, GA
Brenda Dukart, Executive Account Manager, Managed Business Solutions, Colorado Springs, CO
Alyssa Dver, Founder & CEO, Mint Green Marketing, Westborough, MA
Gene Ehrbar, Managing Partner, Emerging Technology, ISITE Design, Portland, OR
Elizabeth Enselein, Director of Operations, Murthy Law Firm, Owings Mills, MD
Mike Faith, CEO, Headsets.com, San Francisco, CA
Jim Fanucchi, Managing Director, Head of West Coast Operations, Darrow & Associates, Los Gatos, CA
Guy Fighel, Director of Engineering, TangoMe, Mountain View, CA
Dr. Hüsniye Firat, Çanakkale, Onsekiz March University, Turkey
Minerva Garcia, Vice President of Human Resources, Accordant Media, New York, NY
Jack Gault, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Marketing, West Chester University of Pennsylvania, Marketing Department, West Chester, PA
David Gilman, President, Gilman Performance Systems, Brookfield, CT
Holly Gilthorpe, Head of Global Communications, GE Software, San Ramon, CA
Katharine Goldman, SVP, Executive Creative Director, Jack Morton Worldwide, New York, NY
Abigail Gray, VP, Head of Design, AOL, Brooklyn, NY
Lisa Gregovich, Manager, Vendor Operations, Prime Therapeutics, Denver, CO
Seth Hall, Vice President, Customer Service, Philadelphia Insurance Companies, Bala Cynwyd, PA
Deanna Harms, SVP, Greteman Group, Wichita, KS
Danita Harn, Founder, Harn & Associates, Woodstock, GA
Bonnie Harris, President, Wax Marketing, Inc., St. Paul, MN
Batul Hasan, CEO, BSH Consultants, Market Research, Pakistan
William Holmes, Principal, Business Planning Consultancy
Judah Holstein, President, Miracom Computer Corp., Eastchester, NY
Jaimon Jacob, Head - Customer Service & Business Excellence, UAE Exchange Centre LLC, United Arab Emirates
Ananda Jagoda, Chief Creative Officer, Smart Media - The Annual Report Company, Sri Lanka
Stephen Jannetta, Partner, Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP, Philadelphia, PA
Allen Jernigan, President & CEO,My Marketing Department, Inc., Seminole, FL
Stuart John, Head of Interactive & Emerging Media, Mind Over Eye, TEN: The Enthusiast Network, Santa Monica, CA
Billie K. Johnson, VP, Client Results, Incept, Canton, OH
Kyle Johnson, Principal/Creative Director, BlkMrkt. Cr8tiv Labs
Anila Kalleshi, President, Kalleshi Center, Albania
Scott, Kellner, VP Marketing, George P Johnson, San Carlos, CA
Laura Kerr, Customer Support Partner, Sabre Airline Solutions, Southlake, TX
Raj Khera, Partner, MailerMailer LLC, Rockville, MD
Bernard Kilkelly, Managing Director, Darrow Associates, Lynbrook, NY
Claudia Koehler, Corporate Vice President, VOK DAMS. Events GmbH, Germany
Hao Kuo, Marketing Coordinator, Aurico, Arlington Heights, IL
Michele Landry, VP Corporate Communications Spansion, Mountain View, CA
Brian MacPhee, General Director, John Hancock, Financial Services, Portsmouth, NH
Krushna Prasad Mahapatra, Global Head HR- GE ISU, Tata Consultancy Services,North America Edison, NJ
Janice Maiman, Senior Vice President, Communications & Media Channels, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, New York, NY
Laura Maniccia, Principal, Interactive Marketing Solutions, South Lyon, MI
Wessam Massoud, Programme Delivery Manager, Abu Dhabi Systems & Information Center (ADSIC), United Arab Emirates
Colin McKillop, Executive Director, WECAN, Canada
Robyn McNeely, Sr. Manager, Agile Best Practices and Technology Training, Asurion, Murfreesboro, TN
Diane McNulty PhD, Associate Dean External Affairs, UT Dallas, Naveen Jindal School of Management, Richardson, TX
Catherine McQuaid, Principal, Big Game Hunting, Canada
Kathy Menzie, Associate Professor & Chair, Washburn University, Mass Media Department, Topeka, KS
Jessica Merz, Director Global Corporate Communications, Bacardi-Martini, Inc, Coral Gables, FL
Andrea Michaels, President, Extraordinary Events, Sherman Oaks, CA
Jon Michaels, Executive Vice President, Extraordinary Events, Sherman Oaks, CA
Jay Mitchell, President, Mereo, LLC, Colorado Springs, CO
Matt Mlodzinski, Category Manager, Commercial Services Procurement, Johnson and Johnson Consumer Companies, Inc., Fort Washington, PA
Rajesh Kumar, Mudiakal, Ernst & Young, India
Lisa Murphy, VP/Service Executive, Black Knight Financial Services, Jackson, FL
Kirk Musselman, Director, Human Resources, Cars.com, Chicago, IL
Judi Niedercorn , CEO, SysTactics, McLean, VA
Bob Older, President, Creative Travel Inc. dba Rainbow Charter Service, Wilmington, DE
Linda Olsan, Director, Customer Care, ACE, Rancho Mission Viejo, CA
Nick Padley, Director of Implementation, CD2 Learning, Overland Park, KS
Audrey Pannell, Director of Public Relations & Social Media, STYLE Advertising, Birmingham, AL
Emily Passer, Director of Communications, Quartz, New York, NY
Paul Patton, Senior R&D/Regulatory Manager, Delta Faucet Co. Research Development, Indianapolis, IN
Regis Riney, Site Facilities, Operations and Maintenance Manager, Dixon RSF, Vacaville, CA
Chris Risheill, Senior Manager of Communications & Events, Ohio AEYC, Westerville, OH
Mary Roseman, PhD, RD, CHE, Associate Professor & Hospitality Management Program Director, University of Mississippi, University, MS
Colleen Rosso, Director of Communications, Hartland Township, Milford, MI
David Saef, EVP, MarketWorks & Strategy, GES, Hodgkins, IL
Viurniel Sanchez, Information Management, Infrastructure Technology Services, Florida Power & Light, Miami, FL
Hakan Satici, Supervisor Garanti Bankasi, Turkey
Scott Sauder, Area Operations Consultant, The UPS Store, Noblesville, IN
Susan Saurage-Altenloh, President, Saurage Research, Inc, Houston, TX
Jeffrey Scott Frichner, CEO/Founder, voteAir powered by voters"
Dan Seidman, CEO, GOT Influence?, Barrington, IL
Lauren Selikoff, Managing Director, Selikoff+Company, Orange, NJ
David Sentman, SVP-Change Management Executive, Bank of America, Newark, DE
Santosh Sharma, HCL Technologies, Lombard, IL
Mark Shewmaker, Chief Experience Officer, SMITH, Seattle, WA
Michael Shmarak, Vice President, DKC Public Relations, Marketing & Government Affairs, Chicago, IL
Sushrut Shrotri, Managing Partner, Novus Global Solutions, North Brunswick, NJ
David Siskin, Founder and Partner, Boomity, San Francisco, CA
David Street, Creative Director, Streetworks Studio, Ashburn, VA
Ted Studwell, Senior Vice President, Engineering and Operations, Virtela, Greenwood Village, CO
Mahdad Taheri, CEO, TVI Designs, New York, NY
Alice Takpemongo, Mindjet, Customer Success, United Kingdom
Lori Teranishi, Partner, IQ PR, Inc., San Francisco, CA
Sophy Tereschenko, Business Strategist, Kaiser Permanente, Oakland, CA
Scott Thomas, CEO, Exegan Music Group, Las Vegas, NV
Han Tjan, Corporate Communications, Daimler, New York, NY
Adriana Husz Toledo, Director / Brand Marketing Practice Leader, Ketchum, Brazil
Noel Unciano, Science Research Specialist, Industrial Technology Development Institute - DOST, Environment and Biotechnology Division, Philippines
Robin Vaitonis, SVP, Strategic Communications, Tanis Communications, San Jose, CA
Meghan, Valnoski, Clinical Sourcing Specialist, Theradex
Rajani Veeramachaneni , President, E Center, Inc., Newtown, PA
Vinny Verdi, Producer, CUNY-TV, New York, NY
Dr. Basavaraj Wadi, UGSI, Bangalore, India
Charles Kirby Wadsworth, Vice President of Global Marketing, F5 Networks, Wayland, MA
Maggie Wang, Service & Support Manager, Nolo--Law for All, Pleasanton, CA
Karen Weldon, Manager, Executive Communication & Strategic Collaboration (Office of the CIO) Consumers Energy, Business Technology Solutions, Jackson, MI
Linda Whitten Stalters, Executive Director, Schizophrenia and Related Disorders Alliance of America, Houston, TX
Ron Williams, Executive Creative Director, TEAM, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Becky Wilson, President, WDS Marketing and PR, Overland Park, KS
Terry Wisner, Founder & President, The CPO Institute, Grand Blanc, MI
Barbara Zenz, President and CEO, The Stephenz Group, Inc., San Jose, CA
Tarek Ziadeh, Customer Service Manager, DHL Express, Lebanon
Chris Zoloth, Director, Global Customer Care, IHG, Salt Lake City, UT
Kathryn Zuber, Vice President of Human Resources, JAB Wireless, Inc., Englewood, CO

You're invited to apply to be a judge for next year's American Business Awards.  You'll read fascinating and instructive case studies from organizations across the U.S.A., you'll be invited to join our exclusive Stevie Awards Judges group on LinkedIn, and if you're among the two judges who score the most entries, you'll win two tickets and $1,000 toward the cost of attending one of the two awards banquets.

 

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

Finalists were announced today in The 13th Annual American Business Awards. Lists of Finalists by category have been published at http://www.StevieAwards.com/ABA.

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

This year’s Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie® Award winners will be announced at two banquets. The first will take place on June 22 at the Fairmont Millennium Park Hotel in Chicago, Illinois; and the second, with awards in the new product and technology-related categories, will be held on September 11 at the Julia Morgan Ballroom at The Merchants Exchange Building in San Francisco, California. More than 800 executives are expected to attend the events. The ceremonies will be broadcast nationwide by the BizTalk Radio Network.    

Among the organizations with multiple Finalists are Accenture, Actiontec Electronics, AT&T, BMO Capital Markets, C-4 Analytics, Callidus Software, CAN Capital, Capital One Investing, CD2 Learning, Cigna, Cisco Systems, The Control Group, CyraCom International, Dell Inc., DEVENEY, Engility, Farbman Group, Fareportal, George P. Johnson, Guitar Center, Hewlett Packard, Information Builders, Isagenix International, iTalent Corporation, Jasper, Jeunesse Global, Level 3 Communications, LIMU, Makovsky & Co., Marriott Vacations Worldwide, Merkle, MWW, The Navicor Group, ORBCOMM, Pacific Life, Quality Systems, Inc., Relayware, Roth Staffing Companies, SoftPro, TangoMe, Tata Consultancy Services, Thomson Reuters, Toshiba America Business Solutions, TriNet Group, Inc., U.S. Green Building Council, United Credit Consultants, USANA Health Sciences, Vectra Networks, Virtusa Corporation, Walker Sands Communications, and Workplace Answers.

More than 3,300 nominations from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry were submitted this year for consideration in a wide range of categories, including Startup of the Year, Executive of the Year, Best New Product or Service of the Year, Marketing Campaign of the Year, Live Event of the Year, and Human Resources Department of the Year, among others.

Finalists were chosen by scores of business professionals nationwide during first-round judging in April and May. Members of specialized final judging committees will determine Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Award placements from among Finalists in judging that will begin later this month.

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

For press credentials for the June 22 and September 11 awards banquets or for more information, contact Maggie@StevieAwards.com

Sponsors and partners of The 2015 American Business Awards include Biz Talk Radio, CallidusCloud, Engility, Fareportal, John Hancock, PetRays, and Softpro.

The following professionals participated in first-round judging of The 2015 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the top business awards program in the 22 nations of the Asia-Pacific region, in December-April.  Their average scores determined the Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Award winners.  We thank them for their time, insights and support.

English-Language Judges

Doa’a Arafat, Quality & Development Specialist, Jordan Engineers Association, Amman, Jordan

Benj Arriola, VP of SEO, Internet Marketing, Inc., San Diego, California, USA

Heena Bulchandani, Specialist, Training & Development, Dubai Electricity & Water Authority, Dubai, UAE

Saraida De Marchena Kaluche, President and CEO, Markatel, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Mohammed Fattoum, Management and Information Technology Expert, Fujairah Police General Headquarters, Dubai, UAE

Stephen Gill, President, Stephen Gill Associates, Bangkok, Thailand

Shridhar P. Joshi, Consultant Advisor, TATA Motors, Pune, India

Yamini Kurup, VP Customer Experience, Aditya Birla Financial Services, Mumbai, India

Lyn Kwek, Senior Marketing Manager, Asia Pacific, Arkadin Global Conferencing, Singapore, Singapore

Donald Lim, Chief Digital Officer, ABS-CBN Corporation, Quezon City, Philippines

Anil Machado, Managing Director, T Nell, Sieradz, Poland

Joseph Mathew, CEO & Chairman, Corrections India, Kottayam, India

Shadiya Mohamed Baqutayan, Senior Lecturer, Perdana School Of Science Technology and Innovation Policy, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Kim Morgan, Managing Director, Maroochy River Resort, Cotton Tree, Queensland, Australia

Rajendran Nair, Senior Director, Marketing, Intalio, Fremont, California, USA

Virgilio Perniot, CEO, Population Services Pilipinas Incorporated, Pasay City, Philippines

Sharon Rudd, Organisational Development & Sales Consultant, TNT Express, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Carolyn T Salud, CEO, Max’s Restaurant, Makati City, Philippines

Brian Arthur Tallador, English Teacher & Trainer, Damrongratsongkroh School, Chiang Rai, Thailand

Noel Unciano, Research Specialist, Industrial Technology Development Institute, Taguig City, Philippines

Chinese-Language Judges

Lindy Chen, Founder, China Direct Sourcing, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Li Chuxin, Director, 126.com, China

Guangtao Deng, Director, hdtMEDIA, China

Wufan G., Director, Jahwa, China

Richard Huzhaoyang, PhD

Li Laubie, Professor, Skema Business School, Suzhou Campus, China

Zhang Fu Lian, CEO, Beijing Baifentonglian Tech. Co., Beijing, China

Jiangxian Liu, New Media Director of Programming Office, Shanghai Media Group, Shanghai, China

Fox Shen, Executive Creative Director, WMTAD Advertising Group, Shanghai, China

Dr. Shih-Wei Sheu, Management Consultant, New Taipei City, Taiwan

Wujing Xian, President, Hisdesign Company, China

Joe Ye, President and CEO, CyWee Group Ltd., Taiwan

Japanese-Language Judges

Mitsuyo Arimoto, President, GlobalLINK Consulting Group, Osaka, Japan

Ryuichi Funatsu, General Manager, Ayumu Associates, LLC, New York, New York, USA

Satoshi Hino, President, Global Management System, Inc., Tokyo, Japan

Takashi Honda, Director General, Office T Inc., Osaka, Japan

Shunsuke  Mizoe, President, ZOE Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan

Hideki Saito, Director, Contemporary-Tech, Inc., Tokyo, Japan

Kanami Saito, President, Elance Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan

Atsuko Sakamoto, Representative Director, Prime Time, Inc., Tokyo, Japan

Takashi Takano, COO, Aqua Environmental System TOJO Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan

Hiroshi Toya, Professor, Meiji Gakuin University, Tokyo, Japan

Junichi Tsuji, CEO, Macchinesti Coffee, Inc., Tokyo, Japan

Toki Ura, President, Office Ura Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan

Kazunari Yasuda, Director, Yasuda Engineering Co. Ltd., Osaka, Japan

Korean-Language Judges

Seog Bong Bae, Executive Director, Korea Commercial Film Makers Union, Seoul, South Korea

Jin Mu Cho, Vice President, Korea Business Communicators Association, Seoul, South Korea

Young Il Hong, Professor, Nam Seoul University

Tae Hee Jung, Chief Director, International, Korea Business Communicators Association, Seoul, South Korea

Hung Ki Kim, President, Korea Business Communicators Association, Seoul, South Korea

Ju Hwak Lee, CEO, SIDM, Seoul, South Korea

Myung Joo Lee, PR Team Leader, Samyang Holdings, Seoul, South Korea

Jinhee Park, Professor, Yongin University, Seoul, South Korea

Jong Sun Park, CEO, BRCom, Seoul, South Korea

Jung Hieh Shon, CEO, Hanaro Adcom, Seoul, South Korea

Thai-Language Judges

Stephen Gill, President, Stephen Gill Associates, Bangkok, Thailand

Jiangxian Liu, New Media Director of Programming Office, Shanghai Media Group, Shanghai, China

Dr. Shih-Wei Sheu, Management Consultant, New Taipei City, Taiwan

Brian Arthur Tallador, English Teacher & Trainer, Damrongratsongkroh School, Chiang Rai, Thailand

 

Nearly 10 years ago, Mariah Fenton Gladis, a professional psychotherapist in the state of Pennsylvania in the U.S.A., won the Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in the 2006 Stevie Awards for Women in Business. Here we take a look at her life and what she is continuing to achieve.

The 2015 (12th Annual) Stevie Awards for Women in Business will open for entries on May 11. Request an Entry Kit here and it will be emailed to you when entries open..

In accepting her 2006 Stevie Award, Mariah Fenton Gladis said: "I’m honored to be recognized among a group of such remarkable women. We, as women leaders in the emerging global community, have the responsibility and the privilege of instilling both passion and compassion in the workplace and the world.”

Mariah is herself truly remarkable. She is a 34-year survivor of Lou Gehrig’s Disease (ALS), and has recently given an inspirational TIM Talk (Together In Mission). This TED-like talk series, sponsored by the Lutheran Metropolitan Washington, D.C. Synod, is an event with multiple speakers about the best ideas they have for the future.

Creating Moments That Matter

Mariah chose the topic “Creating Moments That Matter,” talking about the power that moments large or small, spontaneous or planned, can have in your life. Moments that can transform, connect, elevate, and sometimes heal. Mariah believes that as moment makers and receivers, we all have the opportunity to make positive changes in the lives of others and ourselves. During her talk, Mariah is also self-revealing of some moments that have changed her life. Here is a link to her talk.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4RaJEQrJHE

Strength of Spirit

In 1981, when Mariah was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), three prominent national neurologists gave her a 10% chance of surviving two years. Yet, three months after the diagnosis, she married Ron Gladis and went on to have two children: Luke, a graduate of James Madison University; and Cole, a graduate of Ithaca College. Today, Mariah continues to be a loving wife, a doting mother, and a licensed professional psychotherapist in the state of Pennsylvania. Her courage to continually go forward with grace and determination demonstrates the very nature of her character and the amazing survival capacity of the human spirit.

After nearly 35 years, ALS has ravaged Mariah’s body. She needs help waking, walking, dressing, eating, and multitudes of other personal chores. Her tongue muscles have atrophied and she speaks with what she calls her “ALS accent.” Wearing a special speech-enhancing microphone to enhance the articulation and projection of her voice, Mariah often tells her audiences, with characteristic humor, that she gives new meaning to the term “high maintenance woman.”

A Privileged Position

None of this, however, diminishes her powerful presence and expert ability to do her work. In fact, Mariah acknowledges that it is her personal healing journey that has expanded and deepened her capacity to heal others.

“People often ask me how I do it, listening to people’s problems all day long for over 35 years, and not get burned out, drained or disheartened. I tell them that I don’t hear problems. I see people reaching for health; wanting to change, wanting to be better human beings, wanting to create happier families. I have been privileged to work with people from every continent and from all levels of life and I hear them wanting to love and be loved more effectively, wanting to remove the barriers in their life and provide more for their loved ones on every level, economically and emotionally. This is a privileged position that I have, sharing so many heartwarming moments of laughter and tears with people working toward healing.”

Mariah Fenton Gladis Foundation

Since it was formed in 2006, the Mariah Fenton Gladis Foundation has funded special workshops: “An Afternoon of Forgiveness” is for anyone who needs to let go (check here for the next workshop); “Embracing Yourself into Wellness,” for cancer patients, offers the opportunity to create the necessary moments needed to move forward in wholeness and health; “Befriending Death/Transforming Life” explores the practical and psycho-spiritual preparations for death; and “Bless the Broken Road” presents an opportunity to experience physical or emotional heartbreak more as a gift, a resource to mine wisdom and compassion, than as an impediment to living a full life.

The Foundation has also supported needy students in life-skills training; provided private counseling for the underserved and financially destitute; given inspirational lectures on the value of hope and personal sustainability; and there is more to come. The Foundation wants to create more special workshops on self care, attract more of the served and underserved, give back more to the community—all with the concept of reaching inward and outward to provide more love, compassion, and forgiveness in the world.

Be An Agent Of Change

The goal of the Foundation is to empower people to master, monitor, accept, and enjoy their inner life as well as their life in the world. According to Mariah: “I believe that each of us is a powerful agent of change. As more people spread love, compassion, and forgiveness, the more we will create peace in our hearts, our families, our community, our country, and ultimately peace in our world.”

A Remarkable and Inspirational Woman

“I am extremely proud of Mariah,” says husband, Ron Gladis, “especially considering she’s spent more than two-thirds of her business career with the life-threatening disease of ALS. Mariah is a truly remarkable and inspirational woman.”

Mariah’s son, Coleman, is making a documentary of her life. You can see a 3-minute trailer for the film “Mariah” at http://www.mariahmovie.com.

Honorees for Achievement in Business to Be Recognized in Shanghai on 5 June

Winners in the second annual Asia-Pacific Stevie® Awards, the only awards program to recognize achievement in business throughout the entire Asia-Pacific region, were announced today.  The list of Gold, Silver and Bronze Stevie Award winners is available at http://Asia.StevieAwards.com.

The Stevie Awards are considered to be the world's premier business awards, conferring recognition for achievement in the workplace over the past 13 years in programs such as The International Business Awards and The American Business Awards. 

The 2015 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards have recognized organizations in 13 nations including Australia, China, East Timor, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Nominations of more than 300 organizations were considered by the judges this year.

PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia has won five Gold Stevie Awards, the top prize in a category, more than any other organization. Zomato NZ Media Private Limited (New Zealand) are runners up, with three Gold Stevie wins. Winners of two Gold Stevie Awards include DHL Express NZ Customer Services (New Zealand), iTalent Corporation (multiple Asian offices), Mater Health Services (Australia), Stephen Gill Associates (Singapore), and Tecsia Lubricants (Singapore).

Stevie winners will be presented their awards at a gala banquet at the InterContinental Hotel in Shanghai, China on Friday, 5 June.  Tickets for the event are now on sale.

More than 60 executives around the world participated in the judging to determine the Stevie Award winners.  A second round of judging will choose Grand Stevie Award winners from among the Gold winners in May.

The Stevie Award trophy, made by the company that makes the Oscar and other major awards, is among the world's most coveted prizes.

Visit http://Asia.StevieAwards.com to learn more about the program.

The Stevie® Awards, organizer of The American Business Awards, announced today that the final entry deadline for the 13^th annual ABAs has been extended to May 1. This is the first time in the history of The American Business Awards that the final entry deadline has been officially extended.

“We’ve received so many requests for individual deadline extensions that we’ve decided to extend the deadline for everyone,” said Stevie Awards president Michael Gallagher. The original final deadline was April 22.

No additional late fees will be charged for entries submitted through May 1, and late entries will not be penalized in any way in the judging process.

REVIEW THE ENTRY KIT HERE.

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 2015 awards will honor achievements since the beginning of 2014.  Entry details are available at http://www.StevieAwards.com/ABA.

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

• Management Awards
• Company of the Year Awards
• Customer Service Awards
• Human Resources Awards
• Information Technology Awards
• Marketing Awards
• New Product Awards
• Public Relations Awards
• Website Awards, Smartphone and Tablet Apps, and other Media Awards

There are many new categories in the ABAs this year, including Woman of the Year (in the Management categories), Branded Content Campaign of the Year (in the Marketing categories), and Best Business Book (in the Publication categories).   There are also several new Company/Organization categories that don’t require entry fees, including five Startup of the Year categories and Energy Industry Innovation of the Year, a category that will recognize singular innovations in energy-related technology, production, conservation, storage or delivery.

The New Product & Service categories have been greatly expanded for 2015, with entirely new sets of categories to recognize Content- and Education-related products and services.

Stevie Award winners will be selected through two stages of judging by more than 200 professionals worldwide. Finalists will be announced on May 7, and the awards presented at two gala events: on June 22 at the Fairmont Hotel in Chicago, and on September 11 at San Francisco’s Julia Morgan Ballroom. Stevie Awards will be conferred at three levels of distinction: Gold, Silver and Bronze. Several Grand Stevie Awards also will be conferred as best-of-competition prizes. Stevie Award trophies are among the world's most coveted prizes.

iPai Auction Co., Ltd., in Shanghai, China won a Gold Stevie® for New Consumer Service of the Year and a Silver Stevie® for New Business Service of the Year in the the 2014 Asia Pacific Stevie® Awards.

Winners in the 2015 Asia-Pacific Stevie® Awards will be notified on April 22, and celebrated on June 5 in Shanghai.

Learn more about the Asia-Paific Stevie Awards..

Launched in 2012, iPai, the first wholly foreign-owned auction house in China, was designed as the first auction house to sell Chinese consumers a wider selection of goods beyond artwork. The auction house also works with businesses to sell their products at live auctions in its Shanghai showroom, at local Chinese malls, and online. In addition, the company helps with market entry for businesses that are looking to import their products into China, and assists with logistics, registering trademarks and logos, market research, and actual sales in the China market.

"Our service lets small businesses test the Chinese market and understand consumer tastes before they make a larger-scale investment to enter China," said Deb Weidenhamer, Founder and CEO of iPai Auction Co., Ltd. Deb is no stranger to the auction business. She founded the Phoenix-based American Auction Co. in 1995.

Ensuring Client Success
We asked Deb what winning a Stevie® Award has meant to her company. She was happy to elaborate. “Our company prides itself in not only being successful internally, but making sure our clients are successful. Winning this award helped showcase the progress we’ve seen from the U.S., China, and beyond, and helps our clients to see the well-rounded approach we take in selling their products through auction and how we can help them further their business goals.”

She added: “The award has also helped our team internally to truly see the vision of iPai and where it is headed.”

Furthering Credibility
Deb also talked about how winning in the Asia-Pacific Stevie® Awards has helped broaden awareness of iPai in the region: “Winning this prestigious international business award has furthered our company’s credibility not only in the U.S. and in China, but also in other countries across the globe. We currently sell to people across the world and are looking at expanding physical locations in additional markets. Having the credibility of awards such as the Stevies paves the way to make this a clear reality.”

Being Willing to Learn

We asked Deb for some insight on what it has been like to start a new business in China. “I have met a few people in China who come in with grand ideas of how China should work and how they can change it,” Deb told us. “Americans might call this being visionary. In China, it’s perceived as presumptuous and insulting. In a place with thousands of years of history, you must be aware that who you are is irrelevant. You need to start fresh to build a reputation and adapt to the local culture—and be willing to learn about the people of China.”

Continued Deb: “Doing business in China isn’t something you can decide one day is a good idea. It takes research and careful planning. Most important, it takes a commitment to want to be in the market. Success rarely comes quickly anywhere, and it comes even less frequently in China. Failure to embrace the intricacies of culture and protocol will allow you to spend a lot of time getting nowhere–and leave you oblivious to your fate.”

Introducing Chinese Consumers to American Products
In 2013, iPai organized more than 100 auctions and introduced Chinese consumers to thousands of American products like California craft beer, deep fryers, cigars, and nutritional supplements. “Products many times start at $80, but can be auctioned for as much as $23,000,” Deb told us. “Watches and handbags have been particularly popular.”

"Businesses need to know that if they have a good quality product, Chinese consumers are willing to pay for it," continued Deb. "You could even end up selling at a better price and higher quantities than in the U.S."

Looking for Good Clients
iPai has a sales force that looks for interesting small businesses to take on as clients, Deb explained. It also has a review team that heavily screens the products and rejects those that don't meet their standards.

Because of this, she said, products almost always resonate at auction. Less than 10 percent go unsold, in which case they're featured at another auction or returned to the consignor and iPai doesn't get paid.

“Although iPai typically works with companies,” said Deb, “it occasionally accepts independent entrepreneurs and inventors who want to discover if a product is right for China.”

A Fulfilling Experience

The auction business has proven to be a stimulating one for Deb Weidenhamer. “Auctions are an ever-changing industry, always keeping me on my toes,” she explained. “Bringing everyman luxury goods into China through auctions is a very exciting concept and truly breathes new life into small- to medium-sized businesses, as well as larger enterprises. Giving Chinese consumers the opportunity to purchase items they wouldn’t have had access to previously and giving businesses the opportunity to enter China that may have not had that opportunity previously is a very fulfilling experience.”

About Deb Weidenhamer:

Deb Weidenhamer is Founder and CEO of iPai Auction Co., Ltd., the first wholly foreign-owned auction firm in China. After successfully launching her own U.S. auction firm, American Auction Co., an INC 500 company, nearly 20 years ago, Weidenhamer created Shanghai-based iPai to introduce China’s middle class to the concept of buying

consumer products at auction and has seen incredible results from the outset of its 2011 formation.

iPai also assists Western businesses to gain access to the ever-growing Chinese marketplace through market entry services introducing “new to China” goods directly to consumers and establishing real market data. In addition to sharing her time between the U.S. and China and running her businesses, Weidenhamer is a lecturer on entrepreneurship at several Chinese universities and assists the China Association of Auctioneers in learning best practices of Western auctions.

Recognized for her growth as a global entrepreneur and small-to-medium enterprise expert, Weidenhamer was asked to pen “Capitalizing on China” for The New York Times. She has also spoken at the Harvard Business School, INC 500, and has been featured in several U.S. and Chinese media formats including China Daily, CNBC, Fox Business, NPR, Money Watch, and Global Entrepreneur. Additionally, Weidenhamer was the principal cast member of Discovery Channel’s “Auctioneer$” reality TV show.

About iPai:
iPai (Shanghai) Auction Co., Ltd. is a Wholly Owned Foreign Enterprise (WOFE) and an affiliate of the American auction firm Auction Systems Auctioneers & Appraisers Inc. (Auction Systems), headquartered in Arizona, USA. With 18 years of history, this progressive auction firm has come to have a broad influence on the auction industry nationally and has been recognized numerous times for its high and consistent growth.

Shanghai offers many options for quality goods but large retail stores come with over-enthusiastic sales staff, lengthy queues, and demanding prices that seem to increase every day. Instead of being told what items are worth, iPai offers a broad selection of contemporary luxury items, and allows customers to decide how much to bid for their favorite items. To find out more, visit: https://www.ipaiworld.com/Home/About

The Executive Centre in Hong Kong, China, won a Gold Stevie Award for Services Company of the Year-China (including Hong Kong) in the Company Awards categories of the 2014 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards. The Executive Centre also won a Gold Stevie for Company of the Year-Business Services – Asia & Oceania in the Company Awards categories of The 2014 International Business Awards.

The final deadline for the 2015 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards is March 25. Get the entry kit here.

The 2015 International Business Awards early-bird deadline is April 15.  Get the entry kit here.

Based on a core concept of providing best-in-class service in every city it serves, The Executive Centre offers businesses an opportunity to "Work Smarter, Not Harder" and to achieve office space flexibility, cost effectiveness, and productivity.   A business looking to have a presence in Asia can benefit from The Executive Centre’s fully furnished and well-equipped serviced workplaces, virtual offices with prestigious business addresses, a regional network of meeting rooms in a professional business environment, state-of-the-art productivity and communication tools, and a variety of local business support services.

We asked Paul Salnikow, Chairman and CEO of The Executive Centre, for an overview of business trends in Asia-Pacific, what winning a Stevie Awards has meant for his business, and what makes him hit the ground running in the morning.

The Challenges of Expansion

“The Asia Pacific region has enormous potential for growing businesses,” Paul Salnikow told us. He also offered some words of caution: “Whilst expanding into a new market is a huge milestone for any company, it is also very challenging. Different legislation, customs, business practices, and workplace expectations are all important factors that a company must consider. Prior to devising strategies for business expansion or marketing penetration, it is always good to gauge the local business executives’ perceptions of current and future economic conditions on the local, regional and global level as how business peers perceive what lies ahead can be a genuine barometer of business activity and the overall business climate.”

According to a 2015 Business Outlook Survey conducted by The Executive Centre among 800 companies in Asia Pacific, the top three challenging issues for all markets are intensifying competition, pressure on prices (from raw materials,commodities, and services), and uncertain market demand. Paul’s advice: “Focus more on implementing effective business management practices, from cost control and improving working capital, to product innovation, service quality improvement, and customer retention.”

International Recognition

“We are delighted to be recognized on the international business stage,” Paul said about winning the Stevie Awards. “We will use this accolade as a benchmark for how we intend to continue running our business and serving our customers to the highest possible level.”

According to Paul: “At The Executive Centre, creating customer value is the fundamental foundation of our business and we put our customer’s needs and interests at the centre of everything we do. Both the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards and The International Business Awards are a testament to our continuous commitment to the delivery of premium-standard serviced office solutions, and our dedication to innovation and service excellence.”

A High Benchmark

Commenting on how winning in the 2014 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards is helping to broaden awareness of his business in the region, Paul acknowledged that the Stevie Awards were often referred to as the “Oscars” of the business world. “They honor—and generate public recognition for—the efforts, accomplishments, and positive contributions of companies and business people worldwide,” he added. “Winning these two awards undoubtedly validates The Executive Centre’s success in setting a high benchmark for premier service delivery on a global scale, and affirms its leadership in the marketplace.”

An Expanding Network

We asked Paul whether he had plans to expand his own service business into other areas of Asia-Pacific. “ Because of the continued growing demand for premium serviced office space driven by companies seeking the advantages of flexible workspace solutions, I am confident of the business growth at The Executive Centre in the coming years both in terms of capacity and revenue,” Paul told us. “We will continue to expand our network in both existing and new Asian markets, as well as look into establishing presence in emerging markets such as the Gulf States and Russia.”

Personal Mantra

According to Paul: “To be average is simple, but to be the best requires continual focus on improvement, constantly setting the bar higher and higher.” It is Paul’s opinion that there is always room for improvement. “So I improve myself in one way every day.”

About Paul Salnikow:

Paul Salnikow is the Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of The Executive Center, which he founded in 1994. As he likes to put it: “The best leader is the one who is smart enough to choose a talented team to do what he wants done, and then have the self-restraint to allow them to do it. The Executive Centre is populated by highly talented leaders who create successful teams that are given the freedom to succeed. Outstanding leaders work to boost the self-belief of their teams. When people believe in themselves, amazing things are accomplished. In 12 years we have grown the revenue of The Executive Centre from less than $500,000 annually to over $110,000,000 annually. All through the belief and accomplishment of our teams.”

About The Executive Center:

Founded in 1994, The Executive Centre is Asia Pacific's leading premium serviced office provider, with 70 centers across 21 major cities including Hong Kong, Beijing, Chengdu, Shanghai, Tianjin, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Macau, Taipei, Tokyo, Seoul, Singapore, Jakarta, Mumbai, Chennai, Gurgaon, Pune, Brisbane, Perth, and Sydney .

At the cutting edge of the serviced office industry, The Executive Centre provides the highest quality of on-demand serviced offices, virtual offices, meeting facilities, video conferencing and a broad range of business concierge services in the most prestigious Grade A office buildings in the central business districts of every city in which it operates. It is deciated to serving the business interests of multinational corporations, small and medium enterprises, and start-ups locally, regionally, and internationally by providing the most flexible and dynamic workplace solutions.