American Business Awards Announce Judging Committee Chairs

Posted by Maggie Gallagher on Thu, Feb 25, 2016 @ 12:06 PM

The Stevie Awards are delighted to announce the eleven distinguished professionals who will chair the judging committees of The 2016 (14th annual) American Business Awards.

The American Business Awards are the premier business awards program in the U.S.A., with categories to recognize achievement in every facet of work life, from management to marketing, human resources to new products and websites.

The eleven committee chair selections are based on the categories that will be judged. Judging chairs helped to form their committees, each of which will be comprised of 10-20 other executives. 

Winners in this year's American Business Awards will be announced on
May 2.  Judging will take place from late March through April. Winners will be celebrated at an awards banquet in New York City on June 20.  Tickets will go on sale May 2.

 Here are this year's final judging committee chairs.

COMPANY/ORGANIZATION

Chair:
Robert Frost, Vice President, Customer Care
Carbonite, Inc., Boston, Massachusetts

16-ABA-CO-Chair.gifRob Frost is Vice President, Customer Care for Carbonite, a leading provider of hybrid backup (cloud and local) and recovery solutions for home users and businesses. Rob is hyper-focused on customer satisfaction and sets the highest standards for customer service. As VP of Customer Care, Rob and his award-winning, global customer care team continually strive to make sure every customer interaction is a positive experience.

Prior to joining Carbonite, Rob was Director of Client Services and Technical Support at Intronis. Rob also served as Senior Director of Support and Global Client Relations at Acronis, where he spent three years in Moscow, Russia, delivering global support in nine languages.

MANAGEMENT

Chair:
Jay Starkman, CEO
Engage PEO, Hollywood, Florida

I16_ABA_MGT_Chair.pngn 2011, after more than two decades marked by substantial achievement within and outside the Professional Employer Organization (PEO) industry, Jay set out to build a new kind of PEO where quality service would be the driving focus of everything. That PEO is Engage. Today, Engage is one of the fastest-growing companies in the country.

Before forming Engage, Jay was president and CEO of AlphaStaff, a PEO, which he grew from a small player to a top-five industry leader. Jay sold the company in 2008 to a private equity group. Prior to AlphaStaff, Jay was president and CEO of OneChem, a software application provider to the chemical industry.  He also was managing partner of his own successful law firm, which specialized, in employment and commercial law. Among his numerous leadership awards, Jay most recently received the Gold Stevie® Award for Executive of the Year in the 2015 American Business Awards, and the Gold Award for Chief Executive Officer of the Year in the 2015 Golden Bridge Awards.

Jay is a previous member of the board of directors of the Employee Services Assurance Corporation (ESAC), the accrediting body for the PEO industry; and the National Association of Professional Employer Organizations (NAPEO).

MARKETING

Chair:

Gina Ellis-Strother, Director of Marketing
Charleston County Park & Recreation Commission, Charleston, South Carolina

16-ABA-MARKET-Chair.gifGina Ellis-Strother has been Director of Marketing for Charleston County Park & Recreation Commission since 2013.  She has had more than 20 years of experience in travel and technology marketing, and previous employers included American Airlines, SABRE, Worldspan, and Verizon Wireless.  

In 2015, the American Marketing Association of Charleston awarded Gina the Spark! Award for Marketer of the Year for her innovative rebranding and advertising work for Charleston County Parks. That same year, she was presented with the Gold Stevie Award for Marketer of the Year at the American Business Awards in Chicago. She is a member of the American Marketing Association, serves as an officer of the board at the Charleston Collegiate School, and continues to use her marketing expertise to support the nonprofit organization, The Parklands Foundation.  

Gina graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor Degree from Hunter College at The City University of New York, and received a Master of Business Administration at The Citadel Military College of South Carolina. She presently lives in Charleston, SC with her husband Troy and daughter Gabrielle.

PR/IR/CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS

Chair:
Jock Breitwieser, Director, Corporate Communications
TriNet, San Jose, California

Jock Breitwieser runs corporate communications at TriNet, a strategic partner to small and medium-sized businesses for HR, payroll, employee benefits, employment law compliance, and risk mitigation. He drove the company’s communications during its IPO and is responsible for TriNet’s external communications and social media strategy.

16-ABA-PR-Chair-1.gifPrior to TriNet, Jock spearheaded global public relations, customer references, and social media for Dell SonicWALL in 17 countries. He drove positioning and communications when the previously public company went private with Thoma Bravo in 2010 and during SonicWALL’s acquisition by Dell in 2012. Before that, he was global head of corporate communications and web marketing at CallidusCloud, a provider of cloud-based sales and marketing solutions. Before that, Jock worked at The Hoffman Agency, Edelman Worldwide, and
 EURO RSCG where he executed successful international PR and analyst relations programs in the U.S., the U.K., Germany, France, and Hong Kong for global clients in high-tech, telecommunications and financial services. He has also co-founded a network security startup, run a successful Kickstarter campaign, and served as marketing/communications advisor to startups. He has written a bestselling book on PR-practices, received numerous awards for excellence in communications, and was featured by Forrester Research for his exemplary approach to driving sales results with analyst relations.

Jock holds an M.A. in contemporary history, law, and political sciences from the University of Bochum, Germany. He also studied in Tours, France with a scholarship from the European Union. In his spare time, Jock enjoys international travel and competes in Triathlons.

Jock tells us: Every year, The Stevie Awards honor the achievements of the very best organizations in the U.S. It’s an incredible honor to chair the group of outstanding experts that make up the Judging Committee for the Corporate Communications/IR/PR categories. The committee and I will take great pride in identifying the most deserving organizations and teams. It will be a pleasure to review the creative and highly professional submissions. I cannot wait to start judging the submissions for the 2016 Stevies.”

HUMAN RESOURCES

Chair:
Narasimhan Srinivasan, Vice President & Head of Human Resource

Tata Consultancy Services, Edison, New Jersey

16-ABA-HR-Chair.gifNarasimhan Srinivasan (Narsi) is the Vice President and Head of Human Resources for Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) in North America. He has been with TCS for the last 22 years. Narsi’s career spans 27 years, and during that time, he has played multiple roles in Delivery, Business Development and Human Resources areas in the IT Industry. He has been working in Human Resources for the last 9 years. His key roles at TCS include Global Head of Learning and Development, Head of Organizational Effectiveness, HR Director– APAC, Regional Manager–Bristol, UK, and Client Partner for Standard Chartered Bank, Target, AXA, and Nedcor Relationships.

Narsi graduated from Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, India, with a Master ofScience (Hons.) Chemistry, and a Master of Science (Technology) Computer Science in 1985. Narsi is very much interested in sports and plays cricket and golf.

CUSTOMER SERVICE & SUPPORT

Chair:
Steve Fulmer, Senior Vice President of Government Guaranteed Lending

First GREEN Bank, Orlando, Florida

16_ABA_CS_Chair.jpgSteve Fulmer is the Senior Vice President of Government Guaranteed Lending at First GREEN Bank, a “local bank with a global mission” that endeavors to do the right thing for the environment, and the company’s people, community, and shareholders. Steve oversees all Small Business Administration and US Department of Agriculture Business Lending in Florida for the bank.

Steve has over 8 years experience in banking in Central Florida. He currently serves on the executive board of the Oviedo/Winter Springs Chamber and the steering chairman for Future Leaders of CREW Orlando.  

Steve has a Master’s Degree of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix and is a US Army veteran. 

NEW PRODUCT OR SERVICE/INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Chair:
Derek Gerry, Director, Strategic Accounts

C-4 Analytics, Saugus, Massachusetts

16-ABA-NP_IT-Chair.gifDerek Gerry is Director, Strategic Accounts at C-4 Analytics, a provider of customizable full service digital marketing solutions in Boston. A skilled content and search optimization strategist with a deep appreciation for Saul Bass, Ken Nordine, and the fundamentals of marketing communication, Derek has been part of the team at C-4 Analytics since 2010. In his capacity as Director of Strategic Accounts, Derek has developed and implemented campaigns in the health care, consumer retail, energy, and automotive sectors.

Derek has spent nearly 20 years creating content and marketing campaigns for online audiences, working for some of the United States’ top companies, including Standard & Poor’s, Harcourt Brace, and IAC.

Derek is also an accomplished broadcaster who hosts a weekly news and commentary show in Boston, and he has appeared on several talk stations in the Boston area.

ANNUAL REPORTS & PUBLICATIONS

Chair:

Justin Bell, CEO
Lion Agency, Miami, Florida

J16-ABA-PUB-Chair.gifustin Bell is an experienced marketing executive and brand strategist residing in Miami, Florida. Justin is CEO of Lion Agency, a multinational digital agency with offices in Buenos Aires, Miami and São Paulo. Lion Agency is an award-winning agency (earning five American Business Awards in 2015), and works with leading brands including American Express, Celebrity Cruises, Elizabeth Arden, FANIA Records, Tío Gazpacho, and the University of Miami.

Justin joined Lion Agency in 2015 when Lion Agency acquired Arc+Arrow Creative Group. Justin founded Arc+Arrow in 2013 after working his way through various senior leadership roles at Omnicom Group where he worked with brands including Best Buy, Costco, Motorola, Wal-Mart, and Samsung, as well as Carphone Warehouse, Dixons Retail, and John Lewis in Europe.

Justin is a graduate of The Ohio State University and Ashland University with degrees in marketing.

LIVE EVENTS

Chair:
Staci Johnson, Vice President of Marketing

Roth Staffing Companies, L.P., Orange, California

Staci Johnson is the Vice President of Marketing for Roth Staffing Companies, one of the largest privately held staffing companies in the country. She heads the corporate marketing department and all its functions, including campaigns, website creation, digital marketing, email catalogs, social media, live events, virtual events, public relations, newsletters, branding … if it gets communicated, it goes through Staci’s Marketing team. 

16-ABA-EVENT-Chair-1.gifStaci was the recipient of the 2015 Gold Stevie Award for Marketing Executive of the Year. With her help, Roth Staffing Companies has been honored by Fortune as a 100 Best Workplaces for Women and 50 Best Small & Medium Workplaces, as well as Best Staffing Firms to Work For by Staffing Industry Analysts, and Best of Staffing for both Client and Talent Satisfaction by Inavero and CareerBuilder. Staci’s Marketing team has been lauded with VOICE Awards from the American Staffing Association for five consecutive years and referred to as the best Marketing department in the industry.  The team has also been recognized with B2B Marketing Awards.

Staci started her career in Television after receiving her Bachelor of Arts in Television Production from San Francisco State University.  She went on to receive a Master of Arts in Communication Studies from University of California, Davis.  In addition to teaching television production and communication classes at UC Davis and Yuba Community College, her marketing career includes working in the healthcare, banking, government, and arts industries before settling in to 10 years at Roth Staffing Companies–and counting. 

Staci tells us: “I hope it’s not too clichédé to say how much of a humbling honor it is to be invited to Chair this Judging Committee for the Stevie Awards. I have such great respect and admiration for those professionals who have participated in helping select past Stevie Award winners and I am excited to join this exclusive group. The American Business Awards go above and beyond to find, select, and recognize truly exceptional companies and business leaders worthy of praise. I look forward to helping honor and congratulate this year’s recipients.”

WEBSITES & APPS

Chair:
Eric Farr, Principal
BrainStorm, Inc., American Fork, Utah

16-ABA-WEB-Chair1.gifEric Farr is a Principal at BrainStorm, Inc., a leading provider of end-user adoption and change management solutions. BrainStorm’s mission is to change the way the world works. On top of changing the way the world works, BrainStorm is known for being one of the best places to work in the country. BrainStorm was named to Outside’s Best Places to Work for the fourth consecutive year, three time Utah Business Best Companies, and was featured twice on Fortune.com for being one of the 100 best places to work for both women and camaraderie in the nation. Corporate culture isn’t the only award-winning aspect of the company: BrainStorm has also been recognized by Microsoft, Zip Recruiter, and, of course, the Stevies for their outstanding products and services.

Eric, recently named one of the Ten Coolest Entrepreneurs by Utah Valley Business Q Magazine, has over 20 years of experience in entrepreneurship and business leadership, and has been instrumental in building BrainStorm’s unique relationships with its customers and partners.  In Eric’s free time you can find him exploring each corner of the world, often on a motorcycle. 

Eric was thrilled to have BrainStorm honored in the 2015 Stevie awards and is looking forward to being the Chair of the committee judging the Website and App Awards for the 14th annual American Business Awards.

VIDEOS

Chair:
Jody Brown, Executive Vice President, Public Relations, Corporate Communications, and Congressional Relations

CACI International, Inc., Arlington, Virginia, USA

16-ABA-VIDEO-Chair.jpgJody Brown is Executive Vice President of Public Relations, Corporate Communications, and Congressional Relations at CACI International Inc., a provider of information solutions and services in support of national security missions and government transformation for Intelligence, Defense, and Federal Civilian customers. Jody initiates and directs the company's internal and external communications, public relations, congressional relations, marketing communications, corporate branding and strategies, philanthropy and community relations, and employee communications. She leads the coordination of strategic leadership events, provides critical direction for change management activities, and is a member of the company's Mergers & Acquisitions Executive Team. Jody provides strategic input and direction to the company's investor relations and has led or made major contributions to a wide range of projects and initiatives that have spurred and supported CACI's growth. Her contributions have been essential in enabling CACI to sharpen client focus, increase awareness of the company's solutions and capabilities, expand into new markets, enhance recruitment communications, and enhance shareholder value.

Jody is a member of the Professional Services Council (PSC) Legislative Action Network and sits on PSC's Communications Committee and Government Affairs Committee, which provides valuable information exchange on legislative, regulatory, and related policy issues; and is a member of the Women's Foreign Policy Group, which promotes women's leadership in international affairs. In community outreach activities in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area where CACI is headquartered, Jody is an active supporter of the American Heart Association, and Comfort for America's Uniformed Services (Cause). Within CACI, her leadership achievements have been acknowledged with numerous company awards and recognition.

Topics: video awards, American business awards, best new product, awards judging

Winners Announced in People’s Choice Stevie Awards for Favorite Customer Service

Posted by Maggie Gallagher on Tue, Feb 23, 2016 @ 10:00 AM

Winners of the 2016 People's Choice Stevie® Awards for Favorite Customer Service, a worldwide public vote, were announced today. Voting was conducted from January 21 through February 19, with the highest number of votes deciding the winners in 11 industry categories.

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 10th year, are the world’s top honors for customer service, contact center, business development, and sales professionals.

PCSAFCSAwardImage_medium-1.jpgThis year’s people’s choice winners, who will each receive the coveted crystal People’s Choice Stevie Award, are:

  • Computer Software (<100 employees): dESCO
  • Computer Software (100+ employees): Carbonite, Inc.
  • Distribution & Transportation: DHL Express Bangladesh
  • Financial Services (<100 employees): Provident Financial Bulgaria
  • Financial Services (100+ employees): Paycor, Inc.
  • Healthcare / Pharmaceuticals: Navicure
  • Leisure & Tourism: Marriott Vacation Club International
  • Public Services & Education: Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Logistic Support Center
  • Retail: Wayfair
  • Telecommunications: Vonage
  • Other Industries: CubeSmart

More than 27,000 votes were cast this year.

Nicknamed the Stevie® for the Greek word “crowned,” the awards will be presented to winners at the 10th annual Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service awards banquet on Friday, March 4 at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. Tickets for the event are now on sale. More than 500 executives from around the world are expected to attend. The presentations will be broadcast live via Livestream

About The Stevie Awards
Stevie Awards are conferred in six programs: the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, The American Business Awards, The International Business Awards, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Stevie Awards competitions receive more than 10,000 entries each year from organizations in more than 60 nations. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about the Stevie Awards at http://www.StevieAwards.com.

Sponsors of the 10th annual Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service include ValueSelling Associates.

Topics: best customer service, customer service awards, American business awards, Customer Service

Enter The American Business Awards with No Entry Fees

Posted by Maggie Gallagher on Wed, Feb 17, 2016 @ 04:25 PM

Everyone likes free things. What is a trip to the dentist without the free toothbrush and floss? Costco samples? There are never enough. Free pizza in the office conference room? Everyone is there. This year The (14th Annual) American Business Awards is offering a slew of categories that do not have an entry fee. Yes, you read that right. Free entries for your chance to win a Stevie Award!

The only catch? The entry deadline is tomorrow, February 18. These are savings of up to $470. If your organization is in the U.S.A. and you're considering submitting nominations to the ABAs, now is the perfect time

.Late entries will be accepted through March 16 with the payment of a late fee. For the categories listed below with waived entry fees, the $55 late entry fee will still apply.

Hourglass-1.jpgREVIEW THE ENTRY KIT HERE.

The awards categories with waived entry fees are as follows:

Startup of the Year (for companies that began operations since January 1 2014). 
a. Business Product Industries
b. Business Service Industries
c. Consumer Product Industries
d. Consumer Service Industries

Tech Startup of the Year (for companies that began operations since January 1 2014). 

Energy Industry Innovation of the Year: This category recognizes singular innovations in energy-related technology, production, conservation, storage or delivery, by an organization or an individual in the U.S.A., since January 1 2015. 

For the 2016 competition we have introduced a variety of free categories to recognize individuals in various fields:

Communications Professional of the Year: for non-executive communications, PR, and IR professionals. 

Technical Professional of the Year: for non-executive technical professionals including software developers, web developers, technical writers, etc. 

Marketer of the Year: recognizing non-executive marketing professionals. 

Product Developer of the Year: recognizing all non-executive product development or management professionals. 

Support Staffer of the Year: recognizing non-executive support personnel, including office managers, administrative assistants, secretaries, maintenance professionals, etc. 

Entries in all of the awards categories listed above require:

  1. An essay of up to 650 words describing the nominated organization's achievements since January 1 2015

    b. In bullet-list form (up to 150 words), a brief summary of up to ten (10) of the nominated organization's chief achievements since January 1 2015

    c. Optional (but highly recommended), a collection of supporting files and web addresses that you may upload to our server to support your entry and provide more background information to the judges

Remember, the first step to submitting a nomination is to review the entry kit. You can do so here.

Topics: support awards, The American Business Awards, marketing awards, American business awards, it awards

New Categories in The 2016 American Business Awards

Posted by Maggie Gallagher on Tue, Feb 16, 2016 @ 04:43 PM

Hopefully you have seen the important changes made to The 2016 American Business Awards (if not you'll find them here). Every year we make slight changes and additions to allow the hardworking business people of America's accomplishments to be recognized. The American Business Awards are the premier business awards program in the U.S.A., with categories to recognize achievement in every facet of work life, from management to marketing, human resources to new products and websites.

Veteran-Small-Minority.jpgThe final entry deadline is this Thursday, February 18. Late entries will be accepted through March 16 with the payment of a late fee.

REVIEW THE ENTRY KIT HERE.

This year we have introduced a few new categories:

Minority-Owned Business of the Year

This category will recognize the achievements since January 1, 2015 of businesses in the U.S.A. that are majority owned by members of an ethnic minority.

Entry requirements:

a. An essay of up to 650 words describing the nominated organization's achievements since January 1 2015


b. In bullet-list form (up to 150 words), a brief summary of up to ten (10) of the nominated organization's chief achievements since January 1 2015

c. Optional (but highly recommended), a collection of supporting files and web addresses that you may upload to our server to support your entry and provide more background information to the judges

Veteran-Owned Business of the Year

This category will recognize the achievements since January 1, 2015 of businesses in the U.S.A. that are owned by veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces.

Entry requirements:

a. An essay of up to 650 words describing the nominated organization's achievements since January 1 2015

b. In bullet-list form (up to 150 words), a brief summary of up to ten (10) of the nominated organization's chief achievements since January 1 2015

c. Optional (but highly recommended), a collection of supporting files and web addresses that you may upload to our server to support your entry and provide more background information to the judges

The Stevie Awards is always working to provide new awards categories to suit every aspect of the business world. If you are a Minority or Veteran Business owner, check out those two categories for your chance at the prestigious Stevie Awards.

As always, more than 250 other awards categories are offered in The American Business Awards including:

  • Management Awards
  • HR Awards
  • IT Awards
  • Marketing Awards
  • PR Awards
  • Creative Awards
  • Website Awards

…and much more. Dont forget, the entry deadline is Thursday, February 18!

Topics: American business awards

How to Enter The 2016 American Business Awards in Less Time Than Your Lunch Break

Posted by Maggie Gallagher on Mon, Feb 15, 2016 @ 02:03 PM

You've been busy this year. The holidays are officially over and it’s back to work. Whatever the reason, you haven’t gotten around to submitting entries to the 2016 American Business Awards. But you've gotten a reprieve. We are going to show you how to submit entries to the ABAs in 10 minutes. The entry deadline of The American Business Awards, the preeminent business awards program in the U.S.A., is this coming Thursday, February 18. Submit your entries through Thursday to avoid late fees.

ABA-logo.jpgWe know, you're still busy. Your calendar this week is still chock full. But surely you can find some time during your lunch break to prepare your submission. Because in 10 minutes you can prepare and submit an entry to the ABAs and potentially win a Stevie®, one of the most coveted trophies on the planet.

Here are a number of ways you can do that.

Repurpose Nominations From Other Awards Programs
The submission requirements for the ABAs are fairly open-ended, and there's a wide variety of categories to choose from. If you've entered any other awards programs this year, simply repurpose the nominations you wrote for those competitions for the ABAs. Most categories require only the submission of an essay of up to 650 words and a bullet-list summary of the achievements portrayed in the essay. It should be fairly easy to reconfigure your other awards nominations for the ABAs.

Repurpose Your Press Releases and White Papers
It's likely you've already done the heavy-lifting of describing your organization's achievements, your innovations, your new products and services, your marketing and PR campaigns, etc. Throughout the year you've been trumpeting your successes through press releases and white papers. Simply comb through your output over the past year and cobble together the text you've already written into a short essay. Note that the 2016 ABAs will recognize your achievements since the beginning of 2015.

Repurpose Your Press Clippings
With every ABA nomination you have the option to attach any number of press clippings, work samples, video clips, photographs, etc. to your essay, to help paint the picture for the judges. Does one or more of your press clippings feature a compelling story that can be the basis of the essay for your ABA nomination? There's no need to reinvent the wheel if it already exists and you can reuse it.

Hire a Consultant
Did you know that there are a number of consultancies that specialize in preparing and submitting awards nominations on behalf of their clients? There are quite a few in the U.S.A., and they've been remarkably successful over the years in winning Stevie Awards for their clients. Contact us if you'd like a referral to one of them who can take the process of getting entries into the ABAs off your hands this week.

Submit Media Work
Most often people think of business awards as recognizing a member of management or a member of your team. The American Business Awards has categories for a broad range of achievements including videos, apps, websites, publications, and live events. It's really easy to enter these categories. These categories generally require only a short essay of up to 125 words, describing the nominated work's purpose and results to date, and the nominated video or app, etc., itself.

Resubmit a Nomination From Another Stevie Awards Program
Did you have success with a nomination in the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service, or the Stevie Awards for Women in Business? One Stevie Awards competition has nothing to do with another, and resubmitting a nomination from one program to this year's ABAs is a valid strategy followed by many organizations.

Contact Us for Help
You'll save a lot of time by letting us do some of the important work for you. We'll save you the trouble of plowing through our category lists to find the category that's right for you, for example. Contact us, by email at help@stevieawards or telephone at +1 703-547-8389. Tell us what your organization wants to be recognized for, and we'll suggest the best category for your nomination.

Whichever strategy you choose to get your ABA nominations written and submitted,  be sure to submit through February 18 to avoid late fees!

Ready to enter The 2016 American Business Awards?  Begin here:

Get the ABA Entry Kit

Topics: app awards, video awards, American business awards, publication awards

The Stevie Awards Reveal Updated Websites

Posted by Maggie Gallagher on Thu, Feb 04, 2016 @ 12:22 PM

We are pleased to announce that the new Stevie® Awards websites are live.  The new websites make learning about each of the Stevie Awards programs much easier  – from requesting an entry kit to viewing the lists of categories. Check out the sites on your laptop or tablet today at www.StevieAwards.com.

screenshot-homepage-1.jpg

Here's a rundown of features on the new sites:

Same Function, New Design

For those of you who have been using the Stevie Awards websites for years and don’t want to re-learn how to navigate the sites, you're in luck. Those of you who thought the old sites were hard to use are also in luck. The basic functions of the sites haven't changed, and most of the tools are similarly placed throughout each site. They were designed to be much more user friendly and easier to read. All of the most important tools for submitting nominations, contacting us, etc. are now in a pullout bar on each page of the website, so you never feel lost. This brings us to our next feature

What Do You Want to Do? Tool

screenshot-what-do-you-want-to-do.jpgWe think this is the most useful new feature for many reasons. All of the main tools you need for learning about and submitting entries to the Stevie Awards competitions are now available to you at all times, no matter which webpage you are on. On the left-hand side of the page, you will notice a collapsed menu labeled “What Do You Want To Do?” When you expand the menu the following options are always available:

  • Get The Entry Kit
  • Schedule (text message) Reminders
  • Submit Entries
  • Apply to Be A Judge
  • Purchase Tickets
  • Become a Sponsor
  • Contact Us

This menu will follow you up and down, and across, every page of a Stevie Awards site.

Logging In

Before the sites were updated, you were only able to login to your Stevie Awards account from the homepage of each Stevie Award program website. Now, at the top of each and every page you will see an account login space for both entrants and judges. *Note – the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards site was not updated in the same way as the other five sites because it is newer and offers multiple language options. It is still very user friendly.

Current and Forthcoming Award Cycle

Screenshot-calendar.jpgThe competition calendars, labeled "Current and Forthcoming Award Cycle", with entry deadlines, finalist and winner announcements, and event dates are now available in a large chart at the bottom of each Stevie Awards homepage. You are also able to keep track of important dates by scheduling text message reminders.

Text Message Reminders

You now have the option to opt-in to receive reminders about Stevie Awards entry deadlines via text message. Each Stevie Awards homepage includes a Schedule Reminders feature.

Tablets and Desktops

The Stevie Awards websites are now optimized for both tablets and desktops! This means you can request entry kits, login to your account, edit and submit your entries, sign up for text reminders, and more while on the go. Even judges will now be able to better participate while on the go!

Questions about the new Stevie Award websites? Contact us.

Topics: best website, website design, American business awards

The People’s Choice Stevie Awards for Favorite Customer Service Are Open for Voting

Posted by Maggie Gallagher on Fri, Jan 22, 2016 @ 10:00 AM

Consumers the world over now have an opportunity to tell the world’s best providers of customer service just how much they love them, by voting at https://peopleschoice.stevieawards.com in the People’s Choice Stevie Awards for Favorite Customer Service.

PCSAFCSAwardImage_medium-1.jpgThis worldwide public vote is open through February 12, with the highest number of votes deciding the winners in 13 industry categories. All organizations honored in the Customer Service Department of the Year categories of this year’s Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service are candidates for the people’s choice awards.

Winners will receive the coveted crystal People’s Choice Stevie Award at a gala ceremony in Las Vegas on March 4. Industry categories include:

  • Computer Hardware and Services
  • Computer Services
  • Computer Software (<100 employees)
  • Computer Software (100+ employees)
  • Distribution & Transportation
  • Financial Services (<100 employees)
  • Financial Services (100+ employees)
  • Healthcare / Pharmaceuticals
  • Leisure & Tourism
  • Public Services & Education
  • Retail
  • Telecommunications.
  • All Other Industries

All customers, employees, fans, and followers of the nominated organizations are invited to vote.

Nicknamed the Stevie® for the Greek word “crowned,” the awards will be presented to winners at the 10th annual Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service on Friday, March 4 at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. Tickets for the event are now on sale. More than 450 executives from around the world are expected to attend.

Topics: best customer service, customer service awards, American business awards, People's Choice Stevie Awards

Realizing China’s Initiative Towards Innovative Medicines, From a Stevie Award Winner

Posted by Maggie Gallagher on Tue, Dec 22, 2015 @ 05:12 PM

Mireille Gillings, Ph.D., President, Chief Executive Officer, and Executive Chairman of HUYA Bioscience International in San Diego, California, USA, won a Gold Stevie Award in the Management Awards categories of The 2015 American Business Awards. HUYA Bioscience International also won the Bronze in the Company/Organization Awards categories of the 2015 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards.

We asked Mireille what winning her Stevie Awards has meant to her and her company.

“Winning a Stevie Award was a resounding endorsement of HUYA’s business model,” Mireille told us. “Our aim is to enable and accelerate global development of innovative biopharmaceuticals originating in China.”

1512HUYA22.jpg“This prestigious award, with its recognition of outstanding performance in the workplace, came at a pivotal point in HUYA’s evolution,” added Mireille. “Our novel anticancer therapy, HBI-8000, had entered clinical trials in Japan, plus it had been approved as Epidaza® by the Chinese FDA. HUYA’s drug has immunomodulatory properties, which are important to the clinical development of immuno-oncology therapeutics. The Stevie award was a much-appreciated affirmation for our team, and represented another stepping stone towards HUYA’s future success.”

The 2016 American Business Awards will be accepting entries through February 18 and late entries (with payment of a late fee) through March 16. Find out how to enter here.

The 2016 Asia-Pacific Awards is now open and will be accepting entries through March 23. Find out how to enter here.

The Benefits of Additional Exposure

Mireille was also appreciative of the broader awareness a Stevie Award can provide. As we continue to build our presence in the Asia-Pacific region, the additional exposure that the Stevie award has given HUYA continues to be extremely helpful,” she told us. “Since receiving the award, HUYA has opened new offices in South Korea, taking our proven business model to that country. The recent agreement between HUYA and the Korean Drug Development Fund (KDDF) will facilitate partnerships with local companies and research institutions to accelerate the development and commercialization of Korean pharmaceutical discoveries for global markets.”

“This expansion into South Korea adds to our presence in the U.S., Japan, and eight strategic locations throughout China,” continued Mireille. “This builds on HUYA’s overall strategy to be the partner-of-choice for innovative pharmaceutical companies in emerging centers of excellence worldwide.“

Wellspring of Innovation

We asked Mireille what new areas of biopharma innovation her company would be working on in the coming year.Looking ahead, we see China and other Asia-Pacific countries as a wellspring of innovation. In the coming year, HUYA will continue to implement its uniquely cost-efficient, reduced-risk model for drug development to advance promising molecules from this region,” she explained. “This model includes using preclinical and clinical results from tests carried out in China to create the most time, cost, and risk efficient therapies to be brought to the United States and other major markets. We will also continue to expand our activities in other Asian centers of biopharma research excellence, including South Korea and Japan, to source and add value to promising molecules.”

Continuing Success

In addition to her successes at the beginning of the year, Mireille went on to win two Silver and one Bronze Stevie Award in the 2015 International Business Awards, presented in Toronto, Canada, in October; and two Silver and one Bronze Stevie Award at the 2015 Stevie Awards for Women in Business in November.

Warmest congratulations to Mireille on this well-deserved recognition," said Clem Gingras, HUYA’s Chief Technology Officer & Chief Operating Officer Asia. As the first person to identify China’s potential to meet global demand for innovative medicines, Mireille founded HUYA to increase the speed of development and value creation for China sourced innovations in worldwide markets. These awards acknowledge several major recent milestones that have been achieved by HUYA.”

Accelerating & Streamlining Global Development

Mireille founded HUYA to accelerate development and value creation for China-sourced innovations worldwide. Many such compounds have been validated through a rigorous discovery, selection and development process in China, so this model streamlines and accelerates development globally, while lowering risk. HUYA has:

  • A database of ~14,000 China-sourced compounds–the world’s largest;
  • 110 agreements with Chinese academic & commercial organizations;
  • 80 scouts in China, more than top 5 global biopharma firms combined;
  • Access to 55% of the biopharma innovation in China;
  • Eight strategically located offices across China (Shanghai, Beijing, Chengdu, China Medical City [Taizhou], Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Shenzhen, and Wuhan);
  • Joint headquarters in Shanghai and San Diego, California.

HUYA opened an office in Japan in September 2014 to support future expansion in that country.

The Value of Cooperation

Looking ahead, Mireille will lead HUYA’s efforts to continue building relationships to make candidate compounds more accessible internationally, bringing value for both innovators and developers. Mireille and HUYA aim to be recognized as a main driving force that brings out the value of the Tripartite Cooperation between China, Japan, and South Korea in developing novel therapeutics to benefit patients in the three countries and worldwide.

Building Momentum in the Asia-Pacific Region

“I am inspired every day by the talented people who surround me, including HUYA’s dedicated employees and the world-class advisory boards who share their passion and talents,” explained Mireille. “In future, it will be exciting to watch as biopharma R&D continues to build momentum in the Asia-Pacific region. The HUYA teams in San Diego, Tokyo, Seoul and our eight China offices remain committed to globalizing Asian innovation.”

Concluded Mireille: “By building relationships and employing approaches such as in-licensing, alliances, co-development, research funding, and creative financial partnerships, HUYA is poised to bring pharmaceutical discoveries to benefit patients around the world.”

About Mireille Gillings:

Mireille Gillings, Ph.D., a visionary leader with 22 years of scientific and operational experience in the biotech sector, has been the driving force in establishing HUYA Bioscience International. At Quintiles, a Fortune 500 company, she was the first woman to be appointed to the Board of Directors since the company’s privatization and subsequent IPO. Mireille is Co-founder of GHO Capital, a private equity fund specializing in global health opportunities. She serves on the Board of Senté Inc., a science-based skincare company, and is a member of the U.S. Pasteur Foundation Board. Mireille has a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Radboud University Nijmegen, the Netherlands, and has held post-doctoral fellowships at Bordeaux University and Scripps Research Institute. She speaks fluent English, Dutch, French and Spanish.

About HUYA Bioscience International:

HUYA Bioscience International is a leader in enabling and accelerating the global development of novel biopharmaceutical product opportunities originating in China. HUYA has established extensive collaborations with Chinese biopharmaceutical, academic and commercial organizations to speed development and value creation in worldwide markets for China-sourced product candidates. With the largest Chinese compound portfolio covering all therapeutic areas, HUYA has emerged as the partner of choice for building and maximizing the value of biopharmaceutical innovation in China. HUYA has offices in the U.S., Japan, and eight strategic locations across China, with joint headquarters in San Diego and Shanghai. With the largest team of scientists working with Chinese innovators, HUYA identifies and advances promising drug candidates globally. For more information, go to www.huyabio.com.

Topics: American business awards, women awards, company awards, management awards, Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards

Fareportal Wins Grand Stevie® Award for Organization of the Year in 2015 American Business Awards

Posted by Maggie Gallagher on Tue, Sep 15, 2015 @ 09:53 AM

The Stevie® Awards held one of its awards galas for its 13th annual American Business Awards competition on Friday night, and announced the winners of its Grand Stevie Award trophies.

Fareportal of New York, NY received the Grand Stevie for organization of the year, for earning the most award points (54.5) in The 2015 American Business Awards. Other top ABA Grand Stevie winners include C-4 Analytics (Saugus, MA) for interactive services agency of the year (11 points), MSLGROUP (nationwide) for marketing agency of the year (21), and MWW (nationwide) for public relations agency of the year (30). This is the third year in a row that MWW has won this award.

Engility2The Grand Stevie Awards were presented to the organizations that submitted the best body of entries to The American Business Awards this year, in their own name or in the names of one or more clients, with a Gold Stevie Award win counting for three points, a Silver Stevie win for two points, and a Bronze Stevie win counting for 1.5 points. The organizations with the most points won.

Besides Fareportal, C-4 Analytics, MSLGROUP, and MWW, Grand Stevies were also awarded to the 10 other organizations with the most points in the 2015 competition. There were a few ties this year which resulted in 11 members of the top 10. They are:

1. Tied at 23.5 points: AT&T (Dallas, TX) and Accenture (Chicago, IL)

3. Quality Systems, Inc. (Irvine, CA, 21.5)

4.   Tied at 19.5 points: Isagenix International (Chandler, AZ) and SoftPro (Raleigh, NC)

6.   Dell Inc., Round Rock, TX (19)

7.   Capital One Investing, Seattle, WA (18)

8.   Engility, Chantilly, VA (17.5)

9   Three-way tie at 17 points: Cisco Systems (nationwide), Davies Murphy Group (Burlington, MA), and Finn Partners (nationwide)

Friday’s gala was the second of two American Business Awards ceremonies this year. The first took place in Chicago on June 22 and honored winners in disciplines such as customer service, human resources, corporate communications, information technology, live events, publications, and selected categories for company/organization, management and marketing.

The American Business Awards honor an all-inclusive spectrum of American business people and organizations -- from non-profits, emerging start-ups, major public companies and government agencies, to corner-office executives, product developers, marketers and web development teams.

More than 200 executives attended Friday’s event at San Francisco’s Julia-Morgan Ballroom. Stevie Awards were conferred in five levels of distinction: Grand, Gold, Silver, Bronze, and People’s Choice. See the press release issued earlier today for a summary of the other Stevie Award winners.

For a complete list of all 2015 American Business Awards’ Stevie Award winners visit http://www.StevieAwards.com/ABA.

More than 3,300 entries were submitted to The 2015 American Business Awards and more than 200 executives nationwide participated in judging to determine this year’s Gold, Silver and Bronze Stevie Award winners.

Entries for The 2016 American Business Awards will be accepted starting in October.

Topics: business awards, American business awards, Grand Stevie Award

13th American Business Awards Announce Winners in New Product and Technology Categories

Posted by Maggie Gallagher on Mon, Sep 14, 2015 @ 10:03 AM

The 13th Annual American Business Awards announced Stevie® Award winners on Friday at its event focused on outstanding new products and technology-industry categories, including technology organization management.

Friday’s gala was the second of two American Business Awards ceremonies this year. The first took place in Chicago on June 22 and honored winners in disciplines such as customer service, human resources, corporate communications, information technology, live events, publications, and selected categories for company/organization, management and marketing. The American Business Awards honor an all-inclusive spectrum of American business people and organizations -- from non-profits, emerging start-ups, major public companies and government agencies, to corner-office executives, product developers, marketers and web development teams.

ABA_in_SF_tinyMore than 200 executives attended Friday’s awards banquet at San Francisco’s Julia-Morgan Ballroom at the Merchants Exchange Building. Stevie Awards were conferred in five levels of distinction: Grand, Gold, Silver, Bronze, and People’s Choice.

The Grand Stevies were awarded to the organizations who received the most awards overall – Gold, Silver or Bronze – in the ABAs this year. Fareportal (New York, NY) was presented with the Grand Stevie for Organization of the Year. The winners of the other Grand Stevie Awards will be named in a followup press release today.

Prositions Inc. (Urbandale, IA) and Workplace Answers (Austin, TX) were the top Gold Stevie winners on Friday, with three each. Winners of two Gold Stevies include Agiliance, AT&T, Auto Integrate, Discovery Education, Fareportal, Five Elements Robotics, and TangoMe.

Other notable Gold Stevie Award Winners announced on Friday include, among others:

- New Financial Service: Azul Systems’ ReadyNow!
- Integrated Mobile Experience of the Year: Fidelity Mobile® for Apple Watch
- Telecommunications Service of the Year: Broadview Networks' MyOfficeSuite
- Technical Innovation of the Year - At Organizations With 1,000 or More Employees: Ernst & Young’s EY ACA COMPASS
- Tech Startup of the Year: SeedInvest
- Marketing App of the Year: FrontFlip’s Marketing App
- New Cloud Application/Service: Verifone Cloud PS
- New Business-to-Business Services: Language Line’s eLanguage Proficiency Test
- Company of the Year - Computer Software - 500 or More Employees: Epicor Software Solutions
- New Computer Hardware Product: Imation's IronKey Workspace W700
- Executive of the Year - Computer Software - Up to 500 Employees: Jordan Kretchmer, CEO and Founder, Livefyre

Winners of the People’s Choice Stevie Awards for Favorite New Products, which were determined by more than 16,000 votes in July and August, were announced in August and presented their crystal People’s Choice Stevie Awards on Friday.

More than 3,300 entries were submitted to The 2015 American Business Awards and more than 200 executives nationwide participated in judging to determine this year’s Gold, Silver and Bronze Stevie Award winners.

Entries for The 2016 American Business Awards will be accepted starting next month.

See the Full List of ABA Winners

Topics: business awards, American business awards, tech awards, new product award