TENTH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS AWARDS ISSUES CALL FOR ENTRIES

Posted by Liz Dean on Tue, Apr 23, 2013 @ 06:00 AM

Stevie® Awards to Be Presented This Fall in Barcelona

Fairfax, VA – 23 April 2013 – The Stevie® Awards today issued the call for entries for The 10th Annual International Business Awards, the world’s premier business awards competition, which last year attracted nominations from more than 50 nations and territories.The International Business Awards

All individuals and organizations worldwide – public and private, for-profit and non-profit, large and small – may submit nominations to The International Business Awards.  The final entry deadline is 15 May.  Late entries will be accepted through 12 June, and results will be announced in mid-August.  Entry details are available at www.StevieAwards.com/IBA.  

Stevie Awards will be conferred at three levels of distinction: Gold, Silver and Bronze.  New for 2013, several Grand Stevie Awards will be conferred as best-of-competition prizes.  The Stevie Award trophies, made by the company that makes the Oscar and other major international awards, are among the world’s most coveted prizes. Stevie Award winners will be selected by an international judging panel of more than 200 executives.

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

For a full list of categories visit: http://www.stevieawards.com/pubs/iba/awards/171_695_3021.cfm.

The 2013 International Business Awards will include the People’s Choice Stevie Awards for Favorite Companies, in which the general public worldwide will vote for their favorite companies. Each company honored with a Gold, Silver or Bronze Stevie Award in The International Business Awards’ company of the year categories will automatically be included in people’s choice voting.  Voting will open on 15 August.

Because 2013 Stevie Award winners will be celebrated on Monday, 14 October at the W Hotel in Barcelona, Spain, all organizations in Spain may submit an unlimited number of entries to the IBAs this year without having to pay the entry fees.

The 9th Annual International Business Awards were presented in October 2012 in Seoul, South Korea.  Stevie winners included A.P. Moller Maersk AS, Accenture, Coca Cola Turkey, Delta Air Lines, Inc., Etisalat Group, HSBC, Hyundai Motor Company , Infosys, Lenovo Group, Qualcomm Incorporated, Samsung Electronics, TATA Power, and Unilever, among others.  2012 results are summarized at http://www.stevieawards.com/pubs/iba/awards/408_2219_21728.cfm.  

About The Stevie Awards
Stevie Awards are conferred in four programs: The American Business Awards, The International Business Awards, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service.  A fifth program, the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, will debut later this year.  Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide.  Learn more about The Stevie Awards at www.StevieAwards.com, and follow the Stevie Awards on Twitter @TheStevieAwards

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

Early-bird Deadline Today for The 2013 International Business Awards

Posted by Liz Dean on Wed, Apr 10, 2013 @ 09:23 AM

Today is the early-bird entry deadline for The 2013 (10th Annual) International Business Awards, the world's premier business awards competition. Take advantage of discounted entry fees for those entries submitted by 10 April, request your entry kit here.

All individuals and organizations worldwide -- public and private, for-profit and non-profit, large and small -- may submit nominations to the IBAs, recognized as the world's top honors in business and the only completely international business awards competition.

The International Business Awards recognize achievement in every facet of the workplace. Stevie® Awards are conferred upon top-scoring nominations in each category, as chosen by an international judging panel of more than 150 business leaders.

The International Business Awards LogoOur business award categories include:

See the full list of international business awards categories.

Nominations should cite achievements during our eligibility period: January 2012 through 12 June 2013, the last day that late entries will be accepted. There is no eligibility timeframe for web site entries - it does not matter when the web sites were first published.

If you miss the early-bird entry deadline, the entry deadline is 15 May and late entries will be accepted through 12 June with payment of a late fee per entry. Results will be announced on 14 August. 

Because the 2013 awards banquet will take place on 14 October in Barcelona, Spain, all organizations in Spain may submitted an unlimited number of entries to the IBAs free of charge this year. Organizations in Spain should submit the promotion code "Barcelona" where indicated in the online entry process to have their entry fees waived. Entry details are available at www.StevieAwards.com/IBA.

Have questions regarding the 2013 IBAs? Don't hesitate to contact us with your questions or call us at + 1 703-547-8389.

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

One Week to 2013 International Business Awards Early-bird Deadline

Posted by Liz Dean on Wed, Apr 03, 2013 @ 01:14 PM

The early-bird entry deadline for The 2013 (10th Annual) International Business Awards is 10 April. Take advantage of discounted entry fees for those entries submitted by 10 April, request your entry kit here.The Stevie Awards Logo

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

Nominations should cite achievements during our eligibility period: January 2012 through 12 June 2013, the last day that late entries will be accepted. There is no eligibility timeframe for web site entries - it does not matter when the web sites were first published.

If you can't make the 10 April early-bird deadline, 15 May is the entry deadline, and late entries will be accepted through 12 June with the payment of a late fee per entry. Results will be announced on 14 August. 

Because the 2013 awards banquet will take place on 14 October in Barcelona, Spain, all organizations in Spain may submitted an unlimited number of entries to the IBAs free of charge this year. Organizations in Spain should submit the promotion code "Barcelona" where indicated in the online entry process to have their entry fees waived. Entry details are available at www.stevieawards.com/iba.

Don't hesitate to contact us with your questions about how to participate in The 2013 International Business Awards.

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

How Stevie® Awards Winner Led Company to $150 million in Revenue

Posted by Liz Dean on Fri, Feb 01, 2013 @ 02:09 PM

David Seligman, chairman and CEO of Best Doctors, Inc., in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, won the Gold Stevie® Award for Executive of the Year in Health Products & Services at The 2012 International Business Awards, presented in Seoul, South Korea, last October. (The entry kit for The 2013 (10th Annual) International Business Awards, the world's premier business awards competition, is now available. Request your entry kit today.) Here we look at how Seligman’s business philosophy and vision have shaped his company’s success.

David Seligman, CEO, Best Doctors, Inc.Founded in 1989 by Harvard Medical School physicians and serving over 30 million members worldwide, Best Doctors works to help people get the right diagnosis and treatment. In a world in which published studies indicate from 15-28% of patients are misdiagnosed—translating into needless suffering and billions of wasted health care dollars annually—a growing number of companies and insurers are choosing Best Doctors’ diagnostic accuracy services and offerings.

Saving Lives Around The World
Under the leadership of David Seligman, its chairman and CEO, Best Doctors has made noteworthy progress recently in the areas of revenue growth, market expansion, and customer acquisition—progress made all the more impressive having been achieved during a shaky global economy. But if you were to ask David Seligman what he thought was the Company’s most notable achievement, he’d point to the lives that have been impacted by Best Doctors’ unique services.

Best Doctors has become a recognized global leader in combating misdiagnosis and the many quality problems of health care systems throughout the world. Through the efforts of Seligman and his team to deliver the right diagnoses and treatment for its members, the company reported in late 2011 it had corrected or refined diagnoses in 29 percent of cases in the US, and corrected or improved treatment in nearly 60 percent of cases, resulting in considerably improved patient outcomes and cost savings. 

Company Achievements
When the management awards winner joined Best Doctors, the company had just a handful of dedicated employees and operated out of a small office in Boston. Almost 17 years later, through his leadership, Best Doctors has:

  • Crossed the $150 million revenue threshold in 2012, from $94 million in 2010
  • Grown its workforce to over 500 employees globally
  • Increased its member count to more than 30 million people in every major region of the world

Seligman’s work has played a key role in efforts to deliver a measurable patient-outcome difference in thousands of lives each year, and in providing a common-sense model for how health care at its best could work around the world.

Groundbreaking Products
Seligman has overseen the delivery of several groundbreaking health products to the global health care market.  Among them is InterConsultation™, which enables a case to be examined by a leading expert in that condition, allowing members and their treating physicians to be absolutely sure they have the right diagnosis and get the right treatment.

InterConsultation is an offering that has literally saved lives by giving members the correct diagnosis the first time around, or by correcting a previously incorrect diagnosis or treatment plan.

In 2012, Best Doctors, Inc. developed some unique web tools that it anticipates will help usher in a new age of expert physician collaboration. Their site will serve as a hub for a variety of resources, including a Physician-Only portal where experts will collaborate on patient cases, and Clinical Curbside, a physician-facing blog addressing diagnostic accuracy.

“These new tools will enable physicians to be even better diagnosticians,” said Seligman. “BestDoctors.com is providing patients, doctors, and employers the peace of mind that comes with knowing the best medical minds in the right specialty areas are working together on their health cases.  Health plans are also served and can now access diagnostic support and independent second opinions for their network providers, thereby contributing to improved health outcomes and reduced costs. Whether you are a patient, employer or health plan, everybody wants the right health solutions.”

The Importance of the Right Diagnosis
Seligman has led the launch of a number of global insurance products, giving members the peace of mind that they will have the best possible care in the world should they need it.

Says Seligman: “The human toll of misdiagnosis is tremendous. It deprives patients of needed care and exposes them to the side effects of inappropriate treatment. It generates untold expenses from incorrect treatment, and can often mean deadly consequences when a condition goes undiagnosed and progresses in severity.”

Seligman continues to lead efforts to make better health care a reality for everyone, no matter where they live.  On receiving the Stevie Award, Seligman commented: “Our team worldwide was deeply honored by this recognition from the International Business Awards. We think these awards speak to our innovative work to change and improve the health care paradigm by offering a truly patient-centric experience. Our mission is focused on taking the ‘guesswork’ out of health care by getting people the right information and correct answers, and we know that focus is what is resonating so strongly with our members around the world.” 

Seligman and his team at Best Doctors believe that the right diagnosis provided the first time around—together with quality, more customized patient care—should be the rule and not the exception. 

About David Seligman:
David Seligman serves as chairman and CEO of Boston-based Best Doctors, Inc., and has led the company’s growth strategy since 1997. Seligman has 23 years of broad management and strategic experience in the healthcare sector including market development, mergers and acquisitions, and performance turnarounds. Prior to joining Best Doctors in 1997, he was a Director of Operations and Corporate Development at Fresenius Medical Care.

Seligman graduated valedictorian from Thunderbird School of Global Management with a Masters degree, and from UCLA with a bachelor’s degree in Economics.

About Best Doctors:
Best Doctors works with the best five percent of doctors, ranked by impartial peer review, to help people get the right diagnosis and right treatment. Gallup® has audited and certified Best Doctors, Inc.’s database of physicians, and its companion Best Doctors in America® List, as using the highest industry standards survey methodology and processes. The global health solutions company, which has grown to over 30 million members worldwide, uses state-of-the-art technology capabilities to deliver improved health outcomes while reducing costs. Best Doctors seamlessly integrates its trusted health services with large self-insured employers, insurers, and other groups in every major region of the world. The company also designs and implements international insurance programs that help people be sure they get the right health solutions. For further information, visit www.bestdoctors.com.

Topics: business awards, International business awards, stevie awards, management awards, executive of the year, David Seligman, Best Doctors

W Hotel in Barcelona, Spain to Host 2013 International Business Awards

Posted by Liz Dean on Fri, Jan 11, 2013 @ 11:28 AM

It's official: The 2013 (10th Annual) International Business Awards will take place on Monday, October 14 at the W Hotel in Barcelona, Spain. On the beach.

W Hotel, Barcelona, SpainRecognized as the world’s premier business awards program, The International Business Awards honors all facets of the workplace, our award categories include: annual report awards, app awards, company/organization awards, customer service awards, human resources awards, information technology awards, management awards, marketing awards, new product awards, public relations awards, support awards, and website awards, among others. See all corporate awards categories.

Entries for the 2013 competition open in late January, join our mailing list and the entry kit will be emailed to you once it becomes available. All individuals and organizations worldwide – public and private, for-profit and non-profit, large and small – may submit nominations.

More than 350 entrepreneurs, executives, and their guests from around the world attended the 2012 IBA gala celebrated on Monday, October 15th, at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Seoul, South Korea. Watch the October 15th International Business Awards presentations here.

Will you be joining us on October 14 in Spain?

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

3 Benefits to Entering The Stevie® Awards

Posted by Liz Dean on Wed, Nov 14, 2012 @ 04:40 PM

Chris Robinson, Managing Director of Boost Marketing, a UK-based international business awards entry consultancy, uses research to argue that simply entering the Stevie® Awards, the world's premier business awards program, can provide such substantial benefits that literally everyone who goes to the trouble of putting together a well-researched award submission is a winner. Here Chris discusses his findings.

Chris Robinson, Boost MarketingIf I were to ask you: “Who benefits the most from entering the Stevie Awards?” you would be justified in answering: “The winners, of course.” You might even think it a ridiculous question.

Is it a ridiculous question, though?  In my job at Boost Marketing, I help companies enter awards, and I often hear the line: “I only want to enter if I’m going to win.” I find this a frustrating sentiment, because it is based on a flawed assumption: that the only people who benefit from The Stevie Awards are the winners.

Crafting a strong award submission requires a substantial amount of research, evidence gathering, and writing. Furthermore, attending an awards presentation consumes even more time and budget. So how can you possibly justify all this when there is a significant likelihood you may not actually win?

An obvious answer is that even a small chance of winning a prestigious award is a chance worth taking. But this again assumes that only winners benefit. So are there other benefits—benefits you can enjoy even if you fail to win?

To answer this question, my company surveyed some awards finalists before the winners were announced (to ensure people were still open-minded). We were delighted that, when prompted, 70% of them could name specific benefits that they experienced by simply entering the awards.

The benefits people listed were extremely varied, but three of them were clear winners in terms of popularity:

  1. The submission process improved evaluation (the measuring of a company or organization’s success to provide evidence in its award entry);
  2. It demonstrated the company or organization’s commitment to excellence; and
  3. It motivated employees.

Improved Evaluation
The most popular benefit, that of improved evaluation, might seem odd to those who have not recently taken a shot at winning an award. To help illustrate this, I would like to share a story.

One recent Stevie Award winner, whose business had been established for over a decade, had always resisted running a customer survey because she feared the customers would use it as a stick to beat her. Eventually, she ran a survey in order to prove to the awards judges just how customer-focused her business was. When she finally saw the scores and comments, she became quite emotional: The survey showed that her customers had an extraordinary affection for her and her business.

Without that quick and inexpensive survey, the business owner would never have known just how much her customers appreciated her business, nor would her business have won the award without the confirmed approval ratings. In other words, she was a winner before she actually won the Stevie Award.

The simple process of putting your business and its achievements under the microscope for an award submission can be extremely beneficial. Measuring a company’s outstanding achievements can give employees pride in their work, increase internal credibility, and boost confidence and morale. Employees can discover whether their perception of what they do, day in and day out, bears up under scrutiny.

This process requires courage, but it can be worthwhile if used properly. Lessons learned can lead businesses to raise the bar and make further improvements.

Commitment to Excellence
CEOs will often use awards as key performance indicators. I have seen this in a broad range of industries including automotive, banking, insurance, and training.  Is this just an exercise in Public Relations? Well, maybe a little, but the main reason why CEOs tout these awards is because they want their businesses—and the departments in them—to aim for more than just best practice.  They want their employees to focus on being the best.

These days there is a big difference between simply achieving best practice and being the best in an industry.  It’s the difference between being the leader, and being in the pack trying to catch up. CEOs know that a credible award like a Stevie is a true measure of success.

The Positive Effect of Competition
When one department wins an award, other departments see the attention and praise heaped upon their colleagues and want similar recognition. This has an extremely positive effect. 

People also soon realize that you cannot win an award simply by writing a great entry. Judges are too smart for this. It is not good enough just to sound outstandingAwards are for those who actually are outstanding. A badly written, badly evidenced award submission prevents the judges from learning just how good a company really is.

Awards are rather like Olympic medals in that they discourage people from settling for best practice and encourage them to raise their game and to leave their competition in the dust.

Motivation
Motivation goes to the very heart of why The Stevie Awards are so important. Look more closely at the crystal pyramid held aloft by the 16” tall, 24-karat gold-plated Stevie Award trophy and you will discover another reason to enter these awards: The pyramid represents the Hierarchy of Needs, developed in the 1960s by psychologist Abraham Maslow, who observed that after basic needs are met, human beings seek the esteem of their peers.

Maslow was referring to individuals, but the principle applies just as well to teams, departments, and whole businesses. This is why The Stevie Awards recognize all of these categories in their business competitions.

Do you need to win an award to gain recognition from your peers? Of course not.  But to have a peer tell you or your team: “I am so impressed by you that I want to enter you into an international awards program,” and to follow that up by writing a glowing award submission, will have a positive effect on the self esteem and motivation of your employees, win or lose.

Conclusion
Whether you are confident about entering one of The Stevie Awards competitions or not, understand that while winning one of these handsome trophies is enormously beneficial, so too is the process that you have to go through just to put together an entry. It will focus and sharpen the awareness of what you are doing right; it will provide a catalyst for continuing improvement and motivation; and it will help satisfy that basic business and human need: appreciation and respect.

The Stevie Awards are now conferring Silver and Bronze Awards in addition to the main Gold Stevie Award, meaning that you are three times more likely to be a winner.

About Chris Robinson:
Chris Robinson is Managing Director of Boost Marketing, the world’s first award-entry consultancy, which now has a team of 15 award-entry consultants based around the world. Since the company was founded in 2006, Boost Marketing consultants have helped over 200 businesses win over 400 awards.

Topics: business awards, International business awards, American business awards, stevie awards for women in business, Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service, The Stevie Awards, boost marketing, chris robinson

WINNERS ANNOUNCED IN PEOPLE’S CHOICE STEVIE® AWARDS FOR FAVORITE COMPANIES

Posted by Liz Dean on Wed, Sep 26, 2012 @ 10:02 AM

Awards to Be Presented at Gala Ceremony on October 15 in Seoul, South Korea

Fairfax, VA – September 26, 2012 – More than 30,000 votes were cast in the 2012 People's Choice Stevie® Awards for Favorite Companies, part of The 9th Annual International Business Awards, the world’s top business awards program. 

People's Choice Stevie Awards for Favorite CompaniesThe worldwide public vote was conducted over the past three weeks, with the highest number of votes deciding the winners of crystal People’s Choice Stevie Awards in 20 categories.  The big winner this year is International Armoring Corporation of Centerville, Utah, USA, which won in three categories.  Other winners include ActionCOACH, Delta Air Lines, FreeConferenceCall.com, LifeLock, Samsung Electronics, Shinhan Card, and Unilever, among others.

The complete list of People’s Choice Stevie Award winners is available at www.StevieAwards.com/IBA.

Nicknamed the Stevie® for the Greek word “crowned,” the awards will be presented to winners at The International Business Awards banquet on Monday, October 15 at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Seoul, South Korea.  Tickets for the event are now on sale.  More than 250 nominees and their guests are expected to attend.

All organizations honored in the 34 industry-specific Company of the Year categories of this year’s International Business Awards were eligible to be included in voting for the people’s choice awards.

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

Sponsors and partners of The 2012 International Business Awards include Competence Call Center and the Korea Business Communicators Association.

Topics: business awards, International business awards, company of the year, People's Choice Stevie® Awards for Favorite Co

Two Days Left to Vote in the People's Choice Stevie® Awards for Favorite Companies

Posted by Liz Dean on Wed, Sep 19, 2012 @ 03:46 PM

Friday, 21 September, is the last day to vote in the Second Annual People's Choice Stevie® Awards for Favorite Companies, as part of The International Business Awards, the world’s premier business awards program.

People's Choice Stevie Awards for Favorite CompaniesVoting will close at 11:59PM on 21 September; vote now at http://peopleschoice.stevieawards.com.

This is a worldwide vote in which the general public will get to choose one favorite company in more than 30 categories including:

  • Advertising, Marketing, & Public Relations
  • Consumer Products
  • Electronics
  • Internet/New Media
  • Non-Profit or Government Organizations

All organizations honored with Gold, Silver or Bronze Stevie Award in the IBAs' 34 Company of the Year categories are automatically included in People's Choice voting. People's Choice winners will receive a special People's Choice Stevie Award trophy allowing for honorees in the Company of the Year categories to have the opportunity to receive a second award, as voted by the general public.

2011 winners were celebrated at the International Business Awards gala in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates. Past winners include Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, ActionCOACH, Beiersdorf AG, and Türk Telekom, among others. 2011 results are summarized, at http://blog.stevieawards.com/blog/bid/62803/Winners-Announced-in-People-s-Choice-Stevie-Awards-for-Favorite-Companies.

Winners of the crystal People's Choice Stevie Awards will be celebrated at the International Business Awards gala on Monday, 15 October at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Seoul, South Korea.

Which companies will you be voting for in this year's People's Choice Stevie® Awards for Favorite Companies?

Topics: business awards, International business awards, company of the year, People's Choice Stevie® Awards for Favorite Co

Best of the IBA Winners Announced

Posted by Liz Dean on Thu, Aug 23, 2012 @ 11:27 AM

The Stevie® Awards are pleased to announce the winners of the Best of the IBA Awards in The 2012 International Business Awards, the world's premier business awards competition. This new addition to the IBAs' repertory of awards includes five best-of-competition prizes that are awarded to the organizations that submitted the best body of work to the competition, in their own name or in the names of one or more clients. 

These awards cannot be applied for directly. Winners were determined by a points system based on the total number of awards won in the IBAs, with a Gold Stevie Award win counting for 3 points, each Silver Stevie Award for 2 points, and each Bronze Stevie win counting for 1.5 points. 


Congratulations to the winners of the first Best of the IBA Awards:


Quality Systems Best of IBAs logoOrganization of the Year: Quality Systems, Inc., Irvine, CA, USAWith 52 total points, Quality Systems is the most honored organization in the 2012 IBAs.

Public Relations Agency of the Year: Weber Shandwick, worldwide.  Weber Shandwick offices around the world won a total of 34.5 points for nominations in their own name or in the names of their clients.

Marketing Agency of the Year: Slack and Company, Chicago, IL, USASlack earned 22.5 points, tops among all marketing services agencies in this year's IBAs.

Interactive Services Agency of the Year: eWIDEPLUS, South KoreaWith 13.5 points, eWIDEPLUS is the most honored of this year's field of interactive agency contestants.

Top 10: After the winners of the above prizes, the following organizations earned the most award points in the 2012 IBAs:

  1. LifeLock, Tempe, AZ, USA (47)
  2. Accenture, worldwide (31)
  3. MWW, East Rutherford, NJ, USA (30)
  4. VerticalResponse, San Francisco, CA, USA (26)
  5. Türk Telekom, Istanbul, Turkey (25.5)
  6. iolo technologies, Los Angeles, CA, USA (23.5)
  7. Burson-Marsteller, worldwide (22)
  8. MSLGROUP, worldwide (20.5)
  9. Akbank, Istanbul, Turkey (20)
  10. PetRays, The Woodlands, TX, USA (20)

Best of the IBA winners have been granted the exclusive right to use a unique Best of the 2012 IBAs logo.

Learn more about the Best of the IBA Awards.

Gold, Silver and Bronze Stevie Award winners in The 2012 International Business Awards were announced last week.  Here's a summary of the results.

Topics: International business awards, IBAs, Best of the IBAs, The Stevie Awards, Organization of the Year, PR Agency of the Year, Marketing Agency of the Year, Interactive Services Agency of the Year

149 More Rockstars of The 2012 International Business Awards

Posted by Liz Dean on Wed, Aug 22, 2012 @ 12:36 PM

The Stevie AwardsThe following professionals participated in the preliminary judging of The 2012 International Business Awards, the world's premier business awards competition. 2012 IBA winners were announced on August 15; see the complete list of 2012 winners here. The 9th Annual International Business Awards will be celebrated in Seoul, South Korea at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel on Monday, 15 October. We thank our judges for their time, insights, and support.

Husam Abdallah, Sr. Specialist Strategy & Excellence, Dubai Airport Free Zone, Dubai, UAE          
Tsvika Abramovitch, Vice President, HR, Hadera Paper, Hadera, Israel   
Yesim Aksu, VP & Head of HR, Ericsson Region Middle East, Istanbul, Turkey
Allyson Stewart Allen, Director, International Marketing Partners, London, UK
James Alfred, Chairman & Chief Executive, Maltecorp Sdn Bhd, Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia          
Ahmad  Alhai, Business Relationship Management Analyst, ADCO, Abu Dhabi,  UAE      
Selcuk Alimdar, Distance Learning and Projects Manager, Avea, Istanbul, Turkey
Stewart Andrews, Creative Director, Noodlebox Design, LLC, Washington, DC, USA             
Ani Atanasova, CEO, Pixelhunters, Dubai, UAE  
Ann Badmus, President, Badmus Law Firm, Dallas, TX, USA         
Lisa Ball Moskal, Professor, ASU, Jonesboro, AR, USA    
Victoria Barnett, Sr Marketing Exec, Royal College of Nursing, London, UK           
Maxim Behar, CEO, M3 Communications Group, Inc., Sofia, Bulgaria       
Erin Bolton, VP Strategic Services, Pivot Communications, Salt Lake City, UT, USA               
Israel Bonequi, Creative Director, Birds Nest Foundation, Montreal, Canada       
Kathleen Boylan, Senior Vice President, Public Communications, Inc., Chicago, IL, USA   
Adrian Brady, CEO, Eulogy!, London, UK               
Jock Breitwieser, Director Global Public Relations, Dell SonicWALL, Inc., San Jose, CA, USA                     
Oana Bulexa, Head of PR Department, The Practice, Bucharest, Romania             
Jorge Cachinero, Director Senior, Llorente & Cuenca, Madrid,  Spain      
Benito Castro, Spain Blog, Evento Blog España, Madrid, Spain
Rachel Deutsch, Principal and Creative Director, The Design Channel, Washington, DC, USA                     
Zhenya Dmitrijeva, Web Designer, Foxtons, London, UK              
Cho Donggyul, Head of Group, Cheil Worldwide, Seoul,  South Korea    
Alexander Dourchev, CEO, All Channels Communication, Sofia, Bulgaria
Gayle Duncan, Partner, Executive Options, Seattle, WA, USA              
Stacey Edmonds, Head of Films & Digital, Be Learning, Moore Park, Australia      
Rochelle Ekanayake, MrPierce Studios International Asia (PVT) Ltd, Colombo, Sri Lanka               
Mahdi El Horchi, Consultant, Blue Ocean Consulting JLT, Dubai, UAE              
Timur ERTEN, Performance Reporting Specialist, Türk Telekom, Istanbul, Turkey               
Natasha Gangaramani, Director, Al Fara'a Properties, Al Fara'a Group, Dubai, UAE            
Kristina Garcia, Managing Director, German State of Hessen U.S. Office for Economic Development, New York, NY, USA               
Steve Gershik, Marketing Director, 28Marketing LLC, San Ramon, CA, USA          
Lauren Gertzman, Owner, Inside Minds, LLC, Washington, DC, USA                 
Edgar Green, Sr. Manager, IT Quality, Spirit Airlines, Miami, FL, USA        
Lisa Gregovich, Vice President - Customer Service, ePlan Services, INC, Denver, CO, USA              
Naresh Gupta, Associate Partner, IBM Global Business Services, Gurgaon, India
Robin Harris, Principal and Creative Director, Harris Design INC, Mclean, VA, USA       
Danita Harn, VP of Operations, Harn & Associates Bookkeeping Firm, Woodstock, GA, USA               
Deanna Hart, Operations Manager, IHG - InterContinental Hotels Group, Salt Lake City, UT, USA              
Brenton Hayden, President/CEO, Renters Warehouse, Golden Valley, MN, USA               
Randy Hines, Associate Professor, APR, Susquehanna University, Selinsgrove, PA, USA 
Jamie K. Holt, President/CEO, JMK Notary And Services, Miami, FL, USA               
Young Il Hong, Professor of College of Design, Hongik University, Seoul, South Korea         
Susan Hudgins, Fourth Wall Events, New York, NY, USA                   
Peter Jares, et netera, Prague, Czech Republic               
Beverly Jensen, President/CEO, WomensMedicineBowl.com, Greeley, CO, USA              
Jane Johnson, Director of Content Development, Pivot Communications, Salt Lake City, UT, USA               
JP Jones, Owner, Paige1Media, Lawerenceburg, TN, USA            
Tae Hee Jung, Chief Director of International Cooperation, KBCA, Seoul, South Korea  
Anila Kalleshi, President, Kalleshi Center, Tirane, Albania              
Sinta Kaniawati, Director, Unilever Foundation, Unilever Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia  
Hakan Karamanli, Operation and Customer Service Manager, Garanti Teknoloji, Istanbul, Turkey               
Sabri Kart, Manager, Turkish Economy Bank, Istanbul,  Turkey  
Melanie Katschinski, Head of Consumer Marketing, Ogilvy Public Relations, Berlin, Germany      
Aslam Khan, President & CEO, Octaware Technologies, Mumbai,  India
Hak Jae Kim, Sr Mgr, Corporate Culture & PR Team, Korea South-East Power, Seoul, South Korea             
Hung Ki Kim, President, Korea Business Communicators Association, Seoul, South Korea            
Kyung Hwa Kim, CEO, Fieldguide Group, Seoul, South Korea       
Steve King, Executive Producer- Corporate Television, Screentime, Auckland, New Zealand               
Ron Klingensmith, Chief Creative Officer, Slack and Company, Chicago, IL, USA  
Jae Choon Ko, PR Team Manager, One Mount, Seoul, South Korea       
Vivek Kumar, Head Servicing - Professional Services, Adfactors PR, New Delhi, India
Wayne Kurie, Director, Projects and Strategy, Fuszion, Washington, DC, USA                
Ji Hyun Kwak, CEO, Communication on, Seoul, South Korea         
Ben Larkey, Sr. Corp. Environmental Manager, Sharp Electronics Corp, New York, NY, USA                    
Silk Lee, PR Team Leader, Samyang Holdings, Seoul, South Korea                   
Ju Hwak Lee , CEO, SIDM Co., Ltd, Seoul, South Korea     
Andreea Leonte, PR Director, McCann PR, Bucharest, Romania                
Montira Limpanarom, Executive Director, Sony Music Entertainment Operating (Thailand)Co.,Ltd, Samutprakarn,  Thailand               
Ke Je Tony Liu, Founder, Creative Chairman, aeiou, Shanghai, China             
Petro Lymar, Regional Business Development, Yandex, Odessa, Ukraine                         
Kanak Madrecha, Advisor-Corporate Excellence Division, Municipality of Abu Dhabi City, Dubai, UAE      
Connie Maina Nkatha, Kenya Wildlife Service, Nairobi, Kenya  
Margaret Manning, CEO, Reading Room, London, UK     
Ronaldo Manosa, CEO, TAYBURN, Istanbul, Turkey       
Mervat  Mansour, Quality Manager, Tawam Hospital, Al Ain, UAE              
Wessam Massoud, Program Delivery Manager, Abu Dhabi Systems & Information Center, Abu Dhabi,  UAE               
Elena Mateeva, Corporate Communications Expert, Sopharma JSCo, Sofia, Bulgaria        
Colin McKillop, Chief Executive Officer, Butcher Enterprises, Windsor, Canada   
Jennifer McQueen, Managing Partner, Ausnindo-Asia/Pacific, Hawthorn, Australia                
Ronald  Meske, President, Training Systems Design, Camarillo, CA, USA
Sharon Metzung, Publications & Graphics Manager, Lake Metroparks, Concord Township, OH, USA        
Karina Milani, Manager of Marketing & Public Relations, City of Henderson, Henderson, NV, USA            
Dana Miller, Digital Communications Specialist, MediaMind, London, UK               
Eliza Misiecka, GENESIS PR, Warsaw, Poland    
Hashik Mohammed, Management Consultant, Synergy Solutions, Kuwait City, Kuwait               
Simona Mollova, CEO, Investment JSPK, Sofia, Bulgaria
Rajesh Kumar Mudiakal, SAP Project Manager, CMC Limited, Mumbai, India            
Pat Mussieux, Founder, Wealthy Women Leaders, London, Canada       
Linda Myers, Global Partner, WorldWise, Baltimore, MD, USA   
Debra Naylor, President, Naylor Design, Washington, DC, USA  
Kum Ng, Founder, International Frameworkcooking Foundation, Madison, WI, USA               
Angela Nielsen, President, One Lily Creative Agency, Barstow, CA, USA
Esther Oh, Deputy Director, Commercial Services, CITIC PACIFIC MINING, Perth, Australia          
Mark O'Toole, Managing Director, Public Relations & Content Marketing, H|B, Newton, MA, USA            
Ufuk Ozgul, Research Associate, Yeditepe University, Istanbul,  Turkey
Ae Kyung Park, Editor in Chief, Today Newspaper, Seoul, South Korea   
Jong-Sun Park, CEO, BR Communication, Seoul, South Korea    
Young Sik Park, CEO, Advertising Institute Culture, Seoul, South Korea 
Abhay Patvardhan, Area Sales Manager, Al Gurg Paints LLC, Doha, Qatar              
Mia Petersen, CTO - Strategy, Marketing & Engagement, UBS, Stamford, CT, USA            
Donald Pillai, International Marketing Executive, Bumbo (Pty) Ltd, Rosslyn, South Africa               
Melanie Pope, Director, Australian Paramedic Support Foundation, Aspley Qld, Australia                    
Jesintha Rajaratnam, Partner, Joje India Consultants-Finance & HR FZC, Ras Al Khaimah, UAE           
V.S. Ramachandran, Sr. VP, Emarat, Dubai, UAE
Emma Real, Specialist, Corporate Communications, AECOM, Chicago, IL, USA     
Maja Recnik, Education Director, SPEM Communication Group, Ljubljana,  Slovenia        
Dennis Reno, Vice President, Customer Experience, Oracle, San Francisco, CA, USA
Gabby Rojchin, Principal and Creative Director, Street Sense, Bethesda, MD, USA                
Brillian S. K., Head Talent Engagement, AIL, Mumbai, India
Mohamed Amr Sadik, VP - Curriculum Development, INTEX, Cairo, Egypt                          
Gauri Sankar, Senior Manager - Retired, Canara Bank, Velachery, India  
Hande Sarantopoulos, Corporate Communications Manager, Coca-Cola Icecek, Istanbul, Turkey             
Susan Savage, General Manager, MICROS Fidelio Australia, South Turramurra, NSW, Australia               
Bong Bae Seog, Director, Korea Commercial Film Makers Union, Seoul, South Korea       
Paula Shannon, Chief Sales Officer, Senior VP, Lionbridge, Baie d'Urfe, Canada               
Juliet Shavit, President, SmartMark Communications, LLC, Newtown, PA, USA               
Jessica Shearer, Marketing Director, MWW Group, New York, NY, USA 
Paul Shearer, Executive Creative Director, HMDG, London, UK  
Keira Shein, Partner, WilkinsonShein Communications, Arlington, VA, USA          
Carol Sheldon, Sr. Vice President Global Customs, DHL Global Forwarding, West Columbia, SC, USA          
Garrick Sheldon, Assistant Project Manager, Rising Tide Interactive, Washington, DC, USA
Jung Hieh Shon, CEO, Hanaro Adcom, Seoul, South Korea          
Shreesha Shreesha, Manager, LeadFormix, Pleasanton, CA, USA             
Bo Simmons, President , Cool Blue Interactive, Atlanta, GA, USA              
Jonathan Simnett, Communications Consultant, Big Stick Communications, London, UK
Seema Singh, Business Excellence Manager, Al Fara'a Group, Abu Dhabi, UAE  
Nikolay Spasov, Recruitment and Health and Safety Specialist, Alpha Bank - Bulgaria Branch, Sofia, Bulgaria               
Caroline Storey-Sabetti, Executive Director, Business Solutions & Marketing, Staff Management | SMX, Chicago, IL, USA
Robert Sugar, Creative Director, Auras Design, Silver Spring, MD, USA                     
Heather Szymura, Logistics Coordinator, AutohausAZ, Tempe, AZ, USA             
Erika Taylor Montgomery, CEO-Chief Publicist, Three Girls Media & Marketing Inc., San Jose, CA, USA               
Jacqueline Teo, General Manager, Programme Management Office, FOXTEL, Putney, Australia
Han Tjan, VP, Corporate Communications, Daimler, New York, NY, USA
Mike Tobin, CEO, Telecity Group, London, UK    
Rosa Maria Torres Valdés, Public Relations Professor, University of Alicante-Spain, Alicante, Spain               
Savas Usta, HR Director, Turk Telekom A.S., Istanbul,  Turkey
Rosalinde van de Wall, Managing Director & Senior Partner, Fleishman-Hillard, Amsterdam,  The Netherlands               
Tusshard Varangaonkar, Director, Gharrkul Industries PVT. Ltd., Amravati, India    
Vinny Verdi, Producer, CUNY-TV, New York, NY, USA
David Vogin, Owner, 314 Design, Washington, DC, USA      
Angela Wende, Director of Marketing & Sales, CETRA Language Solutions, Elkins Park, PA, USA                  
Mara Woloshin, Principal, Woloshin Communications, Portland, OR, USA             
Timothy Yew, Director, Digital Innovation, BIG Digital / BIG Advertising Pte Ltd, Singapore, Singapore     
Hye Kyung Yim, Managing Director, sisainterview, Seoul, South Korea   
Joo Hyun Yoon, PR & Communication Team Manager, NuSkin Korea, Seoul, South Korea              
Julia Zamorska, VP of Corporate Communications, iolo technologies, Los Angeles, CA, USA          
Rebecca Zhao, Director/Designer, Z Studio, GuangZhou City, China

Topics: judging, business awards, International business awards, judges, preliminary judges