Every organization has unique achievements worth celebrating. Whatever your organization wants to be recognized for, there is a Stevie Awards competition and category(s) for it!  From individual professionals and teams to departments and company-wide accomplishments, each of our nine awards programs feature dozens of categories recognizing excellence across every facet of work life.

With so many entry options, one of the most common questions we hear is: “Where do I start?” Our first piece of advice to entrants is to first decide what you want recognition for. Is it a standout individual, a new product or service, a successful implementation, or perhaps a marketing campaign, website, podcast, or sustainability initiative? Once you’ve identified the achievement, you can narrow in on the competition, then the category group, and then the specific category that’s the best fit.

This blog highlights technology-related awards categories in the 2026 (20th annual) Stevie® Awards for Sales & Customer Service, the world’s top honors for customer service, contact centers, sales, and business development. If your organization isn’t eligible for this program, don’t worry-- you can explore categories in any of our eight other competitions by requesting the appropriate Entry Kit found on the right-hand side of this blog, or here. Our Entry Kits provide submission requirements for each category, entry preparation tips, entry fees, and deadlines.

Technology Categories in the 2026 Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service

The Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service feature over 150 categories honoring customer service, contact center, business development, and sales professionals, teams, and departments. They also include awards for new products, services, and solution providers supporting these functions. Whether your organization is part of the technology industry or you’re simply looking to showcase a technology-driven achievement, there's a category for you in this year's competition.

Sales Individual Categories  - Technology Related:

• Sales Representative of the Year - Technology Industries
• Sales Engineer of the Year (no entry fee)
• Virtual and Pre-Sales Professional of the Year (no entry fee)

Sales Team Categories for Technology Industries and Professionals:

• Sales Support Team of the Year - Technology Industries
• Virtual Technology Sales Enablement and Pre-sales Team of the Year

Sales Achievement Categories - Technology Related:

• Achievement in the Use of Data & Analytics in Sales
• Achievement in the Digital Transformation of Sales Operations
• Achievement in Value-based Selling Techniques
• Award for Innovation in Sales - Technology Industries
• Best Use of Technology in Sales
• Sales Training or Coaching Program of the Year - Technology Industries

Sales Distinction Categories - Technology Related:

• Sales Distinction of the Year - Computer Hardware
• Sales Distinction of the Year - Computer Services
• Sales Distinction of the Year - Computer Software
• Sales Distinction of the Year - Startups & Scaleups - new category for 2026. Startups (since July 1 2023) and scaleups in any industry may participate in this category.
• Sales Distinction of the Year – All Other Industries

Customer Service & Contact Center Individual Categories- Technology Related:

• Front-Line Customer Service Professional of the Year - Technology Industries
• Back-Office Customer Service Professional of the Year - Technology Industries
• Young Customer Service Professional of the Year - Technology Industries

Customer Service & Contact Center Team Categories- Technology Related:

• Customer Service Team of the Year – Recovery Situation - Technology Industries
• Customer Service Complaints Team of the Year - Technology Industries
• Front-Line Customer Service Team of the Year -Technology Industries
• Back Office Customer Service Team of the Year - Technology Industries
• Contact Center of the Year (Up to 100 Seats) - Technology Industries
• Contact Center of the Year (Over 100 Seats) - Technology Industries
• Customer Service Training Team of the Year - External - Technology Industries
  

Customer Service & Contact Center Achievement Categories- Technology Related:

• Achievement in the Use of Data & Analytics in Customer Service
• Award for Innovation in Customer Service
• Best Use of Technology in Customer Service
• Customer Service Training or Coaching Program of the Year - Technology Industries
  

Customer Service Department Categories - Technology Related:

• Customer Service Department of the Year – Computer Hardware
• Customer Service Department of the Year – Computer Software. This category is split into two separate categories:
  a. At Organizations With Up to 100 Employees
  b. At Organizations With 100 or More Employees
• Customer Service Department of the Year – Computer Services
• Customer Service Department of the Year – Digital-First Services - new category for 2026. Recognizing customer service operations that operate from a digital-first perspective.
  
  
• Customer Service Success - Technology Industries

AI & Digital Transformation Categories (New for 2026):

Customer Service Individual

• Digital Transformation Leader in Customer Service
• AI & Tech Focused Customer Service Innovator of the Year
• Customer Service AI Trainer or Specialist of the Year
• Best Use of AI by a Customer Service Manager

Customer Service Team

• AI & Tech Focused Digital Transformation Team of the Year
• AI & Tech Focused Customer Service Team of the Year

Customer Service Achievement

• Customer Service Achievement in Automation
• Best Use of AI in Customer Service
• Best Use of Chatbots or AI Assistants in Customer Service
• Best Use of AI Integration in Contact Centers
• Best AI-Driven Customer Experience
• Achievement in AI-Powered Self-Service
• Best Predictive Customer Service Using AI
• Best Use of Generative AI in Customer Interactions
• Customer Service Training Program of the Year – AI Readiness

Sales Individual

• Digital Transformation Leader in Sales
• AI & Tech Focused Sales Innovator of the Year
• Sales AI Trainer or Specialist of the Year
• Best Use of AI by a Sales Manager

Sales Team

• AI-Driven Sales Enablement Team of the Year

Sales Achievement

• Sales Achievement in Automation
• Best Use of Chatbots or AI Assistants in Sales
• Achievement in AI-Driven Sales Automation
• Ethical AI Use in Sales

Business Development Category for Technology:

• Business Development Achievement of the Year - Technology Industries

Solutions & Implementations Categories

These categories recognize sales, business development, contact center, and customer service-related products, services, and implementations since July 1, 2023.  Choose from over 50 categories for any Sales or Service Solution - from AI-Powered Sales or Service Solutions, to Sustainable Tech Solutions for Sales & Services, listed on this page.

Solution Provider Categories:

• Sales Consulting Practice of the Year
• Sales Training Practice of the Year
• Sales Outsourcing Provider of the Year
• Digital Enablement Provider of the Year - new category for 2026. Recognizing firms that provide tools, strategies, or systems to digitize customer or sales operations, enabling agility, automation, and omnichannel engagement.
• Incentive, Rewards, or Recognition Provider of the Year
• Customer Service or Call Center Consulting Practice of the Year
• Customer Service or Call Center Training Practice of the Year
• Sales or Customer Service Solutions Technology Partner of the Year
• Contact Center or Customer Service Outsourcing Provider of the Year
• Leadership or Management Training Practice of the Year
• Sales & Service Ecosystem Enabler of the Year - new category for 2026. Recognizing providers that integrate or manage multiple platforms and services, creating cohesive and scalable customer engagement ecosystems for their clients.

Thought Leadership Categories- Technology Related:

Best Use of Thought Leadership in Digital Transformation - new category for 2026. Recognizing individuals or organizations whose insights and content have influenced or guided strategic digital change in sales or customer service since July 1 2023.

 

Not sure which category is right for your nomination?

Email help@stevieawards.com to schedule a complimentary call with our Founder, Michael Gallagher. Receive no-obligation feedback and guidance on choosing the best competitions and categories to enter.

 

📆Please note: The final Entry Deadline is January 14. This deadline will NOT be extended.

Ready to Enter? Request Your Entry Kit 

Request your entry kit by completing the form below to view the full list of categories, entry fees, and helpful information to prepare nominations in the 2026 Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. 

 

 

More About the Stevie Awards

Since 2002, the Stevie® Awards have honored and generated public recognition of the achievements and positive contributions of thousands of organizations and working professionals worldwide. Often dubbed the "Oscars of Business,"  our premier business awards are conferred across nine competitions*, each with its own focus (region or industry), list of categories, and schedule. Thousands of organizations in more than 70 nations take part in the Stevie®  Awards nomination process each year. Together, our competitions receive more than 12,000 nominations annually from global leaders like DHL, IBM, and Toyota, to fast-growing small and mid-sized businesses.

The Stevie Awards are judged by many of the world's most respected executives, entrepreneurs, innovators, and business educators. Entrants have access to all of the judges' comments about their entries, an invaluable resource.  About 30–40% of entries receive recognition annually, with winners taking home the coveted Stevie Award trophy. Learn more about the judging and awards process here.

*The nine Stevie Awards competitions include The American Business Awards®, the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, the Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards, The International Business Awards®, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business and the Stevie Awards for Technology Excellence.

For the past two years, the Stevie® Awards team has been working tirelessly behind the scenes to create something we know you’ll love.

The system we built more than 20 years ago to manage and run most of our Stevie Awards programs has reached the end of its life.

After over two decades of operating under the same website, entry platforms, and judging systems, we are introducing a fully modernized, user-friendly website and upgraded platform for entrants and judges across all nine Stevie Awards programs!

This new system is fully operational for The 24th Annual American Business Awards®, the 20th annual Stevie® Awards for Sales & Customer Service and the 14th Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards new sites will be live as soon as next week. We will be transitioning our other awards programs onto the new platform as they open for nominations throughout this Fall and 2026.

View the schedule in the table below:

The new system has many benefits for entrants, judges, and Stevie Awards administrators. Founder & Executive Chairman of the Stevie Awards, Michael Gallagher, announced:

"This milestone refresh has been a long time coming, and we are excited to announce that it's finally here.

From selecting categories to submitting entries, and managing nominations across multiple competitions, you will find that every step of the Stevie Awards nomination process has been upgraded from our former antiquated system." 

Stevie Awards President, Maggie Miller, added:

"Whether you’re a first-time entrant, a returning participant, or one of our dedicated judges, this overhaul is designed to make entering or judging the Stevie Awards a simpler, faster, and more intuitive experience."

Below, you will find a list of the top benefits that make the new Stevie Awards website and system better than ever. Among them are:

1. Single Sign-On Across All Stevie Awards Programs 🏆

Previously, to enter or judge multiple Stevie Awards programs, users were required to create separate logins for each competition. Now, through one Stevie Awards entry account, you will be able to submit nominations or apply to judge in any of our awards programs. No more multiple logins! As each program opens for 2026, it will open on the new system. For now, you can login to closed programs through the old platform. 

As shown below, if you are logged in to your entry account, it's easy to select a program from the dropdown menu.

2. Superior Performance👌

The new system is built on the latest and best available tools and services, and is significantly faster and easier to use than the current system. The new website is fully mobile-friendly, and entrants can now submit nominations on their phones or tablets if they choose to do so. The technology foundation allows us to continually add new features and enhancements, so the experience will keep improving year after year.

The only Stevie Awards system that will not be integrated into the new system is the official Stevie Awards Store, which will continue to run on Shopify. Our store is where winners purchase additional trophies, medallions, certificates, and commemorative items. 

3. One Account for Judges Across all Stevie Awards Programs 👨‍⚖️

Just as each entrant will now only need one account through which to enter any or all of our programs, judges can apply to judge one or more of them, and act as a judge for any of them under one login.

4. Archival Storage 💽

To date, for most of our competitions, we’ve had to clear out a prior year’s nominations from the system before we can open the next edition. The new system will store and make available to you all of your past nominations (submitted through the new platform).

5. Effortless Category Selection and Search 🔍

The new system includes a convenient “find-as-you-type” search feature for categories. Previously, entrants had to scroll through hundreds of options to locate the right one. Now, finding the right category for your achievement is quick and effortless.

 

6.  Billing and Payment Options that Give Entrants More Control and Convenience 💳

Our new platform will make it easier to find, modify, and pay your invoices, with more payment options.

For paying your entry fees, we now have advanced payment options, including a “pay later” option that will offer automatic reconciliation of invoices, and allows you to make edits to invoices. At checkout, you can choose how you'd like to pay, whether via card, bank account, bank transfer, Cash App Pay, Affirm, Klarna, pre-authorized debit, or Amazon Pay.

The option to choose to pay shipping fees will be completely integrated into the overall system as well.

7.  Fewer Technical Issues ⚠️

If you’ve recently had a problem logging into your entry or judging account, submitting nominations, or judging entries, you’ve experienced our former system’s growing unreliability. If you’ve been a longtime Stevie Awards participant, you may recall the occasional frustration of encountering 403 error messages when submitting nominations. (Thank you for your patience in putting up with the old system!)

These errors often occurred during high-traffic periods near final entry deadlines, after resetting a password, or even when certain symbols were included in a nomination. Now, entrants can submit nominations with confidence, without worrying about system errors or having to write them offline during down periods.

8. Mobile-Friendly Website 💻

We no longer have a separate mobile website, and the Stevie Awards site is fully mobile-friendly. Nominations can now be submitted from your mobile device or tablet if you choose. 

Join Us for a Live Workshop About Navigating the New Stevie Awards Platform 👇

Starting Thursday, October 23, we will be hosting regularly occurring live workshops to walk entrants through the ins and outs of the new system. Register Now to participate in the first workshop or click the button below.

While the new system is intuitive and user-friendly, we are striving to make this transition seamless for everyone, and these workshops are another opportunity to answer your questions as they arise.

We look forward to sharing the new Stevie Awards platform with you!

If you encounter a problem, please reach out to us at help@stevieawards.com, and we will help you accomplish what you need to do.

Winners of the 2025 People's Choice Stevie® Awards for Favorite Customer Service, a worldwide public vote, were announced today. Voting was conducted from March 7 through March 31, with the highest number of votes deciding the winners in eight industry categories. More than 34,000 votes were cast this year.

All organizations honored in the Customer Service Department of the Year categories of this year’s Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service were eligible to be included in voting for the People’s Choice awards. The Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service, now in their 19th year, are the world’s top honors for customer service, contact center, business development, and sales professionals.

More than 2,100 nominations from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry, in 45 nations and territories, were evaluated in this year’s competition. Winners were determined by the average scores of more than 170 professionals worldwide on seven specialized juries.

Entries were considered in more than 60 categories for customer service and contact center achievements, including Contact Center of the Year, Award for Innovation in Customer Service, and Customer Service Department of the Year; 60 categories for sales and business development achievements, ranging from Senior Sales Executive of the Year to Sales Training or Business Development Executive of the Year to Sales Department of the Year; and categories to recognize new products and services and solution providers, among others.

Winners in all categories were announced on March 6. Stevie winners will be recognized at an award ceremony on April 10 in New York City. More than 300 Stevie Award winners and their guests from around the world are expected to attend.

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

• Airlines & Transportation: DHL Express Worldwide (BD) Pvt. Ltd., Dhaka, Bangladesh
• All Other Industries: UnitedHealthcare Provider Service Operations, Minneapolis, MN, USA
• Computer Hardware & Services: ScalePad, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
• Consumer Products & Services: Blueair, Chicago, IL, USA
• Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals: Golden Hour, Spring, TX, USA
• Public Service & Education: Curriculum Associates, Billerica, MA, USA
• Software – 100 or more Employees: Intuit Mailchimp, Atlanta, GA, USA
• Telecommunications: AireSpring, Clearwater, FL, USA

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

Sponsors of the 2025 Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service include The Brooks Group, Sales Partnerships, Support Services Group, and ValueSelling Associates.

 

Winners to be honored at an award ceremony April 10 in New York City

Winners of the 2025 Stevie® Awards for Sales & Customer Service were announced in March, but winners of one special category, supported by longtime Stevie Awards sponsor Sales Partnerships Inc., were announced today.

The Sales Partnerships Ethics in Sales Award recognizes organizations for best practices and achievements in demonstrating the highest ethical standards in sales. Nominees submitted specific examples, case studies, practices, etc., illustrating why their organization should be considered an excellent practitioner of both successful and ethical sales. This year’s award looked at accomplishments since the beginning of 2023.

A review panel assembled by Sales Partnerships assessed the nominations in this category and chose the following winners for 2025:

GOLD STEVIE WINNERS:

• AWeber - Email Marketing, Chalfont, PA, USA
• Yuksekbilgili Egitim & Danismanlik, Istanbul, Türkiye

SILVER STEVIE WINNERS:

• Alight Solutions, Charlotte, NC, USA
• Beverly Jo Lynn Enterprises Inc, North York, Ontario, Canada
• Revenue Storm, Schaumburg, IL, USA
• Smartflats 24, Prague, Czech Republic

BRONZE STEVIE WINNERS:

• Glow Ventures, LLC, Sicklerville, NJ, USA
• Aires, Pittsburgh, PA USA
• TEKLYNX, Milwaukee, WI USA
• The Gem Institute, Dili, Timor Leste

Sales Partnerships, Inc., which provides turnkey, outsourced selling solutions, is a sponsor of the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service program for the sixth consecutive year.

“We congratulate all the 2025 Ethics in Sales Stevie winners,” said Maggie Miller, President of the Stevie Awards. “The judges were particularly impressed by organizations that have made notable strides in strengthening their ethical practices. Sales Partnerships' decision to honor not just high-performing sales professionals, but also those who achieve success through ethical means, is something we truly commend. We’re excited to have our longtime sponsor present these awards during the April 10 Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service ceremony.”

Sponsors of the 2025 Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service include The Brooks Group, Sales Partnerships, Support Services Group, and ValueSelling Associates.

The Stevie® Awards are delighted to announce the seven distinguished professionals who will chair the judging committees of the 2025 (19th annual) Stevie® Awards for Sales & Customer Service competition.

The Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service are the world's top sales awards, customer service awards, business development awards, contact center awards, and more.

This year's Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Award winners in the program were announced on March 6. All winners will be celebrated during an award ceremony on April 10 in New York City.

The seven committee chairs were invited to chair based on their professional experience and expertise. Judging chairs helped to form their committees, each of which is comprised of other professionals from around the globe. Learn more about the Stevie Awards judging process here. 

Here are this year's judging committee chairs:

Business Development & Thought Leadership Awards Judging Committee 
Chair: Will Milano, Principal, Paramount Professional Services Marketing, Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Will has been a senior marketing leader in the corporate training and performance improvement industry for over 16 years. Most recently, he spent over 9 years as Chief Marketing Officer for Integrity Solutions, a Nashville, Tennessee-based sales training firm that has won over a dozen Stevie Awards in recent years. His focus in the industry has been growing brands that were previously "best-kept secrets", raising their market visibility and differentiation, driving demand and revenue growth strategies, and fostering customer engagement and retention.

Overall, Will has almost 25 years of experience in professional services marketing. He focuses on the four essential elements of B2B marketing strategy: brand strategy, demand generation, and customer acquisition, customer engagement & retention, and sales enablement. He is now the Principal of Paramount Professional Services Marketing, providing consulting and fractional CMO services to a variety of professional services organizations. Will has been the host of the very popular Mental Selling podcast since late 2021 and has been interviewed on a variety of other podcasts, sharing his insights on B2B marketing and thought leadership strategies.

Customer Service & Contact Center Achievement Awards Judging Committee
Chair: Mr. Yuji Hamamoto, President and CEO, Inspiro, Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines

Yuji Hamamoto is the President and CEO of Inspiro, leading over 11,000 customer champions across 12 international locations. With more than three decades of diversified global experience with Mitsui & Co., he has held senior-level positions in sales and marketing, finance and investments, trading, project development and implementation, and operations management in the ICT and electronics business sector.

Since assuming his current role in 2020, Yuji has steered Inspiro into becoming an industry-recognized leader in global digital customer experience (CX) outsourcing. His focus on enhancing agent experience, improving customer experience, and optimizing operational efficiency in leading successful DX initiatives for network optimization, infosec augmentation, data consolidation, and analytics has driven outstanding results and significant growth. His leadership has notably earned the company global accolades for its excellence in management, customer service delivery, customer and agent experience, and innovative technology.

Educated at Keio University, Tokyo, with a BA degree in Political Science, Yuji’s professional journey has spanned multiple continents, including Asia, North and South America, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Russia, and the CIS countries. Today, he operates from Inspiro’s headquarters in Makati City, Philippines.

Customer Service Department & Customer Service Success Awards Judging Committee
Chair: Angela Blevins, Vice President, Club and Owner Services, Hilton Grand Vacation Club, Plainfield, Indiana, United States

Angela serves in a senior leadership role as Vice President of Club and Owner Services for Hilton Grand Vacations. She is responsible for the world-class customer service experience for close to a million customers. Prior to Hilton Grand Vacations, Angela served as Bluegreen Vacations Senior Vice President of Club Services and Customer Care, as well as a member of the Executive Committee, and was responsible for directing the induction, retention, and relationship development of all Bluegreen owners. Along with her team of contact center professionals, Ms. Blevins is focused on driving innovation and leveraging 360-degree customer data to deliver exceptional customer satisfaction and continuous product improvement.

Angela joined Bluegreen in 2003 as Director of Contact Center operations in the company’s Indianapolis office. She was promoted to Vice President of Customer Engagement and Shared Servicing in 2005 and was appointed to the Board of Directors for the Bluegreen Vacation Club in 2016. Prior to joining Bluegreen Vacations, Ms. Blevins was the Director of Contact Center and Program Management at Telamon Corporation in Indianapolis, Indiana, where she served as the company’s customer service architect, developing and implementing business processes to support client services, field sales, and delivering contract requirements. She also led contact center operations at Aspen Systems Corporation in her native Indianapolis.

Ms. Blevins has been recognized for her innovative and engaging leadership in customer service, earning a Silver Stevie Award for Customer Service for five consecutive years, 2012 – 2016. She was named an “Influential Woman of Northwest Indiana” finalist for the Northwest Indiana Influential Women Association for three consecutive years, 2014 – 2016. She also earned a Bronze Stevie Award in 2013 and was named a Woman of the Year finalist in the same year, along with various other individual and team industry awards.

Customer Service & Contact Center Individual & Team Awards
Chair: Lisa P Oswald, Senior Vice President, Global Customer Service, Travelzoo, New York, New York, United States

Lisa P. Oswald is senior vice president and global head of customer service at Travelzoo, supporting its 30 million members and client network since 2011. Previously, she was vice president of operations and customer service for Priceline, where she led sales and service for the dot com and its affiliate partner network for a decade-plus.

Lisa is an Advisory Board member with Execs In The Know, a founding and exclusive community of women executives at leading travel brands, and a strategy advisor with SOCAP International, the customer care industry’s membership association. She is a past recipient of the Gold Stevie Award® for Customer Service Executive of the Year from The American Business Awards, and the Travelzoo service team is the recipient of numerous excellence awards from the British Travel Awards and Stevie Awards®, including the People's Choice Award for Favorite Customer Service.

Sales Achievements & Sales Distinction Awards Judging Committee
Chair: Tunde Hubina, Vice President of Client Services, Startek, Miami, Florida, United States

Tunde Hubina is a visionary leader in customer experience and sales, with over 20 years of expertise spanning the Telecommunications, Healthcare, and Automotive industries. As Vice President of Client Services at Startek, Tunde drives strategic account growth and manages relationships with Fortune 500 clients.

Known for blending operational excellence with cutting-edge innovations, Tunde excels in devising and executing strategies to lead large-scale transformation programs, redefine employee engagement, elevate customer experiences, and deliver measurable business impact.

Sales Individual & Sales Team Awards
Chair: Zeki Yuksekbilgili, Founder & Trainer, Yuksekbilgili Training and Consulting Services, Istanbul, Türkiye

Zeki Yuksekbilgili, an accomplished individual, holds a doctorate degree in Business Management. He is widely recognized as the visionary behind Yuksekbilgili Training Co., one of Türkiye's largest training companies. Moreover, he serves as a distinguished lecturer at Istanbul Gelisim University.

His teachings primarily revolve around Marketing Management, Sales Management, and Research Methodology. With an extensive professional background spanning over 20 years, Zeki Yuksekbilgili has successfully delivered training programs to over 50,000 individuals across more than 500 companies in the past decade. Additionally, he has authored 20 books on marketing management, sales, and training.

Solution Provider, Solutions & Implementation Awards Judging Committee 
Chair: Paul McGee, VP Employee & Customer Success, Toco Warranty, West Hills, California, United States

Paul McGee is a business strategist with an artist’s passion specializing in customer experience, brand management, and employee retention. A 12-time judge and 2-time chairperson for the Stevie Awards, Paul brings over 25 years of management expertise spanning strategy, operations, and marketing. His executive leadership has shaped high-performing organizational cultures and driven exceptional customer outcomes.

Paul holds an MBA and three bachelor’s degrees from Boise State University, including Teaching and Theatre Arts, and is also a licensed real estate and insurance agent. An accomplished actor and director, Paul serves on the Board of Governors at Theatre 68 in NYC and LA. He draws parallels between the stage and the boardroom, believing that empowered teams—like actors free to express creativity—are the key to successful businesses.

Paul resides in Pasadena, CA, with his wife, twins, and their dog, Rocky, and is passionate about applying his award-winning strategies to elevate businesses, brands, and employee performance.

DP DHL Wins Grand Stevie Award for 13th Consecutive Year

The Stevie® Awards have announced the winners of Grand Stevie Award trophies in the 19th annual Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service, recognized as the world's top honors for achievement in business development, customer service, and sales.

Nominees in the 2025 Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service were not able to apply for Grand Stevie Awards directly. These are “best of show” honors. Winners were determined by a points system based on the total number of awards won in the program, with a Gold Stevie win counting for three points, a Silver Stevie win for two points, and a Bronze Stevie win for 1.5 points.

This year's Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Award winners in the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service were announced on March 6. All winners will be celebrated during an awards ceremony on April 10 in New York City.

Winners of the Grand Stevie Awards in the 2025 competition are:

1. DP DHL, worldwide, with 91.5 award points earned by Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Award wins by DHL affiliates in 17 nations, is the most honored organization in the 2025 competition. This is the 13th year in a row in which the multinational package delivery and supply chain management company, headquartered in Bonn, Germany, has won a Grand Stevie in the program. They have placed first on the list of most honored organizations 11 years out of 13.

2. IBM, worldwide (71.5 award points). IBM has won a Grand Stevie Award in the program for the ninth consecutive year.

3. Sales Partnerships, Broomfield, Colorado USA (48 points). Sales Partnerships has won a Grand Stevie Award for the eighth consecutive year, as well as in 2016.

4. Intuit (34 points) earned by Intuit Canada, Toronto, Ontario, and Intuit Mailchimp, Atlanta, Georgia USA.

5. ValueSelling Associates, Carlsbad, California USA (33 points). ValueSelling also won Grand Stevies in 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023.

More than 2,100 nominations from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry, in 45 nations and territories, were evaluated in this year's competition. Winners were determined by the average scores of more than 170 professionals worldwide on seven specialized juries.

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

Sponsors of the 2025 Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service include The Brooks Group, Sales Partnerships, Support Services Group, and ValueSelling Associates.

 

Each year, the Stevie® Awards for Sales & Customer Service recognizes the world’s most innovative and effective achievements in customer contact, business development, and service excellence. In 2025, we received 2,100 of nominations from organizations in more than 45 nations, all showcasing the evolving strategies, technologies, and human-centered practices transforming the customer experience.

Winners were announced on March 6 and will be honored at a ceremony in New York City on April 10, 2025.

Behind every Stevie Award is a panel of expert judges who bring deep industry knowledge and thoughtful analysis to the evaluation process. One of those judges is Greg Salvato, CEO of TouchPoint One, who generously volunteered his time and expertise to review 100+ entries across a range of customer service categories this year.

We’re honored to share Greg’s reflections from his experience on the judging panel — observations that go beyond scoring and offer valuable takeaways for any organization committed to delivering exceptional customer service. From the role of AI to the power of internal storytelling, Greg highlights the trends and traits that distinguish truly outstanding teams in today’s competitive CX landscape.

Thank you, Greg, for your thoughtful insights and continued support of the Stevie Awards community!

__________________________________________________________________________________________

✨Over the past several weeks, I had the privilege of evaluating 100 nominations from customer service teams across industries and the globe. My purview was a mere fraction of the several hundred entries submitted, but I thought it worth sharing at least a few of the key observations that stuck out for me that might help you meet your CX objectives in 2025 and beyond. 🚀

𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀:

🤖 𝗔𝗜 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿 — 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲, 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲. AI was in the house, but rarely as the centerpiece. The best entries used automation to enhance, not replace, human expertise.

💪 𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗰𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀 (𝗮𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗹𝘆). Instead, it was about elevating service, reducing friction, and making agents more effective. The best teams weren’t shrinking but rather expanding capabilities.

💲 𝗖𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿! Some teams proved that contact centers aren’t just about issue resolution but driving sales, retention, and loyalty. Really appreciated these stories as they showed a clear path for an evolved, expanded agent and CX organization role.

🤝 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 = 𝗖𝗫 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀. The most impactful teams invested in training, leadership development, and employee engagement, proving that great CX starts from within.

🔎 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗮𝗽 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 “𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱” 𝗮𝗻𝗱 “𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁” 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆. Some teams had incredible results but failed to tell their story effectively. The best entries were doing great work - and articulating their impact clearly. I make this point not just in the context of awards, but because the stories you tell internally (you are telling them, right?) are what equip, align, engage, and inspire your CX team - the rocket fuel for lasting success. 🚀

Every judge brings their own perspective, of course, so what stood out to me might be perceived differently by others. But if these 100 entries are any indication, the best customer service teams are building sustainable, human-centered strategies that drive real impact.

If you’re leading or supporting a customer service function, I hope these notes give you something useful and maybe even help you take things to the next level. If you have a customer contact success story to tell, and/or might like to be a judge, I can’t recommend program and staff more highly. 😁

The Stevie® Awards, organizer of the world’s premier business awards programs, has announced that ValueSelling Associates will sponsor the 2025 (19th annual) Stevie® Awards for Sales & Customer Service for the 18th consecutive year.

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

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

Winners were announced in the 2025 competition on March 6. More than 2,100 nominations from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry, in 45 nations and territories, were evaluated in this year’s competition. Winners were determined by the average scores of more than 170 professionals worldwide on seven specialized juries.

Eligible nominees for this competition include departments, teams, and professionals from around the world who work in customer service, contact centers, business development, and sales. New products and services and solution providers used by those professionals are also eligible. The 2025 awards recognized achievements since July 1, 2023. Explore the full list of categories.

ValueSelling Associates is the creator of the ValueSelling Framework®, the sales methodology, training and toolset that aligns your revenue engine with a common language to enable sales professionals to compete on value, not price, and saves time in all selling scenarios. Since 1991, ValueSelling Associates has helped thousands of sales professionals realize immediate revenue growth and achieve results they never thought possible. They offer bespoke training to FORTUNE 1000, mid-sized, and start-up companies to drive sales results.

“Maggie Miller, President of the Stevie Awards, shared, ‘ValueSelling has been a loyal supporter of the competition since its early years, playing a key role in the program’s impressive development. We’re thrilled to join forces with ValueSelling once again as we shine a spotlight on exceptional sales professionals and organizations around the world. The Stevie Awards depends on committed partners like ValueSelling who understand the value of celebrating excellence in the workplace.’”

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

Winners will be celebrated during an awards banquet on April 10 in New York, NY USA.

View full details for the 19th annual Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service at StevieAwards.com/Sales.

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

 

Winners in the 19th annual Stevie® Awards for Sales & Customer Service, recognized as the world's top customer service awards and sales awards, have been announced. A complete list of all 2025 Gold, Silver and Bronze Stevie Award winners by category is available at www.StevieAwards.com/Sales.

Winners will be recognized during a gala banquet at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City on Thursday, April 10. Tickets are on sale now.

More than 2,100 nominations from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry, in 45 nations and territories, were evaluated in this year’s competition. Winners were determined by the average scores of more than 170 professionals worldwide on seven specialized juries. Entries were considered in more than 60 categories for customer service and contact center achievements, including Contact Center of the Year, Award for Innovation in Customer Service, and Customer Service Department of the Year; 60 categories for sales and business development achievements, ranging from Senior Sales Executive of the Year to Sales Training or Business Development Executive of the Year to Sales Department of the Year; and categories to recognize new products and services and solution providers, among others.

The top winner of Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Awards is DP DHL, worldwide with 39 Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Award wins.

Other winners of six or more Stevie Awards include:

IBM, various locations (31), Sales Partnerships, Inc., Broomfield, CO USA (20), Support Services Group, Inc., Waco, TX USA (18), ValueSelling Associates Inc., Carlsbad, CA USA (15), Unitedhealthcare Provider Service Operations, Minneapolis, MN USA (13), TransPerfect Translations, New York, NY USA (12), UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA USA (12), Druva Inc., Santa Clara, CA USA (9), Intuit Canada, Toronto, ON Canada (9), Blackhawk Network, Pleasanton CA USA (8), GoHealth, Chicago, IL USA (8), Tata Consultancy Services, worldwide (8), Element TV Company, LP, Winnsboro, SC USA (6), Intuit Mailchimp, Atlanta, GA USA (6), Mplus, Zagreb, Croatia (6), and Nutun, Johannesburg, South Africa (6).

Winners in one special category, the Sales Partnerships Ethics in Sales Award, will be announced in early April. The deadline to submit nominations for this prize is March 21. This award recognizes organizations for best practices and achievements in demonstrating the highest ethical standards in the sales industry.

Five winners of Grand Stevie Award trophies, for the five most-honored organizations in the competition, will be announced the week of March 17.

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

Nominations for the 2026 edition of the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service will be accepted starting this July.  The entry kit may be requested at http://www.StevieAwards.com/Sales.

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

 

Stevie winners in these categories to be celebrated at April awards ceremony in New York City

Today the Stevie® Awards, organizer of the world's premier business awards programs, announced that The Brooks Group, a leading sales training and development company, is a sponsor of the Sales Team categories of the 2025 Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Winners will be announced on March 6. Complete details about the competition are available at http://www.StevieAwards.com/Sales.

The Stevie Awards are the premier business honors for sales, customer service, solution provider, and call center professionals around the globe. The sales team categories recognize the members of individual teams within overall sales departments.

The Brooks Group is a leading sales training and development company dedicated to enhancing sales effectiveness for organizations across multiple industries. Since its founding in 1977, The Brooks Group has been recognized as a leader and innovator in the sales training and performance industry. The effectiveness of its training delivery and sales process methodology is proven by continued customer success and positive reviews. Its flagship program, IMPACT Selling®, empowers sales professionals and teams with confidence and skills to generate breakthrough results.

Larissa DiStefano, VP of Marketing at The Brooks Group, shared, “The Brooks Group has a long-standing commitment to individual seller development and the overall success of sales organizations. We're proud to sponsor the Stevie's sales team awards category, which recognizes significant achievements and sales excellence."

Sales Team categories include:

Account Management Team of the Year
Recognizing the sales management team of a specific client account for their achievements.

Global Sales Team of the Year
Recognizing sales teams whose industry, client, or other focus has a global scope.

National Sales Team of the Year
Recognizing sales teams whose industry, client, or other focus has a national scope.

Government Sales Team of the Year
Recognizing sales teams whose charge is selling to government clients.

Field Sales Team of the Year
Recognizing sales teams that obtain the majority of their business out of the office at face-to-face meetings with clients.

Inside or Telesales Team of the Year
Recognizing sales teams that obtain the majority of their business by telephone.

Online Sales Team of the Year
Recognizing sales teams that obtain the majority of their business via online or social media.

Sales Support Team of the Year
Recognizing teams that provide administrative, logistical, or resource support to sales organizations. This category is split into four separate categories:

a. Business Services Industries: recognizes sales support teams in business services industries such as advertising, consulting, marketing, public relations, recruiting, etc.
b. Other Service Industries: recognizes sales support teams in services industries such as financial services, healthcare, hospitality & leisure, legal, media & entertainment, real estate, retail, etc.
c. Technology Industries: recognizes sales support teams in technology industries such as computer software, computer services, computer hardware, internet/new media, and telecommunications.
d. All Other Industries: recognizes sales support teams in all industries not covered by the other Sales Support Team of the Year categories.

Sales Operations Team of the Year
Recognizing teams that help sales organizations to run effectively, efficiently and in support of business strategies and objectives.

Virtual Technology Sales Enablement and Pre-sales Team of the Year
Recognizing teams that provide remote sales and technology expertise to accelerate and enable sales with a global or national scope.

Sales Management Team of the Year
Recognizing the leadership teams of sales organizations for their achievements.

Winners of Stevie winners in Sales Team and all other categories will be announced on March 6, and the Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Award winners will be honored during an awards ceremony in New York City on April 10.

The Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service feature more than 150 sales awards, customer service awards, business development awards, new product awards, thought leadership, and solution provider awards categories. Entrants may submit any number of nominations to any number of categories.

Winners of the 2024 edition of the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service included Allianz Services Pvt Ltd, Apexon, Ayala Land, Bank of America, Blackhawk Network, Cisco Systems, Delta Dental of Kansas, DP DHL, Everise, Hinduja Global Solutions, HP Inc., IBM Corporation, Lounge Group, Purpol Marketing Limited, Sales Partnerships, Inc., Samsung Electronics America, SAP, Splunk, Support Services Group, Tata Consultancy Services, Toco Warranty, UPMC Health Plan, VIZIO Inc., Watsons, and Weber Shandwick.

The 2025 competition was judged by more than 150 professionals around the world.

About the Stevie® Awards

Stevie Awards are conferred in nine programs: the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, the Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards, The American Business Awards®, The International Business Awards®, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the Stevie Awards for Technology Excellence, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Each year more than 12,000 nominations from more than 70 nations are judged by more than 1,000 professionals in Stevies competitions. 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.

About The Brooks Group

We unlock sales potential. The Brooks Group is the leading sales training and development company empowering sales teams to generate breakthrough results. Notable clients include Airbus, Avita Medical, Bobcat, Hitachi Energy, Mack Trucks and Volvo Trucks, SANY Americas, Texas Instruments, and the United States Air Force. To learn more about our suite of ROI-driven sales training and development programs, best-in-class assessments, and industry-leading reinforcement tools, visit www.brooksgroup.com.  

Sponsors of the 2025 Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service include The Brooks Group, Sales Partnerships, Support Services Group, and ValueSelling Associates.