Award recipients

2021

Dr. Alaina Love
Alaina Love is CEO of Purpose Linked Consulting (PLC) and a nationally recognized expert in employee purpose, passion and inclusion. She is co-author of the bestselling McGraw-Hill book, The Purpose Linked Organization: How Passionate Leaders Inspire Winning Teams and Great Results, and was formerly a research scientist and the Executive Director of Global Human Resources for Merck & Co., Inc.
Over the last 18 years, Purpose Linked Consulting has conducted research and developed programs to support leadership and team development and foster inclusive cultures, with a specific focus on
employee purpose and passion. With a research team from University of Michigan, the company developed the Passion ProfilerTM online tool, which identifies and measures the 10 passion archetypes operating in all of us and reveals how we are using them in the work environment. PLC’s work has shown that managing to an individual’s passions, as well as their skills, fuels performance and engagement, stimulates cognitive diversity and builds the agility required to successfully navigate challenging times.
An avid thought leader, Ms. Love has served as a leadership columnist for Bloomberg Business Week, The Washington Post, and Harvard Business Review online. She currently writes a popular monthly blog for SmartBrief on Leadership, which was among the most widely read columns in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019.

Bonnie Hagemann
Bonnie Hagemann is the CEO of EDA, Inc., a top-of-the-house consulting firm known around the world for its C-Suite capabilities in executive development and research. Shifting to advancing the state of the industry rather than one company at a time, EDA is currently taking its’ 39-year history as a thought leader in the space and using it to create a powerful HR Tech platform called SurveySaurus, designed to make culture visible to the company’s leaders, members of the board and investors.
Having coached 20 high–level CEOs and over 260 leaders during her 30+ years in the industry, Bonnie is a seasoned expert in top–of–the–house executive development and the growth of highpotentials into senior leaders. Bonnie has over16 years of experience successfully leading consultingfirms through times of rapid growth, acquisitions,economic downturn, and downsizing. Her rich, intuitive abilities and understanding of the CEO role deeply complement the analytical and business capabilities of top–of–the–house executives.
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In 2016, Bonnie obtained the Harvard Business School Executive Education Program’s “Women on Boards: Succeeding as a Corporate Director” certification. Bonnie currently chairs two corporate boards and is also a member and previous chair of a nonprofit board. As co–chairof WomenExecs on Boards, a global network of Harvard–prepared corporate governance leaders and as a member of the Business Council for Exponent, a Google, Nasdaq, BBC, and United Nations–backed organization that is gathering the world’s most influential decision–makers to improve the global human condition through gender equality, Bonnie is a strong advocate for gender equality and women in leadership. She is also the host of the “Real Life, Real Leaders” Podcast, featuring stories from the 190+ members of the Women Execs on Boards network.
Bonnie also leads research on Trends in Executive Development, a biennial report which has become a trusted resource and industry benchmark for talent and leadership development professionals as well as executives. She has developed four courses for the LinkedIn Learning platform, with a fifth forthcoming later this year. She has also published over 40 works, including “Leading With Vision: The Leader’s Blueprint for Creating a Compelling Vision and Engaging the Workforce”, and her newest book, “The Courage To Advance”,a powerful collection of 36 stories about how the world’s most successful women have overcome some of life’s biggest challenges to reach the top of their professions, which will be released this September.

Dr. Guila Clara Kessous
Dr. Guila Clara Kessous is a UNESCO Peace Ambassador and an executive coach using theatrical techniques to enhance corporate communication and help heal those who have suffered from prior trauma.
For over 10 years, Dr. Kessous has accompanied board members, senior executives and managers in their leadership responsibilities and has assisted them in the development of effective and innovative management strategies.
As a recipient of an Executive MBA from ESSEC Business School, a PhD from Boston University under Nobel Prize Elie Wiesel’s direction, and a Post-Doc from Harvard University, she has created a tailor-made approach targeting established and emerging leaders to ensure their optimal performance in a rapidly evolving globalenvironment.
She has combined her artistic experience (Actors studio training) together with coaching methods such as positive psychology (Tal Ben Shahar), Leadership and Negotiation (William L. Ury), Executive Communication Skills (Marjorie North) and Emotional Intelligence (Associate Paul Ekman’s EIA). She is a certified coach ICC trainer (EMCC) and expert of assessments tools such as Leadership Effectiveness Analysis (MRG) and Hogan (Authentic Talent). As a certified coach, she has helped hundreds of senior executives (private sector: CAC 40, Nasdaq 500…) dealing with positive leadership. She became « Rising Talent » from the Women’s Forum for the
Economy and Society in 2020 and is the recipient of the Women Empowerment Award 2020 by Eva Longoria from the Global Gift Foundation for her dedication in times of COVID-19 to support medical teams and patients in remission using resilience through art of storytelling and drama techniques.
Dr. Kessous is an active member of the Harvard University affiliated Institute of coaching and was recently knighted by French government.

Dr. Sim B. Sitkin
Dr. Sim Sitkin is Duke University’s Michael W. Krzyzewski University Professor of Leadership, Professor of Management and Public Policy; and Faculty Director, Fuqua/Coach K Center on Leadership & Ethics.
He is also Co-Founder and President of Delta Leadership. Delta Leadership offers training programs, presentations, individual coaching, and instructional and assessment materials that are based on the Six Domains of Leadership Model that Sitkin developed with Allan Lind. Â
In his consulting, speaking and executive education work, Sim has worked extensively with corporations, non-profits, and government organizations worldwide. In this work, he has focused on strategic leadership, leading and managing change (including mergers and acquisitions), organizational trust, everyday courage, the pursuit of aspirational goals, learning and knowledge management, and the design of organizational control systems.
In addition to serving in a number of administrative leadership roles at Duke, Sim has also been Academic Director at Duke Corporate Education and on the faculty of the University of Texas at Austin and the Free University of Amsterdam. He has been elected a Fellow of the Society for Organizational Learning, Academy of Management, International Network for Trust Research, Society for Organizational Behavior, and the Center for Evidence-based Management.
Sim’s research focuses on leadership and control systems and their influence on how organizations and their members become more or less capable of change and innovation. He is widely known for his research on the effect of formal and informal organizational control systems and leadership on risk taking, accountability, trust, learning, M&A processes, and innovation. In addition to leading scholarly journals, his research has appeared in such publications as the Harvard Business Review. His most recent books are Organizational Control (2010), The Six Domains of Leadership (2016) and Routledge Companion to Trust (2017). In addition to his extensive and impactful research, he has developed an array of management and leadership educational materials, including Carter Racing, one of the most widely used teaching cases in the world.
He has served on a number of boards of directors (including Academy of Management, Society of Organizational Learning, Hope for the Warriors, and Center for the Public Domain) and academic advisory boards (Behavioural Insights Team, Center for Evidence-based Management, McKinsey Implementation Practice). He currently serves as Co-President of the Behavioral Science and Policy Association, Founding Editor of Behavioral Science and Policy, Consulting Editor of Science You Can Use, Advisory Board Member of the Journal of Trust Research. He previously served as editor of several leading academic journals as well as serving on numerous journal editorial boards.
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Sim has been a visiting scholar at Carnegie Mellon University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, New York University, Stanford University, Xerox Palo Alto Research Center, and the University of Queensland. Prior to obtaining his PhD in organizational behavior from Stanford University, Sim spent over ten years in a variety of managerial and executive roles in consulting, non-profit, and government organizations with responsibility for planning, information technology, financial administration, and research.
2019

Employment Sciences: Drea Zigarmi
Experienced management consultant, best-selling author, powerful trainer, and motivational speaker. Co-author of "Leadership and the One Minute Manager", the third book in Ken Blanchard’s best-selling One Minute Manager Library (1985, 2013), and various chapters in "Leading at a Higher Level" (2009). Co-authored "The Leader Within" (2006), "Achieve Leadership Genius" (2007), and "The Team Leader’s Idea-A-Day Guide" (1997). Co-authored for numerous Ken Blanchard Companies products, including the widely used Situational Leadership II, DISC, and Optimal Motivation programs.
Dr. Drea Zigarmi, a Senior Consulting Partner for The Ken Blanchard Companies®, is a highly respected and experienced management consultant, dedicated researcher, best-selling author, powerful trainer, and motivational speaker. He communicates with authority, skillfully blending humor with a no-nonsense approach and prompting people to reflect on their learnings long after a session is over.
Drea’s client list reads like a “who’s who” in international business, and his accomplishments within each organization are a result of his talent, knowledge, and the unique manner in which he inspires leaders to take risks and creative action. Companies such as Dow Chemical, Lockheed, and Canadian Pacific have benefited from his work in the areas of management and organizational development, performance appraisal, and productivity improvement, and their leaders have developed admiration and respect for Drea’s commitment to their mission.
Drea is coauthor of Leadership and the One Minute Manager®, the third book in Ken Blanchard’s best-selling One Minute Manager Library, and various chapters in Leading at a Higher Level. In addition, he has coauthored The Leader Within, Achieve Leadership Genius, and The Team Leader’s Idea-A-Day Guide. Drea has coauthored numerous Blanchard® products, including the widely used Situational Leadership® II, DISC, and Optimal Motivation™ programs.
Drea received a bachelor’s degree in biology from Norwich University; a master’s degree in humanistic education; and a doctorate in education, administration, and organizational studies from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

Cultural Transformation: Sally Helgesen
Sally Helgesen, cited in Forbes as the world’s premier expert on women’s leadership, is a best-selling author, speaker and leadership coach. She has been recognized by Global Gurus as one of the top 30 experts on leadership and will be recognized this fall in London as Thinker’s 50’s top leadership coach for women.
Sally’s most recent book, "How Women Rise", co-authored with legendary executive coach Marshall Goldsmith, examines the behaviors most likely to get in the way of successful women as they seek to move to a higher level.
It became the top-seller in its field within a week of publication and rights have been sold in 12 languages.
Previous books include “The Female Advantage: Women’s Ways of Leadership”, hailed as the classic in its field and continuously in print since 1990, and “The Female Vision: Women’s Real Power at Work”, which explores how women’s strategic insights can strengthen their careers. “The Web of Inclusion: A New Architecture for Building Great Organizations”, was cited in The Wall Street Journal as one of the best books on leadership of all time and is credited with bringing the language of inclusion into business practice.

Organizational Leadership: Vince Molinaro
The author of "The Leadership Contract" (Wiley) – a New York Times and USA Today bestseller – Vince has spent more than 20 years as an adviser to boards and senior executives looking to improve leadership accountability in their organizations
Vince Molinaro has dedicated his life to promoting both personal and organizational accountability in leadership cultures around the world. He experienced a defining moment early in his career when he saw a respected colleague and mentor succumb to a cancer she believed was the byproduct of a stressful, toxic work environment. As a result, Vince vowed to teach business leaders how to build successful organizations by increasing the accountability of their leaders.
Vince knows that leadership accountability is the key ingredient in building a strong, vibrant organizational culture. As a successful senior executive in one of the world’s top leadership development firms, Vince has made it his calling to confront weak and lame leadership. He shows leaders at all levels how to step up and fulfill their obligations and responsibilities as real leaders.
What sets Vince apart is that he’s no ivory-tower academic. As a forceful keynote speaker at conferences and corporate retreats, he translates first-hand experiences from the leadership trenches into practical advice on how leaders can confront and overcome their challenges and build strong leadership cultures.

Executive Coaching: Nancy Parsons
Nancy is President & Co-Founder of CDR Assessment Group, Inc. celebrating 20 Years in Business on October 5, 2018. Nancy is a foremost expert in cutting-edge psychological and performance assessments including the unmatched CDR 3-D Suite used for leadership and talent development.
In late 2017, she released her researched based book, “Fresh Insights to END the Glass Ceiling” that gets to the real reasons the glass ceiling exists and it is not what most people think. This book sheds new light on why so few women make it to the top, the staggering costs of not promoting enough women and is packed with practical solutions to bring it down.
Nancy has presented at international, national and other conferences for talent management, HR and women in leadership events. She has appeared on: NewsMax TV, the Lars Larson Show, USA Radio, and about 50 other programs to discuss her glass ceiling book and research.
Nancy has written over 70 articles and her new book, “How Women Are Creating the Glass Ceiling & Have the Power to End It” will be available in late 2019.
In 2016, Nancy launched the philanthropic endeavor “Vets Coaching Vets” and she and her team have worked to help veterans accelerate their career success.

Organizational Leadership: Ramona Hood
Ramona Hood is the Vice President of Operations, Strategy and Planning at FedEx Custom Critical. Throughout her career, she has been recognized for developing talent, achieving remarkable success in her own career path and driving business results with growth.
As a result of Ramona’s thought leader abilities and visionary talents, Ramona progressed from being an entry-level employee in 1991 to her current officer position. In her current role, she is responsible for setting and achieving strategic goals through inspiration and innovation. She is an experienced leader, mentor, and coach who leverages her intellectual curiosity to bring the highest level of knowledge and capabilities to the people around her.
Ramona’s impact on the people around her and the business includes transfzormational efforts and results. This includes being a champion for advancement of technology in the transportation industry. She is currently the technology chair for the Transportation Intermediary Association (TIA) and embraces the adoption of technology in her industry. At FedEx Custom Critical, she leads the business transformation on business agility and Scaled Agile Framework to ensure customer value is delivered faster. She has made cultural changes in how the organization thinks about innovation while leveraging techniques to drive continuous improvements and new business opportunities.
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2018

Robert (Bob) J. Anderson
Bob has been a pacesetter and thought leader in the field of Leadership Development for over 30 years. He is the Founder, Chairman & Chief Development Officer of The Leadership Circle and Full Circle Group.

John J. Perry
John is committed to helping organizations and individuals create better tomorrows by helping them recall and honor their yesterdays, reveal and understand their today, and believe in and get excited about the promise of their tomorrows.

Doug Silsbee
Doug Silsbee was a pioneer in the field of presence-based leadership development and coaching. He was an executive coach, trainer of coaches, speaker and author in Asheville, NC. Doug passed away in July of 2018. Godspeed.
2017

Joe Musselman
Joe is known for his deep love for people, exuberant personality, and a wide range of interests and achievements. He's a passionate spirit who enjoys creating the space for people to become their greatest selves, and inspire others to do the same.
2016

Jim Kouzes
Jim Kouzes is the coauthor with Barry Posner of the award-winning and best-selling book, The Leadership Challenge, with over 2.5 million copies in print. He's also the Dean’s Executive Fellow of Leadership, Leavey School of Business, Santa Clara University.
2014

Karlin Sloan
Karlin Sloan has committed herself to supporting leaders to be the change they wish to see in the world. As a corporate citizen, she is an advocate for triple-bottom-line reporting and for creating positive organizational communities that work together.
2013

Barbara Singer
Barbara's goals are to help more organizations align their strategic priorities with their talent development activities

Dr. Marshall Goldsmith
Dr. Marshall Goldsmith is the only two-time winner of the Thinkers 50 Award for #1 Leadership Thinker in the World. He has been ranked as the #1 Executive Coach in the World and a Top Ten Business Thinker for the past eight years.