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2026 WLDA Awards Gala

Meet the 2026 Nominees Celebrating Excellence & Impact in Data & AI

Winners will be revealed on October 30, 2026, at 48th Wall Street Events, New York City.

Get Gala TicketsView the Nominees
2026 WLDA Awards Nominees
Oct 30, 2026Gala Night
48th Wall StreetNew York City
3 Tiers13 Categories
68+Nominees

New York, NY โ€” 17 August 2026 โ€” World Leaders in Data & AI (WLDA) has announced the nominees for the 2026 WLDA Awards, recognising leadership, innovation, and impact across the global data and AI community. Winners will be named at the WLDA Awards Gala on October 30, 2026, at 48th Wall Street Events.

The 2026 WLDA Awards Gala celebrates the individuals and organisations shaping the future of data and AI, with categories spanning innovation, rising talent, and leadership across the industry. The event also recognises senior leaders and corporations championing gender diversity in the field.

Join us on October 30 in New York City to honour this yearโ€™s visionaries and changemakers. For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit the 2026 Gala Registration page.

This yearโ€™s nominees are advancing the frontier of data and AI while raising the bar for responsible, inclusive innovation. Their work is transforming organisations, industries, and communities, and weโ€™re honoured to celebrate their achievements on October 30.

Asha SaxenaFounder and CEO, WLDA
The Nominees

2026 WLDA Award Categories & Nominees

01
Tier 01

Enterprise Awards

Recognizing organizations for delivering meaningful, AI-led transformation through a specific initiative or program.

AI Innovation of the Year Award

5 nominees
TIAA
NFL
FDA
PG&E
Grupo Cinemex (Cinemex)

Enterprise AI Adoption & Transformation Award

5 nominees
Catalyst Brands
Sodexo
Fanatics
KPMG US
Zelle
02
Tier 02

C-Suite Leadership Awards

Recognizing senior leaders for their exceptional contribution to driving the AI agenda from their functional role.

Technology Leadership in AI Award

12 nominees
Neha SinghExecutive DirectorPGIM
Rachel LaycockGlobal Chief Technology OfficerThoughtworks
Scott LichtenthalSenior Vice President, Product AnalyticsMastercard
Swaminathan (Swami) ChandrasekaranAI & Data Labs Global Lead PartnerKPMG
Matt HobbsUS and Global Head of Cloud, Engineering, Data, and AIPwC US
John SimmonsPrincipalPwC US
James KimVPPG&E
Rafiq JalalPrincipal โ€” Ignition Tax; Global Tax Cloud, Data & AI Strategy LeadKPMG
Alex WilliamsActing CIO and current CTONew York City Department of Education
Zeeshan AnwarDeputy Commissioner / Chief Information OfficerNYC Department of Design and Construction
Jason SankeyChief Information OfficerCity of Atlanta
Amar SondhiAssociate Commissioner | Interim Chief Information OfficerNYC Administration for Childrenโ€™s Services

Chief Data Officer AI Leadership Award

7 nominees
Abhijit NikhadeAI & Data Leader, Global Data Insights & AnalyticsFord Motor Company
Arun NandiChief Data & AI OfficerCarrier Global Corp
Babu KuttalaCDAOABB
Dr. Lalitha KrishnamoorthySenior Vice President, AI and Digital TransformationQualus
Ekta ChopraCTAOELF Beauty
Gopichand MannavaChief Data ArchitectState of Connecticut
Roopesh VarierCDAIOSmartAsset

Chief Digital Officer Award

4 nominees
Brian CarlsonChief Tech, Data, Digital & Innovation Officer โ€“ North AmericaSodexo
Pavan PiduguChief Digital & Information OfficerU.S. Department of Transportation
Kartik KumarCDTOCatalyst Brands
Nekhil AgrawalSenior Vice PresidentEXL

Chief Information Officer Award

6 nominees
Martina SchoultzCIOOsmose
Rashmi KumarSVP and Global CIOMedtronic
Stephen McIsaacCIO โ€“ MA TreasuryMassachusetts Office of the Treasurer and Receiver General
Valerie AshbaughVice President & Chief Information OfficerMcDonaldโ€™s USA
Lucilla RastelliCIO, Corporate TechnologyLiberty Mutual Insurance
Mike GiresiCIOVertiv

CIO Innovation Leadership Award

5 nominees

Awarded for measurable, outcomes-driven innovation in enterprise technology leadership.

Gary BrantleySVP, Chief Information OfficerNFL
Chiric EmanuelsCIODHL eCommerce Americas
Bruce SchinelliVP, IT and CIOTTX
Padmaja DasariHead of Enterprise Platform and TechnologyOpenAI
Susanne GreenbergCIOLโ€™Oreal

Award for Excellence in AI Governance & Trust

4 nominees
Dave RichVice President of Technology Strategy, Architecture and GovernanceCSX
Mir KashfuddinPrincipalPwC US
Sandra Victorin-JecroisVP โ€“ Technology & Operations Risk ManagementFannie Mae
Sebastian GoodwinChief Trust OfficerAutodesk

CHRO AI Leadership Award

3 nominees
Ana Maria IrazabalSenior Vice President, Human ResourcesCombe International
Andrea GibbonsCHRODTCC
Darcie HenrySEVP & CHROAT&T

CISO / CSO Leadership in AI Award

4 nominees
John IsraelGlobal Chief Information Security Officer (Global CISO)KPMG
Joseph NoceraNetwork Information Security (NIS) Managing Partner and US CISOPwC US
Bradley SchaufenbuelVice President and Chief Information Security OfficerPaychex
Steven FrankChief Information Security Officer, KPMG US & AmericasKPMG

Rising Executive in AI Award

5 nominees
Ganesh BalachandranDirector, Data ScienceWaymo
Greg PerezSenior Director, IT Unified Communications and OperationsNFL
Ipshita ChakrabortyDirector, Data Science & Applied AIHelloFresh
Vinesh SukumarVPQualcomm
Arpit ShahHead of Audit AI, Data and Technology SolutionsDTCC
03
Tier 03

Premier Awards

The pinnacle of recognition, celebrating transformative, enterprise-wide leadership and impact.

Woman Leader in AI Award

6 nominees
Gรผlnaz ร–neลŸGroup CIORWE
Kim PadelettiGlobal Head, Generative AI Energy Business DevelopmentAmazon Web Services
Marianne McPeak-JohnsonChief Product OfficerCox Automotive Inc.
Mary ThomsDirector, Naval Industrial Base OperationsUS Navy
Rima SafariPrincipal, Data Engineering & Analytics Practice LeaderPwC US
Joey MolitorLead of Informatics, Data Strategy & DesignBlue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan

CEO Leadership in AI Award

2 nominees
Dr. Athina KaniouraCEO, Latin AmericaPepsiCo
Yujiro TakiPresidentNomura Research Institute America, Inc.
Judging & Selection

Five Core Criteria

01Impact & Outcomes
02Innovation
03Leadership
04Responsibility & Inclusion
05Evidence Quality

An independent selection committee reviews every nominee against these criteria and reserves the right to move a nominee to a different category.

WhatWLDA Awards Gala 2026
WhenOctober 30, 2026
Where48th Wall Street Events, NYC
AttireBusiness / Cocktail
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About WLDA

World Leaders in Data & AI (WLDA) is a global community dedicated to accelerating equitable leadership, ethical innovation, and sustainable impact across data and AI. WLDA convenes executives, builders, and allies to share best practice, develop talent, and advance responsible AI in business and society.

Press & Media Contact

PR, WLDA
events@wlda.tech
wlda.tech

WLDA Awards Gala

Winners will be announced at the WLDA Gala Night on October 30, 2026.

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