Why Apply
- GAIN RECOGNITION in an international community of HR/L&D and higher education leaders
- GROW YOUR NETWORK connecting with executives and experts from different countries
- BENCHMARK - share your insights into best practices and learn from fellow professionals
- CELEBRATE your achievements and boost your team’s motivation
- RECEIVE FEEDBACK and valuable recommendations from the judging committee
- ENHANCE YOUR COMPANY PROFILE with free marketing and PR exposure
Promoting Your Win
- Additional online exposure via article(s) developed by the MERIT editorial team, showcasing your case study and its strengths on the MERIT website with more than 3K traffic per month
- Social media exposure of your case study on the MERIT Summit LinkedIn official page with more than 2000 followers
- Exposure to data base of 30K+ in the MERIT newsletter
- Brand exposure on the MERIT website and MERIT Leadership Community (MLC) members platform
You can submit your best initiatives in the following areas:
1. Leadership Development
This category recognises L&D initiatives designed to build the capability, capacity, and impact of current and future leaders. Evidence should demonstrate how the initiative prepares leaders to navigate complexity, inspire performance, and deliver measurable business outcomes through improved leadership effectiveness at individual, team, or enterprise level.
2. People Development
This category recognises L&D initiatives that enhance the skills, knowledge, and performance of the wider workforce, regardless of role or seniority. Entries should show how the initiative improves capability, engagement, productivity, or career progression across teams or populations, with clear alignment to organisational needs and measurable learning or performance outcomes.
3. Innovation in Higher Education & Learning
This category recognises bold, creative, and forward-thinking approaches that reimagine how learning is designed, delivered, or experienced within higher education or professional learning contexts. Entries should demonstrate original ideas, novel pedagogies, new delivery models, or innovative partnerships that address real learner or sector challenges. Evidence should show how the innovation improves access, engagement, quality, relevance, or outcomes in learning.
4. Technology in Learning
This category recognises the effective use of digital technologies to enhance learning, teaching, and assessment in higher education or professional learning environments. Entries are expected to demonstrate how technology has been strategically applied to improve learner experience, accessibility, scalability, personalisation, or learning outcomes and provide evidence of measurable educational or organisational value.
5. Impact on Society
This category recognises HR and L&D initiatives that deliver meaningful change beyond the organisation, creating positive social, economic, or community impact, addressing challenges such as inclusion, employability, skills development, wellbeing, sustainability, or social mobility. Evidence should demonstrate clear intent, responsible practice, and measurable outcomes, illustrating how the initiative contributes to communities, sectors, or society at large.
There may be several award categories in each area, taking into consideration:
• The organisation type and size (e.g. SME or Large);
• The geographical outreach of the initiative – local, regional, global;
* The organisers and judging panel reserve their right to assign or reassign your project to a category based on their interpretation of your project's goals and strengths.
The review of your application will be based on four main criteria – the 4 “I”s:
• Ideation – needs analysis, approach, design;
• Implementation – stakeholder buy-in, engagement;
• Impact – on the organisation, its people and the outside
world;
• Innovation – introduction of new ideas, methodology, or
technology.
|
1 September, 2026 |
Applications Open |
|
22 October, 2026 |
Applications Close |
|
26 Oct - 11 Nov |
Evaluation Process |
|
13 November, 2026 |
Notifications and Shortlist Announcement |
|
28-29 January, 2027 |
MERIT Summit & Awards: Presentations |
|
29 January, 2027 |
Awards Ceremony |
Submission is free. Shortlisted applicants are invited to attend the summit and receive a slot to present their initiative. All shortlisted applicants will be expected to book a ticket to the conference, or to have secured the ticket of a delegate representing them in lieu, before receiving eligibility for a case study presentation.
Category:
People Development
Generali - LIFT - Leading, Inspiring and Fostering Talent
Category:
Leadership Development
Leisure Qatar - In-house Coaching Certification
Category:
Innovation in Higher Education
London Business School & IMELD - AI-Powered Negotiation Simulation
Category:
Impact on Society
Nespresso - It's Not Just a Joke
Category:
Technology in Learning
Microsoft - Agent J.ai
Audience Choice Award
TheFork - Leading with Impact
Special recognitions:
Purpose Driven L&D Under Extreme Conditions
PrivatBank - People Development in Times of War
Collaborative Peer-Driven Learning
Elaf Group - Weekly Learning Hour
JANUARY 2026 WINNERS
Category:
People Development
Acosta Group & Talent Chess Game - Developing Acosta Group's Leaders
Tawuniya - Talent Advancemed Program (TAP)
Category:
Technology in Learning
IE School of Politics, Economics & Global Affairs - Gamifying Education: The Good Goal
Category:
Impact on Society
INSEAD & Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University - Women's Leadership Programme
Nova SBE Executive Education - VOICE Leadership Initiative
Category:
Leadership Development
Ivey Business School Education - Waqf Fund Leadership Grooming Program
Category:
Innovation in Higher Education & Learning
Rennes School of Business - The Next Chief Learning Offices Consortium
Audience Choice Award
IE School of Politics, Economics & Global Affairs - Gamifying Education: The Good Goal
Special recognitions:
Exellence in Execution in Crisis Environment
PeopleSmart SAS - Leading Teams @ Emergency - Train-the-Trainer Program
Exellence in Integrated People Development
Saudia Cargo - People Upskilling
JUNE 2025 WINNERS
Category:
Organisational Development - Global
ÖBB Infrastruktur #sheconnect
Category:
Organisational Development - SME
King’s College London: KCLyceum: Making the World a Better Place One Leader at a Time
Category:
Leadership Development
Cemex EMEA CoachUp! Digital Coaching Experience
Category:
People Development
IE School of Science & Technology: Sustainability Datathon
Category:
Innovation in Higher Education & Learning
Make Real and London Business School: AI for Storytelling
Audience Choice:
Pertamina International Shipping: Next Wave & Navigator
Special recognitions:
Executive Development Partnership
Ivey Executive Education – Holcim Advanced Leaders’ Program
Driving Behavioral Change
HARTMANN Group & CONTRAS: Dare to Lead
Sustainable Long-term Leadership Development
Pertamina International Shipping: Next Wave & Navigator
Positive Impact on Employees and Organisational Culture
Cambridge Judge Business School: Executive Coaching
Experiential Learning with Sustainability Impact
IE School of Politics, Economics, and Global Affairs: Ocean Conservation Partnership
Advancing Women in Leadership
Leonardo SpA: Springboard Women's Development Programme
Impactful Cross-Institutional Collaboration
King’s College London and ChangeSchool: T-Level Professional Development: A movement for change
Technology Driven Leadership
Ecole Polytechnique: Executive Master
Leveraging AI in Learning
IU International University of Applied Sciences: SynteaNEXT
NOVEMBER 2024 WINNERS
Category:
Leadership Development - Global
ESMT Berlin for Schaeffler Global Leadership Excellence Program
Category:
Leadership Development - Middle East
Roche Pharmaceuticals for RISE - Roche IE Inclusive Leadership Program
Category:
Leadership Development - North America
The Ivey Academy at Ivey Business School for Qualico Leadership Blueprint: Building the Future
Category:
Innovation in Higher Education & Learning
LIBF MENA and Asia & IU Group for Syntea: AI Study Assistant
Category:
People Development - Global
WongDoody by Infosys for Enter the WongDoody SkillZone
Category:
People Development - Middle East
Zain Group for Zain Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity University - IDEU
Audience Choice:
IE School of Politics, Economics & Global Affairs for Refugee Camp Simulation
Special recognition:
Innovation in Assessing Leadership Capability
metaBeratung - Hogan Distributor for Redefining Leadership in the Digital Age
Developing Women Leaders
National Bank of Kuwait for NBK RISE - Global Women's Leadership Initiative
Best Digital Upskilling Initiative
Forvis Mazars Group for Global Digital Academy
Social & Environmental Impact
IE School of Politics, Economics & Global Affairs for Refugee Camp Simulation
Organisational Change
INSEAD and Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA for 25 Years of Seizing Opportunities
MAY 2024 WINNERS
Category:
Innovation in Higher Education & Learning
IE University for "Eye In The Storm: Your Role In Climate Change Action"
Category:
People Development
Thoughtworks for "Talent Tech as a Differentiator"
Category: Leadership Development
em lyon &
Capgemini France for "Making Leaders, Wave 5"
Category: Leadership Development - Medium – Size
Company
Enento Group for "We Lead Emotional Agency – Leadership
Program"
Category: Organisational Development
Iveco
Group for "Voice"
Audience Choice: Mars Petcare for "The I&D
Rockstars"
NOVEMBER 2023 WINNERS
Category: Innovation in Higher Education
emba X for "Executive MBA ETH Zurich and University of St.Gallen"
Category: Innovation in Learning
HUH
Corporate for "Conversational Learning from Employees’ Mobile"
Category: People Development
ESSEC
Business School & Ministry of Tourism Saudi Arabia for "Trailblazers Training
Program"
Special jury award “Impact on
Society”
Bpost International for "Bpost Boost"
MAY 2023 WINNERS
Category: People
Development
SoftwareOne for for “The SoftwareOne Academy”
• Initiative Poster.pdf
• Runner-up:
Insight222 for “myHRfuture PLAY at
Brambles”
• Initiative Poster.pdf
Category: Organisational
Development
INSEAD Executive Education for “TCS and INSEAD: Transform and
Grow – “Ablaze” and “Arise”
• Initiative Poster.pdf
Runners-up:
Randstad & London Business School for
“Transformational Leadership Program (TLP) and Leading Transformation in the Digital Age
(LTDA)”
• Initiative Poster.pdf
Aalto University Executive Education and
Professional Development for the “Telia-Aalto EE 5G Boost Development
Program
• Initiative Poster.pdf
Category: Leadership
Development
Emlyon business school & CADIF for “Leading with Care and
Ambition”
• Initiative Poster.pdf
• Runner-up:
AESE Business School for “LEAP – Leadership
Accelerator Program for PwC Portugal”
Category: Innovation in Higher
Education
Hult International Business School for “Preparing Undergrads for
the World – Hult BBA Redesigned”
• Initiative Poster.pdf
• Runner-up:
Fontys University of Applied Sciences for
The Career Fitness Journey
• Initiative Poster.pdf
Employee Wellbeing Champion – Special
Mention:
Deutsche Telekom for “One Minute to Arrive”
• Initiative Poster.pdf
2022 WINNERS
Leadership Development: ING for Think Forward
Leadership Experience (TFLE)
People Development: IE University & Amazon
for Amazon Despega Online Training Program
Organisational Development: ASG &
ShaeVitality for AI Epigenetic Vitality Program at ASG EMEA
Innovation in Higher Education: NOVA School of
Business and Economics & StartsSe for xBA - Exponential Business
Administration Program
2022 SPECIAL MENTIONS
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion: The CITI Women
Leadership Development Program
Executive Development Partnership: The
Danfoss-INSEAD Strategic Excellence Program
Innovative Learning Strategy: Xprtise &
AskAlrijne - Learning at the Moment of Need
People Development – SME: Corilus & Squid
Consulting – Shape Up Our Talent Program
Culture Change: Daiichi Sankyo Europe –
Better Conversations & Coaching Executive Certification Program
2021 WINNERS
Leadership Development Global: Novartis for The Unbossed Leadership Experience
Leadership Development Europe: Daiichi Sankyo, Inc. for European Top Talent Programme
Virtual Leadership Development: Thales for Digital Development Center
Leadership Development Corporate Academy: Vetropack for Vetrocademy Leadership Development Programme
People Development: LinkedIn for The Business Leadership Programme
Organisational Development - Europe: Deutsche Telekom for Digital Escape Rooms
Organisational Development - Asia: Omega Healthcare Management Services, India for Human Potential Based Restructuring
Innovation in Higher Education: INSEAD Executive Education for Catalysing Leadership in a Digital World
The jury consists of MERIT Leadership Community members, executive education leaders, and experts.
Speakers Abu Dhabi, UAE , January 2027
-
Jerry Pico
Global Advisory Expert
Daiichi Sankyo
-
Jacqueline Brassey
Director of Healthy Workforces
and Director of Research ScienceMcKinsey Health Instidute
-
Sabine Weishaupt
Program Lead, Employee Wellbeing
Deutsche Telekom
-
Bryan Benjamin
Executive Director
Ivey Academy
-
Sari Ek-Petroff
HR Director
ENENTO
-
Nina Haber
Head of University
SumUp
-
Alastair Procter
SVP, Strategic HR Operations
Interpublic Group
-
Isabelle Delacave
Director Corporate Relations
Europe & Central AsiaIE University
-
Martin Barner
Head EX & HR Transformation
Sandoz
-
Vlad Bog
Global Partner
Talent Chess Game
-
Els Van De Water
Leadership Consultant
and Professor -
Chris Pether
Founder & Managing Director
PeopleSmart
-
Elizabeth Eastwood-Barzdo
Head of Learning and Development
CERN
-
Milena Ivanova
Director Talent Management
DataVolt
-
Cedric Borzee
Director, Consulting & Advisory Services
NIIT
-
Oliver Olson
Senior Lecturer of Marketing & Strategy
MSM at Maastricht University
-
Vanessa Lecorps
Adjunct Assistant Professor
of Public ServiceNew York University
-
Ana Gloria Sanchez
Leadership Consultant and Team Coach
-
Charlotte Boujassy
Director Talent & Leadership
Development EuropeDaiichi Sankyo Europe
GmbH
-
Jerry Pico
Global Advisory Expert
Daiichi Sankyo
-
Sabine Weishaupt
Program Lead, Employee Wellbeing
Deutsche Telekom
-
Bryan Benjamin
Executive Director
Ivey Academy
-
Sari Ek-Petroff
HR Director
ENENTO
-
Nina Haber
Head of University
SumUp
-
Alastair Procter
SVP, Strategic HR Operations
Interpublic Group
-
Isabelle Delacave
Director Corporate Relations
Europe & Central AsiaIE University
-
Martin Barner
Head EX & HR Transformation
Sandoz
-
Vlad Bog
Global Partner
Talent Chess Game
-
Els Van De Water
Leadership Consultant
and Professor -
Chris Pether
Founder & Managing Director
PeopleSmart
-
Elizabeth Eastwood-Barzdo
Head of Learning and Development
CERN
-
Milena Ivanova
Director Talent Management
DataVolt
-
Cedric Borzee
Director, Consulting & Advisory Services
NIIT
-
Oliver Olson
Senior Lecturer of Marketing & Strategy
MSM at Maastricht University
-
Vanessa Lecorps
Adjunct Assistant Professor
of Public ServiceNew York University
-
Ana Gloria Sanchez
Leadership Consultant and Team Coach
-
Charlotte Boujassy
Director Talent & Leadership
Development EuropeDaiichi Sankyo Europe
GmbH
Submission is free. Shortlisted applicants are invited to attend the summit and receive a slot to present their initiative. All shortlisted applicants will be expected to book a ticket to the conference, or to have secured the ticket of a delegate representing them in lieu, before receiving eligibility for a case study presentation.
*Limited number of complimentary passes can be offered to corporate HR/L&D Directors upon request and availability.
The review of your application will be based on four main criteria – the 4 “I”s:
1. Ideation – needs analysis, approach, design;
2. Implementation – stakeholder buy-in, engagement;
3. Impact – on the organisation, its people and the outside world;
4. Innovation – introduction of new ideas, methodology, or technology.
- The winners are announced and listed on the MERIT website
- Additional online exposure via article(s) developed by the MERIT editorial team, showcasing your case study and its strengths in a website with more than 3K traffic per month
- Social media exposure of your case study on the MERIT Summit LinkedIn official page with more than 2000 followers
- Exposure to database of 30K+ in the MERIT newsletter
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