Think Global Awards Announces the 2026 Shortlist
The Think Global Awards has entered an exciting new era. We are pleased to announce the Think Global Awards 2026 shortlist, the first shortlist under our refreshed honors format.
Since 2018, Think Global Awards has recognized individuals and organizations shaping progress in a globally connected world. Past winners and honorees in the program’s previous format include Vodafone, Lonely Planet, TripAdvisor, Amnesty International, and Greenpeace. In 2025, we took the opportunity to evolve the programme to ensure it remains credible, relevant, and aligned with today’s most meaningful global developments.
A new honors model
Think Global Awards now operates as a curated recognition platform. Rather than running a traditional open-entry competition, the programme recognizes three exceptional honorees each year, selected by an internal committee.
This model allows Think Global Awards to focus on telling inspirational stories and acts as a strong signal of what progress looks like across international business.
The 2026 Shortlist
The 2026 shortlist reflects impact from the past 12 months. It represents achievements that show leadership, responsibility, and progress at a global scale.
AI Impact Award
The AI Impact Award recognizes individuals and organizations using artificial intelligence to drive meaningful, positive change. It highlights work that strengthens global access, supports ethical innovation, and prioritizes real-world outcomes.
The shortlisted candidates are:
NHS UK, for its AI Patient Safety Early Warning System, launched in November 2025 to detect risk in real time and prevent tragedies across hospitals.
Klaus Fleischmann from Kaleidoscope, for advancing terminology-led AI approaches, including Terminology Augmented Generation (TAG), and his work supporting AI and terminology standardization efforts.
Esther Curiel from Zoetis, for leadership in moving AI in localization from experimentation into integrated business operations, and her thought leadership across industry events.
Salesforce, for continued AI-for-nonprofit capacity building through the Salesforce Accelerator and Agentforce for Nonprofit.
Intel, for the 2025 Intel AI Global Impact Festival, which recognized youth and community projects while integrating responsible AI training and ethics checks.
Language Award
The Language Award honors breakthroughs that advance multilingual communication, localization, and cultural understanding. Language plays a defining role in how global business operates and how communities connect. This award recognizes those who strengthen that connection.
The shortlisted candidates are:
Katherine Melchior Ray (UC Berkeley Haas), for leading multilingual brand and global content strategies across major international brands, and co-authoring the 2025 Amazon best seller Brand Global, Adapt Local.
Government of Canada (GCtranslate), for a national AI translation platform supporting English-French public service content, moving from pilots into broader deployment.
Netflix, for expanding subtitle and dubbing options, including dialogue-only subtitles and improved language selection across TV experiences.
Leadership Award
The Leadership Award recognizes pioneers driving global transformation through values-led leadership, sustainable growth, and international influence.
The shortlisted candidates are:
Damilola Ogunbiyi (Sustainable Energy for All, SEforALL), for scaling partnerships across 90+ countries and advancing clean energy access through major global collaboration and finance mobilization.
Stella Li (BYD), for leading BYD’s expansion across Europe through manufacturing and dealer network growth while navigating policy challenges and broadening EV access.
Jesper Brodin (Ingka Group), for tying international growth to measurable climate action, including long-term investment in recycling innovation and the expansion of second-hand marketplaces.
What happens next?
This shortlist represents a standout group. Our internal committee will now move into the final evaluation stage. The Think Global Awards 2026 honorees will be announced at the end of March 2026.
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