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Announcing the Winners of the International & European Association Leadership Awards 2026

News
09 Jun 2026

We are delighted to announce the winners of the International & European Association Leadership Awards 2026.

The Awards Ceremony took place during the Associations World Congress 2026, at the Tivoli Carvoeiro Algarve Resort and was sponsored by the region of Lagoa (in the Algarve), who are owners of the recently relaunched Lagoa Congress Center.

This year's awards focused on leadership of associations, with four categories. 

Smart Resourcing Leader of the Year 2026: Tessie Laub

Smart Resourcing Leader of the Year 2026: Tessie Laub

Tessie Laub, Chief Programs Officer, International Society of Paediatric Oncology

‘New Association’ Leader of the Year 2026: Amanda Simmons

‘New Association’ Leader of the Year 2026: Amanda Simmons

Amanda Simmons, Chief Executive Officer, Advisiom Global Network

Education Leader of the Year 2026: Liz Derow

Education Leader of the Year 2026: Liz Derow

Liz Derow, Director of Education, European Society of Minimally Invasive Neurological Therapy

Digital Transformation Leader of the Year 2026: Tania Munro

Digital Transformation Leader of the Year 2026: Tania Munro

Tania Munro, Executive Director, European Consortium for Political Research

Smart-Resourcing Leader of the Year 2026

tessie_laub.jpg

Tessie Laub
Chief Programs Officer
International Society of Paediatric Oncology
 
This award goes to a leader who turns less into more, on a global scale. It honours an association executive who delivers extraordinary results with limited resources. She treats constraints as a prompt to innovate, not a barrier.  Operating on the global stage, she has found high-impact ways to support a large international network of professionals, making every hour and every resource count.
 
Her organisation’s flagship annual congress shows it best. Under her leadership it has set a new benchmark for engagement and international collaboration. By pairing sharp operational efficiency with a people-first style, she has built a record of lasting global impact.
 
 

‘New Association’ Leader of the Year 2026

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Amanda Simmons
Chief Executive Officer
Advisiom Global Network
 
"This award celebrates a leader who started the organisation from nothing and built a global community. In a short space of time she has turned an idea into a working network of high-performing members.  She brokers value-driven alliances and sets a clear standard, where proactive collaboration is the expectation, not the hope.

Drawing on her deep roots in marketing, business development and executive leadership, she measures success in trusted relationships and real results for members. Launching a new association and giving it this much momentum takes rare conviction. For building something from nothing and making it matter, this award goes to Amanda Simmons, Chief Executive of Advisiom Global Network."

 
 

Education Leader of the Year 2026

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Liz Derow
Director of Education
European Society of Minimally Invasive Neurological Therapy
 

This award honours a leader who has dedicated her career to raising the bar for how an entire medical specialty learns.  The organisation she serves runs one of the most comprehensive education programmes in European medicine — spanning theoretical courses, hands-on skills training, fellowships, e-fellowships, diplomas, and online learning.

Rigorous, structured, and genuinely international in its reach. Behind every programme is a person who speaks the language of both medicine and the world — shaped by multiple countries, multiple disciplines, and a deep conviction that exceptional education must meet people exactly where they are.

Under her leadership, the programme has grown and sets a standard to inspire other associations. The awards goes to Liz Derow, Director of Education at the European Society of Minimally Invasive Neurological Therapy

 
 

Digital Transformation Leader of the Year 2026

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Tania Munro
Executive Director
European Consortium for Political Researchy
 

This award goes to a leader who modernised one of Europe's largest learned societies, which connects more than fifty thousand experts across three hundred and thirty institutions worldwide.  Under her leadership she has driven it through a major digital transformation, with new digital services and wider academic outreach strengthening both its finances and its reach. Her style pairs clear strategic vision with people-centred management. She has grown a culture of innovation and steady development.

She brings together institutions, funders, policymakers, supporters and staff into networks built to last. For modernising a great institution while putting its people first, this award goes to Tanja Munro, Executive Director of the European Consortium for Political Research.

 
 

 

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