HR Executive of the Year

The HR Executive of the Year awards from HR Executive recognize leaders who have made outstanding contributions to their organizations and who exemplify HR’s increasingly strategic role in business today.

For more than 30 years, this competition has honored HR executives from a wide array of companies who have helped shape work and business for millions of employees across the globe. In recent years, as dramatic change continues in workplaces everywhere, it’s even more important to point out those who are innovating and reinventing HR for the good of the industry.

The award winners will be honored at HR Tech in Las Vegas, Oct. 20-22.

Learn more about 2026’s HR Executive of the Year and HR Leader of Distinction:

To qualify for HR Executive of the Year and HR Leader of Distinction, executives must work at an organization with at least 500 employees and have:

Overall responsibility for the full span of HR policies and practices, including compensation, in their organization;
At least three years in the role as the senior HR executive of their current organization; and
A supporting letter of recommendation from the organization’s CEO.

All of the above are required for candidates to qualify for consideration.

Note: HR Executive recommends that the nomination be prepared and submitted by an individual from the nominee’s organization.

Read about recent winners: