AMBA & BGA honours business schools and their students and graduates at the Excellence Awards 2026

The Awards brought together leading lights from the global business education community to celebrate excellence and commend achievement among business schools, MBA students and graduates, suppliers and employers.

The ceremony was attended by more than 200 business school leaders, as well as category finalists, judges and members of the media. 

The winners in the AMBA & BGA Excellence Awards 2026’s 13 categories are as follows: 

Best Culture, Diversity and Inclusion Initiative Award 2026

International Management Institute (MIM-Kyiv) for the Women Leadership Program

The Women Leadership Program (WLP), created by MIM Business School with IMD, is a transformative initiative fostering an inclusive leadership culture during Ukraine’s war and recovery. WLP engages women from diverse regions, sectors, and backgrounds, equipping them with world-class leadership skills and empowering them to develop practical projects addressing urgent national challenges. Launched with funding raised through ReinforceUA - supported by AMBA - WLP bridges global expertise and local realities, setting new standards for diversity and inclusion. The program’s design ensures every participant strengthens Ukraine’s resilience, while redefining what inclusive, socially responsible leadership looks like in times of crisis.

Best Business School Partnership Award 2026

Adam Smith Business School, University of Glasgow with Barefoot In Business Community Interest Company (CIC)

A productive social enterprise partnership between Adam Smith Business School (ASBS), female entrepreneurs in Ugandan slums, and Glasgow primary schools is empowering women of all ages.

Colourful tote bags produced sustainably by Ugandan female entrepreneurs are sold in a business created by Glasgow pupils. The youngsters are mentored by business school students who share the ideas, knowledge and skills they've developed throughout their degree.

It is the first initiative of its kind to be supported by a UK business school. The work adopts a proactive and innovative approach to strategic collaboration, supporting the values and purpose of ASBS and Barefoot in Business.

Best CSR and Sustainability Initiative Award 2026, in association with Cesim Business Simulations

Universidad Externado de Colombia for the Responsible Supply Chain Network

Universidad Externado de Colombia has made sustainability the central axis of its education, integrating theory with practice through the Responsible Supply Network. More than 5,300 students have provided free consulting services to 2,246 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), strengthening their economic, social, and environmental capacities while fostering critical awareness and ethical leadership. This “learning by doing” methodology creates a real impact on the supply chains of leading organisations as well as within the university itself. It is an innovative, collaborative, and proven model that promotes more inclusive and sustainable development for Colombia.

Best Lifelong Learning Initiative Award 2026, in association with Ready Education

GITAM School of Business for GITAM Innovation & Entrepreneurship Continuum

For GITAM Innovation & Entrepreneurship Continuum lifelong learning is not a phase - it is a journey. The GITAM Innovation & Entrepreneurship Continuum, driven by the Venture Development Centre (VDC), is a purpose-built platform that helps learners evolve from students to founders to mentors. Seamlessly integrated into the GSB, it spans academic education, real-world venture development through VDC, and full-scale incubation through DST GITAM-iTBI (Inclusive - Technology Business Incubators). 

Originally conceptualised in 2019, the Continuum gained significant momentum from 2023 onward. It is student-first, alumni-driven, and industry-anchored, impacting over 1,000 learners and supporting more than 300 ventures. This model blends classroom learning with real-world application, access to funding, and a strong alumni network to create a dynamic ecosystem for lifelong entrepreneurial development.

Best Innovation Strategy Award 2026

IE Business School for the AI-Powered Job Matching Tool (JMT)

IE Business School launched an AI-powered job-matching tool that transforms how students connect with career opportunities. By delivering personalised job recommendations directly to students’ inboxes each week - based on algorithmic analysis of their profiles and preferences - the tool increases engagement, application quality, and job fit. It requires no new platform or training, just intelligent, low-friction delivery of relevant insights. The result is a strategic innovation that reaches even disengaged students, enhances inclusion, and improves data quality. With measurable impact and high scalability, this solution sets a new standard for digital career support and reflects IE’s commitment to purposeful, student-centered innovation.

Best Digital Transformation Award 2026

BI Norwegian Business School

While many EMBA and MBA programmes still rely on traditional formats, BI Norwegian Business School’s redesigned blended model breaks with convention. The school combines immersive, in-person modules with live, synchronous online learning to significantly reduce time away from work, one of the biggest barriers for executive participants. Unlike typical blended formats, they preserve full academic rigour and contact hours, delivered by the same world-class faculty across both settings. The result is deeper learning, greater flexibility, and stronger engagement and peer cohesion. More than just digital, the model is tailored to the Norwegian context - making executive education more accessible, sustainable, and future-ready.

BGA Business School Impact Award 2026

School of Economics and Management, Narxoz University for the Narxoz/CIM Integration Initiative

Narxoz University’s School of Economics and Management, have pioneered the integration of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) into higher education in Central Asia. This bold reform bridged academia and industry, doubling employability and placing students in firms like Danone and Yandex. In just two years, the school has embedded ESG, AI, and strategic marketing into their curriculum, certified faculty internationally, and secured sponsorships for student access. As the region’s first mover, Narxoz University’s School of Economics and Management has built a scalable, inclusive model of business education - setting a benchmark for emerging markets.

Start-Up of the Year Award 2026

Samuel Tecuala, King's Business School, King's College London for Dehusk

Dehusk is redefining plant-based nutrition in Southeast Asia through the Philippines’ first locally produced and fortified coconut milk beverage. Dehusk turns a traditional ingredient into a modern, functional product to bridge heritage with health innovation. 

Designed to tackle micronutrient deficiencies in a market where 90% are lactose intolerant, Dehusk offers a culturally resonant, locally sourced alternative to imported dairy at a more affordable price when compared with like-for-like alternatives in the Philippines. With a values-led business model and early commercial traction, Dehusk demonstrates how scalable, impact-driven entrepreneurship can create shared value for consumers, farmers and the planet. 

Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2026

Warner Jenkins, IE Business School, Spain

Warner Jenkins is redefining wellness through Nordic Wellness - a holistic ecosystem connecting cold therapy, personalised breathwork, and coaching. Launching with the Viking Cold Plunge in 2023, Warner quickly captured both residential and commercial markets. In 2024, he scaled into digital breathwork with Nordic Flow, blending AI-driven personalisation with accessible pricing. His leadership - shaped by IE’s global, entrepreneurial environment - has turned personal healing into commercial innovation. With $7.2M in revenue in year two, Warner is building not just a business, but a movement - empowering thousands to lead healthier, more intentional lives. 

Postgraduate Leadership Award 2026

Cristian Von Schulz Hausmann, Universidad Torcuato Di Tella Escuela de Negocios, Argentina

Cristian Von Schulz Hausmann, is a cardiologist with a Master’s in Public Health and Health Economics (UBA and Harvard) and an MBA from UTDT. As leader of Merck Mexico, he has doubled the subsidiary's sales and expanded access to new products, notably unlocking reimbursements for an oncology drug after 12 years - adding 4,000+ life-years. He champions sustainability via the “Net Positive Approach” and was recognized by the Anne Frank Foundation LATAM for social impact. His “Notas de Esperanza” programme reached 300,000+ people, promoting diversity and inclusion through cultural exchanges. His blend of medical, managerial, and social leadership makes him a standout nominee. 

AMBA Student of the Year Award 2026, in association with GMAC

Esmeralda Colombo, POLIMI School of Management, Italy

Esmeralda Colombo stands out as a purpose-driven leader who embodies the AMBA values of innovation, global impact and academic excellence. An energy manager and legal scholar turned tech entrepreneur, she co-founded and exited a startup and is now building GP+ - an AI-powered cleantech venture. She has won over €380K in awards and scholarships, published 30+ works, and has mentored students worldwide. As an ambassador for POLIMI GSoM, she bridges sustainability, law, and innovation, while championing equity and ethics in AI. Her academic rigour, entrepreneurial impact and social commitment make her an outstanding AMBA Student of the Year.

BGA Student of the Year Award 2026

Aurora d’Alonzo, POLIMI School of Management, Italy

Aurora d’Alonzo made a life-changing decision when she left behind a thriving career for a Sustainability Masters. She started again at 34, as she is driven by a strong belief and deep intuition regarding her future in this fundamental area. She said: “POLIMI GSoM has been a true accelerator in this journey, empowering me both academically and personally.” She participated actively in curricular and extracurricular activities, demonstrating rapid and meaningful growth. Evidence that she stands out within her cohort is the fact that the school chose her as a member of the recently founded Impact Committee, a key pillar of their institution.

MBA Director of the Year Award 2026

Caitlin Ferreira, University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business, South Africa

Dr. Ferreira has helped to transform a struggling MBA programme in a challenging market into an innovative and globally recognised programme that leads in its combination of innovative structure, cutting-edge programming, commitment to impact and sustainability and successful reinvestment in the quality and diversity of its students. She has demonstrated a combination of leadership and managerial capacity (including as the direct line manager for the administrative staff supporting the MBA), strategic and marketing acumen, skill with stakeholders, deft management of both University and government bureaucracy and regulations - and, most fundamentally, an absolute commitment to the transformative experience of the MBA.

Andrew Main Wilson, Chief Executive of the Association of MBAs and Business Graduates Association (AMBA & BGA) said: “On behalf of the AMBA and BGA team, I would like to congratulate the finalists and winners of this year’s Excellence Awards. 

“I also want to take the opportunity to thank our sponsors Ready Education, GMAC and Cesim Business Simulations. Their support for our awards – and the business education sector – is greatly appreciated.”