Back for its seventh year, Compliance Week’s Excellence in Compliance Awards seek to honor the CCOs, compliance programs, trail-blazers, industry veterans, mentors and up-and-coming professionals who set the standard for compliance in 2026.
CCO of the Year: Gina Nese, Head of Compliance and Privacy, Align Technology
Compliance Program of the Year: Albemarle
Lifetime Achievement in Compliance: Felecia Bowers, Chief Compliance Officer
Compliance Innovators of the Year: Sharon Johnson, Chief Legal and Compliance Officer & Heather Sudo, Corporate Paralegal, MODE Global
Rising Star in Compliance: Giovanni Corrado, Deputy Chief Compliance Officer, BBVA Global Wealth Advisors
Compliance Mentor of the Year: Melanie Sponholz, Chief Compliance Officer and Director of Responsible Investing, Portfolio Operations, Waud Capital Partners
CCO/CECO of the Year: Bill Burtis, Chief Compliance Officer, Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, Juniper Networks
Compliance Program of the Year: American Express Global Business Travel
Lifetime Achievement in Compliance: Haluk Ferden Gursel, United Nations
Compliance Innovator of the Year: Bianca Forde, Senior Director and Counsel, Head of Ethics and Compliance - Americas, Otis Elevator Company
Rising Star in Compliance: Anastasia Savvateeva, Deputy Head of Financial Crime Compliance, Continental Europe, Fidelity International Luxembourg
Compliance Mentor of the Year: Rachel Simon, Vice President - Privacy, AT&T
CCO/CECO of the Year: Kelly Maxwell, Chief Compliance Officer, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Compliance Program of the Year: Snap
Lifetime Achievement in Compliance: Tamar Frankel, Professor of Law Emerita, Boston University
Rising Star in Compliance: Boon Kim Fam, Legal Director of Compliance, Asia Pacific, PVH
Compliance Mentor of the Year: Mary Shirley, Head of Culture of Integrity and Compliance Education, Fresenius Medical Care
CCO/CECO of the Year: Justin Ross, Chief Compliance Officer, FedEx Corp.
Compliance Program of the Year: Tenneco
Lifetime Achievement in Compliance: Emmanuel Lulin, Chief Ethics Officer, L’Oréal
Compliance Innovator of the Year: Sarah Partington, Senior Compliance Officer/Director of Compliance Operations, The MetroHealth System
Compliance Mentor of the Year: Ellen Hunt, Vice President, Compliance Operations & Chief Privacy Officer, LifePoint Health
Rising Star in Compliance: Jennifer Newton, Founder and CEO, National Association of Black Compliance & Risk Management Professionals
Compliance Consultant/Advisor of the Year (Individual or Company): VANTAGE, from Control Risks
CCO of the Year: Duane Holloway, Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer, U.S. Steel
Lifetime Achievement in Compliance: Carrie Penman, Chief Risk and Compliance Officer, NAVEX Global
Compliance Comeback of the Year: Joshua Drew, Group Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer, VEON
Compliance Innovator of the Year: Alicia Schwarz, Deputy Chief Compliance Counsel (Global), Walt Disney Company
Compliance Mentor of the Year: Jay G. Martin, Senior Counsel, Willkie Farr & Gallagher
Rising Star in Compliance: Vera Powell, Senior Corporate Counsel, Delta Air Lines
Excellence in Compliance—Anti-Corruption: Alan Gibson, Assistant General Counsel, Compliance & Ethics, Microsoft
Excellence in Compliance—TPRM: Robert Seibel, Director of Legal Compliance, Abercrombie & Fitch
Excellence in Compliance—Cyber-security: David Kessler, Public Sector Counsel, Verizon
Excellence in Compliance—Data Privacy: Kalisa Barratt, Chief Compliance and Privacy Officer, Atrius Health
Excellence in Compliance—Training: Cindy Merlino, Global Compliance & Ethics Specialist, Pearson
Best Consultant/Advisor—Large Company: Duff & Phelps
Best Consultant/Advisor—Small Company: Bart Schwartz, Chairman, Guidepost Solutions
Best Technology Partner—Large Company: Refinitiv
Best Technology Partner—Small Company: LogicGate
