“Experience is a master teacher, even when it’s not our own….”

The HRO Today Association Awards is an annual program that highlights the essential work HR professionals do every day, recognizing leadership, collaboration, innovation, hard work, and commitment to people and process improvement. The nomination process offers people, teams, and companies the opportunity to share best practices and successes so colleagues – and the industry as a whole – can benefit from their experience.

Congratulations to our 2021 Winners and Finalists!

The awards are presented in three regions: APAC, EMEA, and North America.

Read on to see who was honored in 2021.


The 2021 HRO Today Association Awards for the APAC region were presented at a special virtual ceremony in conjunction with the APAC Board of Advisors meeting on December 16 at 8PM ET. Congratulations to the finalists and winners!

APAC Region Winners

  • HR Team of the Year: SolarWinds
  • Innovation in HR Technology: Blue Elephant Solutions
  • Innovation in HR Technology: The Talent Games
  • Recruitment Team of the Year: TeleTech
  • Thought Leadership Excellence: WarnerMedia
  • Executive HR Champion of the Year: Rainer Wolf, VP & General Manager, Singapore Manufacturing, Edwards Lifesciences
  • Leadership Excellence: Dr. Nikhat Hamza, Director, Human Resources, BS Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science and Technology
  • Thought Leadership and HR Excellence: Dr. Aquil Busrai, CEO, Aquil Busrai Consulting
  • Thought Leadership and HR Excellence: Dakshdeep Singh, Associate Vice President, PeopleStrong

Finalists: Cielo ● Engagedly ● LaaS Company ● N-able ● Dr. Sulaiman B. Baputey ● Alysha M. Campbell ● Preeti Mathur ● Kathleen Pai


The 2021 HRO Today Association Awards for the EMEA and North America regions were presented at the HRO Today Association Conference on November 17. Congratulations to our winners!

EMEA REGION – Winners

  • Business Partnership Excellence: WarnerMedia and BetterUP
  • HR Team of the Year: N-Able
  • Innovation in HR Technology (Small/Mid-Market): Powell Software
  • Innovation in HR Technology (Enterprise): Capgemini
  • Thought Leadership (HR Excellence): WarnerMedia
  • Leadership Excellence: Preeti Mathur, Director – HR, Engagedly Software
  • Thought Leadership and HR Excellence: Craig Morgans, Acquisition COE Leader, Direct Line Group

Finalists: Applus+ ● Cielo ● Laas ● N-able ● Kathleen Pai ● Marie Sandler

NORTH AMERICA REGION – Winners

  • Best In Class: Candidate Experience: Family and Children’s Association
  • Business Partnership Excellence: Cielo and Tufts Medical Center
  • Diversity and Inclusion Excellence: KnowBe4
  • Engagement Strategy Excellence (Private): HIMSS
  • Engagement Strategy Excellence (Public): City of Memphis
  • HR Team of the Year: Cheniere Energy
  • Innovation in HR Technology (Small/Mid-Market): Humantelligence
  • Innovation in HR Technology (Pandemic Recovery): Puzzle Break
  • Innovation in HR Technology (Large Market): TCP Software
  • Recruitment Team of the Year: Helping Hands Family
  • Thought Leadership (HR Excellence): N-Able
  • Leadership Excellence (Healthcare): Lorinda Lee, CHRO, Markham Stouffville Hospital
  • Leadership Excellence (Public): Jennifer Knippenberg, Chief Recruiting Officer, Kelly Professional & Industrial
  • Thought Leadership and HR Excellence (Practitioner): Alison Baker, Strategy and Operations Principal, Talent Acquisition, Vista Outdoor
  • Thought Leadership and HR Excellence (Provider): Sanjoe Tom Jose, CEO and Founder, Talview

Finalists: Achievers ● Baptist Children’s Homes of NC, Inc. ● BetterUP ● BGFRS ● Cielo ● City of Memphis ● Contemporary Staffing Solutions ● Ease ● Harri ● Helping Hands Family ● HIMSS ● HiringSolved ● HiringThing ● Kinaxis ● Kudos® ● Laas ● McDonald’s ● Lifebanc ● N-able ● OLIVER/Inside Ideas ● Pandologic ● Paylocity ● Plus Relocation Services ● Powell Software ● Proliant ● Rangam ● SolarWinds ● Sonesta Hotels ● Staff Management | SMX and SIMOS Solutions ● Talview ● Tapcheck ● TCP Software ● The Roundtable ● The Talent Games ● Topia ● TSP ● UKG ● Upwork ● Village of Schaumburg ● WarnerMedia ● Wedge ● Zealand Pharma ● Komal Dangi ● Garrison Gibbons ● Alexis Johnston ● Necole Jones ● Steve O’Brien ● Kathleen Pai ● Rey Ramirez ● Prathima Sundar ● Erin L. Thomas ● Marcela Zapata


Company Finalists, EMEA Region

Innovation in HR Technology

Company Finalists, North America Region

Diversity and Inclusion Excellence
HR Team of the Year
Innovation in HR Technology
Thought Leadership (HR Excellence)
Business Partnership Excellence
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Who won in 2020? Click here to find out!

Questions? Please contact Renee Preston, Global Executive Director of the HRO Today Association, at Renee.Preston@SharedXpertise.com.