CMI honours transformative leadership at 2026 President’s Dinner

The Chartered Management Institute (CMI) celebrated outstanding leadership and management at its annual President’s Dinner on Thursday 23 April 2026, hosted by CMI President Fiona Dawson CBE and CMI CEO Ann Francke OBE.

The event recognised some of the UK's most inspiring leaders and spotlighted the growing impact of professional management across sectors.

This year’s Gold Medal Award for outstanding achievement was presented to Jacky Wright CMgr CCMI, Non-Executive Director who served as McKinsey’s first chief technology and platform officer. Over the last 20 years Jacky has a proven history of leveraging technology to drive innovation, adopt sustainable and accessible business models, and facilitate digital transformation for leading global institutions.

The CMI Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Edwina Dunn OBE CMgr CCMI, Founder of The Female Lead, an active community of 9 million women, underpinned by an educational foundation. The award honoured her exceptional career spent delivering transformational business change as co-founder of dunnhumby - from revolutionising the retail world with the Tesco Clubcard to her tireless, data-driven work dismantling the barriers women face in the workplace.

The evening also showcased CMI’s rapid innovation over the past year to address the shifting economic landscape and deliver the management skills the UK needs. Highlights included the launch of the new CMI Leadership Academy. This suite of best-in-class qualifications offers lean, targeted courses in a format designed to be laser-focused on employer needs. They are available for new managers, mid-career learners and senior executives.

Additionally, the new CMI Leadership for AI Qualifications were revealed. Aligned to the TechSkills industry standard, the qualifications developed in partnership with CMI’s AI Advisory Council drawn from leaders across the economy are designed to empower leaders to implement AI effectively, manage risk, and prove a measurable return on investment.

CMI President Fiona Dawson CBE said:

CMI's value as an organisation comes from the power of its community; the commitment and hard work of members around the world. The President's Dinner was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the fruits of that network, and to honour the exceptional individuals who are helping to further CMI’s mission.

It was a privilege to recognise our Gold Medal and Lifetime Achievement winners, Jacky Wright and Edwina Dunn. Their work across their respective fields serves as an outstanding inspiration to the entire management community.

Ann Francke, CEO of the CMI, said:

We are living through a period of profound shifts, from the urgent need for AI-literate managers to the redrawing of the apprenticeship market. But disruption is simply an invitation to innovate, and innovation is a common theme of tonight’s winners and nominees.

Alongside our amazing Gold Medal and Lifetime Achievement Award winners, we’re delighted to recognise and celebrate the many other CMI awards winners 2026. Whether a volunteer, apprentice, student, education partner, or Chartered professional, everyone shortlisted represents the very best of our community. They prove the stunning impact we achieve when we work together to build a better-managed future.

Jacky Wright CMgr CCMI, Formerly Senior Partner CTO at McKinsey, added:

I’m truly honoured to receive the CMI Gold Medal. Throughout my career, I’ve been fortunate to work with talented teams across industries to harness technology for meaningful transformation and impact.

I’m particularly proud to be part of CMI’s work, including chairing the AI Advisory Council, at a time when responsible, inclusive leadership has never been more important. This recognition is not just a personal milestone, but a reflection of the collective effort to drive innovation while ensuring opportunity and access for all.

Edwina Dunn OBE CMgr CCMI, Founder of The Female Lead, commented:

It was a tremendous honour to take the stage and receive this Lifetime Achievement Award from CMI. My career has been rooted in using data to better understand customers, identify new needs and maximise relevance. This is agentic AI today.

At The Female Lead, our 9 million community proves that whilst women don't earn all the money, they do decide how most of it is spent. This is a game changer for leaders who want to identify and move to a growth strategy. To be recognised by CMI, which is so dedicated to championing inclusive, evidence-led leadership, is truly special and reminds me of why I remain so committed to harnessing data for good.

Award Winners 2026:

Apprentice of the Year: Dr. Hannah Bolt CMgr FCMI

Student of the Year: James Walker fCMgr

Highly Commended: Verity Buckley fCMgr

Training Provider of the Year: Corndel

Higher Education Partner of the Year: Teesside University

Highly Commended: Buckinghamshire New University

International Higher Education Partner of the Year: Universiti Teknologi Mara

Highly Commended: IPK College Penang, Malaysia

International Student of the Year: Nikhil Theva Raj

Highly Commended: Chong Ning Thong fCMgr

Volunteer of the Year: Prof. Dato' Seri Dr. Mohamed Mustafa Ishak CMgr CCMI

Emerging Manager of the Year: Ned Samuels

Chartered Management Consultant (ChMC) of the Year: Lucy Pringle ChMC

Highly Commended: Rich Day ChMC

Chartered Manager of the Year: Tony Stonebridge CMgr FCMI

Highly Commended: Dr. Zafeer Shamsudeen CMgr FCMI