Article: CMI President’s Dinner: raising a glass to the power of community Written by CMI Insights Tuesday 05 May 2026 Share Share to LinkedIn Share to Facebook Share via email Our annual President’s Dinner was a reminder of what we can achieve when we come together. We look back at a night of well-earned accolades, a fond farewell and an exciting taste of CMI’s future. On 23 April, we were delighted to welcome members of the CMI community for our annual President’s Dinner, where we announced the winners of the CMI Awards of Excellence. It was a fantastic opportunity to gather, celebrate outstanding leadership and shine a spotlight on some of the UK's most inspiring leaders. Transformers and trailblazers Those leaders include the winner of this year’s Gold Medal Award, Jacky Wright CMgr CCMI. As chair of our AI Council and a veteran leader who has worked at Microsoft and McKinsey, Jacky has been a tireless champion of sustainable and inclusive transformation in tech. This year’s Lifetime Achievement Award went to Edwina Dunn OBE, who masterminded the Tesco Clubcard and revolutionised how companies understand customer data. She went on to found The Female Lead, an active community of nine million women working to expose and dismantle the barriers facing women in the workplace. We also celebrated the many stand-out individuals and organisations helping to drive the standards of management and leadership ever higher. “We were genuinely impressed by the exceptional depth and variety of excellence,” says Ann Francke OBE CMgr CCMI, CMI’s chief executive, of the entrants to this year’s CMI Awards of Excellence. “We had over 380 nominees, a record number spanning volunteers, apprentices, students, providers, partners, Chartered Managers and Chartered Management Consultants – all of whom truly exemplify the best of our community.” Keep reading – more from the President’s Dinner Login or register below for Free Instant Access Login If you are already registered as a CMI Friend, Subscriber or Member, just login to view this article. Confirm your registration Login below to confirm your details and access this article. Log in Register for Free Access Not yet a Member, Subscriber or Friend? Register as a CMI Friend for free, and get access to this and many other exclusive resources, as well as weekly updates straight to your inbox. Article Our extensive range of articles are designed to keep you in the loop with all the latest management and leadership best practice, research and news. Members See More CMI Members have access to thousands of online learning and CPD resources. Learn more about our membership benefits Join The Community CMI offers a variety of flexible membership solutions, tailored to your needs. Find out more and get involved in the CMI community today.
