Champions 2026
Teacher of the Year
Johannes U. Siebert is Professor of Decision Sciences, Behavioral Economics, and Supply Chain Management at MCI | THE ENTREPRENEURIAL SCHOOL® in Innsbruck, Austria. He teaches what his research keeps confirming: decision-making competence can be measured and trained, and it shapes the lives people lead and the success of organisations. Instead of analysing prepared cases, his students structure a decision that matters to them — clarifying what they value, generating alternatives from their objectives, making trade-offs explicit. Entscheidungsnavi, the open-source platform he co-initiated, carries the workflow and is now used at more than ten universities. His research on decision competence appears in Operations Research and the European Journal of Operational Research, on whose editorial board he serves. For seven years his core course has ranked among the highest-rated at MCI, and sustainable decision-making has become a formal learning objective across all 19 bachelor programmes — assessed for every student, whatever the discipline. The methodology travels: KLUGentscheiden! has trained more than 500 school teachers, and up to 5,000 career counsellors will follow in Europe's flagship initiative in decision education, which he initiated. Siebert serves on the Advisory Council of the Alliance for Decision Education, alongside the late Daniel Kahneman and Richard Thaler.
Researcher of the Year
Michał T. Tomczak, PhD, DSc is an Associate Professor of Human Resource Management, Vice Dean for Cooperation and Development, and Head of the Department of Human Capital at the Faculty of Management and Economics, Gdańsk University of Technology, Poland.
He is the first management scholar from the Central and Eastern European (CEE) region to conduct research on neurodiversity in the workplace and co-created Poland's first postgraduate programme on neurodiversity and work. He is the author and co-author of more than 60 publications in the field of human resource management and has served as Principal Investigator and Co-Investigator on several national and international research projects.
He has held Visiting Scholar appointments at universities in the United States, Australia, Norway, and India. He is also a member of the Board of the Atypika Foundation for Neuroculture.
His research focuses on neurodiversity organizational maturity, neurodiverse team mental models, and inclusive work design. He has developed a range of evidence-based solutions for employers aimed at improving human resource management practices and optimizing workplace environments to better meet the needs of autistic employees.
His academic career demonstrates a coherent and internationally recognized research trajectory, combining methodological rigor, interdisciplinary collaboration, and strong societal relevance. His work contributes to the advancement of inclusive human resource management, particularly in relation to neurodivergent individuals, and bridges the gap between theoretical development and practical implementation in organizational settings.
Responsible Management Educator of the Year
Dr. Katalin Ásványi is Dean for Sustainability and Head of the Department of Sustainability Management and Environmental Economics at Corvinus University of Budapest, and Chair of the PRME Central and Eastern Europe Chapter. Her mission is to transform business education into a catalyst for societal change by integrating sustainability, ethics, and responsible management into institutional strategy, innovative pedagogy, and stakeholder partnerships. She has pioneered community-engaged and challenge-based learning, led university-wide sustainability initiatives, and established the AI & Sustainability Lab to explore the intersection of artificial intelligence and sustainability education. Her research focuses on sustainability education, behavioural change, and responsible management, with more than 220 scientific publications. Through her work, she strives to empower students, educators, and institutions to become active changemakers for a more sustainable, ethical, and inclusive future.
Leader of the Year
Prof. (Dr.) Achyuta Samanta is an internationally recognized educationist, social reformer, humanitarian and institution builder whose work has transformed education, healthcare, sports and social development in India and beyond. Founder of the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS), Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) and the Art of Giving movement, he has dedicated his life to creating inclusive opportunities for marginalized communities through education and service. He also served as a Member of the Parliament contributing to national policy on education, tribal welfare and social development.
Born into a family facing extreme economic hardship, Prof. Samanta lost his father at the age of four and overcame significant adversity to pursue higher education. In 1992, with an initial investment of just ₹5,000, he established KIIT and KISS, institutions that have since evolved into globally recognized centres of excellence. Today, KIIT educates over 40,000 students from India and more than 70 countries across professional disciplines. KISS has become the world's largest fully free residential institution for Indigenous children, providing education, accommodation, nutrition, healthcare, skill development, and sports training to over 90,000 students and alumni. Both the institutions have the UN ECOSOC Special Consultative Status.
Beyond education, Prof. Samanta has built a comprehensive ecosystem for social transformation. KIMS is a 2,600-bed multi-specialty hospital with attached medical and dental college committed to world-class, affordable and quality healthcare. KIIT and KISS together have developed one of India's largest university sports ecosystems, nurturing 24 Olympians and nearly 5,000 athletes across disciplines. His social initiatives including Art of Giving, Kanya Kiran, Education for All, KIIT Kares, Nanhi Pari, Health Empowerment of Rural Odisha (HERO), India Against Negativity and the Kalinga Fellowship have further expanded his impact across communities.