/ BLUEGAIN TRANSFORMATION EXCELLENCE
AWARD
The Award is rooted in what we do every day: accompanying leaders through their most critical transformations across Digital, AI and IT, Sustainability and Circularity, and Business Model Transformation. We combine executive experience from large-scale programs with a strong research backbone and leadership enablement through the bluegain Academy – so excellence is not a slogan, but a standard we can recognize and explain. Each year, the award highlights a transformation story that stands out for clarity, commitment, and system-level execution within the bluegain CxO community during World Economic Forum week in Davos.
/ AWARD RECIPIENTS
The award’s past winners reflect different expressions of transformation excellence –
from institutional leadership and long-term strategic vision to technological entrepreneurship and ecosystem impact.
What connects them is the ability to move beyond incremental change and shape meaningful progress
in ways that matter far beyond their own organizations.
/ Peter Sarlin| 2025
Co-founder, Silo AI
Recognized for pioneering AI capability building in Europe and for helping translate deep technical expertise into ecosystem-level impact. Under his leadership, Silo AI became Europe’s largest private AI lab and was acquired by AMD in a deal valued at approximately $665 million, marking one of Europe’s most significant AI transactions and signaling the region’s growing strategic relevance in artificial intelligence.
/ Dr Josef Aschbacher|2026
Director General, European Space Agency
Recognized for advancing one of Europe’s most strategic long-term frontiers through institutional leadership, technological ambition, and a clear vision for Europe’s future in space. Under his leadership, ESA’s 2025 Ministerial proposal secured the largest Member State contributions in the Agency’s history – totalling €22.3 billion – underscoring both the scale of his impact and the strategic relevance of Europe’s space agenda.
/ 2027 | To be announced
Next recipient revealed in Davos
The next award recipient will be announced at the bluegain CxO Luncheon in Davos in January 2027 – continuing the recognition of leaders whose work combines strategic relevance, transformative impact, and the ability to shape meaningful progress beyond their own organization.
/ WHAT THE AWARD RECOGNIZES
Recipients are selected through a curated process led by bluegain, drawing on its transformation perspective, executive dialogue, and ongoing work with senior leaders. Candidates are shortlisted based on the significance of their contribution, the strength of their transformation story, and the broader relevance of their impact. The final recipient is chosen for combining ambition with measurable progress, leadership credibility, and long-term relevance.
We recognize leaders, teams, and organizations who demonstrate transformation excellence with evidence of outcomes:
/ Clarity of North Star: a coherent transformation intent that aligns strategy, priorities, and decisions
/ Measurable Outcomes: clear value realized through performance, resilience, customer impact, or sustainability progress
/ Execution Excellence: disciplined delivery, accountable ownership, and governance that holds under real constraints
/ People and Culture Shift: adoption, capability building, and behavior change that makes transformation stick
/ Technology and Data Enablement: fit for purpose platforms, data foundations, and AI readiness where relevant
/ Responsible Leadership: trust, transparency, and long term value beyond short term optimization
