Diligent Elevate Awards

Global GRC leaders driving AI innovation

The Diligent Elevate Awards honor trailblazers transforming governance, risk, compliance, and audit — and showing what’s possible with AI‑powered innovation. We’re proud to celebrate this year’s finalists, whose work is setting a new standard for modern GRC. Winners were recognized at Elevate 2026.

Elevate Awards Hero

2026 Winners

Boardroom AI Innovator 

For board leaders using AI to strengthen oversight

This award recognizes someone who brings AI into the boardroom in a thoughtful, strategic way — using insights to improve decision making, streamline board operations, and help their organization move faster and smarter. 

Community Trust Builder

For public-sector leaders strengthening trust and delivering mission-driven results

This award recognizes someone in government or the broader public sector who leads with integrity and transparency — improving outcomes for their community while modeling values-based leadership.

Corporate Changemaker

For leaders using AI to drive meaningful organizational change

This award recognizes a risk, audit or compliance leader who is transforming how their organization approaches governance by using AI with rigor and intention. These leaders turn AI‑driven insights into trusted guidance for boards and executives, modernize risk, audit and compliance practices beyond traditional reporting, and strengthen assurance through clear controls, accountability and well‑governed AI use.

Governance Pioneer

For legal and governance professionals pushing the function forward

This award recognizes someone who goes beyond traditional governance responsibilities - modernizing processes, unifying risk and compliance efforts, and shaping how good governance drives real organizational impact.

GRC Conductor

For general counsels orchestrating risk, compliance and governance through AI

This award recognizes a General Counsel and legal leaders who serves as the central conductor of enterprise risk, compliance, and governance — applying AI with discipline and judgment to align legal, risk, audit, and compliance functions while maintaining accountability and board confidence.

Mission Trailblazer

For nonprofit and higher education leaders driving meaningful mission impact

This award recognizes someone who strengthens their organization’s mission through strong governance, collaboration, and effective stakeholder engagement.

Honor Roll

  • Abercrombie & Fitch Management Co.
  • Absa Bank Ltd
  • AGL Energy Limited
  • Air New Zealand
  • AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc.
  • American Eagle Outfitters, Inc.
  • Anglo American
  • Axa
  • Bacardi Limited
  • Banco Santander
  • Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait B.S.C.
  • Bank of China
  • Bendigo & Adelaide Bank Limited
  • Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.
  • Boot Barn Holdings Inc
  • Boston Scientific Corporation
  • Brookfield Asset Management Ltd.
  • Cargill Incorporated
  • Centrica plc
  • Cloudflare, Inc.
  • Compass Group PLC
  • Continental Resources, Inc.
  • CSIRO
  • Dell Technologies Inc.
  • Deloitte
  • DigitalGlobe, Inc.
  • DP World FZE
  • Eastman Chemical Company
  • Ernst & Young
  • Exxaro Resources Limited
  • Gannett Co. Inc.
  • Gold Fields Group Services (Pty) Ltd
  • Hershey
  • Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc.
  • Hyatt Hotels Corporation
  • Hydro-Quebec
  • IDEXX Laboratories, Inc.
  • Iluka Resources Limited
  • Intel Corporation
  • Intellia Therapeutics Inc
  • James Hardie Industries plc
  • JD Sports Fashion plc
  • JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.
  • Kohl's Department Stores, Inc.
  • KPMG LLP
  • L3Harris Technologies, Inc.
  • Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings
  • Lojas Renner
  • Mobileye Global Inc
  • Moderna
  • Mondelez International, Inc.
  • Naspers Ltd
  • National Bank of Bahrain B.S.C.
  • Novartis International AG
  • Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc.
  • OCI N.V.
  • Omnicom Group, Inc.
  • ONEOK, Inc.
  • Ontario Power Generation Inc.
  • Orica Australia Pty Ltd
  • Origin Energy Limited
  • Petco Animal Supplies Stores, Inc.
  • Pilbara Minerals Limited
  • Procore Technologies, Inc.
  • QIC Limited
  • Qorvo, Inc.
  • Quanta Services, Inc.
  • RealtimeBoard Inc. dba Miro
  • Repsol
  • Sally Beauty Holdings, Inc.
  • Scale AI
  • Serco Group plc
  • Shake Shack, Inc.
  • Spark New Zealand Trading Limited
  • Standard Bank Group
  • Standard Chartered Bank
  • State Farm
  • Tapestry, Inc.
  • TE Connectivity plc
  • Telkom SA SOC Ltd
  • Telstra Limited
  • The Governor and Company of the Bank of Ireland
  • The Vanguard Group, Inc.
  • Thomson Reuters Corporation
  • Thoughtworks Holding, Inc.
  • TripAdvisor, Inc.
  • Tyler Technologies, Inc.
  • Uber
  • Union Bank of the Philippines
  • Union Pacific Corporation
  • United Airlines, Inc.
  • USAA
  • Vale S.A.
  • Vodafone Group
  • Wesfarmers Limited
  • Wix
  • Woolworths Group Limited
  • WPP plc
  • Xero Limited
  • Zumiez Inc.