18.09.2026
IPMA is delighted to celebrate the outstanding achievements recognized at the IPMA Global Awards 2026, presented during the IPMA Award Gala on September 18th, 2026, in Hiroshima, Japan, marking the grand finale of the 35th IPMA World Congress.
With over 430 guests in attendance, the evening celebrated excellence as 31 winners of the IPMA Global Awards were announced. Bringing together members of the international project management community from around the world, the Gala was an inspiring evening dedicated to celebrating excellence, innovation, and the remarkable people and projects shaping the future of the profession.
The Global Awards Gala 2026 has officially opened with a traditional Kagami-biraki ceremony and a toast hosted by SPM President Takatoshi Hayama and IPMA President Mladen Vukomanović.Â
The ceremony has been hosted by Rebeka D. Vlahov, IPMA Director of Digital Transformation and Professional Development. The official Awards program opened Vladimir Obradović, IPMA Vice President operations and finance, a responsible person for events and awards. Vladimir used the opportunity to thank all the attendees and IPMA Global Awards finalists, but also to SPM for a successful organized 35th IPMA World Congress with more than 500 participants and 151 speakers.
Mark Patch, IPMA Global Awards Director, had the privilege of congratulating each of the present winners in person and handing out the trophies. He also took the opportunity to express his gratitude to everyone behind the IPMA Global Awards: the Awards team, assessors, and judges, a team of more than 80 people.Â
The IPMA Global Individual Awards program had been supported by Kristijan Robert Prebanić, a Young Crew board member responsible for the Young Project Manager of the Year Award. The IPMA Project Excellence Large & Mega-sized Projects Awards were presented by Mladen Vukomanović, IPMA President, and Mary Koutnicheva, IPMA Vice President, Standards and Qualifications, and former IPMA Global Awards Director.
The ceremony recognized this year’s IPMA Global Awards winners, whose achievements demonstrate the impact, dedication, and professionalism that continue to advance project management across industries and communities worldwide.
The Gala also provided a special opportunity for finalists, winners, IPMA representatives, and guests to come together, share their achievements, and celebrate the people behind some of the most inspiring projects and contributions to the project profession.
These are projects of enormous scale and complexity, requiring exceptional leadership, coordination and expertise, with results that leave a significant and lasting impact on organizations, communities and society.
The winners are:
This year, the Large and Mega-Sized Projects Awards also introduced a new special award, the Best Sustainability Project Management distinction, recognizing outstanding achievement in integrating sustainability into the management and delivery of Large and Mega-sized Projects.
This category recognizes projects in the fields of information technology and telecommunications that, through innovation, technological solutions and exceptional delivery, create significant value and achieve measurable impact for organizations and society.
The winners are:
This category recognizes projects that place sustainability at the heart of their approach, integrating environmental, social and economic considerations to create long-term value and positive impact.
The winners are:
This category recognizes projects that contribute to the development of communities and regions, improve quality of life and create a positive and sustainable social impact.
The winners are:
This category recognizes projects and initiatives that demonstrate how a PMO can become a strategic driver of organizational success by connecting projects with business strategy and creating measurable impact.
The winners are:
This category celebrates projects in construction, engineering and infrastructure that stand out through excellence in delivery, innovative approaches and results that create long-term value for communities and society.
The winners are:
This category celebrates young project managers who, at the beginning of their careers, are already demonstrating exceptional leadership, potential and the ability to make a significant impact through the projects they lead.
The winners are:
This award recognizes leaders who use agile principles to drive change, empower teams and create an environment in which people and organizations can adapt quickly and continue to grow.
The winners are:
This category celebrates individuals whose leadership creates environments where diversity is recognized and valued, everyone has equal opportunities, and different perspectives foster collaboration, innovation and better results. It recognizes leaders who successfully turn these principles into practice and embed them into the way they lead people and projects.
The winner is:
This category recognizes project managers who have demonstrated exceptional leadership, professionalism and the ability to successfully navigate complex challenges while delivering results that make a real difference.
The winners are:
This category recognizes individuals who demonstrate exceptional commitment to sustainable project leadership and who successfully integrate sustainability, ESG and responsible business principles into decision-making, stakeholder management and project delivery. It recognizes leaders who demonstrate that projects can create long-term value, not only for organizations, but also for society and future generations.
The winners are:
Today, a PMO is no longer simply a function that monitors processes and administers projects. It is becoming a strategic partner to the organization. This category recognizes leaders who, through strategic thinking, leadership and their ability to drive change, connect projects with business strategy and help shape the future of the PMO function and the project profession.
The winner is:
The awards were presented to Rebeka D. Vlahov (Croatia), Vladimir Obradović (Serbia), Mark Patch (Australia), Kristijan Robert Prebanić (Croatia), Mary Koutintcheva (Switzerland) and Mladen Vukomanović (Croatia).
Congratulations to all our 2026 winners! Your achievements inspire, connect, and make a difference.
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