Winners Announced For The 2020 CSuite Digital Leadership Awards!
Drumroll, please … We’re thrilled to announce the winners of the 2020 CSuite Digital Leadership Awards! After pouring through entries from the heads of global companies and solopreneurs alike, our all-star panel of judges has identified this year’s top business influencers on social and digital platforms.
The CSuite Awards is the first competition of its kind to recognize business leaders using their own digital channels, including social media, podcasts, blogs and video, to inspire and influence. Applicants are judged not just on number of followers but on levels of engagement, quality and relevance of content and advancement of real business goals.
The events of the past year, from the global pandemic to the Black Lives Matter movement, have shown how critical it is for business leaders to participate in vital conversations with customers, employees and the public. Whether imparting entrepreneurial advice or leveraging their channels to help those affected by the pandemic, these leaders used their platforms to share ideas, take a stance on issues of the day and make real connections.
Congratulations to the winners of The 2020 CSuite Awards:
Best Leader on Facebook: Brian Scudamore, CEO of O2E Brands
Through genuine and energetic Facebook posts, Brian shows his “if I can do it, you can do it” attitude. He frequently shares behind-the-scenes looks into his life as a business owner, shows what corporate culture is like and offers insights to aspiring entrepreneurs.
Best Leader on Instagram: Michele Romanow, President of Clearbanc
On Instagram, Michele posts videos from the heart on topics ranging from leadership and management to entrepreneurship and navigating challenging times. Since the pandemic started, she’s been especially active, using her platform to help those affected by the crisis.
Best Leader on LinkedIn: David Solomon, CEO of Goldman Sachs
With a focus on leading with transparency and accountability, David shares his thought leadership, management perspectives and major firm-wide announcements on LinkedIn. As the COVID-19 crisis unfolded, he immediately adapted to the new challenges and regularly shared Goldman Sachs’ support and response.
Best Leader on Twitter: Jack Salzwedel, CEO of American Family Insurance
Jack has used Twitter for nearly a decade to connect with customers and employees. From retweeting to replying to comments, he actively engages with his audience and fosters dialogue. He also leveraged his platform to call out his own privilege and urge others to do the same in support of Black Lives Matter.
Best Blog or Op-ed by a Business Leader: Ganes Kesari, Co-founder of Gramener
As an AI thought leader and regular contributor to leading magazines such as TechCrunch and Entrepreneur, Ganes is on a mission to simplify data science and help everyone understand its true potential. He regularly shares his expertise on data science innovation in engaging, accessible blog posts and articles.
Best Video Leadership: Karen Cahn, CEO and Founder of iFundwomen
Karen uses video to have meaningful and honest conversations with her audience, sharing business advice and checking in with her followers. She also has a powerful IGTV series, “How To Be White, Tangible Advice for Business Leaders” that addresses racial inequality.
Business Leader Taking a Stand: Dan Schulman, CEO of PayPal
From posts that highlight PayPal’s ESG priorities to taking action for racial equity and social justice, Dan has invested in social media to inform, engage and influence, using his platforms to authentically connect with employees and customers on matters of societal importance.
Best Podcast Hosted by a Business Leader: Mike Payne & Mitzi Payne, Hosts of Waves Social Podcast
With the goal of educating peers and creatives on the world of social media, Mike and Mitzi created a podcast to share their insights as agency owners and interview guest experts. They’ve charted on the Apple Podcasts "Top Shows" list in the Business category and connected with influencers around the world.
Crisis Communications Leadership: Paulina Cameron, CEO of Forum for Women Entrepreneurs
Paulina has been an advocate for women for over a decade. Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, she’s provided a steady stream of relevant and needed content, supporting women entrepreneurs across the country while candidly sharing information from government and experts on her social media in a comprehensible way.
A huge congratulations to the winners and a sincere thank you to all the founders, CEOs, entrepreneurs and leaders who submitted entries this year. When we started working with business leaders more than five years ago, the idea of CEOs sharing authentically on social media was still greeted with skepticism. Today, it’s the norm for progressive leaders at forward-looking companies everywhere. We hope you continue using your platforms to make a difference.
We also want to thank our amazing judges for their time, expertise and enthusiasm and our sponsor, social media management platform Hootsuite, for providing amazing prizes to our winners.
The conversation doesn’t end here! We’ll be hosting a series of Instagram Live chats with our winners on CSuite Content’s Instagram (@csuitecontentagency). Follow us for updates on times and dates and the latest news in digital leadership.
