We’re excited to announce the finalists for the inaugural UC Leaders Awards! These awards celebrate excellence in unified communications, and for the first time, we are recognizing individuals and teams that are transforming the industry with innovation, leadership, and collaboration. With the awards ceremony set for 21 November at 4:00 pm GMT / 11:00 am EST, join us in honoring the trailblazers shaping the future of UC.
Meet the Finalists
Innovator of the Year
These trailblazers are redefining Unified Communications with fresh ideas and new approaches. Let’s celebrate their creativity and impact.
- Craig Walker, CEO & Founder, Dialpad
- Eric Yuan, CEO & Founder, Zoom
- Mark Bunnell, COO, Nuwave
- Snorre Kjesbu, Senior Vice President & General Manager, Cisco Collaboration
UC Leader of the Year
Honoring those who’ve made a lasting impact on the UC world through exceptional leadership and vision.
- Eric Yuan, CEO & Founder, Zoom
- Amit Barave, Vice President Of Product Management, Cisco Webex
- Michael Gold, Chairman & CEO, Intermedia
- Vlad Shmunis, Founder, Chairman and CEO, RingCentral
Women in UC Leadership Award
These remarkable women are paving the way in Unified Communications with their leadership and influence.
- Smita Hashim, Chief Product Officer, Zoom
- Christina Hyde, Vice President of Revenue, SkySwitch
- Kira Makagon, Chief Innovation Officer & CMO, RingCentral
- Aruna Ravichandran, SVP & Chief Marketing and Customer Officer, Cisco Webex
Industry Influencer of the Year
These thought leaders are shaping the future of Unified Communications with their insights and advocacy.
- Zeus Kerravala, Founder & Principal Analyst, ZK Research
- Craig Durr, Chief Analyst & Founder, The Collab Collective
- Tom Arbuthnot, Cofounder, Empowering.Cloud
- Dave Michels, Lead Analyst, TalkingPointz.com
Collaboration Leader of the Year
These leaders are driving innovation in the collaboration space. Join us in celebrating their remarkable contributions.
- Anurag Dhingra, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Cisco Collaboration
- Dom McDonald, Chief Executive, ULAP Networks
- Smita Hashim, Chief Product Officer, Zoom
- Scott Hix, CEO & Cofounder, Avocor
Rising Star of the Year
Emerging talents already making waves and showing incredible promise in the industry.
- Anna Skolasinska, Vendor Manager – Cloud Solutions, Nuvias UC
- Vipin Kalra, Lead Cloud Engineer, Collaboration & Contact Center, DocuSign
- Maximillian Burghardt, Team Lead Network & Communication, Bizerba
- Naveed Nazamy, Data & AI Cloud Solution Architect, Microsoft
Editor’s Choice Award
Recognized for their dedication and achievements, these individuals have made a lasting impact on the industry.
- Vipin Kalra, Lead Cloud Engineer, Collaboration & Contact Center, DocuSign
- Chris Goodwill, Strategic Partner Manager and Solution Specialist, Symity
- Phil Moen, President & CEO, Unimax
- Todd Hegi, Solutions Architect, Micro-Tel LLC
UC Team of the Year
These teams have gone above and beyond to bring Unified Communications solutions to life, achieving exceptional results together.
- Verizon Mobile MS Teams Team
- Zoom’s Product Team
- BroadSource’s SecureCall Team
- Dialpad’s Cloud Services Team
A Note from Our Chair of Judges
Kieran Devlin, Chair of Judges, shares his thoughts on this year’s exceptional finalists:
“It’s been a privilege and pleasure chairing the judges’ panel for such an outstanding array of submissions. As our panel of judges will attest, it’s been tremendously difficult narrowing it down to the finalists you read above, given the sheer quality of applications. I was deeply compelled and inspired by the finalists we have chosen and believe they illustrate the UC and collaboration space at its best and most innovative. Congratulations to our finalists!”
Be sure to join us on 21 November at 4:00 pm GMT / 11:00 am EST to celebrate the outstanding contributions these professionals are making in Unified Communications.
