2026 IoT Executive of the Year

Submission overview

The 2026 IoT Executive of the Year honors a senior leader whose vision, strategy, and execution materially advanced the Internet of Things during the 2026 calendar year.

This recognition celebrates executives who translate ambitious ideas into measurable progress by aligning technology with business goals, building effective teams, strengthening customer outcomes, developing partnerships, and advancing connected technology adoption.

Strong nominations will demonstrate how the executive’s individual leadership shaped important decisions, initiatives, products, deployments, organizational results, or industry developments. Recognition is based on documented achievement and influence, not title or company size alone.

This award is a great fit if…

• The nominee established a clear IoT vision and successfully translated it into products, platforms, deployments, partnerships, or market progress
• The nominee led initiatives that produced measurable customer, operational, technical, financial, or organizational results
• The nominee built, aligned, or supported teams responsible for meaningful IoT innovation and execution
• The nominee strengthened the broader IoT ecosystem through partnerships, standards work, thought leadership, or community participation
• The nominee’s work during 2026 demonstrates lasting influence on their organization, customers, industry, or connected technology adoption

Entry schedule

• Entries Open: Tuesday, December 1, 2026
• Early Bird Deadline: Friday, January 15, 2027
• Final Entry Deadline: Friday, February 12, 2027
• Winners Announced: Tuesday, March 9, 2027

Entries must be completed and paid by the applicable deadline.

Entry fees

• Early Bird Entry: $395 through January 15, 2027
• Standard Entry: $495 through February 12, 2027

Each nominee or category submission is treated as a separate entry.

What to submit

Your submission should give judges a clear understanding of the nominee’s leadership, achievements, measurable impact, and contribution to the IoT industry.

• Executive overview: Identify the nominee, their role, their organization, and their responsibilities within the IoT ecosystem
• Vision and strategy: Explain the direction the nominee established and the opportunities or challenges they identified
• Execution and outcomes: Describe the products, initiatives, deployments, partnerships, organizational changes, or market developments delivered under the nominee’s leadership
• Measurable impact: Include relevant adoption, revenue, customer, deployment, reliability, efficiency, security, growth, or organizational results
• Team and industry leadership: Explain how the nominee strengthened teams, developed partnerships, influenced industry practices, or contributed to the broader IoT community
• Supporting materials: Provide relevant case studies, company milestones, publications, speaking engagements, media coverage, customer examples, or partnership announcements

Optional supporting materials may include an executive biography, video statement, external reference letter, nomination letter, or customer testimonial.

Judging criteria

• Evidence and Measurable Impact, 30%: Strength of the documented organizational, customer, technical, operational, financial, or market outcomes connected to the nominee’s leadership
• Leadership, Vision, and Industry Contribution, 20%: Clarity of direction, quality of leadership, team development, industry influence, partnerships, and contribution to IoT
• Innovation and Differentiation, 20%: Originality and significance of the strategies, initiatives, products, or approaches advanced by the nominee
• Execution and Scalability, 20%: Ability to translate vision into sustained execution, organizational progress, scalable programs, and practical results
• Category Fit, 10%: Clarity and strength of the case that the nominee represents exceptional executive leadership within the Internet of Things

Eligibility

• Open worldwide to senior leaders operating within the Internet of Things
• Eligible nominees may include CEOs, founders, presidents, CTOs, senior product leaders, general managers, business unit leaders, strategy executives, and ecosystem or partnership leaders
• The achievements cited must have occurred or materially advanced during the 2026 calendar year
• Entries may be submitted by the executive, the executive’s organization, or an authorized third party
• Third-party nominations should be submitted with the nominee’s knowledge and permission
• Entries should include credible evidence of the nominee’s individual role, leadership, execution, and measurable impact

Confidential materials may be summarized or redacted, provided the submission includes enough information for judges to evaluate the nominee fairly.

Submission process

1. Select the IoT Executive of the Year category in the 2026 Best of IoT Awards application.
2. Complete every required field and clearly explain the nominee’s leadership and accomplishments.
3. Upload or link to supporting evidence and relevant nomination materials.
4. Submit the application and pay the applicable entry fee before the deadline.

Organizations may nominate multiple executives when each nominee has a distinct and well-supported submission. Each nomination requires a separate application and entry fee.