20th Annual Brandon Hall Group Excellence Awards Program Opens for Applications

2014 Excellence Awards Banner - for SignatureEntries accepted through April 18th in 50 categories in Learning and Development,Talent Management and Human Resources, and Sales and Marketing

Delray Beach, FL – Jan. 16, 2014 – Brandon Hall Group today opened applications for its 20th annual Excellence Awards Program.

Applications for the 2014 programs in Learning and Development, Talent Management and Human Resources, and Sales and Marketing  will be open until April 18, 2014. The award categories have expanded to 50 and are judged by Brandon Hall Group executives and analysts and an international panel of judges. Results will be announced in a live online event, the date of which will be announced in after applications close.

The Brandon Hall Group Excellence Awards Program is the most prestigious awards program in the performance improvement industry. Often called the “Academy Awards” by learning, talent and business executives, the program was one of the first of its kind when it debuted in 1994. Brandon Hall Group recognizes the best companies that have successfully developed and deployed programs, strategies, modalities, processes, systems, and tools that have helped companies achieve measurable results.

“We’ve expanded the categories in response to requests and feedback and expect 2014 to be our biggest and most competitive year ever in this, the 20th anniversary of the Brandon Hall Group Excellence Awards,” said Brandon Hall Group Chief Operating Officer Rachel Cooke, who oversees the awards program. “We believe strongly in leading the way in recognizing organizations that achieve breakthrough business results and serve the interests of all stakeholders.”

Brandon Hall Group is also proud to announce the first sponsors for the Excellence Awards:

  •  iSpring, a Gold sponsor in Learning and Development, Talent Management/Human Resources, and Sales and Marketing
  •  Skillsoft, a Silver Sponsor in Learning and Development and Talent Management/Human Resources
  • GP Strategies, a Bronze Sponsor in Learning and Development
  • Cognizant, a Bronze Sponsor in Talent Management/Human Resources

“The willingness of these great companies to serve as sponsors illustrates the awards program’s importance in the industries we serve and the importance of formal recognition to advancing performance in Learning and Development, Talent Management and Human Resources, and Sales and Marketing,” Cooke said. “These sponsorships will enable us to continue to improve and expand our recognition programs.”

Winners of the 2013 Learning,  Talent Management and Sales and Marketing programs were announced in a live online event in September. Multiple award winners included Accenture, Bank of America, Hewlett Packard, Turkish retailer Migros Ticaret, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Shell Oil, American Express, Microsoft, KPMG, Bridgepoint Education, CareerBuilder, Capgemini and IBM.

About Brandon Hall Group Inc.
With more than 10,000 clients globally and 20 years of delivering world class research and advisory services, Brandon Hall Group is the most well-known and established research organization in the performance improvement industry. We conduct research that drives performance, and provides strategic insights for executives and practitioners responsible for growth and business results.

Brandon Hall Group has an extensive repository of thought leadership research and expertise in our primary research portfolios:  Talent Management and Human Resources, Learning and Development, Leadership Development, and Talent Acquisition.  At the core of our offerings is a Membership Program that combines research, benchmarking and unlimited access to data and analysts. Our members have access to research and connections that help them make the right decisions about people, processes, and systems, coalesced with extensive advisory services tailored to help put the research into daily action. (http://www.brandonhall.com).

For additional information about our organization please contact Mike Cooke: (561) 865-5017 or [email protected]

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Mike Cooke

Chief Executive Officer of Brandon Hall Group Mike Cooke Prior to joining Brandon Hall Group, Mike Cooke was the Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of AC Growth. Mike held leadership and executive positions for the majority of his career, at which he was responsible for steering sales and marketing teams to drive results and profitability. His background includes more than 15 years of experience in sales, marketing, management, and operations in the research, consulting, software and technology industries. Mike has extensive experience in sales, marketing and management having worked for several early high-growth emerging businesses and has implemented technology systems to support various critical sales, finance, marketing and client service functions. He is especially skilled in organizing the sales and service strategy to fully support a company’s growth strategy. The concept of growth was an absolute to Mike and a motivator in starting AC Growth, in order to help organizations achieve research driven results. Most recently, Mike was the VP and General Manager of Field Operations at Bersin & Associates, a global analyst and consulting services firm focused on all areas of enterprise learning, talent management and talent acquisition. Tasked with leading the company’s global expansion, Mike led all sales operations worldwide. During Mike’s tenure, the company has grown into a multi-national firm, conducting business in over 45 countries with over 4,500 multi-national organizations. Mike started his career at MicroVideo Learning Systems in 1992, eventually holding a senior management position and leading all corporate sales before founding Dynamic Minds. Mike was CEO and Co-Founder of Dynamic Minds, a custom developer of software programs, working with clients like Goldman Sachs, Prentice Hall, McGraw Hill and Merrill Lynch. Also, Mike worked for Oddcast, a leading provider of customer experience and marketing solutions, where he held a senior management position leading the company into new markets across various industries. Mike also serves on the Advisory Board for Carbon Solutions America, an independent sustainability consulting and carbon management firm that specializes in the design and implementation of greenhouse reduction and sustainability plans as well as managing the generation of carbon and renewal energy and energy efficiency credits. Mike attended University of Phoenix, studying Business Administration and Finance. He has also completed executive training at the Chicago Graduate School of Business in Chicago, IL.