CMSWire Impact Awards
The CMSWire IMPACT Awards celebrate exceptional work in the field of digital customer experience.
Get Recognized / Apply Now
Award Categories
Not all categories are offered in all years.
For Practitioners
Customer Experience
Leader of the Year
Recognizes executives who excel in leading to improve customer experience through partnering across the organization and leveraging digital technologies.
Customer Journey
Innovation
Recognizes the digital customer experience department or team that has implemented the most novel and/or impactful customer journey optimization over the past year.
Customer Service
Excellence
Recognizes departments or teams that have implemented an initiative in the past year to improve their operations, sales or contact center departments.
Innovative Use of CX Technology
Recognizes departments or teams that have deployed an emerging technology and related process in the past year to transform the customer experience.
For Vendors
Best Customer Experience Transformation
Recognizes the vendor that has helped one of their customers achieve the most complex transformation of the customer experience.
Best Use of AI in Customer Experience
Recognizes the vendor that has helped one of their customers use artificial intelligence to improve the customer experience.
Best Omnichannel Personalization
Recognizes the vendor that has helped one of their customers improve the customer experience through omnichannel personalization.
Best Contact Center
Innovation
Recognizes the vendor that has done the most to bring innovation to their customer’s contact center.
2024 Winners
Practitioner Awards
Customer Experience Leader of the Year
Eric Carrasquilla, President, Customer Experience
Customer Journey
Innovation (Gold)
Banzai
Customer Journey
Innovation (Silver)
ClearChoice Management Services
Customer Service
Excellence (Gold)
CNA Insurance
Innovative Use of CX Technology (Gold)
Vertiv
Innovative Use of CX Technology (Silver)
ImageSource
Vendor Awards
Best Customer Experience Transformation (Gold)
Progress
Best Customer Experience Transformation (Silver)
NICE
Best Use of AI in Customer Experience (Gold)
Coveo
Best Use of AI in Customer Experience (Silver)
GroupBy
Best Omnichannel Personalization (Gold)
Kustomer
Best Contact Center
Innovation (Gold)
Sprinklr
Best Contact Center
Innovation (Silver)
UiPath
2021 Winners | 2022 Winners
About the CMSWire Impact Awards
The IMPACT Awards celebrate exceptional work in the field of digital customer experience. Honors are given to practitioners and vendors responsible for creating a notable impact either within their organization (practitioners) or for their customers (vendors).
If you want to showcase your company’s internal practices you should apply for the practitioner awards.
If you want to showcase the work you’ve done for a customer/client you should apply for the vendor awards.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the IMPACT Awards?
The IMPACT Awards is a prestigious recognition program, celebrating exceptional work in the field of customer experience. Honors are bestowed on both exceptional practitioners (individuals, departments and teams) and vendors (companies and their customers).
How do I apply for the IMPACT Awards?
Visit awards.simplermedia.com/cx to apply.
What’s new this year?
We have reduced the fee to apply for the Customer Experience Leader of the Year, to $49.
Who is eligible to apply?
- Nominees for the practitioner awards should be CX leaders, departments and teams who have deployed superior CX initiatives or technology over the past year.
- Individuals and teams may self-nominate for any award.
- Nominees for the vendor awards should be vendors who have solved a particularly impressive challenge for one of their clients in the last year.
What is the difference between the practitioner and the vendor awards?
- If you want to showcase your company’s internal practices you should apply for the practitioner awards.
- Companies whose business model includes CX programs, platforms or solutions may not apply for the practitioner awards.
- If you want to showcase the work you’ve done for a customer/client you should apply for the vendor awards.
- Vendors must apply on behalf of a customer. Your customer’s name may remain anonymous, although we encourage you to identify them in your application.
What are the awards categories?
- Practitioner categories
- Customer Experience Leader of the Year
- Recognizes executives who excel in leading to improve customer experience through partnering across the organization and leveraging digital technologies.
- Customer Journey Innovation
- Recognizes the digital customer experience department or team that has implemented the most novel and/or impactful customer journey optimization over the past year.
- Customer Service Excellence
- Recognizes departments or teams that have implemented an initiative in the past year to improve their operations, sales or contact center departments.
- Innovative Use of CX Technology
- Recognizes departments or teams that have deployed an emerging technology and related process in the past year to transform the customer experience.
- Customer Experience Leader of the Year
- Vendor categories
- Best Customer Experience Transformation
- Recognizes the vendor that has helped one of their customers achieve the most complex transformation of the customer experience.
- Best Use of AI in Customer Experience
- Recognizes the vendor that has helped one of their customers use artificial intelligence to improve the customer experience.
- Best Omnichannel Personalization
- Recognizes the vendor that has helped one of their customers improve the customer experience through omnichannel personalization.
- Best Contact Center Innovation
- Recognizes the vendor that has done the most to bring innovation to their customer’s contact center.
- Best Customer Experience Transformation
Is there a cost to apply? How do I pay?
- For the Customer Experience Leader of the Year award, there is a $49 fee per application.
- For all other practitioner awards, there is a $195 fee per application.
- For vendor awards, there is a $995 fee per application.
- All application fees are payable by credit card prior to application submission. Applications are not considered final until fees are paid in full.
- Occasionally we offer discounts on the application fees or organizations wishing to enter multiple categories. Contact us for more information.
How long does it take to complete the application?
Applications should take 1-2 hours to complete.
Is there a word limit? Can I include charts, photos or other attachments in my application?
- All application questions have minimum and maximum word counts. These vary and are listed on each question.
- Charts, photos and other attachments are not allowed.
Who are the judges?
Judges are volunteer practitioners, specialists, consultants and CX experts, recruited for their field expertise.
What is the judging process and criteria?
- Judges apply through the awards portal and are vetted by CMSWire prior to reviewing applications.
- Judges receive detailed instructions and a scoring rubric to assist in the review process.
- Judges agree to keep all material confidential. Certain application fields with proprietary information are not shared with judges.
- All applications are reviewed by multiple judges to minimize bias. Judges are not assigned applications from participants in their own industry and judges can recuse themselves from any application to avoid direct or indirect conflicts of interest.
How are the winners determined?
- Judge scores are aggregated to determine the final winners of each category.
- Judges only score Part 3 of each application. Demographics information is not scored and not given to judges.
How are the finalists notified? When are the winners announced?
- Finalists will be notified through email once the judging period is over.
- Some finalists may be contacted by phone.
- Winners are announced in a press release once all winners have been personally notified of their status.
How are winners recognized?
- Winners are recognized in the following ways:
- Press release on CMSWire, promoted through PR channels.
- As part of a longer awards article on CMSWire.
- Mention on awards website.
- Opportunity to participate in CMSWire TV.
What do winners receive?
- Winners receive a physical trophy as well as a digital badge for social media promotion.
- All awards participants receive a scorecard, with their score and judge comments.
Who were last year’s winners?
How will my application data be used?
By signing up for the IMPACT Awards, you agree to receive emails related to the awards program, including (but not limited to) reminder emails, open/close dates and finalist status. All finalists and winners will be contacted through email and may be contacted via phone for additional information. Winners’ contact information may be shared with our Awards team for the purpose of coordinating your participation in our events. Winners’ addresses will be shared with our awards vendors for the purposes of awards delivery and digital badge distribution. Finalists’ and winners’ application data may be shared with our Editorial team for background information only.
Who do I contact if I have any questions?
Please send all questions to [email protected].
2024 Judges
Judges are volunteer practitioners, specialists, consultants and CX experts, recruited for their field expertise.
Adebukola Ajao
Digital Marketing Consultant, BDY CONSULT
Adrian Speyer
VP Marketing & Community, Community Leaders Institute
Akin Arikan
Author, Customer Experience Analytics, Customer Experience Analytics & Contentsquare
Akshay Sura
Composable architect and founding partner, Konabos
Alan Pelz-Sharpe
Industry Analyst, Deep Analysis
Amy Dufrane
Ed.D., SPHR, CAE, CEO, HRCI
Angela Bandy
Director of Human Resources, Reconciled
April Nishimura
Head of Global OneExperience, onsemi
Ashli Florek
Clinical CX Director, Riverside Insights
Beth Martin
Digital Services Expert, federal government
Bob Holloway
Lead Consultant/Founder, RXperience Solutions
Brian Jeppesen
Director, Contact Centers, Landry’s
Brianna Henderson
Regional CX Manager, Waste Connections
Cathy Hayes
Director of Online Community and Web Services, ADEA
Carolyn Vincent
Director of Online Community and Web Services, ADEA
Charisma Dela Cruz
Sr Director People and Client Experience, Visa
Chris Bram
CEO, Chris Bram Consulting
Cindy Brummer
CEO/Creative Director, Standard Beagle
Claudia Kallesen
Director IT Business Solutions, Trave + Leisure
Danielle Fragen
Assistant Brand Director, Astellas Pharma US
Danielle Matherne
Director of UIX, iSeatz
David Stark
Chief Marketing Officer, Openstream.ai
Deidre Alves
CLO, ExuLAB
Dennis Gershowitz
Principal, DG Associates
Erika Heald
Founder and Chief Content Officer, Erika Heald Marketing Consulting
Erika Holland
Customer Experience Manager, SylvanSport
David Stark
Chief Marketing Officer, Openstream.ai
Francis Mona III
Owner, Francis J Consulting
G Béland
Director, Digital Strategies, Premier Tech
Gloria Redmond
Guest Experience, Senior Manager, ASM Global — Huntington Place Detroit
Greg Kihlstrom
Principal, The Agile Brand
Gurneen Bedi
Leader in Customer Success, Feedzai
Hank Brigman
President, Chief Experience Officer, Customer Experience Strategies
Hermin, Sachar-Jadav
SVP, CRM Engagement Strategy, FCB Health
Holly Phillips
Global Customer Experience Manager, Keysight Technologies
Jag Seth
Sr Director, Customer Engagement, Stash
Jasmina Jurisic
Customer Service Manager, Bicom Systems
Jason Reid
Director of Operations, Flint Group
Jason Rivera
Team Lead, Collaboration Architect, Cognizant Microsoft Business Group
Jennifer Swartz
Director of Marketing, The Lukens Company
Jim Remsik
CEO, Flagrant
Joanna Bertrand
Senior Director of Digital and Content Strategy, University of Colorado Boulder
Joe Karasin
Founder, Karasin PPC
Jordan Brannon
President, Coalition
Karyn Furstman
Chief Experience Officer, CustomersFurst
Kenisha Middlebrooks
Manager, Customer Experience, TTI Floor Care North America
Kenneth C.C. Yang
Professor, University of Texas at El Paso
Kenneth Peterson
President, CX, QuestionPro
Kevin Erdner
Sr Director of Product Management, Labcorp
Kim Sanchez
Director Customer Experience, 7-Eleven
Kristen Hayer
CEO, The Success League
Krystal Besaw
Sr Consultant-Employee Experience, Listening, & Enablement, GM Financial
Kymberly Garrett
Chief People and Diversity Officer, Children’s Bureau
Lana Brkic
Marketing Consultant, White Marble Consulting
Laura Nystrom
Consultant, Customer Technology, Ernst & Young U.S
Lee Pittman
Marketing Director, Content Bloom
Lilly Whyland
Chief Experience Officer, Optic Marketing Group
Lisa Carr
Brand & Comms Senior Strat Mgr, Accenture Song
Mandy Dhaliwal
CMO, Nutanix
Mari Federow
Sr. Manager of UX Research, Circle Internet Services
Maria Feay
Senior Director, Quantum Health
Maria Scarangella
President, Scarangella Consulting
Mario Chatzidamianos
Director Compliance, Communications & Business Development, Creators of Cosmos SMPC
Matt Lyles
Chief Experience Officer, Brand Builders Group
Melissa Hochman
Melissa Langenbach
Human Resources Manager, WonderWorks
Mike Goracke
Director, Media, Bain and Company
Millicent McIntyre
Senior Director Buyer Services, IAA
Myles Kellam
eCommerce Personalization Manager, Airgas
Natasha Gibson
Customer Experience Manager, Soothe
Nav Thethi
Senior Manager, Web and Digital Experience, Hitachi Vantara
Nichole Hinton
Customer Experience/Operations Expert and Consultant, LYSI Holdings
Noor Khosla
Co-Founder, SharkMate
Patty Radford Henderson
Founder & CEO, Annum
Paula Rivera
Sr. Director, Public Relations, IntelePeer
Paulie Anthony
Head of Marketing, Ascendum Solutions
Raina Hathorne
Product Marketing Manager, Poppulo
Reem El Asaleh
Associate Professor, Toronto Metropolitan University
Richard Butler
Principal — Technology Business Analysis, AT&T
Rick Ortiz
VP of People & Culture, Certain Affinity
Rishi Kumar
Vice President, Relanto
Robert Jacobi
Founder and Strategist, Warbi
Sanetra Payne
Vice President of Marketing, Leading Authorities
Sallie Oliver
Marketing Communications Coordinator, Technology Services Industry Association
Sara Meinke
Sr. Director Enterprise IT Amb Network Innovation, Baptist Health Jacksonville
Shaun Struckmann
Manager, Customer Support Operations, Gong
Sunny Hunt
Strategist, Convince & Convert
Surbhi Kaul
Vice President, Global CX, Juniper Networks
Suzie Dieth
Senior Director of Customer Experience, NRG Energy
Timothy Cornelius
Founder & CEO; Director of Operations, P3 Technology, QuestionPro
Toby Donovan
Director, Digital Marketing, Russell Investments
Tracey Joseph
CEO & Executive HR Consultant, Executive HR Consulting Services
Valerie Pagan
Member Experience Manager, Space Coast Credit Union
Valerie Sindal
VP of Digital Strategy and Engagement, The Council of Insurance Agents and Brokers
Vanessa S Burns
VP of Human Resources, Bailey & Galyen
Verima Pereira
Postdoc, UCSF
Vien-An Friedel
Director, Product Management, TurtleTree
Vishal Pallerla
Developer Advocate
Waqas Rasheed
Senior AI Engineer, Kyocera Document Solutions Development of America
Wendy Boucher
Fractional CMO, Boundtree Marketers