2026 Veblen Directors Leadership Awards: Honouring Five Visionary Leaders

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August 31, 2026 7:20 AM EDT

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The Veblen Directors Programme today announced the winners of the 2026 Veblen Directors Leadership Awards, recognising five outstanding individuals whose leadership, vision and impact are shaping the future, and whose achievements deserve wider recognition.

Singapore, 31st Aug 2026 - The Veblen Directors Programme today announced the winners of the 2026 Veblen Directors Leadership Awards, recognising five outstanding individuals whose leadership, vision and impact are shaping the future, and whose achievements deserve wider recognition.
Now in its third year, the Awards celebrate leaders across industries, sectors and regions: individuals mentoring others, challenging norms and moving the world forward in bold, meaningful ways.
This year's Awards featured six categories, each honouring one category winner, with nominations received from across the world.
"Leadership rarely announces itself. It shows up in the quiet work of building systems that work, mentoring people who will outgrow us, and making space for others to lead. This year's winners prove that the most durable kind of leadership is generous leadership -- and that its impact travels far beyond any single organisation. We are delighted to give these leaders the visibility their work deserves," said Callum Laing, Founder of the Veblen Directors Programme.

2026 Veblen Directors Leadership Awards: Honouring Five Visionary Leaders

2026 Veblen Directors Leadership Award Winners
Full details about their achievements and journeys, along with the names of the runners-up per category, are available at: https://veblendirectors.com/veblen-directors-awards/

Operational Excellence Leader Award
Winner: Leah Stockley Recognised for more than 25 years spent helping organisations deliver on their ambitions. Her focus throughout has been the same: understanding why capable people, working hard, lose their way between strategy and execution, a question that has guided large-scale transformations at Barclays and Standard Chartered, where she led teams of more than 700 people, and the founding of Let's Flow, whose ACT! Leadership System helps boards and leadership teams pinpoint where operational value is created or lost. Her first book, Momentum, publishes with Amplify Publishing Group in October 2026.

Mentor & Coaching Excellence Award
Winner: Dr Venu GR Honoured for more than 25 years of international leadership across IT, digital transformation, consulting and business growth, and for mentoring founders, students and executives at national and international universities and startup foundations. A seasoned business strategist and non-executive board member who has held senior roles including Country Head, Delivery Head, Business Head and Asia Pacific Head, he now advises startups, brands, universities and international organisations.

Innovation Leadership Award
Winner: Caleb Aghedo Celebrated for founding VirtuDux Technologies, the AI-native executive assistant, which bridges the gap between African businesses seeking skilled operators and capable people looking for meaningful work. His model trains professionals in the real craft of executive support, customer operations and account management, then equips them to run it through modern AI tools, so one assistant can deliver the output of a small team. The approach is repeatable and capital-efficient, turning AI adoption into employment rather than displacement. He also manages the speaker programme at TEDxUNILAG and runs operations for an academy developing new talent.

Inclusive Leadership Award & Social Impact & Sustainability Leader Award
Winner: Manish Bhatt Acknowledged across two categories for 30 years of inclusive leadership and a profound commitment to social and environmental impact. Manish's career is marked by significant contributions to world-leading companies including 3Com, HPE, VMware, Thales and Airbus, where he solidified his reputation as a visionary leader. As an Independent Non-Executive Director at organisations including Bhrish, the CMO Council, the Global Alliance for Artificial Intelligence, Helping Our Planet Earth, National Mentoring Day, Omni Integra, SmartScale Advisors, Women in Mentoring and Yoloh -- and as a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing -- he guides strategic decisions and fosters sustainable growth. Alongside his corporate roles, Manish is a passionate CMO, mentor and educator, having mentored talent at institutions including London Business School, Stanford University, the University of Cambridge, the University of Sydney, the University of Warwick, Airbus, the Dubai AI Campus, DIFC, the Dubai Government and the Institute of Directors, consistently imparting valuable knowledge and inspiring the next generation of leaders.

Thought Leader of the Year
Winner: Ching Ping Lee Awarded for shaping clearer, more human leadership at the intersection of people, systems and transformation. Drawing on 25 years across IT, OT, cloud and intelligent operations, and on consistent writing, speaking and cross-industry reflection, he has helped leaders navigate ambiguity, build psychological safety and lead with intention, most recently through his structured reflection series and his forthcoming second book, Leading Through the Layers.
Taken together, this year's winners reflect the many forms leadership takes, from operational rigour and mentorship to innovation and social impact. Each has not only delivered results, but created the conditions for others to succeed.

About the Veblen Directors Programme
The Veblen Directors Programme equips professionals and executives with the skills, network and confidence to serve on boards and in advisory roles. Founded by Callum Laing -- who has interviewed over 2,000 leaders and helped hundreds secure their first board seats -- Veblen champions purpose-driven leadership and boardroom diversity. The Veblen Directors Leadership Awards honour individuals driving meaningful, values-aligned change in their industries and beyond.
www.veblendirectors.com