Global Wellness Awards
Each year, the Global Wellness Summit honors outstanding leaders of the industry with the
prestigious Global Wellness Awards. Read more about the awards.
2023 Award Recipients
Debra Simon Award for Furthering
Mental Wellness
Simone Biles, Gymnast
Leader in
Innovation
Anjan Chatterjee, MD, Professor of Neurology,
Psychology & Architecture, University of Pennsylvania; Founding Director, Penn Center for Neuroaesthetics, United States
Bennett Family Award for Collaboration in the Science of Wellness
Michael Roizen, MD, Emeritus Chief Wellness Officer, Cleveland Clinic; Professor, Lerner College of Medicine of Cleveland Clinic at Case Western Reserve University, United States
2022 Award Recipients
Call for Innovation: Wellness and the Metaverse |
Leading
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Leader
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Leader
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Debra Simon Award
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Amir Bozorgzadeh, Virtuleap CEO and Co-founder
Virtuleap: A health and education startup with a mission to elevate cognitive assessment and training using virtual reality and artificial intelligence |
Sue Harmsworth, MBE, Owner, Sue Harmsworth Ltd, UK |
Rick Stollmeyer, |
Robbie Hammond, President of Therme Group US and co-founder of New York City’s High Line |
Freddie Moross, Managing Director of Myndstream, UK |
The Bennett Family Award for
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Professor Alon Chen, President, the Weizmann Institute of Science |
Juan de Pablo, Executive VP for Science, Innovation, National Laboratories and Global Initiatives, The University of Chicago |
2021 Award Recipients
Read more about the 2021 recipients here.
Leading Woman
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Leader in
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Debra Simon Award for Leader in Furthering Mental Wellness |
Leader in
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Karen Moseley | Craig Cogut |
2020 Award Recipients
Read more about the 2020 recipients here.
Leading Woman in Wellness |
Global Wellness Summit Prize |
Debra Simon Award for Leader in
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Veronica Schreibeis Smith, Founding Principal, Vera Iconica Architecture, United States |
Amai Proteins, Israel |
C. Victor and Lynne Brick, John W. Brick Mental Health Foundation, United States |
2019 Award Recipients
Read more about the 2019 recipients here.
Leader in
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Leader in
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Leader in
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Leading Woman
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Debra Simon Award
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Ronna Chao Chair, Novetex Textiles, Hong Kong |
Bill Bensley Owner, Bensley Architecture, Interior Design and Landscape, Thailand |
John Wood Founder, Room to Read, Hong Kong |
Mia Kyricos SVP & Global Head of Wellbeing, Hyatt, United States |
Professor Gerry Bodeker, PhD Chair of the GWI Mental Wellness Initiative and Public Health Academic & Clinical Psychologist, Green Templeton College, University of Oxford, UK & Malaysia |
2018 Award Recipients
Read more about the 2018 recipients here.
Leader in Sustainability
Clodagh
CEO & Principal,
Clodagh Design, United States
Leading Woman in Wellness
Sheila McCann
General Manager,
Lanserhof UK, United Kingdom
Leader in Workplace Wellness
Denise Bober
VP Human Resources,
The Breakers Palm Beach, United States
Debra Simon Award for Leader in
Furthering Mental Wellness
John Stewart
Founder & Chairman,
Kamalaya Koh Samui, Thailand
Leader in Social Impact
Rupert Schmid and Pierre-Louis Delapalme,
Co-presidents, Biologique Recherche, France
2017 Award Recipients
Read more about the 2017 recipients here.
Leader in Innovation
Steve Nygren
Co-founder, Serenbe,
United States
Leader in Sustainability
Neil Jacobs
CEO of Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas,
Thailand
Leading Woman in Wellness
Julie Bach
Founder, Wellness for Cancer,
United States
Leader in Workplace Wellness
Renee Moorefield, PhD
CEO and Founder, Wisdom Works,
United States
Debra Simon Award for Leader in
Furthering Mental Wellness
Louie Schwartzberg
Filmmaker,
United States
Leader in Social Impact
Dr. Richard Carmona
17th Surgeon General of the United States
and Chief of Health Innovation, Canyon Ranch, United States
Living a Well Life Award
Deborah Szekely
Co-Founder, Rancho La Puerta,
United States
2016 Award Recipients
Read more about the 2016 recipients here.
Leader in
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Leader in Sustainability |
Leading Woman
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Leader in Workplace Wellness |
Debra Simon Award for Leader in Furthering Mental Wellness |
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Richard Schmitz CEO, H/S/M Hotel and Spa Management, Germany |
Balthasar Hauser Owner, Biohotel Stanglwirt, Austria |
Belgin Aksoy Founder, Global Wellness Day, Turkey |
Dr. Fikry Isaac Founder & CEO, WellWorld Consulting LLC, United States |
Jeremy McCarthy Group Director of Spa & Wellness, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, Hong Kong |
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2015 Award Recipients
Read more about the 2015 recipients here.
Leader in
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Leader in Sustainability |
Leading Woman
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Leader in Workplace Wellness |
Building a Well World
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Enid and Mel Zuckerman Co-Founders, Canyon Ranch, United States |
Green Spa Network United States |
Geraldine Howard Co-Founder, Aromatherapy Associates, United Kingdom |
Dr. Kenneth R. Pelletier Clinical Professor of Medicine, University of California, School of Medicine, United States |
The Honorable Michael R. Bloomberg, United States |
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2014 Award Recipients
Leader in
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Leader in Sustainability |
Leading Woman
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Donald B. Ardell, PhD & Dr. John W. Travis, United States |
Sarah Livia Brightwood President, Rancho La Puerta, Mexico |
Magatte Wade Founder, TIOSSAN,United States |
More About the Awards
The Bennett Family Award for Collaboration in the Science of Wellness
The Bennett Family Award for Collaboration in the Science of Wellness is an annual award designed to recognize experts doing collaborative research that merges science and wellness for the advancement of human health and wellbeing globally. It is a joint initiative between wellness advocate and Bennett Family Foundation President, Bija Bennett, and the Global Wellness Summit, an annual international symposium for leaders shaping the wellness industry’s future.
Leader in Innovation
The $3.7 trillion wellness sector is one of the largest, most thriving, and creative markets in the world. This award is presented to a true global innovator from any wellness sector – whether travel, spa, fitness, nutrition, beauty, workplace wellness, integrative medicine and preventative health, etc.
Leader in Sustainability
Human wellness is, of course, crucially linked to the health of the planet and environment. This award honors a leader or innovator in, or advocate for, sustainability in all its diverse forms.
Leading Woman in Wellness
Women have an extraordinarily powerful place in the global wellness industry. This award honors a woman who’s making a standout contribution in any of the wellness sectors – whether as an entrepreneur or as a health and wellness champion, etc.
Leader in Workplace Wellness
Worldwide, the cost of unwell workers (in healthcare costs, lost productivity, etc.) represents a staggering 10-15 percent of global economic output, which is why the workplace wellness movement has grown to a $43 billion market. This award recognizes a leader in the field of workplace wellness and health promotion – whether it is a standout company, those that delivers successful programs and strategies or a researcher and doctor in the workplace well-being arena.
Debra Simon Award for Leader in Furthering Mental Wellness
With a global depression, stress and anxiety epidemic, this award honors an individual who has achieved excellence in the field of mental health and wellness, and has been a leader, advocate or innovator in wellness programs and pathways that help people thrive mentally. It honors the legacy of Debra Simon (and is a gift from her daughter, Lauren Wright), who struggled with depression and lost her life to suicide.
Building a Well World Award
The “Building a Well World” award is given to an individual or organization that exemplifies the dedication of both time and resources necessary to impact wellness on a global scale. This award was inaugurated at the 2015 Summit in Mexico City and bestowed upon the Honorable Michael R. Bloomberg for his commitment to, and philanthropic support of public health policies worldwide – in particular for his work in Mexico. Through the Obesity Prevention Program, Bloomberg Philanthropies has committed $16.5 million toward a three-year effort to support public health policies aimed at reducing obesity in Mexico, which has one of the highest rates of overweight in the world.
Social Impact Award
This award honors a leader who has worked to make it possible for more people and societal groups to live healthier, happier lives–and whose work in the field of wellness has made a meaningful social impact. Carmona championed the science behind second-hand smoke and its health hazards, which has led to global bans on smoking in public places and continues his work to make it possible for more people and societal groups to live healthier lives.
Living a Well Life Award
The Living a Well Life Award is given to someone who embodies, with fierce devotion, wellness principles and practices throughout their life. They lead by example, and their choices regarding mind, body and spirit serve as an example to us all.
Special thanks to Bennett Awards for producing the Global Wellness Award trophies.