The Chartered Management Institute (CMI) celebrated exemplary leadership at its 2025 President’s Dinner on Monday, recognising contributions to leadership and management across sectors. The event, hosted by CMI president Fiona Dawson, brought together professionals to highlight developments in management standards and training in the United Kingdom and beyond.
The Gold Medal for outstanding achievement was awarded to Dame Amanda Blanc (pictured), group CEO of Aviva. Blanc has held the position since July 2020 and has overseen strategic initiatives and leadership development within the organisation.
The CMI Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Baroness Louise Casey. Casey has held roles in government and advisory bodies, with a focus on social policy areas such as homelessness, community cohesion, and extremism.
“Baroness Louise Casey and Dame Amanda Blanc are outstanding leaders whose work has transformed their sectors and inspired positive change,” said Dawson. “They embody the very best of modern, inclusive, and effective leadership – values that sit at the heart of CMI’s mission to create better-led and managed organisations.”
The evening also featured highlights from CMI’s ongoing initiatives in management development, including Chartered Manager Status, apprenticeships, and dual accreditation. According to CMI, Chartered Managers contribute an estimated £59,000 in additional annual revenue to their organisations.
CMI chief executive Ann Francke stated that the institute’s programs aim to build skilled leadership across sectors. “Regardless of whether they are an individual working to improve their own skills, or one of CMI’s education partners helping to develop future leaders, they are helping to transform accidental managers into conscious, confident leaders,” she said.
In addition to the top honours, the CMI recognized a diverse group of professionals and institutions for their contributions to management education and practice:
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