IAMCP Members’ D&I Initiatives Are Maturing and Raising the Bar, Resulting In a New Award Category Add

Announcing the six winners of The 2024 Gavriella Schuster IAMCP D&I Partner of the Year Awards across three regions and two business categories—and the three winners of the new Rising Star award

IRVING, USA, April 2024— The International Association of Microsoft Channel Partners (IAMCP) and its Diversity and Inclusion Committee is proud to announce the new winners of the 2024 Gavriella Schuster IAMCP D&I Partner of the Year Awards.

Sincere congratulations to:

This awards program recognizes Microsoft Partners and IAMCP members who build diverse company cultures rooted in equity, inclusion, and tolerance. We received many impressive applications from three IAMCP regions (EMEA, APAC, and Americas), competing in two business categories (SMB and Enterprise).

New this year is an additional award category that the IAMCP D&I Committee introduced, so congratulations to our Rising Stars:

“We received so many fantastic D&I initiatives that choosing only six winners was difficult. We felt more companies needed recognition for building diverse teams and inclusive cultures, so we added a new award category, the Rising Stars.

Congratulations to all the 2024 award winners! You are all a testament to how diversity, equity, and inclusion are not just a ‘nice to have’ company policy but a practical application of the D&I principles that yields results for your business and inspires the broader community,” Said Elena Baeva, IAMCP EMEA President, IAMCP International Vice President, and D&I Chairperson.

As one of the biggest D&I ambassadors in the Microsoft ecosystem, Gavriella Schuster helped choose the winners.

“This year’s finalists were so impressive that it was even more difficult than last year to narrow it down! The stories each of the organizations shared about their investments and the impact of their investments in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging on both the individuals in the organization and their bottom line were inspirational.

In the submission from Rencore, I was particularly struck by the demographics they have achieved – at 51% female and 49% male, and they have employees from 10 different countries across 17 different nationalities.

And I could not say it better than Aristotle, quoted in the Intech Systems application: “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.” A huge thanks to all of the participants who strive every year to create a stronger and more inclusive culture in their community!” Said Gavriella Schuster, a former C-level Microsoft Executive and a global thought leader in DEI and inclusive leadership.

The strong DEI cultures that the winners showcased provide guidance and serve as examples for the many members of the Microsoft community on a path to creating more inclusive company cultures.

The contestants were asked to provide examples of how their leadership implements at least one area covered in Gavriella Schuster’s BeCOME ALLIES framework – Connect, Outreach, Mentor, Empower, Advocate, Listen, Lift, Include, Elevate and Sponsor. Alternatively, they shared:

• Their company’s diversity, equity and inclusion best practice(s) related to gender, race, ethnicity, religion, disability, neurodiversity, age or sexual orientation
• How has the D&I initiative enriched their company culture
• How their D&I initiatives brought value to the broader partner community

Like in previous years, the winners will discuss their inspiring D&I initiatives in video interviews, The 2024 Gavriella Schuster’s D&I Fireside Chats.

“We are immensely grateful to Gavriella Schuster for inspiring us to run the awards, helping us select the winners, and dedicating her time to interviewing them all. This way, we can share their experiences and inspire even more companies to become more diverse and inclusive,” Concluded Elena Baeva.

About IAMCP

IAMCP is a professional association of Microsoft partners dedicated to helping companies and individuals in the Microsoft ecosystem to broaden their base of business opportunities through partnering with other IAMCP members – both within their communities and around the world. The association is organized in chapters across three regions: Americas, APAC, and EMEA. With +100 chapters in more than 40 countries and over 2,000 members, in 2024, the IAMCP marks 30 years of partner success.