In Brief: Gala honors industry leaders driving meaningful change and raises support for GBTA Foundation’s flagship NextGen program which seeks to nurture the future talent of global business travel
The global business travel industry’s most influential leaders and organizations were recognized for their commitment to creating a more sustainable, inclusive and resilient future for the global sector as the GBTA Foundation, the cause-led arm of the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), hosted its annual Gala at Chicago’s iconic Field Museum.
Held on the eve of GBTA Convention 2026, the Gala – the inaugural edition under the reimagined GBTA Foundation – brought together more than 250 industry leaders and guests to celebrate the individuals and organizations whose vision, leadership and collaboration are making a lasting impact through the Foundation’s mission to advance positive outcomes serving People and the Planet. Through the generosity of attendees, the event also raised $83,250, which also included contributions from GBTA, to support the NextGen Program and Fund, a key GBTA Foundation Initiative which provides career entry scholarships for students.
A highlight of the event was the presentation of the GBTA Foundation Impact Awards. The award winners, who were selected after a rigorous and independent review process, were recognized for their exceptional achievements across four categories: Catalyst, Innovator, Changemaker and Partner for Progress.
2026 GBTA Foundation Impact Award Winners:
- The Catalyst Award: Presented to Sarah Martin, Senior Communications Director at Amex GBT, for creating The Power of Purpose, a travel-driven social impact platform that advances community partnerships and reflects the GBTA Foundation’s People First pillar.
- The Innovator’s Award: Presented to Shirley Stroud, Life Sciences Senior Compliance Manager at BCD Travel, for pioneering accessibility training that advances more inclusive business travel and reflects the GBTA Foundation’s People First pillar.
- The Changemaker Award: Presented to Anna Rose Feinberg, Founder & CEO at Alo Index, for creating the Alō Index, advancing more sustainable hotel sourcing and the GBTA Foundation’s Planet Always pillar.
- The Partner for Progress Award: Presented to Meta and United Airlines, for pioneering a sustainable aviation fuel partnership that advances the GBTA Foundation’s Planet Always pillar.
The evening’s highest honor, the Luminary Award for Industry Impact, was presented to Dave Hilfman, retired Senior Vice President of Worldwide Sales at United Airlines and a long-time GBTA supporter and advisor. The award recognizes his exceptional, industry-defining leadership that advances the Foundation’s People First, Planet Always vision at scale.
“Dave’s visionary leadership, integrity and commitment to advancing the business travel industry has strengthened partnerships, elevated standards, and inspired those who worked alongside him,” said Delphine Millot, Managing Director at the GBTA Foundation. “As a valued advisor to GBTA and member of the GBTA Foundation WINiT Strategic Advisory Board, he has continued to mentor, advise, and champion initiatives that create more inclusive leadership pathways and strengthen our global community.”
She added, “All our award winners exemplify the innovation, leadership and collaborative spirit that are shaping the future of business travel around the world. Their outstanding achievements remind us that meaningful change only happens when people and organizations work together toward a common purpose.”
The evening also saw the presentation of the GBTA Sustainability Acceleration Awards which recognize travel programs that have demonstrated exceptional leadership, transparency, and measurable progress in advancing more sustainable business travel programs.
Selected from 285 travel programs who participated in the GBTA Sustainability Acceleration Challenge in 2025, two top-performing programs were recognized:
- Global Acceleration Award Winner: AVEVA, represented by Gareth Clarke, Global Travel & Expense Director
- North America Acceleration Award Winner: Arcadis, represented by Ian Spearing, Director of Travel
Investing in the Future of Business Travel
The Gala highlighted the Foundation’s continued investment in developing the industry’s future workforce through its flagship NextGen Program and Fund.
Designed to build a stronger pipeline of emerging talent, the program connects students with the knowledge, experiences and professional networks needed to pursue successful careers in business travel. Through scholarships providing access to GBTA membership, industry education, mentorship opportunities and professional events, the initiative is helping to create pathways into the industry and broaden access to career opportunities.
GBTA Foundation’s vision is to reach at least 50,000 students across 250 high schools and universities worldwide through its NextGen Program, and to provide $500,000 in career industry scholarships to onboard new talents into the industry. To support this work, GBTA seeded a donation of $50,000 approved by the GBTA Board of Directors, in addition to the generosity of attendees at the Gala, to benefit the NextGen Fund and Program.
“Through the NextGen Fund, we’re creating new pathways for students and young professionals to discover business travel as a destination career – not by accident, but by opportunity. The money raised by our generous donors will directly fund scholarships, ensuring that every young professional introduced to our industry represents another investment in our collective future” said Millot.
Upcoming GBTA Foundation Events and Activities
The Gala also highlighted upcoming activities for the rest of 2026 where organizations could get involved and support the Foundation’s Planet and People initiatives: