The 2025 Global BRM Community Excellence Award Winners
Every year, the global BRM community celebrates the outstanding dedication of individuals and organizations to the BRM role, discipline, capability, and philosophy through the prestigious Global BRM Community Excellence Awards. These remarkable winners have been nominated by fellow members within the global BRM community.
The Global Excellence Awards stand as the highest honor within the worldwide BRM community. These awards celebrate individuals and teams whose vision, dedication, and leadership have advanced the Business Relationship Management discipline and demonstrated its true impact—delivering value, fostering collaboration, and driving organizational evolution.
Over the past year, we’ve witnessed extraordinary examples of BRM in action. Leaders and teams have pushed boundaries, forged meaningful partnerships, and created solutions that have a lasting effect on their organizations and the people they serve. From innovation in processes to strengthening cross-functional relationships, these stories showcase how BRM drives measurable outcomes while inspiring trust, accountability, and growth.
Tonight’s nominees and award recipients exemplify the highest ideals of BRM. They live the discipline through purpose-driven action, empowering others to achieve more and making a meaningful difference wherever they work. They remind us that BRM is not just about managing relationships—it’s about shaping the future, building communities, and creating impact that extends far beyond the individual or team.
As we honor these remarkable achievements, we celebrate more than awards—we celebrate the spirit of excellence that defines the global BRM community. Their work motivates us all to continue raising the bar, to challenge ourselves, and to contribute to a world where purposeful relationships and collaborative leadership drive innovation, value, and lasting change.
The stories we celebrate tonight are not just milestones—they are inspiration. They illustrate the power of BRM to transform organizations, elevate communities, and enable individuals to reach their fullest potential. These awards reaffirm the value of dedication, the importance of connection, and the extraordinary outcomes that arise when people come together with shared purpose and relentless commitment.
Congratulations to all of the nominees– your contributions are advancing Business Relationship Management around the world and your passion makes the single, global BRM community outstanding.
Please join us in congratulating the following winners for their achievements in advancing the BRM community!
Click on the winners name to view their LinkedIn profile and send them a congratulations message.
Community Impact Award
The Community Impact Award recognizes overall outstanding contributions to the single, global BRM community and discipline through the last year.
This could include contributions through working groups, outreach, ambassador efforts, involvement in BRM community leadership, or championing the BRM discipline through efforts like podcasts, contributors network or otherwise. This award recognizes a positive and significant effort made in support of advancing BRM.
Michelle Kaiser
IT Business Relationship Manager, Kansas State University
Daysi Hart
Business Relationship Manager, Central Piedmont Community College
Mitch Pautz
Business Relationship Manager, University of California
Mark Sullivan
Business Relationship Manager, Purdue University
Swarup Das
Business Relationship Manager, Texas A&M University
Brandon Reese
Business Relationship Manager, Purdue University
This outstanding team—Michelle Kaiser, Brandon Reese, Swarup Das, Daysi Hart, Mark Sullivan, and Mitch Pautz—has made significant strides in advancing Business Relationship Management within the higher education sector. Through their collaborative efforts, they have fostered a strong sense of community, shared best practices, and created meaningful opportunities for connection and growth across institutions.
BRM Team Award
The BRM Team Award recognizes BRM teams who have made an impact within their organization.
This award is for teams who are able to articulate value and impact on business purpose. A truly impactful team works to actively engage their community while striving for continued learning.
This BRM Team exemplifies excellence through their dedication and commitment to on-going growth and development.
NASA Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO)
The Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) team at NASA has set a shining example of what true Business Relationship Management teamwork looks like. Through collaboration, innovation, and a relentless focus on building strong partnerships, the team has elevated BRM practices to drive mission-critical outcomes and support NASA’s bold vision for exploration and discovery.
The BRM Team Award honors groups that embody shared ownership, trust, and purposeful evolution—qualities that the NASA OCIO team demonstrates every day in their work across the organization. This recognition highlights their commitment to advancing the BRM discipline and the powerful impact of working together toward a greater mission.
Trailblazer Award: Purpose in Evolution
The Trailblazer Purpose in Evolution Award recognizes the belief that BRM is everywhere through relationships. The winner of this award must have demonstrated a significant impact through deliberate and effective collaboration with their peers. This award celebrates those who have embraced BRM principles to create a culture of shared ownership, measurable results, and shared success.
Michelle Kaiser
Information Technology Business Relationship Manager, Kansas State University
Michelle Kaiser, Business Relationship Manager at Kansas State University, is making waves in the higher education community through her dedicated efforts to embed BRM principles across her institution. In addition to her role at K-State, she is actively involved in the EDUCAUSE BRM community group, and BRM Institute Higher Education community, where she contributes to steering the discussion of BRM best practices in higher education.
Charlotte Looney
Business Relationship Manager, University of Florida
Charlotte Looney, MBA, CBRM, serves as Business Relationship Manager for Student Services at the University of Florida, where she supports enrollment and academic units, acting as a vital bridge between UFIT and student-facing offices. Since joining UF in 2014 and moving into BRM in 2018, Charlotte has consistently shown how purpose-driven evolution in BRM can impact higher education—from fostering deeper collaboration across campus to helping ensure student-serving initiatives are aligned, efficient, and responsive to community needs.
Trailblazer Award: Up and Coming BRM
The Trailblazer Up and Coming BRM Award. This award recognizes individuals who have entered the BRM career path within the last one to two years. They are seeking involvement in the BRM community, learning opportunities from existing knowledge and are advancing their network through mentee relationships with other BRMs.
They are truly blazing a trail forward with advancing their BRM career and knowledge! Let’s see who the winners are…
Mohammed Aarif Shaikh
IT BRM, Ali Zaid Al-Quraishi & Brothers
Mohammed is a rising force in the BRM community, bringing fresh energy, creativity, and a forward-thinking approach to his work. His dedication to advancing Business Relationship Management and his ability to inspire those around him highlight his potential as a future leader in the field.
Ray Vinyard-Jacoby
Project Manager, USDA
Ray, who serves at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), is already making a remarkable impact in the BRM community. As an emerging leader, she brings vision, dedication, and fresh perspective to her role, helping to advance the discipline and strengthen relationships across her organization.
Executive Award
The Executive Award recognizes a C-Level professional who has demonstrated extraordinary leadership and support for BRMs within their organizations. The recipient of this award is a strong advocate for the BRM discipline, both within their organization and the broader community. This individual stands as a champion for BRMs, using their voice to advance the BRM capability in their organization.
Kristen Ekanger
Customer Engagement Chief, NASA
In recognition of your exceptional leadership, vision, and dedication to advancing NASA’s global mission of exploration, discovery, and innovation. Through your commitment to excellence, you have inspired collaboration, strengthened partnerships, and created a lasting impact on the worldwide community.
Kristen’s achievements exemplify the spirit of global excellence and set a standard of leadership that reaches far beyond organizational boundaries.
The Arnie Award
The Arnie Award recipient represents sustained commitment to going above and beyond to be involved with the BRM community and assume leadership within their BRM practice, establish mentoring relationships with other BRMs, and set an example within the single, global BRM community in efforts to advance the BRM discipline in the world.
They are true leaders in the BRM space and embody the principles and tenets of Business Relationship Management.
What’s an Arnie?
Established in 2016, the Arnie was named after its first recipient, Arnie Wetherhill, who exemplified the qualities of an outstanding BRM.
This prestigious award is given to individuals who embody the spirit of true leadership, mentorship, and excellence in BRM.
Baziel Barends
CEO, Radishweed Consulting
BRM Institute Board Member, BRM Community Leader MEA
Since joining the BRM Institute Board of Directors in 2021, Baziel has been a dedicated leader and advocate for the BRM community, especially across the Middle East and Africa region. As a community leader, he has worked tirelessly to expand awareness, strengthen connections, and enable professionals to advance BRM in these regions.
Baziel holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Accounting and earned his Executive MBA (EMBA) with distinction from the University of Cape Town, where his research focused on Leadership-as-Practice. His academic and professional achievements, combined with his passion for empowering others, have made him a true champion of BRM.
This recognition is a reflection of Baziel’s ongoing commitment to advancing the BRM discipline and inspiring growth in communities worldwide.