28 top executives from the business fraternity of Bangladesh were awarded in the Bangladesh C-Suite Awards 2023. Bangladesh Brand Forum initiated the second edition of Bangladesh C-Suite Awards Presented by American International University-Bangladesh (AIUB), Powered by Summit Communications Limited, in association with BSRM and The Daily Star and in collaboration with Aspire to Innovate (a2i), Smart Bangladesh Network and Nammcon Consultancy Ltd. to recognise and celebrate the onus and accomplishments of Bangladeshi business leaders. The grand gala ceremony was held at Radisson Blu Water Garden Hotel on November 11, 2023.

This esteemed award honoured corporate executives in Bangladeshi business who exemplify integrity, insist upon excellence, earn the trust of others, and have built a competitive organisation. The gala night was attended by more than 350 business leaders, experts, and professionals.

This year, more than 100 nominations from 35 organisations were submitted in 22 distinguished categories. The categories featured all the different roles of C-suite management including diverse industries like the corporate and development sectors. A distinguished advisory board comprising the country’s top category experts rigorously judged the submissions from 35 organisations before selecting the ultimate winners in each category. Additionally, on behalf of Bangladesh Brand Forum the prestigious award was presented in three additional categories. Bangladesh Brand Forum also launched the second edition of its bi-monthly magazine ‘CEO Review’ on the occasion.

The jurors for the Bangladesh C-Suite Awards 2023 included names like Ashraf Bin Taj, Co-founder and Managing Director, International Distribution Company Bangladesh (Pvt) Ltd.; M. Zulfiquar Hussain, CEO & Lead Consultant, grow n excel; Syed Ferhat Anwar, President, Asia Marketing Federation (AMF); Nazmul Haider FCMA, Managing Partner, CEO & Co-Founder, Plutus Consulting and etc.

The Award ceremony started with the welcome speech by Mr. Ishtaique Abedin, Founder and Chairman, AIUB Board of Trustees, where he mentioned that AIUB is privileged to be a part of this transformative event where brilliant minds from various industries have shared their insights. He recognized the symbiotic relationship between academia and industry. It's not just about what we teach within our university walls; it's about how that knowledge translates into real-world impact. The fusion of academic rigor with the practical wisdom shared by industry leaders is where the magic happens.

In the opening speech of the gala, The Founder and Managing Director of Bangladesh Brand Forum, Shariful Islam, said, "Bangladesh C-Suite Awards 2023 will pursue the vision of developing the next transformative senior leaders for Bangladesh. The award is designed to serve two purposes. First, to recognise the C-level professionals who are performing exceedingly well. Second, share their story, insight, journey and approach to the next generation of leaders, who will feel inspired to emulate them and be even better.”

Bangladesh C-Suite Awards 2023 was preceded by Bangladesh Brand Forum’s flagship initiative, 7th Leadership Summit, Presented by American International University-Bangladesh (AIUB), Powered by Summit Communications Limited & Sheltech; in association with BSRM, Team Group and The Daily Star and in collaboration with Aspire to Innovate (a2i), Smart Bangladesh Network and Nammcon Consultancy Ltd. This year the theme for the summit was “Navigating the Next Frontier: Transforming Organizations for the Future.”

The day-long summit gathered leaders and experts from various industries from home and abroad who shared their experiences and knowledge through distinguished panel discussions, keynote and insight sessions. Having the vision at the core, the speakers branched out, discussing the challenges and complexities of leadership, sustainable business growth, corporate governance and organization culture with the aspiring audiences.

The 7th Leadership Summit was comprised of 5 Panel Discussions, 3 Keynote Sessions and 1 Insight Session. The event began with the first keynote session by Dr. Tulsi Jayakumar, Professor, Economics and Executive Director, Centre for Family Business & Entrepreneurship, Bhavan's S.P. Jain Institute of Management & Research (SPJIMR), Mumbai. The only insight session was conducted by Ercüment Polat, Chief Executive Officer, United Aygaz LPG Ltd. Suhail Al Kharsah, Enterprise Agile Coach, Central Transformation Office, Pharma International, conducted the second keynote session on 'Surviving to Thriving, how to create impactful culture that enriches innovation'. The last keynote session was conducted by Yasir Azman Chief Executive Officer, Grameenphone Ltd on ‘Sustainability: Charting the Path to a Resilient Future.’ The extensive and illustrated sessions were a self-learning experience for the leaders and the future generation in the rows.

The Five Panel Discussions featured around pertinent topics like ‘From Vision to Reality: The Role of Smart Leadership in Nation-Building’; ‘The Trifecta of Excellence: Integrity, Compassion, and Creativity in Leadership’; 'MasterClass of Leadership: Insights from Industry Veterans’; ‘Fusing Foundational Values with the Unrelenting Force of Change’; ‘Growing Amidst Disruption,’

The 7^th edition of Leadership Summit and the 2^nd edition of Bangladesh C-Suite Awards 2023 was an initiative of Bangladesh Brand forum; Knowledge partner– Marketing Society of Bangladesh (MSB); Academic Partner – Leadership Academy; Learning & Development Partner – Quazi Consultants; Technology Partner – Aamra Technologies Limited; PR Partner – Backpage PR.