ROI Institute Announces 2025 Award Winners

Birmingham, Alabama—March 31, 2026. ROI Institute is proud to announce the winners of the 2025 ROI Institute Awards. Each year, these awards recognize organizations and individuals who are putting the ROI Methodology® into practice—measuring what matters, demonstrating value, and driving meaningful change in their organizations and communities. We’re proud to celebrate their achievements and the strong example they set for measuring and delivering results around the globe.

“This year’s winners share a clear focus: improving results and demonstrating value,” said Patti P. Phillips, Ph.D., CEO of ROI Institute. “What sets them apart is how intentionally they apply the ROI Methodology to understand what works and what needs to improve. Their work demonstrates that when measurement is done well, it becomes a powerful tool for learning, improving, and delivering better outcomes—while also expanding the global reach and impact of the ROI Methodology.”

“It’s exciting to see the ROI Methodology gaining momentum around the world,” said Jack J. Phillips, Ph.D., chairman of ROI Institute. “This year’s winners represent seven countries, highlight how organizations everywhere are using data to understand what drives results, improve performance, and make better decisions, and raise the standard for how organizations measure and deliver results.

“The 2025 winners show how the ROI Methodology can guide smarter decisions, design stronger programs, and deliver amazing results,” said Ann Akins, president of ROI Institute. “By highlighting their experiences, outcomes, and all they’ve achieved, we hope to inspire others around the world to embrace accountability and improve performance.”

“It is so rewarding to have the opportunity to recognize the individuals, groups, and organizations shaping the fields of evaluation, measurement, and ROI,” said Hope Nicholas, director of publications at ROI Institute and chair of ROI Institute Awards Selection Committee. “This year’s submissions were outstanding, and we thank all those who submitted nominations. We wish each of them the very best with their continued ROI endeavors.”

2025 Award Winners

Best Impact/ROI Study

Hundreds of studies are conducted each year. This award recognizes the study that best describes current use and application of the ROI Methodology. This award is not necessarily for the study that shows the highest ROI–the winning entry could be a negative ROI.

This year’s recipients bring this award to life in practice.

In Business
Daniel Okal, Director, okalgithinjiconsultants
Petronilla Omundo, Group Learning and Development Manager, Sarova Hotels and Resorts
Kenya

Daniel and Petronilla have been recognized with the 2025 Best ROI/Impact Study: Business Award for their work on Sarova Hotels’ Hospitality Loyalty Training Initiative in Nairobi, Kenya. Using the ROI Methodology, the program strengthened guest loyalty by improving repeat bookings, spending, occupancy, and satisfaction scores, while also enhancing team member confidence, service culture, and cross-department collaboration. By integrating evaluation and ROI measurement from the start, Daniel and Petronilla demonstrated how strategic learning initiatives can deliver measurable business value and position Learning & Development as a true partner in driving organizational results.

In Government
Ruba Mahmoud Attiyat, Head of Training Division, Jordan Securities Commission
Jordan

Ruba Attiyat has been recognized with the 2025 Best Impact/ROI Study: Government Award for her evaluation of CISA Certification Training at the Jordan Securities Commission. Ruba, the first woman to earn the Certified ROI Profession designation in the Kingdom of Jordan, applied the ROI Methodology to measure results across five levels, achieving an ROI of 238% and a benefit-cost ratio of 3.38:1. The program strengthened internal audit and IT oversight capabilities while delivering measurable improvements in productivity, efficiency, and turnaround times, along with intangible benefits such as increased professional confidence, analytical thinking, cross-directorate collaboration, and institutional reputation.

Best International Implementation

This award recognizes individuals who work across country borders to promote the implementation of ROI. This can include completing ROI studies, organizing workshops, and promoting ROI use.

This year’s recipients bring this award to life in practice.

Nadia ten Cate, Group Leadership Lead, Absa Bank Limited
South Africa
Dr. Johanna Leppävirta, Head of Impact, IMD International Institute for Management Development
Switzerland

Nadia and Johanna have been recognized with the 2025 Best International Implementation Award for their work on Absa Group’s Leap Top Talent Accelerated Development Programme. This marks the first time a female winner from South Africa has been selected for an ROI Institute award. Using the ROI Methodology, the program demonstrated measurable business impact across leadership competencies, retention, and enterprise projects, achieving an ROI of 89% and a benefit-cost ratio of 1.89:1. Beyond the numbers, the initiative strengthened strategic thinking, agility, collaboration, and organizational commitment, showcasing the power of rigorous evaluation to drive results and innovation in talent development.

Best Practice Implementation

This award recognizes individuals or organizations for the results achieved through successful, enterprise-wide implementation of the ROI Methodology. Implementation strategies must describe successful practices used across all phases of implementation, including evaluation planning, data collection, data analysis, and communicating results.

This year’s recipients bring this award to life in practice.

eX:plain
Anne Marie Bosman, Sectormanager Zakelijke Dienstverlening, Orde en Veiligheid bij, eX:plain
Coosje Vink-Roetman, Product manager VGM bij, eX:plain
The Netherlands

eX:plain has been recognized with the 2025 Best Practice Implementation Award for its commitment to embedding the ROI Methodology into its work across high-risk, highly regulated sectors. In 2025, the organization invested in building internal capability by enrolling seven team members in ROI Certification and conducting multiple ROI studies to demonstrate the value of its services. Through Anne Marie and Coosje’s efforts, eX:plain established a consistent, repeatable approach to evaluating impact—helping stakeholders better understand how its learning systems and safety initiatives support professional competence, safety, and operational effectiveness across the sectors it serves. This is best practice implementation in the true sense: building competence, routines, and consistency, not just producing a single report.

Best Research

This award recognizes individuals who have conducted important research about the use of ROI and the effectiveness of the ROI Methodology.

This year’s recipients bring this award to life in practice.

David Maddock, National Academic Advisor, Renaissance Learning
Daniel Eadens, Associate Professor, Department of Educational Leadership & Higher Education, College of Community Innovation and Education, University of Central Florida
Leah Torres, Director of Research, Evaluation, and Accountability for the school district of Osceola
United States of America

David, Daniel, and Leah have been recognized with the 2025 Best Research Award for their article, Transforming Sense into Cents: Evaluation of EDU Climber. This research assesses how the platform, used by over 3,000 instructional staff in the School District of Osceola County, supports data organization and decision-making while saving time. Despite mixed user perceptions (a negative Net Promoter Score), the evaluation demonstrated a strong ROI of 154%, showing that even with training gaps, the platform delivers measurable value and that further investment in training could enhance its impact.

Most Innovative Approach to ROI

This award is given to the individual or organization that shows the most creativity in the implementation of the ROI Methodology. Innovation can occur in data collection, analysis, or reporting, or it can involve creativity in getting others involved, using data, and building capability.

This year’s recipient brings this award to life in practice.

Pravin Dikshit, Group Captain, Indian Air Force
India

Pravin has been recognized with the 2025 Most Innovative Approach to ROI Award for his evaluation of the Naval Postgraduate School’s (NPS) Operations Research (OR) Education Program from a U.S. Marine Corps perspective in response to the need for data-driven insights to guide education policy, curriculum development, and long-term talent management decisions. Using the ROI Methodology, program results were measured across reaction, learning, application, impact, and ROI levels. Participants and stakeholders reported strong engagement and the applied value of the OR education, with demonstrated improvements in analytical skills, operational decision-making, and alignment of workforce capabilities with strategic Marine Corps priorities. Pravin’s comprehensive study addressed quantifiable ROI, the relevance of NPS OR education, and how applied research and workforce development could be better aligned to evolving operational needs.

ROI Practitioner of the Year

This award recognizes the individual whose advocacy of the ROI Methodology has broadly influenced audiences and organizations on both an internal and external level. This individual is one who has demonstrated, through professional practice, sustained integrity to the process–often in the face of organizational barriers–the leadership ability to create, support, and champion opportunities for creating a results-based culture.

This year’s recipient brings this award to life in practice.

Janell Taueva, Leadership Development Program Manager, Office of Professional Development, California Department of Justice
United States of America

Janell Taueva has been named the 2025 ROI Practitioner of the Year in recognition of her exceptional dedication and advocacy of the ROI Methodology. Through her leadership and professional practice, Janell is championing a results-based culture and strengthening the use of ROI in decision-making and program evaluation. Her commitment, integrity, and ability to create opportunities for demonstrating measurable impact set a high standard for ROI practitioners everywhere.

Best ROI Forecast

This award recognizes individuals who have conducted ROI forecasts prior to implementing a project, program, or initiative. This is an important trend.

This year’s recipients bring this award to life in practice.

Carmin Karasic, Senior Learning Architect, ASML
Peter Bieken, Co-Founder, Brainnovation
The Netherlands

Carmin and Peter have been recognized with the 2025 Best ROI Forecast Award for their Brainnovation ROI Forecast Study, which presents a neuroscience-based framework to help organizations scale innovation. The study applies the Six Step Cycle of Creativity to improve cognitive flexibility, problem solving, and idea generation, and uses ROI Institute alignment principles to link learning outcomes to business indicators. Based on two pilot cohorts, the forecasted ROI ranges from –33% (conservative) to +4,369% (optimistic), highlighting the potential impact of the program while noting that these are preliminary projections pending further validation.

Best Published Case Study

Case studies are important for teaching lessons learned and best practices about the success (or lack of success) with a particular project. This award recognizes the case study that best educates and supports professionals who are implementing the ROI Methodology.

This year’s recipient brings this award to life in practice.

Holly Burkett, Principal, hb Consulting | Evaluation Works
United States of America

Holly Burkett has been recognized with the 2025 Best Published Case Study Award for her HRBoK case scenario, “Measuring ROI with a Leadership Development Program,” developed for the Human Resource Certification Institute’s (HRCI) A Guide to the Human Resource Book of Knowledge (HRBoK). The case shows how a Canadian mining company used the ROI Methodology to evaluate a leadership development initiative, linking improvements in leadership practices to measurable business outcomes and demonstrating the value of talent development as a strategic business partner.

Best Published ROI Article

One of the most effective ways to educate others and support the ROI Methodology is to write content for publication. This award recognizes the content that best informs others about how to use and apply the ROI process.

This year’s recipients bring this award to life in practice, and with several outstanding articles nominated, selecting just one was not easy. We are pleased to recognize the two submissions that rose to the top and best highlight the impact and application of ROI thinking in the field.

TvOO, Tijdschrift voor Ontwikkeling in Organisaties
The Netherlands

TvOO has been recognized with the 2025 Best Published ROI Article Award for publishing a series of practitioner-focused articles, interviews, and theory pieces that highlight how ROI thinking can guide the design of learning and organization development initiatives. The collection, developed through a collaborative editorial effort with multiple contributors, emphasizes applying the ROI Methodology in real, complex environments so that learning efforts are clearly connected to workplace results and meaningful leadership discussions.

Tetsuya Abe, CEO, EQ Partners, Inc., CEO, ROI Institute Japan
Japan

Tetsuya Abe has also been recognized with the 2025 Best Published ROI Article Award for his article, “Strategic Instructional Design and 5-Level ROI Evaluation for Strengthening Human Capital Management,” published in Sanro Human Resources Magazine. This piece highlights how the ROI Methodology can be used to design and evaluate talent development programs, helping organizations connect learning investments to business results and demonstrate value to leaders.

Best Supply Partner

This award recognizes an outstanding provider of services that are making a difference in the world. This supply partner is fearlessly stepping up to the challenge of providing results that their clients want to see. This includes evaluating their services to the impact and even ROI levels of accountability, and this effort is making a difference in the acceptance of their services.

This year’s recipient brings this award to life in practice.

Renaissance Learning
David R. Maddock, National Academic Advisor, Renaissance Learning
Justin Alt, Data Engineering Manager, Renaissance Learning
Annie Asher, Research Data Engineer, Renaissance Learning
Amy Patnoe, EdD, Vice President, Revenue Enablement, Renaissance Learning
United States of America

Renaissance Learning has been selected as the 2025 Best Supply Partner award winner for its outstanding commitment to advancing the use of the ROI Methodology in the education technology sector. In 2025, David, Justin, Annie, and Amy developed the Renaissance ROI Model and completed more than 300 ROI studies to help schools better understand where investments deliver the greatest impact on student learning. Renaissance also trained more than 400 employees to support customers in applying high-quality ROI practices and is now developing an ROI Toolkit to help school districts evaluate the value of their programs.

Best ROI Certification Host

This award is given to the best certification host during the year. Most in-person ROI Certification sessions are hosted by an organization with on-site facilities. These groups are leveraging this opportunity to build capability among their team while also inviting individuals from outside organizations to learn ROI skills in their space. The host makes participants feel welcome, creates a conducive learning environment, and provides an excellent experience throughout the week.

This year’s recipient brings this award to life in practice.

Dr. Daniel W. Eadens, Associate Professor, Department of Educational Leadership & Higher Education, College of Community Innovation and Education, University of Central Florida
United States of America

Daniel was selected as the 2025 Best ROI Certification Host Award in recognition of his exceptional efforts to create a welcoming and engaging learning environment for participants in the February 21–23 certification session at the University of Central Florida in Orlando. From planning through delivery, Daniel was outstanding to work with—providing exceptional support and consistently responding quickly to every request. His professionalism and commitment set a high standard for future ROI Certification hosts. Thank you, Daniel!

ROI Institute Award nominations are accepted on an ongoing basis, and applications can be submitted for up to three categories. For more information, a downloadable brochure, or to apply/nominate, please visit www.roiinstitute.net/awards or contact Hope Nicholas at hope@roiinstitute.net.

About ROI Institute, Inc.

ROI Institute, Inc., founded in 1992 as a service-driven organization, assists professionals in improving programs and processes using the ROI Methodology® developed by Dr. Jack J. Phillips and Dr. Patti P. Phillips. This Methodology is the global leader in measurement and evaluation including the use of return on investment (ROI) in non-traditional applications. ROI Institute regularly offers workshops, provides consulting services, publishes books and case studies, and conducts research on the use of measurement and ROI. This makes ROI Institute the leading source of content, tools, and services in measurement, evaluation, and analytics. Working with more than one hundred ROI consultants, ROI Institute applies the ROI Methodology in 20 fields in over 70 countries. ROI Institute authors have written or edited over 100 books, translated into 38 languages. Organizations build internal capability with the help of ROI Institute and its ROI Certification process. By successfully completing this process, individuals are awarded the Certified ROI Professional® (CRP) designation, which is respected by executives in organizations worldwide. For more information on ROI Institute, please contact info@roiinstitute.net or

visit www.roiinstitute.net.

ROI Institute®, ROI Methodology®, Certified ROI Professional®, and ROI Certification® are registered trademarks owned by ROI Institute, Inc. and are used by others only with written permission of Jack and Patti Phillips.