School of Management Alumni Award Nominations

1. Review the award criteria for the Cranfield School of Management alumni awards.
2. Think about who you know who meets the criteria and decide on your nominee.
3. Complete the online nomination form details, telling us about yourself and your nominee.
4. Write your nomination statement and ensure it is no longer than 800 words and contains enough evidence to support your nominations.
5. Hit submit.

Top nomination tips - how to make your nominee stand out

We know our alumni are achieving some amazing things and we can't wait to be inspired with this year's stories. Each year we receives lots of nominations, and that's a lot of stories to read, so we've pulled together our top do's and don'ts.

• DO - Think about how your nominee matches the award criteria and tell us about those aspects. Be sure to give us context and benchmark your nominee's achievements. 
• DO - Make sure your nomination statement hits a balance – not so long that we get lost in the detail, but long enough to address all parts of the nomination criteria.
• DO - Give us evidence and examples, and put them in context - you can include links to websites or articles in your nomination if relevant. 

• DON'T - Don’t cut and paste your nominee’s CV or LinkedIn profile into the statement box - this rarely provides enough evidence and we don't need to know their every career move since leaving Cranfield.
• DON'T - Please don’t use acronyms or technical jargon without explaining them. Our selection panel brings together alumni, Cranfield staff, and faculty, however, please don't assume that we’re experts in all areas of the industry, or have specific knowledge. 

If you have any questions, please email us and we will be happy to help.

The Distinguished Alumni Award is the School’s most prestigious alumni award and recognises those individuals who have achieved significant success within their industry and sector while upholding the highest standards in business practice. In selecting the Distinguished Alumnus/a of the Year, the Selection Panel will consider the following:

• Sustained professional achievement at the highest levels, preferably extending in to the year of selection. Professional achievement may be viewed in terms of:
  • Staff and budget management.
  • Contribution to company profitability.
  • Job creation.
  • Other factors.
• Significant impact on their industry and sector, beyond their own role and organisation.
• International influence/experience working across different geographic regions.
• Regarded as a role model for leadership.
• Innovation and creativity.
• Other awards and recognitions.
• Contribution to charitable or community organisations/not-for-profit work.

The Entrepreneur Alumni Award recognises alumni who have achieved outstanding entrepreneurial success while upholding the highest standards of business practice. This award acknowledges the importance placed on entrepreneurship teaching, research and practise at the School. In selecting the Entrepreneur Alumnus/a of the Year, the Selection Panel will consider the following:

• Solvency and profitability of company.
• Sustained high level of business performance over a period of 3-5 years with firm growth and value creation.
• Ethical conduct/standards of business practise.
• Profitability of the business model, or in the case of social enterprises, a self-sustaining business practise.
• Impact on the market and the consumer.
• Innovation.
• Contribution to the economy and society, including job creation and exports.
• International reach/impact.

The Excellence in Achievement Award for Recent Graduates recognises those who have made significant progress in their careers within ten years of graduating from the School. This award recognises those who have the potential to reach the highest levels of business success in the future.

In selecting recipients of the Excellence in Achievement Award, the Selection Panel will consider the following:

• Early career impact on sector/industry.
• Demonstrable achievement beyond individual position and company.
• International experience and impact.
• Role model behaviours/highest standards of business practice.

The Alumni Service Award recognises those individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the School in a volunteer capacity. The Alumni Service Award acknowledges the vital role that alumni have to play in Cranfield’s continued strength and success in the future.

In selecting recipients of the Alumni Service Award, the Selection Panel will consider the following:

• Level of voluntary service rendered to the School over a sustained period of time.
• Impact of volunteer activities in terms of increasing alumni engagement, marketing and student recruitment, and fundraising.
• International impact of volunteer activities.

The Alumni Relations and Development Office shall seek nominations for each award via the alumni portal, eNewsletters, social media sites, and through specially targeted messages to alumni, faculty, staff, and students. The closing date for nominations will be indicated and no nominations will be considered after this time.

• The nominator must be one of the following: an alumnus/a, a current or former member of Cranfield School of Management staff, a current student, a member of the School Advisory Board, or an honorary degree recipient.
• The nominator must complete the appropriate nomination form which will be available online from the Alumni Relations and Development Office.
• The nominator must provide a statement of no more than 800 words describing the achievements and contributions that make the nominee worthy of the award. These statements should refer directly to the specific criteria for each award.
• All nominations will be treated as confidential.

Nominees must be alumni of the Cranfield School of Management. Graduates of the School and former participants who have successfully completed non-degree courses such as the Business Growth Programme or General Management Programmes are all considered to be alumni of the School.

Members of the Selection Panel, the SOM Alumni President and Alumni Vice-Presidents will not be eligible for an award whilst serving in these roles. 

For the Distinguished Alumnus Award, the Excellence in Achievement Award for Recent Graduates, and the Alumni Service Award, the Selection Panel will consist of the Dean of School, President of Cranfield Alumni, and the Director of Alumni Relations and Development.

For the Entrepreneur Alumni of the Year Award, the Director of the Bettany Centre for Entrepreneurship will also form part of the selection panel.

The Selection Panel will reach agreement on the winners in each of the categories and award recipients will be notified. The Alumni Relations and Development Office will notify all nominators as to whether their nominee has been selected to receive an award. The selection process is confidential and the decisions of the Selection Panel are final. All unsuccessful nominations can be resubmitted for consideration in future years.