Ascend A-List Awards

2026 A-List Awards

April 28, 2026
The Plaza Hotel | New York City

More than a celebration, the A-List Awards is the Ascend Foundation’s most important night of the year. We host our annual gala in celebration of leaders who advance their industries, uplift others, and drive meaningful change in their communities. Every dollar raised creates new pathways through scholarships, research, and programs that expand opportunity and leadership access. Join us in helping us recognize the leaders shaping the future.

Nominations

Ascend seeks to recognize leaders who have demonstrated Professional Achievement & Community Advancement and meet several of the following criteria:

Made a significant impact to his/her industry and demonstrated a record of service to the Pan-Asian community
Demonstrated commitment to the development and advancement of Pan-Asians in the workplace
A senior level executive who is the CEO or within three levels from the Enterprise-wide CEO of a Fortune 1000/Global 500 corporation or equivalent
An executive currently serving on the Board of Directors of a Fortune 1000/Global 500 corporation or equivalent
Is either an entrepreneur; a partner at a top-tier professional services firm; a thought leader; an academic leader; an innovator; an investor or a philanthropist

2026 A-List Honorees

Kamran Ansari

SVP, Clinical Development & Operations
Pfizer Inc.
Christina Collins

SVP, Synergy, Integrated Planning & Distribution Marketing
Disney Entertainment Television
Manisha Desai

SVP, Product Development
Bristol Myers Squibb
Li Fan

Chief Technology & AI Officer
Circle
Lan Guan

Chief AI & Data Officer
Accenture
Ashim Gupta

COO & CFO
UiPath
Linda Hill

Wallace Brett Donham Professor of Business Administration
Harvard Business School
Tim Hird

Executive Vice President
Robert Half & Protiviti
Jim Hsu

Americas Vice Chair, Office of Strategy & Execution (Retired 2026)
Ernst & Young LLP (EY US)
Jo Jagadish

Head of Digital Banking, Payments & Contact Centers
TD Bank U.S
Shivani Kak

MD, Head of Investor Relations
Moody’s
Soyoung Kang

President
eos Products
Jim Lee

EVP & CFO
Target
Ann Li

COO, International Consumer Bank
JPMorganChase
Manish Madhavani

U.S. Line of Business Leader, Financial Services
KPMG
Navin Mahajan

Treasurer
Chevron
Mai Lan Nguyen

SVP, HR Energy Management Business
Schneider Electric
Tim O'Neal

Global Director, Operational Excellence & Leveraged Services
Dow
Tom Scrivener

Chief Operations Executive
Bank of America
Harmit Singh

EVP & Chief Financial and Growth Officer
Levi Strauss & Co.
Curtis Tao

SEVP & U.S. General Counsel
HSBC
Hema Widhani

Chief Brand, Experience & Marketing Officer
Edward Jones
Vicki Walia

EVP, Chief People & Experience Officer
Prudential Financial
Han Wen

Chief Digital & Marketing Officer
L’Oréal USA
Angela Ying

VP, Business Operations
Nvidia Corporation

Highlights

Past Honorees

The past honorees list is a prestigious recognition given to individuals who have achieved significant accomplishments in their respective fields. This list celebrates the achievements of inspiring individuals who have made a positive impact on society through their work. Each year, new honorees are added to this list, highlighting the diversity and excellence of the human spirit.

View All

Benefit Committee

A distinguished group of community leaders and allies, responsible for nominating deserving candidates for the upcoming award ceremony.

View Members

A-List Leadership Team

Anna Mok

President & Executive Board Chair
Ascend & Ascend Foundation
Jeff Chin

President Emeritus & Co-Founder
Ascend & Ascend Foundation
Sandeep Gupta

Event Chair, Board Member
Ascend Foundation

"Organizations like Ascend are extremely important to create the platform, connectivity and allyship that is needed for Asian professionals to rise beyond great people to great management executives in the industry."

Raj Sharma
Americas Consulting Vice Chair, EY
"I grew up in a small town in Indiana and never in a million years would I have thought that I would come to an event like tonight where I see so many successful confident Asians being able to stand up and be recognized."

Nancy Quan
Senior Vice President & Chief Technical and Innovation Officer, The Coca-Cola Company
"Ascend is the largest non-profit serving Asian Americans in the country and you could see that, not just in the diversity of voices in the room but in the palpable energy and the joy. We really need an umbrella organization when the full diversity of the Asian American community can find its voice and we can come together on occasions like these."

Kenji Yoshino
Chief Justice Earl Warren Professor of Constitutional Law, NYU School of Law
"Ascend really empowers and enables Pan-Asian leadership to come together to learn and to really feel supported in a like-minded community. When I speak to team members, people I mentor, and early career professionals, they say what they need and what inspires them is to see representation in the executive ranks of the company."

Neeracha Taychakhoonavudh
Head of Global Customer Experience, Asana

FAQ

The Awards Gala will take place on April 28, 2026 at The Plaza Hotel in New York City.
The A-List Awards is our annual gala that recognizes highly accomplished and impactful business leaders representing a wide spectrum of industries. We celebrate leaders for their professional achievements and advancement of others in their industries or for igniting change in the workplace and society.
Proceeds from the event benefit Ascend Foundation's programs and initiatives.
Ascend seeks to recognize leaders who have demonstrated Professional Achievement & Community Advancement and meet several of the following criteria:
- Made a significant impact to his/her industry and demonstrated a record of service to the Pan-Asian community
- Demonstrated commitment to the development and advancement of Pan-Asians in the workplace
- A senior level executive who is the CEO or within three levels from the Enterprise-wide CEO of a Fortune 1000/Global 500 corporation or equivalent
- An executive currently serving on the Board of Directors of a Fortune 1000/Global 500 corporation or equivalent
- Is either an entrepreneur; a partner at a top-tier professional services firm; a thought leader; an academic leader; an innovator; an investor or a philanthropist
Aligned with Ascend's mission of professional and leadership advancement, the award recipients are selected for their contributions for the advancement of others in their industries or communities as well as their professional achievements or philanthropic endeavors.
For more information on sponsorship or partnership opportunities, reach out to partnerships@ascendleadership.org

The Ascend Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization that aims to drive positive and productive change in the workplace and foster business growth. In partnership with leading business organizations across the Fortune 1000, the Foundation launches cross-industry thought leadership programming and networking, builds community through social impact initiatives like Ascend Cares, provides student scholarships for the leaders of tomorrow, and publishes noteworthy research on the state of business.
Our mission is to build community, ignite change, and develop business leaders through research, advocacy, leadership development, and community engagement.
Guests are encouraged to dress in Black Tie or Asian Festive.
JFK | LGA | EWR | HPN
Delta Air Lines is pleased to offer special discounts for Ascend.

Please click here to book your flights.

You may also call Conferences and Events® at 1.800.328.1111* Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. (EST) and refer to Meeting Event Code: NY4J5

Eligible airports: JFK, LGA, EWR, HPN
Eligible dates: April 23 - May 4, 2026

*Please note there is no service fee for reservations booked and ticketed via the reservation 800 number.
The safety of our guests is paramount to Ascend. Masks are optional, but please note that there will be over 400 guests at the event. Ascend will monitor the evolving nature of COVID and adjust the guidance accordingly.