We are excited to announce the exceptional winners of the 2025 Product-Led Awards.

These awards recognize remarkable achievements in product-led growth. Whether you've transformed your onboarding experience, driven exceptional user engagement, or led a successful product-led initiative, it’s time to highlight your incredible accomplishments.

Today, we will unveil the winners across the following categories:

  • Chief Product Officer of the Year
  • Product-Led Rising Star
  • Product Operations Rising Star
  • Product-Led Team of the Year
  • Product Operations Team of the Year
  • Product Launch Team of the Year

Let's dive right in.

The Chief Product Officer of the Year 

This award celebrates an exceptional product leader who drives vision, inspires teams, and delivers outstanding business impact at the highest level. Honoring strategic thinking, organisational leadership, and a proven ability to transform complex challenges into meaningful outcomes, this category recognizes an influential individual in the industry.

And the award goes to… 

Elena Leonova, ex-Chief Product Officer at Spryker

Celebrated for her talent in turning complexity into clarity, Elena has built and scaled global product organizations at Magento, BigCommerce, and Spryker, shaping platforms that serve thousands of businesses worldwide. Through OneRank.io, she enables teams to create data-driven, signal-led product strategies and make confident, strategic decisions. A leading voice on LinkedIn and a frequent speaker at Product-Led Alliance events, Elena mentors emerging product leaders while delivering insights with a personal touch. 

Her upcoming book, ‘The Art of Platform Products’, further showcases her vision and thought leadership. These achievements distinguish her as a deserving recipient of the Chief Product Officer of the Year.

The Product-Led Rising Star

This award shines a spotlight on an emerging product leader who is making waves in their career. It celebrates rising talent with a strong trajectory, recognising individuals who demonstrate exceptional potential, innovative thinking, and the ability to translate strategy into measurable success.

And the winner is… 

Dan Dalton, Director of Product Management at Sage

Recognized for translating strategic vision into tangible business outcomes, Dan has led high-performing product organizations that deliver what matters and scale effectively. With 14 years of experience across B2B SaaS, fintech, insurtech, payroll, and infrastructure, he now oversees global product management for Sage’s cloud payroll business, balancing user experience, market opportunity, and technical feasibility. 

His dedication to mentoring, purposeful execution, and building empowered teams sets a benchmark for rising product leaders. These accomplishments highlight why Dan is a distinguished recipient of the Product-Led Rising Star award.

The Product Operations Rising Star

This award honors an up-and-coming product operations professional who is elevating the craft through structure, clarity, and operational excellence. It recognizes those who streamline processes, enable teams, and create the foundations needed for scalable, outcome-driven product organisations.

We are excited to announce the winner…

Jana Debusk, Senior Product Operations Manager at Applied Systems 

Known for her expertise in optimizing processes, driving operational efficiency, and fostering team growth, Jana has transformed product operations at Applied Systems. She has implemented frameworks that move teams from activity-focused reporting to outcome-driven insights, developed scalable enablement programs, and created centralized knowledge hubs that streamline onboarding and resource access. As a storyteller, mentor, and connector, she cultivates psychological safety, recognition, and continuous learning. 

Jana also appeared on an insightful episode of the Product-Led Alliance’s Product Operations Chronicles podcast, sharing her expertise with the broader community. Her influence and impact position her as an exemplary recipient of the Product Operations Rising Star award.

The Product-Led Team of the Year

Let's celebrate a high-performing product team that has demonstrated exceptional collaboration, innovation, and customer focus. This award recognizes teams that break down silos, move with purpose, and deliver meaningful impact through strong cross-functional execution and product-led thinking.

And the winner is…

Novartis – Pharmaceutical Manufacturing

Celebrated for its groundbreaking work in medicine, Novartis reimagines treatments that improve and extend lives while empowering patients, healthcare professionals, and communities globally. Its product teams collaborate across functions to deliver scalable solutions that reach over 250 million people worldwide. 

By integrating scientific excellence with patient-focused design, data-driven decision-making, and cohesive teamwork, Novartis sets a high standard for product leadership in healthcare. These qualities make Novartis a distinguished recipient of the Product-Led Team of the Year award.

The Product Operations Team of the Year

Let’s highlight a product operations team that enables organisational clarity, alignment, and efficiency at scale. This award celebrates teams that empower product managers, streamline workflows, elevate insights, and drive operational excellence across the business.

Drumroll for the winner, please… 

8x8 – IT Services 

Celebrated for pushing the boundaries of customer experience, 8x8 connects organizations and people through its integrated platform, combining Contact Center, Unified Communications, and CPaaS APIs. By leveraging AI at every touchpoint, the product operations team drives efficiency, enables personalized journeys, and fosters seamless collaboration across functions. 

Their focus on aligning processes, data, and cross-team execution empowers organizations to turn every team into a customer-facing team and tackle complexity with confidence. These accomplishments establish 8x8 as a deserving recipient of the Product Ops Team of the Year award.

The Product Launch of the Year

Let’s recognize a standout product launch that demonstrates innovation, market impact, and remarkable execution. This award celebrates launches that address real customer needs, deliver strong value, and showcase exceptional cross-functional collaboration from idea to release.

We are thrilled to announce the winner…

Akeneo – Software Development

Celebrated for transforming product experience, Akeneo equips businesses to manage and enrich product information through its intelligent Product Cloud. Trusted by leading brands, manufacturers, and retailers, including Chico’s, CarParts.com, TaylorMade Golf, Rail Europe, and Kering. Akeneo enhances product experiences with AI-powered data enrichment, management, syndication, and supplier onboarding.

Its app marketplace and partner network extend the platform’s impact, enabling organizations to scale commerce initiatives efficiently. These contributions make Akeneo a highly deserving recipient of the Product Launch of the Year award.

Thank you to our nominators

A heartfelt shoutout to our nominators! Your votes in this year's Product-Led Awards have been invaluable. 

Celebrating the incredible talent within our industry is vital, and we're ecstatic to spotlight the cream of the crop in product. Thank you for helping us illuminate their achievements!

Want to stay up to date with our winners and the latest in the product space, network with these fantastic finalists, and meet even more of your peers? Then the Product-Led Alliance Slack community is for you!

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