Our 2026 International Quality Awards offer an exciting, multi-sector, and multinational array of finalists, all chosen for their work in powering performance through quality. Join me at Quality Live in London to celebrate and recognise their work and look out for their stories in CQI communications.
International Quality Awards 2026 winners
We're delighted to announce the winners for the International Quality Awards 2026.
The CQI’s annual International Quality Awards celebrate quality excellence across eight categories, recognising and rewarding the contribution of quality professionals, teams and organisations worldwide. Our panel of subject-matter experts evaluates and judges the entries to ensure submissions meet the strict criteria.
We continue to see year-on-year growth with more stand-out entries than ever across all categories.
With thanks to our awards partner:
Emerging Talent
This award recognises the quality professional who has demonstrated the greatest impact on their organisation by applying their knowledge and skills in the areas below, set out in the CQI Profession Map.
To be eligible for this award, entrants must be a quality professional in the first three years of their quality career and have a role with no line-management responsibilities.
Muhammad Kamal Alhaj Alhussein
Sdeira Group
Muhammad Kamal Alhaj Alhussein has delivered significant improvement across complex residential and facilities management environments by taking a people‑centred approach to quality.
By focusing on building trust and behavioural change, he strengthened assurance activity and improved reporting, visibility and compliance. His introduction of digital tools transformed inspection processes, reduced reporting times and increased closure rates, enabling better decision‑making and more effective oversight. Muhammad’s work highlights the importance of context, culture and data in applying quality principles, and reflects his strong commitment to learning, adaptability and long‑term impact.
Quality Professional of the Year
This award recognises the chartered quality professional who has demonstrated the greatest impact on their organisation.
Dave Treadwell
Quality Director
Valeo
As European Quality Director at Valeo Service, Dave Treadwell has placed quality firmly at the centre of everyday decision‑making across multinational operations.
His approach focuses on simplification, visibility and accountability, enabling teams to take ownership of performance rather than rely on oversight alone. Through clear problem‑solving disciplines, consistent ways of working and strong leadership presence, Dave has delivered tangible improvements in customer satisfaction, cost control and operational resilience. Alongside this, his commitment to developing people has helped embed quality as a practical, people‑led discipline across the organisation.
Digital Transformation
This award recognises the initiative that best demonstrates how quality professionals applying the principles of Quality 4.0 can drive organisational digital transformation.
Abu Dhabi Housing Authority
Abu Dhabi Housing Authority are recognised for delivering a landmark public‑sector transformation through the Iskan One Stop Shop.
The initiative re‑engineered a highly complex housing ecosystem into a single, seamless digital journey, integrating more than 30 government and private‑sector entities. By applying Quality 4.0 principles such as end‑to‑end process redesign, data‑led eligibility decisions and robust governance, the programme replaced fragmented, manual interactions with a transparent, reliable and equitable service. The result has been significant reductions in waiting times, improved trust and measurable improvements in citizen experience and public value at national scale.
Developing Quality Talent
This award recognises a strategy, initiative or project that demonstrates a commitment to identifying and developing quality talent.
Sellafield
Sellafield stood out for its strategic and tailored approach to developing quality capability in one of the UK’s most highly regulated environments.
Its comprehensive outreach and apprenticeship programmes, which promote quality as a career of choice, as well as specialist career pathways and a technical competency framework, provide support and progression from early careers to senior roles. Supported by strong leadership, mentoring and a continuous improvement mindset, Sellafield’s approach has reduced skills risk, strengthened career development opportunities and embedded quality as a trusted business partner - not only within the organisation, but across the wider nuclear industry.
Quality Team of the Year
This category recognises the quality team that has had the greatest impact on their organisation, taking into account the context within they operate. This must be demonstrated by applying their knowledge and skills in the CQI Profession Map areas of Context, Governance, Assurance, Improvement and Leadership.
National Armaments Director Group, Ministry of Defence
Operating at national scale and under intense public accountability, the MOD Defence Equipment & Support Quality Team has delivered transformational impact through a quality‑led systems approach.
The team created a coherent management framework that integrates process ownership, risk management, assurance and continuous improvement across a complex, multi‑disciplinary organisation. By reducing fragmentation and embedding controls directly into everyday delivery, they enabled leaders to gain clearer visibility, manage risk more effectively and make informed decisions. Their work has established quality as a unifying discipline that supports confidence, consistency and improvement across programmes critical to national security.
Quality Organisation of the Year
This award recognises the organisation that best exhibits a culture of quality and puts it at the heart of everything they do.
Topline Limited
Topline Ltd has built a strong quality ethos within a growing organisation working in a tightly regulated environment. Expectations around quality are reinforced through leadership actions, people policies and everyday operational practices, ensuring consistency as the business expands.
Open engagement and outlining clear responsibilities play a central role in maintaining standards amid external pressures. By integrating quality into recruitment, performance review and project execution, Topline has supported high levels of staff commitment, strong client outcomes and sustained compliance, showing how culture can anchor quality even during periods of rapid development.
CQI Volunteering Impact
The CQI Volunteering Impact award recognises the volunteering activity or activities which have made a demonstrable impact on the CQI, its members and/or the wider quality profession.
CQI and IRCA members are invited to add their vote to our judging process and help determine the winner of this award. Voting will be open during volunteers week, from 1-5 June, and members will be sent an email through which they can register their vote.
Nuclear Network
The Nuclear Network has demonstrated exceptional volunteer leadership, collaboration and professional influence. Highlights from the past year include a volunteer-led event showcasing innovation in nuclear quality, which attracted almost 200 in-person attendees. In addition, the network has developed a nuclear complement to the CQI’s Profession Map, addressing resource gaps in key nuclear quality roles and supporting talent acquisition and retention.
The award winners were announced as part of Quality Live on Thursday, 25 June in London. The winners of the CQI Volunteering Impact Award and Outstanding Contribution to Quality Management Practice were also announced.
Congratulations to all our winners and finalists, and thank you to everyone who submitted their applications.
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