On December 19, 2022, Aspen Institute Romania hosted at Athénée Palace Hilton Bucharest the 12th edition of the ASPEN LEADERSHIP AWARDS AND GALA DINNER, the most special annual event of the Aspen community, marking 16 years of existence of the Institute and of our common quest for a “Good Society”.

Already a treasured tradition, the Aspen Leadership Awards and Gala Dinner represented the opportunity for the thriving and growing Aspen community to reunite and revisit its shared values and interests. A pleasant night among friends, a celebration of values-based leadership, innovation and excellence, the event aimed to allow all of our guests a moment of reflection on the impact that the Aspen community has on the development of the region.

The event was an opportunity to bring recognition to individuals who left their mark on the Romanian and global society, who were innovators and examples of ethical and professional conduct, in fields such as public service, technology, research and innovation, arts or cultural heritage.

Also, the Aspen Gala offered to the Aspen Young Leaders, Aspen Fellows and Alumni the opportunity to present their accomplishments from the past year and to reaffirm their ambition of producing a significant impact in the society.

The Awardees of the 2022 edition of the Aspen Leadership Awards and Gala Dinner are:

  • ”Mihnea Constantinescu” Values-Based Leadership Award: Ms. ROBERTA METSOLA, President of the European Parliament.
  • Innovation and Technology Leadership Award: Mr. MIHAI CEPOI, Founder of Jobful.
  • Arts and Society Leadership Award: Ms. ADINA PINTILIE, Filmmaker, visual artist and curator.
  • Service with Dignity Leadership Award: Ltg. CORNELIU POSTU, Director of the Romanian Defense Staff.
  • Cultural Heritage and Society Leadership Award: VIA TRANSILVANICA, a project of the Tășuleasa Social Association.
  • Aspen Social Action Prize: ROMÂNIA FĂRĂ DOSAR – ROMANIA FILELESS, initiated by Ms. Anamaria Nicola, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Journalism and Communication Sciences, University of Bucharest and Mr. George Tuță, Quaestor of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of Romania, both of them Fellows of the Aspen Public Service Leadership Program.
  • Aspen Fellows Network Grant, for a project initiated by participants of the 2022 generation of Aspen Young Leaders Program: THE FIRST CLINIC IN ROMANIA FOR YOUNG ADDICTS, initiated by Mr. Alexandru Lazarov and Mr. Teodor Blidaru.

For a detailed presentation of the Aspen Leadership Awardees 2022, please check the brochure of the Aspen Gala, available at this link.

We thank all the Members of the Institute, the Aspen Fellows and Alumni and our Partners and Sponsors for their constant support, dedication, and willingness to contribute to the Good Society.

We thank the Partners of the Aspen Leadership Awards and Gala Dinner 2022 for their devotion to the Aspen Idea:

Award Sponsors BANCA COMERCIALĂ ROMÂNĂ (BCR), RAIFFEISEN BANK, UNICREDIT BANK, Ms. Cătălina Iuga and Mr. Vasile Iuga
Aspen Social Action Prize Sponsor ALLIANCE HEALTHCARE ROMANIA
Gold Leaf Sponsor MERK CLASS
Silver Leaf Sponsor TUD GROUP
Bronze Leaf Sponsor ORION
With the support of DAVID SANDU JEWELRY, AQUA CARPATICA, DOMENIILE SÂMBUREȘTI, MAIGRE COUTURE, RHEA COSTA.
Media Partner AGERPRES

The Aspen Leadership Awards and Gala Dinner constitute a source of financial support for the Aspen Leadership Trust, an initiative of the Aspen Institute Romania aiming to support the Leadership Initiatives of our Institute and to offer scholarships to join our Leadership Programs to high school students, university students, young professionals, public sector representatives and NGO representatives, in Romania and the region.

We invite you to become a Leadership Trustee or to make a donation as an individual contributor to the Aspen Leadership Trust, which will render a series of benefits in terms of promotion and visibility.

For more details regarding the Aspen Leadership Trust, the current Leadership Trustees and Individual Contributors and various possibilities to contribute, please click here or contact us via e-mail at ioana.antonescu@aspeninstitute.ro or oana.dumitru@aspeninstitute.ro.

The Aspen Leadership Awards and Gala Dinner 2022 was a Black tie, table seating event, open only to members of the Aspen community.