On December 8, 2023, Aspen Institute Romania hosted the 13th edition of the ASPEN LEADERSHIP AWARDS AND GALA DINNER, the most special annual event of the Aspen community, marking 17 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 had 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 2023 edition of the Aspen Leadership Awards and Gala Dinner are:
• ”Mihnea Constantinescu” Values-Based Leadership Award: H. E. . MAIA SANDU, President of the Republic of Moldova.
• Innovation and Technology Leadership Award: Mr. RĂZVAN BOLOGA, President of CyberKnowledge Club and CEO Nextlab.tech.
• Arts and Society Leadership Award: THE MUSEUM OF RECENT ART (MARe).
• Service with Dignity Leadership Award: General DANIEL PETRESCU, Chief of Romanian Defense Staff between December 1st, 2019 and November 30th, 2023.
• Cultural Heritage and Society Leadership Award: THE AMBULANCE FOR MONUMENTS (ro: Ambulanța pentru Monumente), a project of the Monumentum Association.
• Aspen Social Action Prize: ROMANIA DEBATES, initiated by Mr. VLAD CIOBANU, Fellow of the Aspen Young Leaders Program 2016.
• Aspen Fellows Network Grant, for a project initiated by a team of participants of the 2023 generation of the Aspen Young Leaders Program: AI JEDI School, initiated by Ms. Despina Donca, Ms. Claudia Gherman, Mr. David Timiș and Mr. Ciprian Zamfirescu.
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 2023 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
• Bronze Leaf Sponsors: GARANTI BBVA, ORION, VODAFONE
• Table Captains: PFIZER, VERANDA MALL
• With the support of DAVID SANDU JEWELRY, VALVIS HOLDING, AQUA CARPATICA, DOMENIILE SÂMBUREȘTI, MAIGRE COUTURE, CRISTALLINI.
• Host of the event: Dan Fințescu.

Presentation of the Awardees

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.

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 and oana.dumitru@aspeninstitute.ro.
The Aspen Leadership Awards and Gala Dinner 2023 was a Black tie, table seating event, open only to members of the Aspen community.
The photo album of the event is available at this link: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjB6EEq.