2025 Controller of the Year Awards - Winners Announced

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Jan 29, 2026, 13:00 ET

CHICAGO, Jan. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Winners of the 2025 Controller of the Year Awards have been selected after a nomination period and judging process that began in October 2025. The sixth annual program is produced by the Controllers Council, a member association and community focused on career development, training resources, research, and recognition.

Corporate Controllers and related titles that have Controller responsibilities including VPs, CFOs, Chief Accounting Officers, and related roles are eligible to enter. Applicants can self-nominate or be nominated by a colleague via a brief online survey that requests confidential and anonymous information on 2025 financial performance, work experience, volunteer or philanthropic activities, and educational background.

All nominations were screened by an algorithm and then judged by Controllers Council Board Advisors. The following Winners and Runners-Up are announced for 10 categories based on size and type, along with public or private classifications, where applicable.

Category/Classification	2025 Winners	Company/Org	Title
2025 National Controller of the Year	Renee Jewell	Airbnb	Controller
Enterprise/Public/Winner	Jagdeep Saini	Ingredion Inc.	Financial Controller
Enterprise/Private/Winner	Kathy Laux	ShipBob	VP Global Controller
Enterprise/Private/Runner-Up	Yelena Popova	Armanino	Corporate Controller
Enterprise/Private/Runner-Up	Ghemma Winkworth	Fortra	VP Corporate Controller
Medium/Private/Winner	Shannon Cross	Altair Global	VP Corporate Controller
Medium/Private/Runner-Up	Kelly Sharpin Hill	Coast Professional Inc.	Accounting Controller
Small/Private/Winner	Clinton Laechlin	Fayez Sarofim & Co.	VP Finance
Small/Private/Runner-Up	Michael Chernoff	Centerbase	Controller
Small/Private/Runner-Up	William Kennedy	4Front Credit Union	Controller
Start-Up/Private/Winner	Nwokedi Mbanugo	TailScale	Corporate Controller
Not-For-Profit/Large/Winner	Brian Jenkins	St. Louis Zoo	Director of Finance
NFP/Medium/Winner	Samuel Pincich	Chicago Symphony Orchestra	Controller
NFP/Medium/Runner-Up	Barbara Salazar	Unity Council	CFO & Controller

"Controllers and corporate finance executives proved their importance in 2025, and the Controller of the Year Awards brings much deserved recognition to these hard-working individuals", states Neil Brown, Controllers Council Executive Director.

All winners will be notified by email and receive a frame-quality Certificate. The 2025 National Controller of the Year will receive a gold-plated and engraved statuette/trophy manufactured by the makers of the Oscar^® Awards.

Applications and registration for the 2026 Controller of the Year Awards will begin in October of 2026 at the following link: https://controllerscouncil.org/recognition/

ABOUT Controllers Council
Controllers Council™ is a national member association, community and platform of more than 100,000 Controllers, CFOs, and corporate accounting and finance professionals focused on career development and training, best practice resources, networking, recognition and more. Programs include continuing professional education (CPE), a national Career Center, strategic research studies, webcasts with expert panelists on trending topics, articles and whitepapers. Controllers Council publishes the annual CFO/Controller Sentiment™ Study, the Corporate Finance & Accounting Talent Study, the CFO/Controller Financial Performance Index™ (FPI); and produces the annual Controller of the Year™ Awards, Meet the Controller™ Interview Series, the Controllers for a Cause™ AICPA Scholarship Fund, and the upcoming Controllership 2030™ - Predictions Panel and study.

For more information, visit www.ControllersCouncil.org, or call Executive Director Neil Brown at 630-710-4710.

SOURCE Controllers Council