IAOTP names Dr. Kay Kienast Empowered Woman of the Year

The International Association of Top Professionals selected Dr. Kay E. Kienast for its 2026 Empowered Woman of the Year honor, with recognition set for the Annual Awards Gala in New York City this December. The award spotlights her two decades in B2B marketing leadership and her track record of driving growth across tech and enterprise companies.

Why it matters: - The award puts Dr. Kay E. Kienast in a small group of women recognized by IAOTP for leadership, experience and community impact. - The honor highlights the growing visibility of women leading growth and marketing strategy in B2B tech. - IAOTP will recognize Kienast at its 2026 Annual Awards Gala at the Plaza Hotel in New York City in December.

What happened: - The International Association of Top Professionals selected Dr. Kay E. Kienast as Empowered Woman of the Year for 2026. - IAOTP is planning to honor Kienast at its annual gala in December 2026. - The gala will take place at the Plaza Hotel in New York City. - IAOTP President Stephanie Cirami said Kienast shows visionary leadership as a female entrepreneur and will be celebrated for her accomplishments at the gala.

The details: - Kienast has nearly two decades of experience in marketing leadership. - Her work centers on high-impact B2B strategies that aim to produce measurable enterprise value. - She has led marketing programs for enterprises, small and mid-sized businesses, and startups. - Her background includes building and scaling marketing teams and go-to-market programs. - Her expertise includes growth marketing, demand generation, brand development, product marketing and data-driven strategy. - Kienast has led or supported acquisitions involving Seagate Evault and Carbonite, Avocent and Emerson Electric, and True Influence and Merit B2B, now known as Anteriad. - She has also led growth efforts at GE Power Digital, Xerox Large Enterprise Organization, Lexmark International and CDW. - Her leadership has contributed to revenue growth for one company from $10 million to $480 million. - Kienast earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Kansas State University and a doctorate from East Texas State University. - Her current focus is AI in marketing. - Her past recognition includes honors from Marquis Who’s Who, LA Weekly’s Top 10 Disruptors to Watch list in 2023, Top Marketing and Growth Executive of the Year, and a feature in Top 50 Fearless Leaders. - Kienast will also be featured in TIP Magazine. - More information is available in Kienast’s LinkedIn profile.

Between the lines: - IAOTP uses selective membership and nomination criteria, which makes this award part of a broader recognition system rather than an open-entry contest. - The honor reinforces Kienast’s positioning as a senior growth leader at a time when AI and revenue efficiency are reshaping marketing priorities. - The press release leans on career milestones, acquisition experience and revenue growth to frame the award as a validation of business impact, not just title-based achievement.

What’s next: - Kienast is scheduled to receive the award at IAOTP’s gala in December 2026. - She said she plans to keep inspiring the next generation of marketing leaders and continue working in the field. - IAOTP continues building its annual recognition platform and invites professionals through nomination or direct invitation only.

The bottom line: - IAOTP is using its 2026 gala to spotlight a veteran B2B marketing executive whose career has centered on scaling teams, driving revenue and adapting to AI-driven change.