MUMBAI: The International Advertising Association‘s (IAA) India chapter has established the IAA Leadership Awards to honour individuals in the fields of marketing, advertising and media, who have made enormous professional contributions and delivered business success to their companies.

The first edition of these annual awards will be held in an on-ground function scheduled for February 2013 in Mumbai. Union Minister of State (independent charge) of Information and Broadcasting Manish Tewari will be present at the inaugural awards ceremony as chief guest.

The IAA Leadership Awards celebrates the individual‘s innovative thinking and performance excellence that lead to outstanding success of the product/brand. The awards also indirectly seek to acknowledge the fact that the disciplines of marketing, advertising and media have to come together for the brand‘s success, by having all three functional disciplines honoured simultaneously.

International Advertising Association president Srinivasan Swamy said, "The IAA Leadership Awards salutes the brilliance of top professionals whose contribution makes our industry what it is. These annual awards, over time will be seen as the most coveted recognition an industry practitioner will receive for all his hard work and leadership qualities, which brought about success to the product/brand."

IAA has appointed the experienced marketing research company A C Nielsen to execute the nomination and voting process. Further Ernst & Young has been appointed to conduct audit and validate the entire process. The winners will be decided in a two-stage selection process; the first stage will include nominations and shortlisting by seasoned marketing, media and advertising professionals; and the second stage will be the final selection of winners by a voting process among the shortlisted nominees, by respective senior industry peers.