Since 2002, The Stevie Awards have honoured the achievements and positive contributions of organisations and working professionals worldwide. Each year the organisation receives more than 12,000 nominations and this year, Palladium’s Jose Maria Ortiz was chosen as the Silver winner in the new category; Achievement in Thought Leadership.

The category recognises organisations that have taken active measures to develop their executives and employees as thought leaders and promote their thought leadership to audiences inside and outside the organisation.

As Palladium’s Managing Director of Impact Investment and Business Growth, Ortiz is leading Revere, Palladium’s collaboration with UK National Parks working to mobilise private sector investment to restore nature at scale. Additionally, he’s helped to launch a $500 million fund for Palestine that will invest in economic models that create jobs and opportunities for 225,000 families and leads Mobilist, the UK government’s flagship program that helps impact-oriented financial vehicles to go public.

As a widely sought-after expert and speaker, his thought leadership and opinion articles on sustainability, climate change, and nature-based solutions have been published by Thomson Reuters Foundation, The Economist’s Business Reporter, and will be speaking at the World Ocean Tech and Innovation Summit in October. “Jose Maria Ortiz is truly the Sustainability Thought Leader of the Year,” shared one award judge. “The vision and integrity with which he engages the community and makes a positive impact on planet Earth is inspiring.”

“It is an honour to be recognised with this prestigious award,” notes Ortiz. “In reality, it’s a recognition for the entire Palladium team pushing the boundaries of impact to bring private sector investment and imagination to focus on solving the great challenges humanity has ahead.”

Ortiz’s work with Palladium has helped to launch several innovative social impact projects that utilise private sector investment to empower local economic models, restore nature, and deliver a return for impact investors. Everyone, from community farmers and landowners to corporations, benefits from the work he’s doing, all while making the world a better place through sustainable, restorative, and lasting change.

“The world needs more entrepreneurs with a focus on the planet. His efforts have been deservedly effective on different continents and others could learn from him,” noted another award judge in their comments.

Beyond his many articles and speaking engagements, his breadth and depth of experience means that Ortiz can also walk the talk, simplifying the complexity of each project’s implementation to bring everyone on the ground – local communities, vendors, and partners – on the journey with him to create effective, lasting change.

The award judges, which include senior-executives from businesses around the world, noted the importance of both Palladium and Ortiz’s focus on forward-looking sustainability. “It is always refreshing to read about thought leaders who have a focus on environmental conservation as it will be our biggest concern in the next coming years.”

“What indeed separates a great leader, and a mere influencer is the outcome of their action, the former brings changes while the latter stops at the framework development. The nominee clearly shines as a leader with very practical frameworks that are being implemented at scale and what would help us and the future generations to come,” concluded a judge.

For Ortiz, the award is an acknowledgement of the many varied and successful teams across Palladium finding ways to address global challenges through the lens of their expertise. “This is a prize for each and every one of our 3,500 people working across the globe with local communities and implementing solutions that are sustainable and scalable. Thank you to all of them.”

Learn more about The Stevie Awards and Jose Maria Ortiz, and contact info@thepalladiumgroup.com for more information.