The award honours individuals who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and vision while playing a key role in nurturing young talent and advancing the air cargo and logistics industry.
The judging panel were young professionals under the age of 35, reflecting the voice of the future industry leaders.
Smilianets was presented with the award at the TIACA Executive Summit in Hong Kong alongside the TIACA Rising Star Award, which was won by Moritz Claussen, Founder and Co-CEO of cargo.one.
Praising Smilianets’ business success and his work to mentor young talent, Steven Polmans, Chairman of TIACA said: “He embodies what this award stands for: inspiration, impact, and inclusive leadership.”
Smilianets founded Awery Aviation Software to digitally transform air cargo operations and beyond his business achievements, Smilianets is admired for his mentorship, authenticity and advocacy for digitalisation and transparency.
Accepting the award, Smilianets said: “I am deeply honoured to receive this award; it reflects not just my personal journey, but the dedicated work of my teams at both Awery and CargoBooking to drive positive change for the industry. We have always believed in the power of technology to move this industry forward, and I am incredibly proud of what my team and I have achieved together so far.”
Glyn Hughes, Director General of TIACA said: “We are proud to see so many inspiring leaders making a real impact. I also want to thank every young professional who participated in the nomination and judging process. Your voices have created a meaningful new tradition that celebrates the heart and future of air cargo.”