Lavallee recognized in the 23rd annual Stevie Awards for Women in Business
CALGARY, AB, CANADA — Kendel Lavallee, Director of AI Adoption and Visibility at CIPR Communications, has been named a Finalist in the 23rd annual Stevie Awards for Women in Business, in the Woman of the Year in AI category. The recognition places Lavallee among a small group of finalists worldwide honoured for their leadership in AI adoption.
Woman of the Year in Artificial Intelligence is a new category for 2026, recognizing individual women who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in AI The Stevie Awards for Women in Business have spent more than 20 years honouring women and women-led organizations in the workplace worldwide, with more than 200 leading business professionals judging this year’s competition.
At CIPR, Lavallee leads AI adoption work through Tourism AI Network (TAIN), the agency’s division focused on helping tourism businesses and destination marketing organizations adopt AI tools in practical, transparent ways, from visibility tracking to hands-on staff training.
“Well deserved, Kendel,” said Peter Pilarski, President of CIPR Communications and Founder of Tourism AI Network. “Your ‘I’ll figure it out’ approach to work is exactly what makes someone successful with AI adoption, and with work in general. As I always say in my presentations, in the AI era, agency wins over knowledge, and the way you use agency to work through problems with AI is what makes you a great leader of the TAIN department.”
“Kendel’s recognition as a Stevie finalist reflects the standard she’s set for how AI gets adopted inside an organization: practically, transparently, and with the team brought along every step of the way,” said Christina Pilarski, Founder and CEO of CIPR Communications. “Clients and our own team came together to put her name forward, which speaks to the impact she’s had on both sides. She has shaped how our clients and our own teams think about what these tools can actually do, and this nomination is proof that approach works.”
Winners will be revealed at the awards banquet on Monday, November 16, 2026, at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City.
