Manage HR Magazine: Awards Ranking
Manage HR Magazine proudly presents the Learning and Development Leader of the Year 2026, recognizing leaders who are redefining how organizations attract and retain talent through thoughtful compensation and benefits strategies. These professionals design total rewards programs that align employee expectations with business objectives while supporting workforce engagement across diverse organizational settings. Their leadership helps companies strengthen talent retention and respond to evolving workforce needs, enabling organizations to build a more committed workforce while supporting long-term business performance.
Learning and Development Leader of the Year - 2026
Bobby Ross
Head of Learning and Development, Center of Excellence, Howmet Aerospace
Bobby Ross is Head of Learning and Development, Center of Excellence at Howmet Aerospace, where he leads the development of enterprise learning strategies that strengthen workforce capability across a complex global manufacturing environment. Drawing on more than two decades of experience in instructional design, leadership development and organizational learning, he has helped shape a more connected and scalable learning ecosystem aligned with operational excellence, talent development and long-term organizational transformation.
Vanessa Varano
Vice President of Learning and Development, Mac Haik Restaurant Group
Vanessa Varano has spent her career translating restaurant realities into workforce systems that can withstand scale. As vice president of learning and development for Mac Haik Restaurant Group, she shapes leadership pipelines, operational training systems and engagement strategies for one of the fastest-growing First Watch operators in the country. Her role also manages the launch of new hospitality concepts.
