IAOTP names Dr. Catherine Oleksiw to Lifetime Achievement Award

The International Association of Top Professionals will honor Dr. Catherine Oleksiw at its 2026 Annual Awards Gala at the Plaza Hotel in New York City. The award recognizes her three decades in leadership, coaching, consulting and higher education.

Why it matters: - IAOTP’s Lifetime Achievement Award is reserved for a small group of members chosen for longevity, contributions to society and industry impact. - The recognition highlights Dr. Catherine Oleksiw’s career across business consulting, leadership coaching, education and organizational change. - The honor also adds to a growing list of awards tied to her work in research, education and executive development.

What happened: - The International Association of Top Professionals selected Dr. Catherine Oleksiw for its 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award. - IAOTP will honor Dr. Oleksiw at its Annual Awards Gala at the Plaza Hotel in New York City in December. - Dr. Oleksiw is a business consultant, leadership coach, speaker and former Business Psychology Department Chair for The Chicago School.

The details: - Dr. Oleksiw has more than three decades of experience in the field. - She most recently served as Business Psychology Department Chair at The Chicago School’s Dallas location. - In that role, she managed three programs: a Master’s in Industrial/Organizational Psychology, a Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership and a Ph.D. in Business Psychology. - She also taught Ethics, Research Methods and Professional Coaching. - Dr. Oleksiw continues to chair several Ph.D. dissertation committees and advises doctoral students on research. - She is president and founder of Measured Transitions LLC, a coaching and consulting small business certified by the Small Business Administration. - Her firm works with businesses, government entities, universities, foundations and community-based organizations on system change, accountability and measurement systems. - Measured Transitions builds client capacity through training, coaching and technical support. - The company co-creates systems to track success and change, and helps clients develop measurable goals, metrics, evaluation design, logic models and cross-site outcomes measurement. - Dr. Oleksiw also coaches individuals on career exploration, career management and advancement into new roles. - One specialty area is coaching aspiring leaders moving up within their organizations. - Her expertise spans K-12 and higher education, leadership development, business management, educational leadership, strategic planning, higher education administration, teaching, technical workshops, research methods, statistics, program evaluation, organizational leadership and executive coaching. - Dr. Oleksiw earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Hartford. - She later earned a master’s degree in psychology and education and a master’s degree in educational psychology with a focus on measurement and evaluation from Teachers College, Columbia University. - Columbia University’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences awarded her Ph.D. in educational psychology with a measurement and evaluation focus. - IAOTP previously named her Top Education Researcher of the Year. - Marquis Who’s Who gave her the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award in 2024. - IAOTP said she will also be considered for its Empowered Woman Award and featured in TIP Magazine.

Between the lines: - The award fits a clear theme in Dr. Oleksiw’s career: translating academic expertise into practical systems for leadership, evaluation and coaching. - IAOTP is using the honor to spotlight long-tenured professionals who combine public service, education and business experience. - Stephanie Cirami, IAOTP president, said selecting Dr. Oleksiw was an easy decision and described her as inspirational, influential and a visionary thought leader. - Dr. Oleksiw says her success comes from values-based leadership, her passion for the work and mentors along the way. - Her planned book aims to help doctoral students navigate the dissertation process by combining coaching, psychology and technical guidance.

What's next: - IAOTP will present the award at its 2026 gala in New York City. - Dr. Oleksiw is continuing to chair dissertation committees while developing her book for doctoral students. - More information is available through IAOTP’s award gala page, Dr. Oleksiw’s LinkedIn profile and Measured Transitions.