IWIRC 2026 WOMAN OF THE YEAR IN RESTRUCTURING AWARD (ASIA) - FAQ
What is the IWIRC Woman of the Year in Restructuring Award (Asia) (“WOYR Asia”) all about?
IWIRC is delighted to announce the 9th Annual Woman of the Year in Restructuring Award (Asia) (“WOYR Asia”), to honour a woman in Asia for her recent contributions to or lifetime achievements as part of the restructuring and insolvency industry.
The WOYR Asia complements the pre-existing award programme called “Woman of the Year in Restructuring Award (WOYR)” which has been administered by IWIRC internationally since 2006. Winners of that award are typically announced at one of the IWIRC conferences. Further details are available on https://www.iwirc.com/about-us/recognition-awards. While the WOYR award is open to anyone across the globe, the WOYR Asia is designed specifically to recognise practitioners based in Asia.
Who is eligible to receive the award?
The award is open to any female professional in the restructuring and insolvency industry based in Asia - including, lawyers, judges, bankers, accountants, turnaround managers, restructuring advisers and academician. She could be actively engaged in or recently retired from the restructuring and insolvency industry.
What kind of information should I include in the nomination form?
The nomination form requires you to fill out a cover sheet together with an annex explaining in no more than 1000 words and addressing the relevant criteria, why the nominee fits this award, and why we should consider her.
Note that:
· It is generally useful to include details of the professional history and/or significant professional milestones of the nominee.
· Please be descriptive and include facts or examples that help exemplify why you nominated someone.
· We recognise that exceptional achievements can take many forms. It is not necessary for a nominee to have been involved in well-known cases or landmark decisions or have a 5-page deal list.
· The nominee’s broader contributions to the insolvency / restructuring profession and support given to the career development of other women will be taken into account as will general volunteering activities supporting other women.
· Please include details of referees (no more than two per nominee) who would be willing to speak to the Organising Committee on any particular aspects of the nomination form should we require additional information. We may not necessarily need to get in touch with them and if we do, we will aim to elicit such information over a short call to be scheduled at their convenience.
Bear in mind that your response may be quoted by IWIRC in press releases relating to WOYR Asia.
What is the selection process and timing?
The nomination process will close at 5pm Singapore/Hong Kong time on Monday, 13h July 2026.
If you have any questions on the award including the selection process, please contact any of the following Asia-based IWIRC International Board members:
Maneesha Dhir: maneesha.dhir@dhirassociates.com
Catriona Lim: catriona.yl.lim@hk.pwc.com
Kai Yun Tan: kaiyun.tan@ashurst.com
The initial shortlisting from the nominations will be done by a nominations committee that shall comprise senior members and/or officeholders within IWIRC International in Asia.
The final selection from the initial shortlist will be done by a select committee of leading women based in Asia who are prominent in the restructuring and insolvency industry in their respective countries.
How will the WOYR Asia recipient be honoured?
The award will be presented at the IWIRC Asia Conference in Malaysia scheduled 10-11 September 2026. We will communicate with the winner in advance of the presentation to ensure they can be appropriately represented and honoured.
The winner will be recognised with a trophy and prize money equivalent to USD1,000 which will be donated to a charity of her choice.
The winner will also be invited to give a short acceptance speech at the in-person award ceremony and should she opt for this, her speech or extracts thereof may be published in the next edition of the IWIRC Member News publication and may also be covered by other media publications that IWIRC chooses to partner with.
A press release announcing the winner shall be sent to all IWIRC members around the world.
Does the nominator need to be an IWIRC member to nominate somebody for the award?
No.
Does the nominee need to be an IWIRC member to receive the award?
No.
Is self-nomination permitted?
Yes, and is actively encouraged.
Will this award be an annual occurrence?
Yes, the award is now in its 9th year.