NiCE’s Michelle Cooper, Chief Marketing Officer, has been named a winner in the 2026 Herizon Awards in the category of Executive Influencer Who Transformed an Industry. Presented by Business Intelligence Group, the awards recognize women who are changing how the world works.
Cooper was recognized for her success in evolving NiCE’s brand and market presence. Since Cooper began her tenure at NiCE, a defining accomplishment has been her leadership in merging the NiCE and Cognigy brands, messaging, and enablement into a single AI market position, and reinforcing NiCE’s authority in AI-powered customer experience.
In AI, Cooper helped drive a 76% year-over-year increase in marketing-sourced AI pipeline value and more than 40% growth in marketing-influenced AI pipeline value.
Her initiatives also strengthened NiCE’s competitive standing across the industry. Under her leadership, the company achieved more than 40% share of voice among key competitors and was named a Leader in both the Gartner ®Magic Quadrant™ for Contact Center as a Service” and the Gartner ® Magic Quadrant™ for Conversational AI Platforms”—two of the most closely watched analyst benchmarks in the category.
“We’re only getting started as AI reshapes customer experience,” said Cooper. “Bringing NiCE and Cognigy together into one AI position gives customers a clearer picture of what’s possible and our sellers a stronger story to tell. We hold marketing accountable for business outcomes, including pipeline, share of voice, and the trust of customers and analysts. I’m honored by this recognition, which belongs to the whole team behind these outcomes.”
“These women who won this year’s Herizon Awards aren’t waiting for the world to change. They’re the ones changing it,” said Russ Fordyce, Chief Recognition Officer, Business Intelligence Group. “Michelle stood out because her work as a Chief Marketing Officer reflects what Herizon is about: real change, led by women, that reaches well beyond a single team.”
About the Herizon Awards
The Herizon Awards recognize women who are transforming individuals, teams, companies, industries, and the globe. Every nomination is read and scored by the Herizon nomination reviewers, experienced business professionals who give transparent feedback and detailed scoring.
About Business Intelligence Group
Business Intelligence Group (BIG) is an independent awards organization that has recognized outstanding achievement in business since 2012. Now in its 14th awards season, BIG operates 12 annual award programs spanning innovation, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, customer service, cloud computing, sustainability, sales and marketing, workplace culture, and women’s leadership. For more information, visit bintelligence.com.