Saint Louis, Missouri Mar 17, 2026 (Issuewire.com) - On March 10, 2026, the Data Governance Professionals Organization (DGPO) named York University (YorkU) of Canada as the winner of the 2026 DGPO Annual Data Governance Best Practice Award, marking the first time a Canadian organization or educational institution has won the award. The award will be presented at the 2026 Data Governance and Information Quality West + Enterprise Data World (DGIQ West+EDW 2026) conference in San Diego, CA, on May 5, 2026. The Virginia Office of Data Governance and Analytics (ODGA) was named finalist.
Previous winners include BROU (Uruguay), St. Lukes Health, London Stock Exchange Group (UK), Tenaga Nasional Berhad (Malaysia), Delta Dental of Michigan, Nationwide Insurance, Dun & Bradstreet, and Vanguard.
"Winning the 2026 DGPO Data Governance Best Practice Award as the first Canadian organization and the first educational institution to receive this honour is a testament to the visionary work of the Office of Institutional Planning and Analysis team here at York University,” acknowledged Lisa Philipps, Interim President and Vice-Chancellor of York University. “Their work has driven a genuine transformation in how we manage, govern, and leverage data across our institution, delivering real and lasting benefits to our entire university community. York is proud to be setting a new standard for data governance in higher education, and I look forward to seeing this work continue to inspire peers across the sector.”
"This year’s submissions were truly extraordinary, showcasing innovative approaches and remarkable dedication across the board," noted Judge Diane E. Schmidt (2023 Award Winner with London Stock Exchange). “With so many outstanding entries, selecting just one winner proved to be an incredibly difficult task.”
Judge Troy Heninger (2024 Award Winner, St. Luke’s Health) reflected, "What impressed me about York University was how they brought consistency and trust to a decentralized environment without adding unnecessary bureaucracy. With a small central team and distributed stewardship, they showed measurable progress including clearer definitions and making data more findable, which positions them well for advanced analytics and responsible AI.”
“York University has a compelling story of success that clearly shows what’s possible when organizations prioritize data literacy and take a careful and measured approach to implementing data governance as a strategic enterprise capability," remarked Lead Judge Jimm Johnson (VP Professional Development, DGPO). "Their success serves as a roadmap for higher education institutions aiming to build a data-literate culture and harness the power of data. This recognition celebrates the value and impact of their hard work.”
Judge Kira Chuchom (DGPO President) said, “This year marks the tenth anniversary for the Data Governance Professionals Organization (DGPO)’s Annual Data Governance Best Practice Award! YorkU joins a cohort of select practitioners and organizations that have demonstrated excellence in data governance. As this year’s winner of the prestigious award, YorkU exemplifies the best in data governance best practices that are crucial for ensuring a robust and sustainable data foundation in the age of AI.”
The Panel of Judges was comprised of prior years' DGPO Data Governance Best Practice Award Winners, industry experts, and current/past DGPO Board Members.
About the Award: The award is given to data governance practitioners within a non-vendor organization in recognition of the business value and technical excellence they have achieved in the design and implementation of an outstanding data governance program. Respondents submit responses to criteria spanning the DGPO framework’s six core areas of practice (CAP) plus bonus points for creativity and innovation.
About the DGPO: The DGPO is a non-profit, vendor neutral, association of business, IT and data professionals dedicated to advancing the discipline of data governance. To learn more about the DGPO, visit their website at dgpo.org.
Media Contact
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