Every year, the SMS Awards & Honors Committee recognises individuals and research that have made significant contributions to the field of strategic management and advance its study and practice. With these awards, SMS honors emerging scholars in the field, scholars who have demonstrated leadership and innovation, articles that have notable impacts in the field, authors of outstanding academic work, and more.
We are pleased to share that Prof Howard Thomas, Emeritus Professor at Singapore Management University (SMU) has been awarded the SMS Service Award 2026, in recognition of his significant and enduring service that made an outstanding and distinguished contribution to the Strategic Management Society and its members.
Howard Thomas is an Emeritus Professor at Singapore Management University (SMU) and an internationally recognised scholar in strategic management and management education. He has held business school deanships, and senior administrative positions, at LBS (UK), AGSM (Australia), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC, US), Warwick Business School (WBS, UK) and SMU (Asia). He has been awarded academic fellowships by AcSS (UK), AOM (US), CABS (UK), EURAM (Belgium), IOD (UK), LSW (Wales) and SMS (UK).
He was a founder member of SMS, Board Member, President, Dean of Fellows, and Chair of the SMS annual conference in Singapore. He has received Life – Time Achievement Awards from BAM(UK) and EFMD (Europe). He was also awarded the Cooper Leadership Medal for Outstanding Leadership by BAM as well as a similar Strategic Leadership Award by AACSB(US). He has been elected to honorary degrees by universities in Africa, Asia, Europe and the UK. He is currently a special advisor to EFMD Global, and its CEO.