This October, The Siegfried Group, LLP (Siegfried) and Horn Entrepreneurship at the University of Delaware (UD) honored Geoff Woods, author of #1 international bestseller The AI-Driven Leader and Founder of AI Leadership, with the 2025 Siegfried Award for Entrepreneurial Leadership. In a private dinner and award ceremony at Wilmington Country Club, Woods was celebrated for his groundbreaking approach to leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) as a thought partner and commitment to getting in the driver’s seat in a rapidly evolving digital landscape – learning and wielding the emerging technology to spark exponential progress.
The evening also recognized Kameron Manning, current Siegfried Fellow and class of 2027 Leadership major at UD, with the Siegfried Student Award of $2,500 for his courageous dedication to sparking positive change in those around him and personal mission of leading with integrity and purpose.
Celebrating leaders who inspire progress and make an impact
Horn Entrepreneurship grants the Siegfried Award for Entrepreneurial Leadership annually to recognize individuals with outstanding contributions to advancing the understanding and practice of entrepreneurial leadership. Previous winners include Dave Raymond, Lee Brower, Kaihan Krippendorff, Dan Sullivan, Verne Harnish, and Michael Gerber.
Geoff Woods is the author of #1 international bestseller The AI-Driven Leader, host of the AI-Driven Leader podcast, and Founder of AI Leadership and The AI-Driven Leadership Collective™ – a network of executives collaborating to leverage AI to build better businesses and better lives. For the past decade, Woods has coached leaders to think strategically and harness AI to outpace the competition and get more done in less time. As the former Chief Growth Officer of Jindal Steel & Power, Geoff’s innovative leadership helped the company grow its market cap from $750M to over $12B in just four years.
“Leadership isn’t just about making a company more successful; it’s about making yours and others’ lives more successful,” shared Rob Siegfried, Siegfried’s Founder & CEO. “Geoff’s idea of becoming a thought leader with AI to build both better businesses and better lives made a lasting impression on me.”
Additionally, the 2025 Siegfried Student Award for Entrepreneurial Leadership was presented to Kameron Manning. Kameron is a former U.S. Air Force Command and Control Battle Management Operator, recognized for his operational excellence and outstanding leadership. Throughout his five years of active-duty service, Kameron earned honors including Headquarters Pacific Air Forces Airman of the Year, Command and Control Battle Manager of the Year, and the John L. Levitow Award. Currently, Kameron is continuing to lead with integrity and inspire those around him at UD, where he is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Leadership.
“One of the pillars of the Siegfried Fellows program at UD is cultivating character,” said Kameron as he accepted the 2025 Siegfried Student Award. “Cultivating character means leading with integrity, even when no one is watching. True leaders understand that their legacy isn’t measured by how much control they hold, but by how many people they empower to thrive without them.”
“I want to thank Rob and Kathy Siegfried for creating a revolution in leadership education that has empowered so many of us,” he continued.
Strengthening character ethic and human skills in a digital world
Prior to the 2025 Siegfried Award ceremony, Horn Entrepreneurship students, including those in the Siegfried Fellows program, participated in a transformative workshop. Geoff Woods, Rob Siegfried, and UD’s Dr. Johann Ducharme explored the importance of developing character ethic and human skills as AI rapidly evolves the job market, world, and definition of effective leadership.
Dr. Ducharme kicked off the afternoon with a presentation on wisdom, well-being, and wealth. He urged students to consider these words’ evolving meaning and what the path to attaining them looks like, especially as the world rapidly adapts to and changes alongside the rise of AI.
“It’s important now more than ever to build your character ethic,” Dr. Ducharme explained. “You should be preparing not only for the jobs that don’t exist yet, but for the jobs that AI can’t do – those that require human skills, like emotional intelligence, connectedness, ethical judgement, creativity, and leadership.”
“Be open to change, think strategically, and work toward growth. If you're an ambitious and curious person, AI will only elevate your capabilities,” Rob echoed, reflecting on entrepreneurship and opening the floor for students to ask thoughtful questions.
Geoff further encouraged students to reflect on their individual leadership when it comes to wielding AI and preparing for an unpredictable future – “What if the biggest threat in business has nothing to do with the competition? What if it’s how you’re thinking?” he asked.
“The ability to think strategically, solve problems, communicate, collaborate – these are the skills that will skyrocket in value,” said Geoff. “Consider, how can AI enhance, not replace, you?”
About The Siegfried Group, LLP (Siegfried)
The Siegfried Group, LLP (Siegfried) is a national, relationship-driven professional services organization. Led by our higher purpose to help people transform themselves into better leaders to exponentially improve their lives, we partner with financial executives at Fortune 1000 and other dynamic companies and provide them with a powerful combination of talent delivery, leadership advisory, and financial advisory services.
With these services, we assist leaders with enhancing clarity and prioritization, while matching them with the high-performing talent needed to execute their most important accounting and finance initiatives. We hire the best people to serve the best companies, and we do it under the direction and control of client personnel to get things done better, faster, and cheaper.
About Horn Entrepreneurship
Horn Entrepreneurship serves as the creative engine for entrepreneurship education and advancement at the University of Delaware (UD). Currently ranked among the best entrepreneurship programs in the US, Horn Entrepreneurship was built and is actively supported by successful entrepreneurs, empowering aspiring innovators as they pursue new ideas for a better world.
