Kigge Hvid, CEO of INDEX: Design to Improve Life - Denmark's unique global humanitarian outreach program - has been named winner of the Hong Kong Design Centre's 2009 Design Leadership Award.
In a gala award ceremony on Hong Kong Friday evening, Kigge Hvid ended a year of pivotal growth for INDEX: by becoming the fifth recipient of the coveted Design Leadership Award.
"I am very proud and honored to receive this prestigious award on behalf of INDEX:," said Kigge Hvid, in accepting the award Friday night in Hong Kong.
"Over the past seven years, the relatively small and very flexible INDEX: team has worked hard to put an international focus on the necessity to unfold the potential of design to improve people's lives substantially - reflecting Denmark's brand as the natural cradle of such a responsible approach."
Design Leadership Award was inaugurated in 2004 and is not necessarily given each year.
It is conferred only when the Judging Panel - a blue-ribbon group of design professionals, design promoters and design academics from many parts of the world - determines that it has a candidate worthy of nomination and endorsement.