Nominations are now open for Mergers & Acquisitions’ 2026 Most Influential Women in Mid-Market M&A.
For the 11th year in a row, we will recognize women who have significant influence not only at their firms but the wider middle-market M&A universe, making this the industry’s longest-running awards of its kind. Throughout the years honorees have all also demonstrated an ongoing commitment to advance the state of women in financial services.
Since 2015, we have identified the best and the brightest female dealmakers in a variety of roles including corporate dealmakers, PE investors, investment bankers, attorneys, lenders and other advisers. From inception, our intent has not only been to profile women who have made their mark, but to also foster a sense of community and inspire the next generation of dealmakers.
Nominations are due no later than Friday, October 31.
Winners will be revealed on our website (www.TheMiddleMarket.com) January 5, 2026 and profiled in the January/February issue of Mergers & Acquisitions.
Eligibility Requirements
To be considered, nominees must be women who are outstanding dealmakers inside and outside of their firms. Evidence of influence in the broader M&A industry is essential, as are championing innovation and inclusion. Inspiring and guiding the next generation is also paramount.
Please follow these guidelines and rules:
- Nominations will be accepted only through the online form below. (We do not accept nominations via email).
- Nominations must include participation from the candidate herself. The form includes detailed questions that must be answered by the candidate.
- Please provide answers of 100-250 words to the questions in the nomination form itself.
- We will use excerpts from the nomination forms in the profiles of the winners we write, so please make them publication-ready. As in past years, profiles will be in Q&A format.
- Please do not use excerpts taken verbatim from marketing material and/or press releases as answers to the questions. This diminishes the nominee’s candidacy.
- Please do not cut and paste answers from previous submissions in prior years – take the time to update them.
- Please provide only information that we may publish. We do not accept confidential information.
- There is no fee to nominate candidates.
To learn about women who have met our criteria in the past, we strongly suggest taking a look at the profiles of previous honorees:
Timeline
Friday, October 31: Nominations Due
Monday, January 5, 2026: Honorees revealed on our website www.TheMiddleMarket.com.
Profiles of the winners will also be published in the January/February 2026 issue of Mergers & Acquisitions.
All decisions are made by the editorial team. If you have questions please e-mail: [email protected].
We look forward to receiving your nomination. Good luck to all the nominees.
