Every successful brand or company has a team of people, who developed the winning strategy and helped it move forth—and, in its turn, every team has its leader. Adweek, the magazine dedicated to covering creativity, client/agency relationships and global advertising, honors world’s most powerful marketers, who contributed to strengthening international brands, which shape out today’s culture and in some way determine our tomorrow. This year Adweek will celebrate eleven individuals, who helped global brands continue re-imagining our world, with the prestigious Brand Genius awards (formerly known as Marketer of the Year) “for their success in genius concepts.”

Photo: The Brand Genius awards logo

This year’s winners, selected by Adweeks’s editorial team, represent a range of categories, including packaged goods, fashion & retail, financial services, travel and insurance, beverages and spirits, tech, auto, beauty and entertainment. These “world’s most intriguing executives in brand development” are:

Audi: Scott Keogh, CMO

Google: Lorraine Twohill, VP of Global Marketing

Henkel North America/Purex: Eric Schwartz, GM of Laundry & Home Care

Kiehl’s Since 1851: Chris Salgardo, President

Kraft Foods/Macaroni & Cheese: Chris Kempczinski, SVP, Marketing Meals and Enhancers

Levi’s: Rebecca Van Dyck, CMO

Progressive: Jeff Charney, CMO

Rovio/Angry Birds: Peter Vesterbacka, CMO

Diageo/Smirnoff: Simon Burch, SVP, Global Brand Director and Michelle Klein, VP, Smirnoff Global Marketing

Tripadvisor: Barbara Messing, CMO

According to the magazine, “the annual gala will host 500 global marketers for an award ceremony dedicated to those who catapult brands to success in ground-breaking ways.” The ceremony will be held at Capitale, NYC on October 27, 2011—to register, follow the link, individual tickets are available for $500 (a table of 10 is $3,500).