The Albany Gazette - Sparq CTO Derek Perry Wins 2026 Artificial Intelligence Excellence Award

"The gap between experimenting with AI and making it work in production is still where most companies get stuck," said Perry. "Closing that gap means building systems that can handle complexities of the real world and still deliver results. That's the work we care about at Sparq, and it's an honor to see it recognized."

Sparq's approach to AI is grounded in creating measurable impact in the systems that run operationally complex businesses, with recent launches reflecting that focus. The Sparq Intelligence Studio embeds decision-ready intelligence directly into operational workflows, enabling organizations to move from fragmented data and delayed insights to real-time, governed actions inside the systems they already rely on. Alongside this, The Shop serves as Sparq's working floor for AI, where solutions are built, stress-tested and refined under production-like conditions to understand how they perform under real constraints before reaching clients.

The 2026 Artificial Intelligence Excellence Awards honored achievement across a broad range of industries and use cases, with winners spanning dozens of industries and multiple countries. Entries were evaluated by a panel of experienced judges drawn from leading global organizations across technology, finance and enterprise sectors, reinforcing the rigor and credibility of the selection process.

"AI has arrived! 2026 is about execution, accountability, and results," said Russ Fordyce, Chief Recognition Officer at Business Intelligence Group. "Derek stood out because his work in software reflects where the market is headed: practical AI that solves real problems, earns trust, and delivers measurable value. This recognition highlights a team that is not just participating in the AI shift, but helping define what meaningful progress looks like."

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About Sparq:

Sparq is an AI-accelerated solution engineering partner for organizations whose growth depends on complex operational systems performing with industrial-grade precision as scale, complexity and intelligence increase. Sparq builds intelligent operational systems spanning workflows, decision logic, data, tooling and product behavior that raise performance across margin, throughput, uptime and speed-to-growth. Based in Atlanta with teams across the U.S. and Latin America, Sparq delivers enterprise-grade execution through senior-led engagements focused on outcomes that matter. For more information, visit www.teamsparq.com.

About the Artificial Intelligence Excellence Awards

Since 2013, the Artificial Intelligence Excellence Awards recognize organizations, products, teams, and individuals leveraging AI technology to solve real-world problems. The program evaluates advances across 46 major AI application types and 36 industries, celebrating innovations that improve the human experience and advance society as a whole. Judged by a panel of experienced business executives who provide transparent feedback and detailed scoring, the awards honor those dedicated to using AI as a force for good.

About Business Intelligence Group

Business Intelligence Group (BIG) is an independent awards organization that has been recognizing outstanding achievement in business since 2012. Now in its 14th awards season, BIG operates 12 annual programs spanning innovation, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, customer service, cloud computing, sustainability, sales and marketing, workplace culture, and women's leadership. Business award programs include the BIG Innovation Awards, AI Excellence Awards, Fortress Cyber Security Awards, Excellence in Customer Service Awards, Stratus Awards for Cloud Computing, Sustainability Awards, SAMMY Awards for Sales and Marketing, Best Places to Work Awards, Herizon Awards, We Love Tech Awards, NAA Top Employers Award, and BIG Awards for Business.

Unlike popularity contests, BIG programs use professional judging panels and objective scoring benchmarks to identify organizations, products, and individuals making real, measurable impact. Winners receive a complete promotional toolkit - including blockchain-verified credentials, press release support, social media assets, and featured placement across BIG's global community of more than one million business professionals. For more information about BIG award programs, nomination deadlines, and judging criteria, visit bintelligence.com.

Contact:

Eliana Starbird, Business Intelligence Group
[email protected]

Sparq media contact:

Natalee Gibson, Songue PR
[email protected]

SOURCE: Sparq

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

(K.Lee--TAG)