Last week at the US Search Awards Purna Virji was awarded the US Search Search Personality of the Year Award for 2019. The award could not have gone to a nicer, more humble, more caring and giving individual.
Purna is the Senior Manager, Global Engagement at Microsoft. She speaks none stop, all around the world, on search. Her breadth and depth of knowledge on the space is amazing. At the same time, I don't know how she has the energy to do all of that and also be so inclusive, caring and humble.
This award is pretty exclusive - it is one of those awards you do not apply for. Your industry peers come together, sit down, and think who in the industry should be given this award. Then they hound you to go to the award show to surprise you with the award.
If you want to read a more gushy write up on Pruna, read this.
I am so happy they award Purna this year with this award. It not only says something about Purna, but it says something about the community to have given her the award.
Purna - you are amazing and keep up the tireless work you do, always with a big smile!
Here are some community responses, at least on Twitter - there are tons on Facebook and LinkedIn, but can't embed them all:
Congrats to @purnavirji, One of the kindest, most thoughtful, and wonderful people in the industry for winning the US Search Personality of the year award 🙌☺️👏🎊💪 sooo well deserved!! #ussearchawards pic.twitter.com/sgNIXEnA9w
— Aleyda Solis (@aleyda) October 10, 2019
Well deserved!
— Lily Ray (@lilyraynyc) October 10, 2019
FINALLY! Purna is without a doubt one of the smartest, kindest, and most wonderful people I have ever met. Congrats @purnavirji! https://t.co/8EiojwpLFd
— Casie Gillette (@Casieg) October 11, 2019
It's 👏 ABOUT 👏 TIME 👏
— Merry (@MerryMorud) October 11, 2019
♥️ https://t.co/I0kunTnwK5
So very well deserved, congratulations 🎉🎊🎈
— Halide Ebcinoglu (@HalideEbcinoglu) October 10, 2019
Absolutely - congratulations @purnavirji on winning US Search Personality of the Year 👍👏👏👏 #ussearchawards
— Nick Wilsdon (@nickwilsdon) October 10, 2019
😮!!! Purna totally deserves it.
— Gianluca Fiorelli (@gfiorelli1) October 10, 2019
🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸
@purnavirji OMG!! Congrats on the search personality of the year award! Well deserved & it couldn’t have gone to a nicer person 💥❤️😊
— Mona Elesseily (@webmona) October 11, 2019
Purna is awesome! So smart and gracious. One of the best in the industry.
— Roger Montti (@martinibuster) October 11, 2019
Congrats @purnavirji for wining the award. Good to see how you are sharing #Bing and #Microsoft pov in the industry. https://t.co/q3Lewy33eG
— Bing Webmaster Team (@BingWMC) October 11, 2019
+1 to this!
— Stephen Kenwright (@stekenwright) October 11, 2019
One of the kindest, most thoughtful, and wonderful people in the i̶n̶d̶u̶s̶t̶r̶y̶ world!
— Phil Nottingham (@philnottingham) October 10, 2019
Plus so much more!
Forum discussion at Twitter.
Note: This story was pre-written before the Sukkot holiday. I am currently offline for the holiday and unable to respond to comments on this site, social, media or other platforms.
