We cannot but nominate Thorsten Geck, past president of the International Transactional Analysis Association (ITAA), to receive the ITAA Service Award 2026.
I first met Thorsten at the ITAA Conference in 2012 in Chennai, where he had just completed his Teaching and Supervising Transactional Analyst (TSTA) exam. We were both invited soon after to co-chair the International Board of Certification (IBOC), marking the beginning of the first six years of close collaboration. Our work together continued with an overlap on the board of trustees from 2017, where he served as vice president of professional standards. Again in November 2022, when I asked if he would take on the role of ITAA president for 2023-24, I was relieved and grateful when he agreed.
Thorsten’s extraordinary dedication and commitment to the ITAA spans nearly a decade and a half. Across multiple roles, he has demonstrated an exceptional level of responsibility, steadiness and integrity in everything he took up.
One of his most significant contributions was his unwavering leadership in the major arduous task of the transformation from the ITAA Public Benefit Organization structure to the ITAA Professional Association. Thorsten chaired the committee with clarity and strength as we navigated numerous complexities, including difficult and repeated interactions with lawyers. He remained resolute throughout, ensuring that the transformation was successfully completed during his term. During my own presidency, this was an area in which I minimally needed to intervene — Thorsten held it with full ownership and competence.
He also brought technological acumen, strong structure and firm boundaries to each of his roles, along with clear and timely decision-making — qualities deeply needed in the positions he held.
The depth, consistency and vastness of his contributions over the years make Thorsten Geck a truly deserving and fitting recipient of the ITAA Service Award.
