Recognition
Investigator of the Year — 2026
Awarded by the World Association of Detectives and presented on 5 September 2026 at the association's 101st Annual Conference, Hôtel Le Gray d'Albion, Cannes, France.
What the award is
The World Association of Detectives was founded in 1925 and is the international association for private investigators and security service organisations — the oldest body of its kind, with members across more than 80 countries. Its stated purpose is to promote and maintain the highest ethical practice in the profession.
Investigator of the Year is conferred at the association's annual conference. In 2026 that conference was its 101st, held in Cannes from 1–5 September, and the award was presented to Hardesh Bhardwaj on the closing evening.
Inscribed on the award: Philip Ryffel, President; Robert A. Heales, Executive Director.
Record of the award
Award
Investigator of the Year 2026
Awarding body
World Association of Detectives, Inc. (est. 1925)
Date
5 September 2026
Occasion
101st Annual Conference
Place
Hôtel Le Gray d'Albion, Cannes, France
Every detail above is taken from the award itself and from the conference material. Nothing further is claimed.
Why it matters to a client, and why it shouldn't be the reason you hire anyone.
An award from a professional body is a statement by peers — investigators from other countries who know what the work involves — that the conduct and the record stand up. That is worth something, and it is the reason it appears on this site.
It is not a guarantee of an outcome in your matter. Judge the engagement on the scoping conversation: whether the method is lawful, whether the limits are stated plainly, and whether the report you are promised is one you could put in front of a board or a court.