This Award is given to a surgeon for a lifetime contribution as an innovator in the field of endoscopic surgery which may be scientific, educational, research, clinical and/or technological. Since the inception of this award in 2001, this honor has been bestowed upon several worthy recipients, including: Drs. Sir Alfred Cuschieri, Gerald Marks, Kenneth Forde, George Berci, Jeffrey Ponsky, Jacques Marescaux, Jacques Perissat, Tehemton Udwadia, Lee Swanstrom, Alberto Montori, David Rattner, Bernard Dallemagne, Walter Pories, Carlos Pellegrini and Haruhiro Inoue.