The Empowering People Group Awards 2024: Celebrating our exceptional staff
The Empowering People Group Awards: Celebrating our exceptional staff
The success of any organisation depends on the strength of its people. Empowering People Group stands at the forefront of a transformative movement in HR, employment law and learning.
With a mission to simplify employee experiences and keep people at the heart of strategic decisions, Empowering People Group combines the expertise of four leading and award-winning HR and learning businesses: AdviserPlus, Halborns, Working Transitions and Learning Nexus. Together, these companies offer a comprehensive suite of solutions designed to unleash human potential and empower organisations to thrive.
Our mission is to shape the future of HR by integrating technology, people-centric policies, and employee development to empower individuals and drive business success.
Central to our ethos is the belief in empowering people to realise their full potential, underpinned by the right technology and learning. We are committed to simplifying experiences, striving for innovation and excellence, and advocating for inclusion in all our endeavours.
Each year, we proudly celebrate the contributions of our colleagues whose dedication and hard work form the foundation of our success. Our annual awards ceremony serves as a testament to their remarkable achievements, highlighting how our core values of empowerment, simplicity, excellence, innovation, and inclusion are embodied in their inspiring stories.
A night to remember
The EPG Awards took place on Saturday, February 3rd, at the beautiful Chester Racecourse venue, shining a spotlight on talent, dedication, and teamwork.
This annual event isn’t just about trophies; it is a lively celebration of what makes our Empowering People Group companies special. Picture a night full of laughter, dancing, cheers, and recognition for our amazing colleagues. As everyone cheered for their peers, the essence of our core values filled the room.
The moment you stepped in, excitement filled the air. The dance floor became alive as winners, colleagues, and managers showed off their dance moves.
Nine fantastic awards were presented on the night across various categories:
Nominations for this award go to colleagues who quickly demonstrate exceptional potential, outstanding abilities and a strong work ethic within a relatively short period of time after joining the Group. Their performance, attitude and contributions set them apart and position them as someone with the potential for rapid career advancement and significant impact
- Notable Newcomer winner: Will Symons, Analytics Team Manager at AdviserPlus.
Will officially joined us just after the awards ceremony last year. Will took the role of the Analytics Team Manager in his stride and made the team feel at ease. Will has been supportive, understanding and accommodating in his role as manager and has not only enabled and trusted us to fulfil our workloads effectively but has taken on more than his fair share of the work as well. We are lucky to have a manager that is respectful, hardworking, supportive and leads by example.
Runners up: Kelly Cotham at AdviserPlus, Beth Bearder at Halborns and Stephen Chung-Goodridge at Working Transitions.
Nominations for this award goes to colleagues who possess exceptional skills in conveying ideas, information and emotions clearly, effectively and persuasively. Adept at both verbal and non-verbal communication, utilising various channels and methods to connect with diverse audiences.
- Expert Communicator winner: Charlie McHugh, Head of Client Insight at Halborns
Charlie is a wonderful communicator, particularly through the medium of PowerPoint. He always produces top quality, engaging and powerful content and designs, often at very short notice with tight turnarounds. He is always cheerful and calm even when put under pressure. He is a genuine team player and a pleasure to work with.
Runners up: Nicola Clements at AdviserPlus, Stuart Gray at AdviserPlus and Sam Wengenroth at Working Transitions.
Nominations for this award go to colleagues who stand out for their intelligence, creativity, innovation and exceptional abilities. They bring a high level of energy, enthusiasm and fresh ideas to their role and often has a significant impact on their team and organisation.
- Bright Spark winner: Laura Richards, Senior HR Adviser at AdviserPlus.
Laura is both caring and conscientious. She is driven, hardworking and also someone who embodies the ethos and values in which we all strive to achieve. Whilst being a font of knowledge, she is always incredibly approachable and has also helped to onboard a number of new starters within the past year. When bumps in the road appear, she overcomes these with a positive vibe, getting into the trenches to help with any challenging situation. She always has new ideas, energy and enthusiasm.
Runners up: Cameron H. at Working Transitions, Elizabeth Askins-Parry Assoc at AdviserPlus and Louisa Appleton at Learning Nexus
Nominations for this award go to colleagues who go beyond their job responsibilities to create a supportive, collaborative and uplifting work environment. Their actions and behaviours contribute to creating a culture where employees feel motivated, engaged and valued.
- People’s Choice Award winner: Kerry McMahon, Finance Business Partner at AdviserPlus
Kerry is described as ‘an amazing human being’ – a stalwart in the Finance department. She quietly gets on with a variety of work, dealing with anything that comes her way. She works with teams across the business and is always committed to completing tasks in an inclusive manner, taking time to explain requirements and objectives to take people on a journey. Nothing is too much trouble, she is always calm and approachable and she has great insight on both the work required and how to get the best out of people.
Runners up: Chris Petty at AdviserPlus, Gemma Elliott at Halborns and Jonathan Morgan at AdviserPlus
Nominations for this award go to colleagues who excel at managing themselves, possesses strong self-awareness, self-discipline and effective personal organisation skills. They demonstrate a high level of control over their emotions, actions and behaviours, enabling them to consistently perform at their best and achieve their goals.
- Self-Management: Kim Eade, Head of Production at Learning Nexus
Kim is the glue that holds Learning Nexus together; she is an expert communicator, manages multiple projects side by side, as well as covering for others and being the beacon of change within our business. Kim is one of those people who can do absolutely anything. She is a fantastic manager, great at winning new clients, brilliant at seeing people’s strengths and amazing at having a vision to drive Learning Nexus forward.
Runners up: George Greenfield at Halborns, Fiona Byrne at AdviserPlus and Kathryn Harris at AdviserPlus
Nominations for this award goes to colleagues who go above and beyond to advocate for the needs, satisfaction and success of clients. They play a crucial role in building strong and lasting relationships with clients, ensuring their concerns are addressed, and acting as a bridge between the client and the Group.
- Client Champion winner: Aarti Bedi, Employment Law Solicitor at Halborns
Aarti embodies one of Halborns core values – proactivity. If something needs to be on her clients’ agendas, she’s there first. She doesn’t wait for them to pick up the phone, she seeks them out because she genuinely cares about her contacts as individuals, as well as their business.
A notable example of her relationship-building is with one of our clients who owns and continues to buy businesses within the care sector. She’s become an essential external partner to their organisation – from supporting a handful of their businesses to working with more and more as they’ve acquired further. To such an extent that the client now wants all existing and future businesses in their portfolio to work exclusively with Aarti instead of other third-party providers. This is a testament to not only Aarti’s advisory skills but her interpersonal and relationship management.
Runners up: Emma Bruffell CIPD at AdviserPlus, Debbi Williams at Working Transitions and Michael Batchelor at Learning Nexus
Nominations for this award go to colleagues who are deeply committed to achieving tangible and meaningful outcomes, driven by a strong desire to see concrete and measurable progress in their endeavours. They possess a combination of qualities and characteristics that reflect their dedication to producing successful and impactful outcomes.
- Results motivator winner: Clare Cowan, Commercial Director at Working Transitions
Clare is passionate and committed to sustaining and increasing the growth and revenue of Working Transitions. She sets clear goals for the whole business to meet, showing clarity so every single person understands their role in improving revenue. Clare leads by example, showing her team and the wider business how to manage relationships, create business opportunities and land successes! She motivates and engages not only the sales team but the whole company so everyone can be proactive with their efforts.
Runners up: Cheryl Davies at AdviserPlus, Rob Crabtree at AdviserPlus and Duncan Eeles at Learning Nexus
Finally, we have two special awards that honour the memory of two wonderful colleagues from AdviserPlus who are no longer with us. These awards carry profound significance for everyone, and we were delighted to announce the winners whose remarkable contributions have shone brightly this year:
- The Anne-Marie Hartley Unsung Hero Award winner: Sue Knight, Operations and Systems Manager, AdviserPlus.
Nominations for this award goes to colleagues who make significant contributions, often behind the scenes, without seeking or receiving widespread recognition or acclaim. Perform selfless acts, shows exceptional dedication and make a positive impact without seeking personal glory or attention. Despite their important and often influential actions, they remain modest and humble.
- The Jo Reszczynski Award for Outstanding Contribution: Suzanne Rouart, Head of Sales and Marketing, AdviserPlus.
Nominations for this award goes to colleagues who consistently go above and beyond expectations, making significant and valuable contributions to a team, organisation or project. They stand out due to their exceptional skills, dedication and impact, often driving positive change and achieving remarkable results.
Celebrating excellence: A night of recognition and inspiration
This event inspires all employees to strive for excellence and contribute to the groups growth. As the night drew to a close, everyone stood with smiles stretching from ear to ear.
Congratulations to all our winners and runners up for their outstanding achievements and dedication, and to all our colleagues who demonstrate our values every day, making the Empowering People Group truly special.
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