The awards are judged by an esteemed panel of industry leaders and experts, the judging is a rigorous two-stage process including pre-scoring to determine shortlists and a judging meeting where entries are discussed and evaluated in detail to decide the winning entries.
Our Judges
Andy Green | Co-founder | Dublin Conversations
Andy Green FCIPR FRSA is cofounder of the Dublin Conversations, the Modern Cockney Festival, and wrote 21years ago, the very first book on ‘Creativity in Public Relations’. He is a consultant in identifying purpose, brand storytelling, creativity, and managing Fake Purpose to enable his clients to fulfil their greater potential and make the most of opportunities. He is also a part-time university lecturer. Andy has written six books, translated into eight languages and believing inspiration can come from the unlikeliest of sources, even runs creativity classes on the London Tube.
Daniel Saunders | Director of Digital | Evergreen Finance London
I've worked in Digital for 18 years. Within Digital marketing I work closely with the directors and heads of service to identify new business opportunities and Strategies. Having an in-depth understanding of different markets and competitors in the area to maintain a competitive advantage which is used to work alongside key stakeholders in managing the translation of the business strategy into clear plans. Proactively researching markets, competitors within different regions and establishing ways to develop a competitive advantage within our strategies. Within Stanley Black and Decker, I am a catalyst for change, I plan and execute UK market E-commerce and digital marketing activities to increase sales, grow online channels, and grow new and existing online customers managing substantial 6 figures budgets over many different groups. As an international keynote speaker in the Digital sphere, I inspire and lead a large team of specialists, drive the delivery of brilliant digital products and services, mentoring at levels from executives to C suite. I utilize analytics and insight tools to evaluate end-to-end customer experience across multiple customer touch points. Working with trade marketing teams to analyse product categories and make appropriate product mix recommendations and effectively contributes to SEO, PPC, UX and CRO. I have built, nurtured and lead a diverse, multidisciplinary team to deliver digital transformation across the Stanley Black and Decker group. Defining the required digital capabilities across our people, their processes, and the technology we use. With Stanley Black and Decker being a multinational corporation, I make myself a visible leader by holding regular lectures and Q and A sessions with entry executives all the way up to C suite teams.
Davina Lines | Managing Director | Mixing Digital
Davina Lines is Managing Director of Mixing Digital and the Ecommerce Club. She brings a wealth of knowledge and a big black book of digital contacts to ensure Mixing Digital’s event management services are of the highest standard. Davina co-founded Netimperative in 1999 and became Managing Director in 2002, stewarding the brand into new product launches and creating one of the most successful events programmes in the digital marketing industry. In the mid 90s Davina cut her digital teeth on New Media Age (now Econsultancy), forming part of the founding team and was responsible for the commercial development of the magazine and its early events from launch in May 1995 to 1999. In recent years Davina launched an ecommerce peer-to-peer community, the Ecommerce Club, which runs regular events in London and Manchester on topics relevant to the retail community.
Erin Portsmouth | Associate Director of Strategy Planning and Development (Oldham) | NHS Greater Manchester
Erin is a Chartered public relations practitioner who worked for ten years in private sector marketing and communications consultancies, and for the past fifteen years has worked in the National Health Service. She is currently Associate Director of Strategy, Planning and Development for the Oldham team within NHS Greater Manchester, where she oversees a strategic portfolio that also includes communications, engagement, public affairs, equality and diversity, organisational development and governance. She has a Masters degree in public relations, is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations and served on the CIPR North West Group Committee as a volunteer for ten years, also holding a three year term as Chair. She was appointed to the Board of Trustees of homelessness charity Emmaus Salford in 2017 undertaking their Company Secretary role, and is a volunteer Board Director and Trustee of Oldham Community Leisure.
Gareth Jones | IMMO Capital | VP of People
Gareth is a seasoned HR leader with a wealth of experience in scaling people and talent strategies in fast-paced, dynamic environments. As the VP of People at IMMO Capital, he has consistently delivered organisational growth through strategic planning, effective talent acquisition strategies, and forward-thinking HR initiatives. Renowned for fostering high-performing teams, Gareth combines a pragmatic approach to problem-solving with a commitment to empowering individuals and cultivating a strong, values-driven company culture. In addition to his corporate role, he serves as the Chief People and Culture Officer for the voluntary organisation Collaborative Health Community (CHC), where he helps drive impactful initiatives. A commercially focused and results-oriented professional, Gareth is dedicated to delivering people strategies that support both immediate objectives and long-term business success.
Gary Cookson | Director | EPIC HR
Gary is a father of four and a husband of one, and runs a successful business in his spare time. He’s an expert in workplace performance, with extensive experience leading and directing HR, OD and L&D functions across all sectors. His clients like working with him as he is authentic, honest, knowledgeable, communicative and people focused, with a broad and deep range of skills and experience – and a glance at his prolific social media output will verify this. Gary is a leading expert in the design and delivery of online / virtual training programmes, as well as an inspiring and entertaining keynote speaker and trainer on a range of leadership and HR issues. He was been recognised in many industry lists and been the recipient of numerous industry awards. His book, HR for Hybrid Working, was published in June 2022 by Kogan Page. He’s sure to mention this more than once.
Gill Smith | Marketing Director | Charles & Ivy
Gill is a commercial, customer centric digital marketing leader with significant experience leading teams, and preparing strategies to drive revenue growth and positive customer experience. With over 15 years of marketing experience across ecommerce, retail, financial services and hospitality, Gill is incredibly passionate about consumer thinking, brand perception, emerging technologies, and seeing positive improvements across processes, people development, and commercial performance. Awarded the Chartered Institute of Marketing Professional Diploma, and the Chartered Management Institute Professional Certificate in People Management and 2018 finalist for the Women in Credit Awards.
Janet Houlis | Change, EDI & HR Management Consultant | VALO Consultancy
Janet Houlis is an accomplished business leader who combines commercial aptitude with a people-centric approach to deliver change, improve services, and achieve unparalleled customer excellence within organisations. A Board member, Advisor and HR Professional with a breath of experience working Nationally & Internationally within Operations, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging (EDI&B), Change & Transformation. Janet has a proven track record in directing change interventions, steering strategic planning and execution across multi-disciplined international communities, supporting both large corporates and SMEs within highly regulated environments. She has championed diversity and inclusion throughout her career, supporting clients in taking meaningful steps on their EDI, Belonging and anti-racism journeys, ensuring employees remain at the heart of their business. Janet is a trained People Professional, Coach and Mentor. A member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development (MCIPD), and a Women on Boards Member.
Jason Yip | Head of Marketing Web, CRM and Analytics | Newcastle University
Jason has over 20 years of Digital marketing experience, working in both the public and private sector for organisations such as One NorthEast, NewcatleGatehead Initiative, both universities in Newcastle upon Tyne; Northumbria University and now Newcastle University as the Head of Marketing Web, CRM and Analytics. He has led on and been nationally recognised for delivering diverse and creative Digital marketing projects, including the World’s ‘Coolest’ Tourism website as voted by the Sunday Times, Geordieland, an innovative use of a real-time social media map of Newcastle, NU World a virtual experience platform for Northumbria University and was recognised by The Economist as a ‘Change Ambassador’ for driving innovation in Marketing Technology.
John Jones | Corporate Partner | Beever And Struthers
John leads Beever and Struthers' Corporate Team, having been made a Partner in 1999. Beever and Struthers is an award-winning firm of Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors in Manchester, Blackburn and London, and currently rank in the Top 50 firms nationally and Top 10 firms in the North West. John is Vice President of the Manchester Business Group of the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce. He was Chairman of Pro-Manchester from 2014 - 2015.
Dr Michelle Gledhill | MRT Employability Lead/Senior Lecturer | MMU
Dr Michelle Gledhill is a marketing communications expert, specialising in advertising and branding. Her PhD explored how gamers process brands in a videogaming context and this was included in the European Marketing Academy 2020 and Academy of Marketing 2022. She led the MSc Creative Advertising Strategy for 13 years and is currently engaged in developing relationships with industry to create opportunities and jobs for students. She applies her expertise in strategic thinking when working in consultation on live briefs with brands such as Manchester City, the Happy Linen Company, Manchester Gin and Castore. She has taught on corporate programmes for Tesco, Booths and Digital Marketer Degree Apprenticeships. She is a highly experienced marketer, Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), CIM Senior Examiner and HE Examiner.
Neil Hardy | Digital Director | MID COUNTIES COOP
Neil has been involved in the digital industry since 1994 when he launched his first website for travel brand Page & Moy. He has worked for several blue-chip companies including TUI, The Co-op, Icelolly, Midcounties Co-op and more recently Shearing’s Holidays. With a strong commercial background, digital results and ROI are key focus points in any award judging. Follow Neil on Twitter @hardyneil
Nick Wilsdon | Founder & CEO | Torque Partnership
Nick has worked in digital marketing since 1998. Moving to Russia in 2003 he specialised in multilingual search and broadening his knowledge across digital channels, content and PR. During this time he contributed to the Russian digital startup community; working with Yandex, the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation and the US State Department. Returning to the UK in 2011, Nick then built and led marketing teams at Arena Media, Havas Media Group and the Dentsu Aegis Network. As the technical SEO lead at Vodafone Group since 2014, he has improved online performance and customer experience across 22 international markets. As an advocate for raising standards in online marketing, Nick judges the UK Search Awards and EU Search Awards. He enjoys speaking at conferences on the topics of mobile/data-first marketing, cross-channel campaigns and technical SEO. Outside work, he enjoys cycling and taking part in Prince’s Trust cycling events.
Paul Wilshaw | CPO | Zally
Over the last decade, Paul has carved out a niche as a beacon of innovation and strategic leadership in the digital realm. The creation of award-winning digital products and steering start-ups towards uncharted territories with a blend of creativity and technology. A relentless drive to foster change is at the heart of Paul’s success. This has manifested in the formation of high-calibre creative and technology departments, nurturing teams to thrive, and empowering performances that not only meet but exceed business goals. Paul is a vocal champion for harnessing technology to unravel complex business challenges, and he thrives on collaboration with both internal and external partners to craft solutions that are consistent, accessible, and ground-breaking. To Paul, diversity and inclusion are more than buzzwords; they are essential pillars that drive organisational progress Paul is dedicated to championing initiatives that foster an inclusive environment and break down barriers, embedding a forward-thinking culture at every level.
Rumyana Miteva | Performance Marketing Director | Deliveroo
Rumyana is currently a Performance Marketing Director at Deliveroo. She is leading a global team of Paid Search, Display & Video, Paid Social and Affiliate specialists, who are delivering growth for the company through a rigorous test & learn agenda. With more than 14+ years in Digital Marketing Rumyana has expert knowledge and valuable experience helping brands acquire & retain customers through Paid Media channels. Outside of work Rumyana enjoys being a Digital Consultant for small businesses, mentoring young professionals and sharing her knowledge by speaking at events.
Sarah Dean | Loopi | Head of People and Co-Founder
Sarah Dean is an accomplished business leader with over 10 years of experience in the customer facing retail sector. She specialises in growing large successful teams to provide maximum efficiency for the business and has mentored hundreds of individuals to achieve their highest potential. As the Head of People and co-founder of Loopi, she has played a pivotal role in shaping the current team structure, creating and executing training plans for the business and ensuring the culture within the Loopi team is inclusive, collaborative and empowering for all.
Stephen Waddington | Director | Wadds Inc
Stephen Waddington is the founder and managing partner of Wadds Inc, a professional advisory firm for agencies and communications teams, and a co-founder of Socially Mobile Community Interest Company. He is pursuing a PhD at Leeds Business School, underscoring his commitment to advancing the industry's understanding of public relations through academic research. Waddington originally trained as an engineer. His interest in technology and its communicative aspects led him to a career in public relations. He has worked for The Economist, HM Government, Intel, Microsoft, The Press Association, NHS, Tesco and Virgin Media Business clients. He has written and edited ten books, including Brand Anarchy, Exploring Public Relations and Management Communication and Share This, and served as President of the CIPR.
Steve Kuncewicz | Head Of Creative, Digital & Marketing | Glaisyers ETL
Steve is a Partner and Head of Creative, Digital and Marketing at Glaisyers ETL in Manchester. He specialises in intellectual property, media social media and privacy law and is listed as a "recommended lawyer" in the Legal 500, and was a oo-founder pf the Bulletproof Agency Network. He is a regular media spokesperson, and has given interviews to the local and national press through BBC Breakfast, Sky News, ITV, BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 4, BBC Radio 5 Live and LBC London. Steve is also the Manchester Publicity Association’s Honorary Solicitor.
Tiago Perdiago | CEO | Fractial Mind
Tiago is an experienced Manager with +25 years of experience in the areas of marketing, sales and retail, having worked in companies such as adidas, Jeronimo Martins, Sonae and FNAC. He has worked for adidas as Portugal Marketing Director and as Director of Brand Activation for the regions of Africa and the Middle East (MENA) where he received many media, activation and retail awards. He also as been part of several jury panels in marketing awards events on the region. A true team player, he has extensive national and international experience in various business areas so he feels at home anywhere on the globe, and in any kind of project. Always pioneering in the use of new technologies to the business world, he took on gamification as his latest challenge in 2017, currently leading Gamification startups in both Portugal and the UK. He achieved is Bachelors in Management in Portugal, followed by an MBA with Marketing focus in the UK. More recently he concluded a Post-Graduation Diploma in Retail Management and another in Arts Markets and Collections. He is also a long time Member of the CIM (MCIM) and (believe it or not!) a Chartered Accountant.
Tom Salmon | Management Consultant |
Tom Salmon is a management consultant specialising in agency innovation, strategy, positioning and growth. Prior to running his own consultancy, Tom was managing director of the award-winning digital agency Epiphany, a £12m turnover business employing 190 people in London, Leeds and Sydney. He now also works with voluntary and community organisations to develop strategy, communications and impact.
Valentina Hynes | Founder and CEO | SVH Inc. CIC
Valentina Hynes, Founder and Director of SVH Inc. CIC, stands at the forefront of workplace wellbeing innovation in the UK. Her company, celebrated for its comprehensive wellbeing services, reflects her deep-seated commitment to employee welfare and mental health. Valentina’s leadership has earned her notable recognitions, including Business Woman of The Year at the Yorkshire Choice Awards and an Associate Fellowship from The Royal Commonwealth Society. A frequent speaker on topics such as happiness, diversity and inclusion in the workplace, she brings a wealth of experience and insight. Under her guidance, SVH Inc. CIC champions progressive practices like Mental Health First Aid training and unique Away Day experiences. A resilient entrepreneur who has overcome personal challenges, Valentina is passionate about creating Strong Vibrant Happy communities.
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Testimonials
I’m so chuffed Sam won Culture Ambassador of the Year at the Culture Awards, it’s such wonderful recognition for all her hard work. She’s been ahead of the game in terms of rolling out an informative, inclusive and innovative program in our business that’s highly regarded by our peers in the sector. The feedback she gets both externally and internally is always excellent and she works hard to help drive DEI initiatives forward in work and in personal time. We’re lucky to have her and will enjoy seeing her fly the Culture Ambassador flag for the next year and beyond.
Michelle Vint Skyrise
We’re incredibly honoured to have been awarded the Best Workplace Health & Wellbeing Awareness Initiative for the second consecutive year. This recognition underscores our unwavering dedication to creating a workplace environment where each team member can thrive both personally and professionally.
Jen Wlodyka Distinctly
Being recognised for our commitment to nurturing an authentically supportive remote company culture has been a wonderful moment of reflection for us as a team, and for us as founders. Applying for the Company Culture Awards provided a unique opportunity to reflect on our practice as a small business, and be recognised for our commitment to growing a happy, healthy, and fulfilled international team.
Abb-d Taiyo
Driftime®
Driftime®
We recognize the importance of building a workplace that puts its employees first, positively impacts the communities it works with and advocates for meaningful change. That’s why we couldn’t be more proud to have been shortlisted for ESG Program of the Year at the UK Company Culture Awards.
Ogury
It’s amazing to think we’re back at the culture awards and we are so excited to be shortlisted in new categories. The culture awards are so important to our team at Skyrise as we really love and believe in the culture we’ve created. It’s what makes us different to other companies so to be shortlisted is a huge team achievement.
Sam Sharwin Skyrise
It is an absolute honour to be shortlisted for the ‘Best Cultural Transformation Initiative’ Award at the 2024 UK Company Culture Awards. This recognition reflects our team’s commitment to cultivating a best-in-class workplace.
Mark Brown WRS
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