It was a privilege to chair the judging panel for Government and Public Services at the UK Employee Experience Awards yesterday, won by Care UK with Dragonfish, and an even bigger thrill to see so many brilliant winners celebrating their success with their teams across all the categories.
Barnardo's was the charity of choice for the event, and it was good to see everyone give generously to support vulnerable young people to improve their lives.
Close Brothers Premium Finance gave an excellent example of how a training programme designed for millennials can support growth and development across an evolving business. On receiving the Learning and Development award yesterday, Daniel Thompson, Chief Operating Officer, said:
“We’re delighted to be recognised at the UK Employee Experience Awards for our Ignite Learning Development Programme. It is fantastic that our people now have even more opportunities to develop their career within Close Brothers Premium Finance through the implementation of Ignite, and this award is testament to the hard work and calibre of our Learning & Development team and the individuals who are part of this initial cohort”
Greg Searle MBE, Olympic gold medalist, was an inspirational host as sponsor Keys Business Concierge's Chief Innovation Officer, and more importantly, a great sport, having his picture taken with eager fans like me and indeed the whole room!
And following such tragic events that had happened just over the bridge in Westminster the day before, we all paused to think about the families who had lost loved ones, but also to stand unified in the sentiment that London won’t be taken down by the likes of such horrors – we are stronger together, in every sense.
The highs and lows of the last few days should remind us to enjoy every moment, and never to hold back on our gratitude to our colleagues, friends and family.