The 2020 Wales HR Awards finalists have been announced following a record number of entries.

Launched in 2017 by leading recruitment agency Acorn and commercial law firm Darwin Gray, the fourth annual Awards will see 350 top HR professionals and organisations gather on 27 March at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff for a glittering twenties themed ceremony.

New for 2020 is an additional category - ‘Inspiring Great Leadership’ - and an external judging panel of industry experts from Sony UK, University of South Wales, ACT Training and Calland Wright Consulting.

Hosted by the BBC’s Sian Lloyd, the Awards will recognise outstanding HR professionals and teams performing in HR, learning,and people management roles across a variety of industries in Wales in the last 12 months.

Acorn’s Director of Permanent Recruitment, Pavan Arora said:

“We are absolutely delighted as founders to see these awards continuing to go from strength to strength, with yet another new category and input from external judges. We are truly grateful to all those who continue to support us in recognising the best HR talent in Wales and have, as ever, been delighted with the volume and quality of entries received.”

Darwin Gray’s Head of Employment Law and HR, Fflur Jones added:

“The continued success of the Wales HR Awards is testament to the amount of talent and quality of work in HR across Wales. It is for this reason that we are delighted each year to recognise those who work hard to improve and inspire their workforce. I am looking forward to turning back the clocks to the 1920s to celebrate with all of the finalists in March”.

Winners at the Wales HR Awards 2020 will follow in the footsteps of previous recipients including Bluestone, Companies House, Monmouthshire Building Society, Bangor University and more at the ceremony on 27 March, where the judge’s ‘HR Star’ of choice will also be revealed.

The first ever recipient of the ‘Inspiring Great Leadership’ Award, sponsored by the Institute of Leadership and Management, will also be announced as an organisation dedicated to improving its workforce and environment, and as a business with leadership at its heart and an employee engagement strategy which inspires and engages.

For more information on the finalists, visit waleshrawards.cymru. Ticket sales open on 29 January – follow @WalesHRNetwork for the latest updates - with early booking advisable due to the limited numbers available.

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The Wales HR Awards 2020 finalists are:

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HR Apprentice / Trainee /  Assistant of the Year

Sponsored  by ClearTech Live

 
1. Lauren Goody, Effective HRM
 
2. Laurie Greenaway, Principality
 
3. Lauren Brooks, Willmott Dixon Construction Ltd
 

Best HR Initiative

‍Sponsored by Chwarae Teg

 
4. Gower College Swansea
 
5. Swansea Bay University Health Board
 
6. Shared Services Connected Ltd
 
7. Talis UK Ltd
 
8. Connect Assist
 

Best HR Professional –  Digital / IT

 
9. Richard Carter, Shared Services Connected Limited
 
10. Vicki Richards, Kagool
 

Inspiring Great Leadership

Sponsored by Institute of  Leadership and Management

 
11. Gower College Swansea
 
12. Talis UK Ltd
 

HR Director of the year

Sponsored by Human Resourcing

 
13. Gemma Davies, Effective HRM
 
14. Vicki Richards, Kagool
 
15. Rhiannon Williams, Target Group
 

HR Consultancy of the Year

 
16. Cobalt HR
 
17. Effective HRM
 
18. HR Dept
 

Best HR Professional –  Manufacturing / Engineering

Sponsored by Vorsor

 
19. Eluned Evans, Berry BPI
 
20. Peter Rees, Vale
 

Best HR Professional –  Public / Third Sector

Sponsored by Quantum Advisory

 
21. Nicola Leybourne, Wales Co-operative Centre
 
22. Kathryn Jaggard, Newport City Homes
 
23. Emma Turner, Shared Services Connected Ltd
 

HR Team of the Year  (Private sector)

 
24. First Source Solutions
 
25. Willmott Dixon Construction Ltd
 
26. Welsh Rugby Union
 
27. SA Brain and Company Ltd
 
28. Principality
 
29. Burnspet Nutrition
 

HR Team of the Year (Public sector)
Sponsored by Choose to Grow

30.   Gower College Swansea

31.    Hafod

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