Blog » Winners: The CIPD Awards in Northern Ireland 

Winners: The CIPD Awards in Northern Ireland 

16th October 2023

The CIPD Awards in Northern Ireland culminated in a night of recognition and celebration, as the winners were announced at a glittering awards ceremony at Titanic Belfast. The event, which was attended by 350 people professionals, was hosted by actress and presenter, Denise Van Outen.

The CIPD Awards in Northern Ireland shine a spotlight on the individuals, teams, initiatives and strategies championing better work and working lives in Northern Ireland.

The 2023 awards comprised of 11 categories, covering all aspects of HR and L&D.

Lee Ann Panglea, Head of the CIPD in Scotland and Northern Ireland said: “It was fantastic to be back in Titanic Belfast celebrating the positive impact that the people profession has on work and working lives in Northern Ireland and further afield.” 

“My fellow judges and I were hugely impressed with the quality of entries this year, and we really enjoyed hearing our shortlisted entrants bringing them to life on judging day. Many congratulations to everyone who was shortlisted, and to all of this year’s winners and highly commended entrants.” 

“Thanks to our judges for taking so much time to ensure that we have a rigorous judging process, to MCS Group, our headline sponsor, our media partner nijobfinder and to all our sponsors and guests for making this year’s awards so special.”

Ryan Calvert, Head of Human Resources, Sales & Marketing Recruitment at MCS Group said: “MCS Group is proud to be part of this amazing sector, and we’re delighted to continue our sponsorship of the CIPD Awards in Northern Ireland this year, which celebrate the positive impact people professionals in Northern Ireland are having on their organisations and the people that work in them. 

“We had a fantastic night celebrating the outstanding HR talent that exists here in Northern Ireland, recognising the fantastic contribution to their workplaces. Congratulations to all the finalists for getting to this stage, and a huge congratulations to all the winners.”

Colin Maxwell, Business Manager at nijobfinder said: “Congratulations to all the remarkable winners of the CIPD Awards in Northern Ireland. Your outstanding achievements in the field of HR and people management are truly commendable, and you serve as an inspiration to us all. Keep up the fantastic work!”

The winners are as follows: 

Best HR student 

Sponsored by Think People 

Winner: Eimear Duffy (Vyta) 

Highly Commended: Beth MacDougall (Ernst & Young) 

Best flexible working strategy

Sponsored by Worthingtons 

Winner: Musgrave

Best inclusion and diversity strategy

Sponsored by Diversity Mark 

Winner: First Derivative – Winner

Highly Commended: Coca-Cola HBC 

Excellence in L&D/OD

Sponsored by Hunter Savage 

Winner: CDE Group 

Highly Commended: Danske Bank 

Best resourcing and talent strategy

Sponsored by PwC  

Winner: Department for the Economy, The Executive Office and Department of Finance – Winner

Highly Commended: Northern Ireland Water 

Best employee voice programme

Sponsored by the Labour Relations Agency 

Winner: Northern Ireland Electricity Networks 

Highly commended: Catalyst 

Best apprenticeship scheme

Sponsored by workplus 

Winner: Northern Ireland Electricity Networks 

Highly Commended: Collins Aerospace 

Impactful health and wellbeing at work

Sponsored by Lewis Silkin 

Winner: Northern Ireland Water 

Highly commended: Almac Group 

Rising star of the people profession

Sponsored by Queen’s Business School 

Winner: Molly Keers (PwC ) 

Best people team

Sponsored by Danske Bank  

Winner: Fibrus 

Highly Commended: Energia Group 

Outstanding contribution in the field of people development in Northern Ireland

Sponsored by the CIPD  

Winner: Caroline van der Feltz, Danske Bank

Further information about the awards is available at cipdniawards.co.uk

Photo: Brian Thompson

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