Judges for 2026

We pride ourselves on the integrity and diligence of our judging process. Our esteemed panel of judges bring expertise and experience from all areas of business as well as being experts in HR. Each category is allocated three judges who will meet face to face with our finalists at the judging day.

Rob Blomfield, Head of Global Business Services, Burberry PLC
View Rob’s Biography

Matthew Chapman, Co-CEO & Co-founder, Futured Careers
View Matthew’s Biography

Louise Kindon, Chief People and Culture Officer, University of Leeds
View Louise’s Biography

Gareth Whalley, Founder & CEO, Big Bang People Solutions
View Gareth’s Biography

Rob Blomfield, Head of Global Business Services, Burberry PLC

Rob is the Head of Global Business Services for Burberry PLC. He has direct responsibility for operational Finance, HR, and Procurement, whilst also working closely with IT and Customer services who are co-located in Leeds. Global Business Services are based across three primary locations; the UK, US and Hong Kong.

With a background in change and transformation, Rob joined Burberry in 2017 to lead the finance function as part of the establishment of Global Business Services and subsequently took over as the Head of Global services four years ago.

A qualified accountant, prior to Burberry, Rob worked in consultancy with PwC, EY and IBM and started he career with Marks and Spencer.

Outside of work he is married with two boys.

Matthew Chapman, Co-CEO & Co-founder, Futured Careers

Matthew Chapman is a CEO and co-founder of Futured Careers, Futured connects organisations, talent and leaders through intelligence, insight and measurable pathways that unlock potential. Matt is one of the industry leads for social impact, and inclusivity, where he advises IWFM the industry's governing body.

Although the majority of his experience is within Facilities Management, his leadership goes beyond business development & operational excellence - championing a culture of fairness, respect, and opportunity. Where Matthew has incorporated learnings from his experience while working at Arsenal Football Club and the Guardian Media Group.

Holding an MBA from Cranfield University, an MA in Business Sustainability from Cambridge, and an LLB in Law, Matt combines commercial success with a clear purpose to create meaningful, positive change and inspire those around him

Louise Kindon, Chief People and Culture Officer, University of Leeds

As Chief People and Culture Officer at University of Leeds, Louise Kindon contributes significantly to the University’s strategy by leading the development and implementation of people and organisational initiatives at Leeds.  Louise is primarily responsible for Human Resources (HR) and Organisational Development and Professional Learning (ODPL), as well as employee-related change management and projects. She also works in close partnership with Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and Wellbeing, Safety and Health.

Louise has more than 35 years of wide-ranging HR and change management experience across a variety of sectors. Prior to her appointment at the University of Leeds, Louise worked as Deputy Director of HR at the University of Birmingham. She has also worked at the University of Warwick and in the finance and utilities sectors.

Gareth Whalley, Founder & CEO, Big Bang People Solutions

Gareth Whalley is the Founder and CEO of Big Bang People Solutions, a global HR consultancy focused on helping organisations to help their people have a better time at work. He has over 20 years of generalist and specialist HR leadership experience in multinational organisations including Procter & Gamble, IBM, The Coca-Cola Company, and Levi Strauss & Co.

For many years, he focused his efforts on enhancing employee experiences through reward and recognition, and on driving meaningful culture change in diversity, equity, and inclusion. He now consults with clients across industry sectors to help increase DEI maturity and impact as part of Big Bang’s broader offering, which also includes reward, change management, and harnessing energy for impact.

Gareth is principled and values-driven, a wellbeing advocate, and finds great joy in connecting people. He lives on the North East coast with his two lurchers, Heidi and Ludo.