Judges for 2025

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.

Jasbir Singh Athwal
View Jasbir’s Biography

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

Matthew Briggs, CEO, Edenred Mobility UK
View Matthew’s Biography

Samantha Brook, Group HR Director, Severfield
View Samantha’s Biography

Hannah Buckley, Partner, Q5 North Lead
View Hannah’s Biography

Matthew Chapman, CEO, SBFM
View Matthew’s Biography

Hashim Din, Head of People Experience and Development, Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust
View Hashim’s Biography

Paul Cogan, Group Finance & Resources Director, Betty & Taylors Group
View Paul’s Biography

Andy Dodman, Assistant Chief Executive & Chief HR Officer for Leeds City Council
View Andy’s Biography

Joanna Dodd, Partner – Employment, Clarion
View Joanna’s Biography

Andy Hewitt, Managing Director, Orbit Business Development
View Andy’s Biography

Debbie Hinbest, Interim Executive Director of People and Culture, Accent Group
View Debbie’s Biography

Vincent Hodder, CEO, Leeds Bradford Airport
View Vincent’s Biography

Sarah Hutchinson, Director of People & Culture, Yorkshire Housing
View Sarah’s Biography

Geraldine Kemp-Klotz, Global Culture and People Leader, Leeds Building Society
View Geraldine’s Biography

Mandy Kirk-Smith, HR Director, Exec Coach, Transformation & Change Leader
View Mandy’s Biography

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

Joanne Lyth, Head of Learning & Development – Talent & Culture, ZIGUP
View Joanne’s Biography

Richard Moran, Senior Partner, Clarion
View Richard’s Biography

Matthew Moxon, Head Talent Acquisition, Northern Trains
View Matthew’s Biography

Sue O’Donovan, Practice Lead – Executive HR Appointments, Nigel Wright Group
 View Sue’s Biography

Charlotte Owen, Associate Director, Nigel Wright Group
View Charlotte’s Biography

Sonia Pawson, Director of People and Culture, West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service
View Sonia’s Biography

Stuart Price, Executive Director, FCIPD
View Stuart’s Biography

Nicola Purdy, Head of People & Operations and Acting Chief Executive, JRCT
View Nicola’s Biography

Lisa Rowlinson, International HRD / CPO and Executive Team Member
View Lisa’s Biography

Anne Shiels, Exec Coach and NED (Newcastle BS) , AS Consulting
View Anne’s Biography

Katie Shaw, People Director – Retail and Technology for Sainsburys
View Katie’s Biography

Mark Simpson, Group Executive Director, Nigel Wright Group
 View Mark’s Biography

Charlotte Sweeney, DEI Consultant, Charlotte Sweeney Associates
View Charlotte’s Biography

Sarah Tahamtani, Partner, Employment and Immigration Law, Clarion
View Sarah’s Biography

Neil Thomas, Director of People, Quorn
View Neil’s Biography

Naomi Thompson, OD Consultant and Leadership Coach
View Naomi’s Biography

Annabel Tonge, Director, Q5
View Annabel’s Biography

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

Lisa Wood, Senior Partner, Open Velocity
View Lisa’s Biography

Jasbir Singh Athwal: A Life of Service and Breaking Barriers

Jasbir Singh Athwal arrived in the UK at age four with his mother to bury his father. From humble beginnings, he built a successful business empire and became a pioneer in sport and community leadership. The first Sikh Golf Captain in the UK, Jas is also the only Asian on the board of a Super League rugby club. As Chairman of the Huddersfield Foundation and a tireless charity fundraiser, including 26 years of his golf tournament, Jas has raised thousands of pounds for local causes. A respected voice in Yorkshire, he continues to champion inclusion, sport, and social change.

Rob Blomfield, Head of Global Business Services, Burberry PLC

Rob is the Head of Global Business Services for Burberry PLC where 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 three years ago.

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

Outside of work Rob is married with two boys.

Matthew, CEO, Edenred Mobility UK

• Currently CEO of Edenred Mobility UK part of Edenred listed in France with 13k employees & 1bn euro EBITDA
• Former CEO of ECSC Group PLC and sold it to Daisy Group for 3x premium on share price
• Former CEO of AutoProtect Group; 6 private equity backed businesses I consolidated under one leadership structure
• Former divisional MD in Aviva PLC and launched quotemehappy.com and ran the sale of RAC for $1.6bn
• Former CEO of Capita Insurance part of Capita PLC, responsible for 12 P&L's and over 5k employees
• Former CEO of Minster Law and grew to top 20 law firm. Part of BGL and helped launch comparethemarket.com
• Been a NED/chair of over 25 SME's (mostly PE backed) over the last 15 years spanning several sectors including tech, digital and retail

Samantha Brook, Group HR Director, Severfield

Samantha is a Group HRD with a passion to help organisations grow through supporting their people in realising their own potential. Her HR career spans over 25yrs in Manufacturing, Construction, Energy, Hospitality, Retail and Financial Services. The majority of her career has been spent in Yorkshire based businesses, she is currently the Group HR Director for Severfield Plc (the UK’s largest Structural Steel Specialist) and her previous HR leadership roles were in Drax Plc and the FTSE100 global chemical manufacturer Croda.

Samantha is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute or Personnel and Development.  She holds a Master’s Degree in Career Management from the University of London, and a Management Degree from Aston University.

Throughout her career Samantha has overseen all aspects of HR transformation from learning and development to reward, HR systems, diversity, engagement, talent and organisational design.

Hannah Buckley, Partner, Q5 North Lead

Hannah is an Associate Partner who leads Q5 UK’s Northern office in Leeds. Her career spans 15+ years consulting to clients across a range of disciplines from strategy and organisation design (OD) through to communications and change.

Hannah leads teams to design and deliver large scale organisation transformation programmes within multiple industries – Transport, Infrastructure and Consumer Brands – to drive a variety of outcomes from preparing for growth through to cost reduction. In this capacity she advises on OD, strategic workforce planning, and alignment of organisation to strategy.

Matthew Chapman, CEO, SBFM

Matthew Chapman is CEO of SBFM, a digitally enabled facilities company. He sits on its board of directors, and is one of the industry leads for social impact, and inclusivity, where he advises the IWFM the industry's governing body.

The majority of his experience is within Facilities Management, his leadership goes beyond 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

Hashim Din, Head of People Experience and Development, Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust, Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust

Hashim Din is a Senior People Leader with over a decade of experience spanning both the public and private sectors. Previously he's worked in outsourced graduate recruitment, employability and university outreach where he's developed a strong passion for inclusion and social mobility. In the last five years, his career has focussed on Organisational Development and Diversity and Inclusion, where he has written and implented equality strategies and policies, organised targeted leadership development programmes and mentored people from underrepresented groups. In his current role as Head of People Experience and Development at The Rotherham Foundation Hospital Trust, he oversees Organisational Development, Diversity & Inclusion, Learning & Development, and Health & Wellbeing. In 2025, Hashim was named Degree Apprentice of the Year at the South Yorkshire Apprenticeship Awards, recognising his significant contributions to promoting inclusion within the People Profession. He holds a Distinction in the Level 7 Senior People Professional Apprenticeship, is a Chartered Member of the CIPD, and is a regular speaker at CIPD events, where he shares insights on inclusion and the future of the People Profession.

 

Paul Cogan, Group Finance & Resources Director, Betty & Taylors Group

Paul joined Bettys & Taylors in 2012 as Group Finance & Resources Director and is responsible for all aspects of Group finance and governance, as well as IT, property, procurement and risk management. He also oversees Bettys & Taylors business transformation projects, which focus on the sustainable, long term growth of the Group.

Paul is a member of the Bettys & Taylors Group Board and one of four directors who form the Collaborative CEO – a structure based on shared responsibility for organisational strategy and development, and the operations of the Bettys and Taylors businesses.

Andy Dodman, Assistant Chief Executive and Chief HR Officer, Leeds City Council

Andy Dodman is the Assistant Chief Executive and Chief HR Officer for Leeds City Council, the second largest local authority in the UK. He is responsible for its large and diverse workforce, business support and digital functions. Andy moved into local government in 2019 following a successful career at The University of Sheffield. At Sheffield he was the Director of Human Resources and more recently its Chief Operating Officer.

Andy has consistently appeared in HR Magazine’s Most Influential List for the past decade and contributes to a range of national publications including People Management and HR Magazine, and recently presented at CIPD’s annual national conference.

Joanna Dodd, Partner - Employment, Clarion

Joanna is an experienced litigator and has defended a number of multi-party claims in the Employment Tribunal and Employment Appeal Tribunal - including claims for unfair dismissal, discrimination and whistleblowing. Joanna excels in cutting through the detail to get to the heart of the legal issues and determining the appropriate strategy for the client efficiently and effectively.
Joanna also assists her clients with strategic HR planning - providing clear actionable advice and creative solutions.
Joanna often works alongside our Corporate and Commercial team, running the people aspect of business and share acquisitions and supporting clients with the integration of a new business into the existing model.

Andy Hewitt, Managing Director, Orbit Business Development

An experienced leader of commercial enterprises, with 25+ years of cross-sector exposure to both the B2B & B2C worlds. Starting his career at Procter & Gamble, before moving to Nestlé as a Commercial Director, and on to working with SME organisations accelerating sustainable growth. People development has been a common thread throughout.

Andy has garnered first-hand experience of the leadership challenges at the coalface for successful innovators in specialist markets, to add to his experiences in the corporate world.

A highly qualified people development executive coach with functional expertise in sales, marketing, operations and change management; Andy’s passion is helping people & organisations maximise their potential

Absolute belief in nurturing talent is the crux of Andy’s philosophy, whilst utilising that to deliver challenging business goals.

Debbie Hinbest, Interim Executive Director of People and Culture, Accent Group

Debbie Hinbest, Chartered FCIPD, is an experienced senior HR leader and currently serves as Interim Executive Director of People and Culture at Accent Group. She brings deep expertise in people strategy, organisational design, leadership development, and cultural transformation across housing, education, and commercial sectors.
Debbie has a strong track record of delivering impactful change, enhancing engagement, and building high-performing, inclusive cultures. She is passionate about the housing sector and is driven by a desire to make a real difference—both in the workplace and in the lives of customers.
Her work is underpinned by a commitment to creating positive, meaningful experiences for colleagues and communities alike.

 

Vincent Hodder, Chief Executive Officer, Leeds Bradford Airport

Vincent is a global aviation professional with more than 25 years of executive experience in airlines
all over the world and was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Leeds Bradford Airport in February
2021. Taking over the leadership of the airport in the middle of the pandemic Vincent has stabilised
the foundations of the business and put in place an exciting growth strategy and compelling future
vision for Leeds Bradford Airport.

With a background in strategy consulting with Bain & Company, Vincent is a strategic thinker and a specialist in business transformation and startups. Having lived and worked in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, USA, Bahrain, South Korea, Mexico, El Salvador, Chile and the UK, Vincent brings a true global perspective, experience working with diverse cultures and highly developed capabilities at bringing people together.

Innovative, passionate and determined, Vincent is driven by team success and is committed to developing the next generation of aviation leaders. He thrives in high challenge environments dealing with intractable business problems.

Vincent is married with 4 children, each of whom was born in a different country and is proud to be an adopted son of Yorkshire.

Sarah Hutchinson, Director of People & Culture, Yorkshire Housing

Sarah is the Director of People & Culture at Yorkshire Housing, with 15 years of HR experience under her belt. She started out in financial services before moving in to housing in 202, and has built a solid generalist background along the way. Sarah’s all about creating a great experience for colleagues and making sure people feel truly engaged at work. She’s passionate about building a culture where everyone can thrive and bring their best selves to what they do..

 

Geraldine Kemp-Klotz, Global Culture and People Leader, Leeds Building Society

Geraldine is a global Culture and People Leader. She joined Leeds Building Society in September 2024, to enable the purposeful ambitions to support members generations after generations through transformation and sustainable growth.

A versatile leader with over 20 years’ global experience in the institutional and consumer financial service industry, who has worked in Africa, the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe and the Middle East. Prior to joining Leeds Building Society, she spent over ten years at Barclays Bank PLC. and worked in both London and New York in various global leadership roles.

She has diversified strategic capabilities, combining deep industry knowledge and expertise in people and culture. Geraldine is a strong advocate of healthy and inclusive workplaces, empowering colleagues to build and manage their careers, which she champions across Financial Services through her role on the UK FSSC Board.

Geraldine is passionate about supporting underserved communities and in early 2024 joined the AI4 Good strategic advisory team, focused on empowering NGOs to improve the quality of education through AI. She also coaches Executive Leaders across the third sector.

Mandy Kirk-Smith, HR Director, Exec Coach, Transformation & Change Leader

Mandy is a commercially driven People Leader with over 25 years’ experience in creating and leading people strategies, org design & development, business change & transformation and experienced in M&A and TUPE transactions.  She has led and implemented various people, business and leadership strategies including performance management, culture and engagement whilst coaching and influencing at Exco / Board level creating a strong people engagement culture that delivers results working in a wide range of industries and sectors mostly in the Private Sector.

Outside of work her time is spent with her husband, dogs and horses as they own a smallholding in Yorkshire and spend most weekends battling this lovely British weather…..

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.

Joanne Lyth, Head of Learning & Development - Talent & Culture, ZIGUP

Jo is an accomplished Learning and Development expert with over 20 years’ experience across significant multi-national brands. She is renowned for shaping innovative L&D and early careers strategies that drive inclusion, performance, and long-term impact. A passionate advocate for social mobility, Jo’s work at ZIGUP has earned multiple accolades, most recently the prestigious King’s Award for Enterprise for Promoting Opportunity. Her strategic leadership and ability to deliver transformative results have positioned her as a trusted voice in the field. Jo brings deep expertise, creativity and commitment to her craft. This, as well as her experience on both sides of the judging table position Jo as an outstanding role model and judge.

Richard Moran, Senior Partner, Clarion

Described as ‘exceptionally calm under pressure’ and having a ‘tough approach to negotiating’, Richard is a corporate finance lawyer with over 25 years' experience. Advising on strategy as well as delivering transactions, Richard’s focus is on long-term client relationships. Senior Partner at Clarion, Richard sits on the Management Board.  As well as his leadership role at Clarion, Richard is the Chair of Connect Yorkshire, a unique not for profit membership group for ambitious entrepreneurs that enables them to learn from many of Yorkshire’s most successful business people.

Richard is also part of our International team and works with clients with interests around the world particularly international businesses with interests in the UK and Europe.

"Whether as a sounding board to clients or delivering their deal, I thrive on bringing practical solutions to often complex or difficult situations and playing my part in truly successful outcomes."

Matthew Moxon, Head Talent Acquisition, Northern Trains

Matthew is an accomplished Talent Acquisition Leader with over 15 years of experience driving recruitment innovation across sectors including rail, manufacturing, construction, and healthcare. Currently Head of Talent Acquisition at Northern Trains, Matthew leads strategic hiring initiatives for a large workforce, delivering trailblazing innovation, employer branding, early & social careers programs, and cost-effective talent solutions. Known for being a strong voice for championing inclusive hiring practices and building high-performing teams, Matthew brings a wealth of insight and passion for excellence in recruitment. As a judge and proud Yorkshireman, he is excited and honoured to celebrate the creativity, impact, and future-shaping work of peers in this last year.

 

Sue O'Donovan, Practice Lead – Executive HR Appointments, Nigel Wright Group

Sue O’Donovan leads the HR Practice at Nigel Wright Group across the North, specialising in senior and executive-level appointments.  With over 20 years of experience, Sue has cultivated deep, long-standing relationships with clients and is recognised as a trusted advisor to executive teams navigating transformational change, restructuring, and growth.

A driving force behind the creation and success of the Yorkshire HR Awards in 2024, Sue continues to champion excellence in the HR profession through her leadership of high profile industry events and thought leadership initiatives.  In her role, Sue is personally responsible for delivering high quality talent solutions across permanent, interim, and contract roles, including executive search mandates.  Her strategic insight and commitment to quality make her an indispensable partner to organisations seeking to build high performing leadership teams.

Charlotte Owen, Associate Director, Nigel Wright Group

Charlotte leads the Public & Third Sector, Interim, and Business Support teams across the North of England, overseeing operations in Newcastle, Wynyard, Leeds and Manchester
With a strong focus on leadership recruitment within the Public & Third Sector, Charlotte brings extensive experience in delivering expert consultancy and tailored resourcing solutions. Her track record spans interim appointments, permanent placements, and executive search campaigns, consistently supporting organisations through periods of transformation and growth.
Charlotte is also the driving force behind several high-impact leadership networks, including NED events, FD suppers, and HRD dinners. These forums not only strengthen her connections across public and private sectors but also enable her to match the right leaders with the right opportunities—particularly in areas such as business transformation, shared services, and organisational change.

 

Sonia Pawson, Director of People and Culture, West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service

Sonia Pawson, currently Director of People and Culture for West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service is a Chartered Psychologist/Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society and Chartered Fellow of the CIPD. Previously Sonia worked for the UK government, most recently as Director of Government Skills in the Cabinet Office. Here she delivered a radical vision and case for change for the prestigious Civil Service Fast Stream and led the development of the Civil Service 2022-2025 Apprenticeship Strategy. Sonia has extensive experience and a strong track record of delivering end-to-end people solutions in complex, regulated environments. She is an advocate for evidence-based practice and sits on the Division of Occupational Psychology Committee.

 

Stuart Price, Executive Director, FCIPD

An experienced Executive Director with extensive organisational, commercial and leadership experience.

Stuart started his career in food retail spending over 18 years working across blue chip brands including Asda, Morrisons and CostCutter Supermarkets Group. In 2016, Stuart moved to Virgin Care as People & Service Director. After two years, he was promoted to the role of Chief Operating Officer. Following this he undertook an Interim CEO role at Linneaus. After 4 years in COO roles, Stuart returned to his passion as Chief People Officer of Zenith.

Alongside his professional career, Stuart has chaired the governing bodies of two turnaround primary schools and has been a Trustee and Chair of the Nominations and Remuneration Committee of a Global Charity (Stop the Traffik).

Nicola Purdy, Head of People & Operations and Acting Chief Executive, JRCT

Nicola Purdy joined JRCT in 2022, as Head of People & Operations, and is currently Acting Chief Executive. Nicola has more than 20 years’ experience in HR, working predominantly in third sector organisations. Nicola has managed award-winning projects for Charities, including Save the Children International.

 

Lisa Rowlinson, International HRD / CPO and Executive Team Member

A highly experienced, values based and skilled senior HRD / CPO and executive team member - with significant experience and a proven track record of delivering an exceptional value HR function aligned with business strategy across multiple sectors. A chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and highly driven people professional with high energy and focussed delivery.
Able to demonstrate consistent achievements across all aspects of HR – including developing high performing teams, leadership development, successful M&A, talent and organisational development as well as complex change projects.

 

Anne Shiels, Exec Coach and NED (Newcastle BS) , AS Consulting

Anne is an ex-CPO who now works as a leadership consultant and executive coach. She passionately believes that outstanding leadership comes from the inside out, and she works alongside leaders to connect with their own inner clarity so they can inspire people and organisations with sure-footed confidence. She has decades of hands-on business experience, particularly when it comes to managing significant organisational change and transformation. Her work has taken her around the world in various industries, including FTSE, employee-owned, and family businesses. She now combines her coaching and consulting work with a non-executive portfolio, where she sits on the board of the Newcastle Building Society and chairs its Remuneration Committee.

Katie Shaw, Head of People and Partnering, Store Ops & Property, M&S

Following a 16 year career in retail operations, I made the move into HR as a regional business partner role. I have not looked back, enjoying a 10 year people career working for the UKs biggest retailers. I have undertaken a variety of senior people leadership roles, from leading a shared services, to leading People COE’s such as Colleague experience, DE&I, PMO and Change. I have spent the last 3 years leading people partnering for Marks and Spencer, partnering ExCo and being fully accountable for the retail people plan, enabling the business transformation and delivering high profile industry leading initiatives such as Worklife

Mark Simpson, Group Executive Director, Nigel Wright Group

Mark is a member of the Executive Board and responsible for the growth of our Regional Business with offices across the North.  He also oversees Marketing, and Consultants / Management L&D across the Group. Prior to joining Nigel Wright in 2000, he trained as an engineer and undertook operational roles in industry.  Mark has developed unique experience in both the recruitment industry and the market it serves, particularly across the north of England.

Charlotte Sweeney, DEI Consultant, Charlotte Sweeney Associates

Charlotte is known as the ‘go-to’ expert when it comes to pushing the boundaries on creating more diverse and inclusive companies. Recognised as one of HR’s Most Influential Thinkers in the UK in 2022, she has specialised in large-scale change programmes with a focus on DE&I for over 20 years. She works with companies and C-suite executives from many of the FTSE 100 and Fortune 500 companies worldwide to drive inclusive leadership and cultural change.
Charlotte is co-author of the book ‘Inclusive Leadership,’ published by The Financial Times and shortlisted for Management Book of the Year 2018 by The Chartered Management Institute. Additionally, she is a Forbes Council contributor and hosts and chairs large conferences and virtual events.

Sarah Tahamtani, Partner Partner, Employment and Immigration Law, Clarion

Head of the Employment team, Sarah advises a diverse range of organisations and businesses, providing commercial and pragmatic advice on people issues. Described in Legal 500 as 'passionate, driven and determined', Sarah goes over and above for her clients applying her practical, solutions-oriented mindset to every situation.  Delivered in a straight talking, honest and direct manner, Sarah advises senior HR professionals, boards and business owners on all elements of their employment strategy with particular experience in supporting evolving organisations facing change either in terms of scaling up or down their workforce or changing how they do business.  Sarah’s skill is in identifying business threats and issues and providing a holistic, pragmatic solution (which may comprise of multiple disciplines) to achieve clients’ commercial objectives and manages the implementation of her recommendations, focusing on adding value and being proactive wherever possible.

“To make a difference and add value, I always make sure I clearly understand my clients’ business aims and motivators, only then can I give advice that will fully support the HR and overall business goals. I have extensive experience in strategic workforce issues such as collective redundancies/restructures, TUPE transfers and dealing with employment disputes."

Neil Thomas, Director of People, Quorn

Currently Director of People at Quorn Foods, I’ve over 20 years of generalist HR experience across numerous sectors. Starting as an HR grad in the steel industry, I’ve worked in senior roles across manufacturing, consultancy, food and nutrition businesses in European and beyond, working with some fantastic brands and incredible people. From Corus (then Tata Steel), PepsiCo (Walkers Foods), Glanbia Performance Nutrition (World’s largest sports nutrition brand family), and the last 4 years at Quorn Foods.
Outside of work, I have three children and a Labrador, and spend much of my free time coaching two junior football teams!

Naomi Thompson, OD Consultant and Leadership Coach

Naomi Thompson is an experienced senior OD consultant and leadership coach, and the founder of two businesses: Odel Solutions, specialising in organisational development and executive coaching, and Discover Teams, where she co-created The Leadership Code and DISCOVER: The Conversation Code™ a neuroscience-backed framework for honest, effective leadership conversations. Naomi’s work is rooted in organisational effectiveness and culture transformation in today’s complex, hybrid workplace. Now in her second year as a judge for the Yorkshire HR Awards, she’s excited to once again be inspired by the innovation, impact, and energy of the North’s HR powerhouse.

Annabel Tonge, Director Q5

Annabel joined Q5 in 2018 to establish the company’s Leeds office and later set up and led Q5’s Global Brand and Marketing team. In 2025, she transitioned to the role of Global Foundation Director, leading the Q5 Foundation, the cultural heart of Q5, which in 2024 alone contributed £1 million worth of consulting time to charities, non-profits and social enterprises.

Annabel brings over 30 years of senior leadership experience across a variety of sectors, geographies and functions. Her career uniquely combines commercial expertise, creativity and a passion for charitable initiatives. In 2009, she supported Applegreen’s Founders in establishing the Applegreen Charitable Foundation, which she chaired for five years. She has also served as a voluntary Trustee and NED for over a decade and played a pivotal role in helping Q5’s Founders launch Q5 Pop-Up Consulting in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Gareth Whalley, Founder & CEO at Big Bang People Solutions

Gareth has spent over 20 years in HR leadership roles for multinational organisations including Procter & Gamble, IBM, The Coca-Cola Company, and Levi Strauss & Co. Over the past several years he has focused his efforts on driving meaningful culture change in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, first leading the global inclusion practice at Coca-Cola and then serving as the Head of DEI for Europe at Levi's. Through Big Bang People Solutions Gareth now consults with clients worldwide on DEI strategy, as well as reward and recognition and change management and communications, all in service of fulfilling his personal purpose to make work life better for as many people as he can.

Lisa Wood, Senior Partner, Open Velocity

Lisa has built brands, grown businesses and optimised marketing performance across Private Equity, start-up and corporate businesses. As a marketing strategy consultant, she now advises both B2C and B2B clients, with sector specialisms in Financial Services/Fintech, Travel and Technology. Recognised in Marketing Week’s Vision 100 marketers and Campaign’s Power 100, Lisa is a passionate customer advocate, shaped by her executive leadership roles at customer-centric brands including first direct and Atom Bank.