The champions of Wales’ contact centres have been celebrated at the 26th annual awards ceremony.
Individuals and leading Welsh businesses were recognised for the past year’s successes, with award winners including Best Client Partnership (Target Group & DVLA), Customer Success (Capital on Tap) and Best Environment & Sustainability Initiative (Legal & General).
The sell-out event, supported by headline sponsor Jomo People, who specialise in recruiting within the sector, and hosted by comedian Tom Allen, was held at Cardiff City Stadium.
Sarah Hopkins, Co-Founder and Talent Partner at headline sponsors Jomo People, said:
“We’re incredibly proud to support these awards, which showcase the dedication, hard work, and innovation that make the contact centre industry so vital to the economy and community. Contact centres are at the heart of customer service, and their relentless pursuit of excellence mirrors our own commitment to finding the best talent and helping organisations thrive. Being part of this event allows us to recognise those who go above and beyond to deliver exceptional customer experiences, and it’s a privilege to be part of their journey.
“Jomo People are delighted to celebrate the individuals and teams driving the industry forward. Congratulations to all the winners and nominees for their exceptional achievements.”
The awards are a celebration of a crucial sector which contributes £650 million annually to the Welsh economy and employs 32,000 people from 350 businesses across the country.
The celebrations featured ten new categories, which saw gold awards presented in 21 major categories and Silver also recognised in many of these.
Sandra Busby, Managing Director of Cnect Wales, said:
“Congratulations to all the finalists. They are the reason our industry in Wales is the envy of many regions across the globe and they continue to inspire us.
“The past year has seen significant shifts within our industry, driven by rapid technological advancements and evolving business needs. The realignment of our products and services reflects our commitment to embracing these changes.
“We wish everyone who has contributed to this year’s awards, the very best for the next upcoming year and look forward to welcoming them back to celebrate next year’s awards.”
This year, a new Business of the Year award replaced the Contact Centre of the Year category reflecting the industry’s diversification and Cnect Wales’ continued evolution, having celebrated 20 years in business earlier this year. Capital on Tap were awarded SME Business of the Year while CGI picked up Large Business of the Year
Mike Hill from Sky Cardiff was named Senior Leader of the Year, with Capital on Tap’s Jon Bartlett and Jo Foxall from Transport for Wales being awarded joint Silver winners.
Other winners of the night included:
(Individual categories)
Apprentice of the Year
- Joely Meara Wilson – Aldermore Bank – Gold
- Daisy Wootton – Deloitte – Silver
Newcomer of the Year
- Niall Harrington – Virgin Atlantic -Gold
- Alan Alder – Amber – Silver
Emerging Superstar
- Samantha Thomas – DVLA – Gold
- Aimee Sullivan – Starling Bank – Silver
Support Person of the Year
- Lee Blakeman – Acquis Insurance Management – Joint Gold
- David Hebson – Lenvi – Joint Gold
- James Tompkins – Lloyds Banking Group – Silver
Advisor of the Year
- Hannah Walsh – Citizens Advice Caerphilly Blaenau Gwent – Gold
- Rhian Fish – Veezu – Silver
Team Leader of the Year (Inhouse)
- Darren Brown – Legal & General New Business Customer Service – Gold
- Sunita Singh – Sky Cardiff – Silver
Team Leader of the Year – Outsourced
- Zowie May – Target Group – Gold
- Victoria Charles-Clarke – Firstsource Solutions – Silver
Trainer of the Year
- Neil Evans – Admiral Group – Joint Gold
- Hannah Davies – The Consumer Helpline – Joint Gold
Support Manager of the Year
- Jawad Kiani – Lenvi – Gold
- Debra Shaw – Deloitte – Silver
Customer Contact Leader of the Year
- Tracey Hutchison – Legal & General Direct Sales – Inhouse – Gold
- Chris Francis – SSCL – Outsource – Gold
(Company categories)
Best Technology / Digital Initiative
Starling Bank – Gold
Target Group – Mortgage Hub – Silver
Specialist Team of the Year 1 – Customer
- Black Horse Finance – Bereavement Team – Gold
- Citizens Advice Caerphilly Blaenau Gwent – National Debt Advice Project – Silver
Specialist Team of the Year 2 – Colleague & Centre
- Deloitte – QRS Services – Gold
Customer Team of the Year
- Virgin Atlantic – Gold
- Legal & General Direct Sales – Partnerships Team – Silver
People & Culture Award
- SSCL – Outsource – Gold
- Deloitte HR Services – Inhouse – Gold
- NFU Mutual Direct Cardiff – Silver
Best Talent Programme
- TUI – Gold
- Alcumus – Silver
Best Advice Line / Helpline
- SSCL – Gold
- Citizens Advice Caerphilly Blaenau Gwent – National Debt Advice Project – Silver
Diversity, Equality & Inclusion
Business of the Year
- Capital on Tap – SME – Gold
- CGI Service Desk – Large – Gold
Alongside headline sponsors Jomo People; Recolution Group, Elephants Don’t Forget, SSCL, Deloitte, Capital on Tap, SLD Wealth, Ribbon of Life and Gower College were category sponsors.
