Previous Winners & Judges Feedback

ServiceMaster Clean

Best Place to Work

Commenting on ServiceMaster Clean, the winner in the Best Employer category, the chairman of the judges said:

“Congratulations to Siva Kugathas?for being an inspirational and motivational leader. Siva’s commercial cleaning company ServiceMaster Clean has achieved incredible growth and financial success because of his commitment to placing people at the core of his business. He has generously offered training courses to employees with no or few qualifications helping them get into employment or take up better roles. By creating an environment for staff loyalty and engagement, Siva is a role model who has professionalised his commercial cleaning business and built up an outstanding business.”

Bantham Technology

Best Sustainable Product/Process

Commenting on Bantham Technology, the winner in the Best Sustainable Product/Process category, the chairman of the judges said:

“Congratulations to Bantham Technology for helping to reduce the admin burden for the NHS through digital technology giving medical staff more time to care for patients. Bantham’s integrated patient information database is currently being used by district nurses at Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust. Using tablets, the nurses save time by having forms automatically pre-populated with patient information doing away with repetitive form filling. Not only does this save time and increase efficiency, it has cut the trust’s carbon footprint and saved it a substantial sum.”

Oscar Onsite

Best Corporate Social Responsibility

Commenting on Oscar Onsite, the winner in the Best Corporate Social Responsibility category, the chairman of the judges said: :

“Building compliance company Oscar Onsite is doing a brilliant job at resolving the cavity wall insulation (CWI) problem that has affected around six million homes. CWI was supposed to have been an energy-saving measure but because of many factors, it has caused serious issues such as dampness. Oscar Onsite is tackling the issues by training contractors and inspecting sites. Congratulations to Oscar Onsite for spotting the CWI problem and helping homeowners and contractors and improving the reputation of the construction industry.”

Shipster

Best Customer Focus

Commenting on Shipster, the winner in the Best Customer Focus category, the chairman of the judges said:

“Manchester-based Shipster has responded with Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic with remarkable skill. With its staff working from home, it has continued to seamlessly support its clients, who are mainly online retailers, by keeping in touch and developing new software upgrades with the latest shipping rules and a Brexit product for deal and no deal. Shipster also had the additional pressure of ensuring large quantities of vital personal protection equipment and medical supplies were delivered promptly. A huge round of applause to Shipster for the incredible way it has supported its clients through seriously challenging times.”

Vakif Katilim

Commenting on Vakif Katilim, the winner in the Outstanding Support During Covid-19 category, the chairman of the judges said:

“Vakif Katilim is highly deserving of this award for the exemplary way it has focused on its staff during the global pandemic. It’s ‘Health First’ initiative supports staff who were unfortunate enough to catch the virus and offers a range of health advice. Despite working from home, staff were encouraged to stretch themselves with online training schemes and apply for promotion, just as normal. Nearly 400 people have been promoted, which is a great result. Well done to Vakif Katilim for connecting and motivating staff, while they work at home.”

Vakif Katilim

Best Innovative and Creative Use of Technology

Commenting on Vakif Katilim, the winner in the Best Information Technology category, the chairman of the judges said:

“Vakif Katilim’s internal competition for a robotic project was a brilliant way to challenge staff to generate new IT ideas. One staff member from each department was trained as a robotic architect and tasked with finding an application where the technology could be applied. A competition among the robotic architects was then held to find the winners. The judges were really impressed by this creative approach because it trained more staff in robotics and identified a host of projects that could benefit from automation.”

Bilkom Bilisim Hizmetleri A.S.

Best New Business

Commenting on Bilkom Bilisim Hizmetleri A.S., the winner in the Best New Business category, the chairman of the judges said:

“Despite the current challenges, ICT distributor Bilkom Bilisim Hizmetleri has achieved huge success with its new digital platform LoncaMarket launched in mid 2020. The e-commerce platform, the first of its kind in Turkey, enables IT companies to trade safely, innovatively and easily, knowing that the service is backed by Bilkom’s parent company Koc Holding. Congratulations to Bilkom for overcoming the challenges and achieving success in its first year placing LoncaMarket on track to become a major platform for IT dealers in Turkey.”

KuKu Connect

Best Innovation

Commenting on KuKu Connect, the winner in the Best Innovation category, the chairman of the judges said:

“KuKu Connect has to be applauded for turning the stale sales pitch model of networking into something bright, inclusive and highly productive. Using a host of online platforms and innovative services, KuKu Connect, formed in 2016, is now ranked as one of the leading networking companies in the Midlands. It generously paused client fees from March 2020 and offered free online services that have helped businesses stay connected. Thanks to KuKu Connect, during an extremely difficult time, the company has made a significant contribution to the economy by helping many enterprises form new virtual partnerships and remain positive.”

KuKu Connect

Outstanding Entrepreneur

Commenting on Stephen Goddard, Managing Director of KuKu Connect, the winner in the Outstanding Entrepreneur category, the chairman of the judges said:

“Stephen Goddard has refreshed the business networking model and turned his company KuKu Connect into a top networking operator in the Midlands. By being inclusive and innovative, KuKu Connect now has a community of more than 100,000 people. It is commendable that Stephen has paused fees during the pandemic and given the business community a much-needed communication outlet. Well done to Stephen for helping enterprises keep in touch, resulting in some winning new orders, forming new partnerships and making new connections.”

Geeks Ltd

Best Innovation

Commenting on Geeks Ltd, the winner in the Best Innovation category, the chairman of the judges said:

“Geeks Foundation, the non-profit arm of software development company Geeks Ltd, has developed an incredibly useful new free app called WordUp that helps people, both English speakers and English students, improve their vocabulary. What’s brilliant about the WordUp app is that it is intuitive and easy to use. Users receive an assessment of their current English vocabulary and it identifies their knowledge gap. Congratulations to Geeks Foundation for putting technology to good use and helping more than six million people expand their word power.”

Fusion5

Best Product / Service Range

Commenting on Fusion5, the winner in the Best Product/Service Range category, the chairman of the judges said:

“Consumer technology brand Fusion5 is giving Silicon Valley a run for its money with its affordable range of tablets, laptops and smartphones. It all started in 2010 in Durham when Fusion5’s owner Gandhi Perla had the idea for a new type of high-quality, yet affordable tablet. Today Fusion5 has expanded its range to include laptop tablets and smartphones, and it is one of the fastest growing technology companies with more than a million customers. Well done to Fusion5 and Mr Perla for taking on the big players and winning a lucrative share of the home computing market.”

Molfix

Best Corporate Social Responsibility

Commenting on Molfix, the winner in the Best Corporate Social Responsibility category, the chairman of the judges said:

“Molfix, the Turkey-based baby diaper company, has developed a wonderful corporate social responsibility project called Molfix Bond with Love that aims to reduce the number of babies dying from preventable reasons. Its powerful campaign focuses on educating mothers and medical professionals, offering psychological support to mothers and procuring vital medical equipment. The results of the campaign in Turkey across 10 cities are amazingly positive and encouraging. Congratulations to Molfix for giving struggling babies a better chance of survival.”

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA)

Best Customer Focus

Commenting on Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), the winner in the Best Customer Focus category, the chairman of the judges said:

“Congratulations to DEWA for automating the assessment and approval of solar Photovoltaic rooftop energy systems. By using its new interactive web service called Hab Reeb, applications from consumers for rooftop energy systems are easier and faster to process. This speeds up the installation of solar systems and the delivery of an efficient source of energy. Hab Reeb is much appreciated by customers so much so that at the end of 2020, satisfaction levels shot through the roof to more than 94%.”

Vakif Katilim

Best HR

Commenting on Vakif Katilim, the winner in the Best HR category, the chairman of the judges said:

“Vakif Katilim’s digital transformation of all its HR activities has transformed the way bank works. After conducting research and running focus groups, the Turkish bank introduced a range of new staff services including a staff council, regular surveys, a system for rewarding and developing people. All personnel data has been standardised and many operational procedures have been streamlined through digitisation. Management and employees benefit from access to instant easy-to-read data on sophisticated dashboards. The digitisation process has also dramatically boosted Vakif Katilim’s staff satisfaction rates.”

Vakif Katilim

Best Place to Work

Commenting on Vakif Katilim, the winner in the Best Employer category, the chairman of the judges said:

“With three-quarters of its employees now working at home, Turkish-based Vakif Katilim has developed an employee brand called BIZ that has produced a variety of initiatives to help staff remain motivated and reduce isolation anxiety. The bank’s view is that in the virtual world distance doesn’t matter. Its programme of events has improved all the key employee markers including motivation and satisfaction. Well done to Vakif Katilim for researching how staff felt and for running a well thought out project that has given them a sense of purpose and belonging.”

Anadolu Hayat Emeklilik

Best Customer Focus

Commenting on Anadolu Hayat Emeklilik, the winner in the Best Customer Focus category, the chairman of the judges said:

“To help clients better manage their pensions, Turkey’s oldest and largest life assurance company Anadolu Hayat Emeklilik has introduced a robot adviser called Fonmatik ROBO or FR for short. The company discovered that less financially aware clients were failing to move their funds to obtain a better return. FR has changed this by automating fund switches to the benefit of the investor. As well as helping clients obtain a better return, FR takes the pain out of managing pensions. Congratulations to Anadolu Hayat Emeklilik for moving with the times and applying robotic technology to fund management.”

Non Profit Growth (NPG)

Commenting on Non Profit Growth (NPG), the winner in the Outstanding Support during COVID-19 category, the chairman of the judges said:

“Congratulations to Non Profit Growth for literally working round the clock to keep charities afloat as they struggle to raise funds as a result of the global pandemic. By helping clients navigate the application process for grants, NPG has enabled many charitable organisations fund their vital work and continue to help those in need. NPG places integrity and the interests of its clients before sales and makes sure that every penny works hard for customers to get the best possible outcome. The fantastic feedback from clients says it all.”

Non Profit Growth (NPG)

Best Corporate Social Responsibility

Commenting on Non Profit Growth (NPG), the winner in the Best Corporate Social Responsibility category, the chairman of the judges said:

“At a time when charities have been struggling to raise funds, NPG has given its clients a lifeline by helping them achieve success in winning grants. The judges particularly liked NPG’s honest approach with customers. Rather than aiming for sales, NPG carefully assesses clients before taking them on to make certain it can deliver successful outcomes. Many of its charity clients were in danger of collapsing and thanks to NPG a number have been able to continue to serve their communities. Well done to NPG for coming to the rescue of endangered charities.”

Huboo

Best New Business

Commenting on Huboo, the winner in the Best New Business category, the chairman of the judges said:

“By spotting a gap in the market and targeting smaller e-commerce businesses that do not have their own warehouse facilities, entrepreneurs Martin Bysh and Paul Dodd have delivered brilliant performance with their fulfilment company Huboo. Since its inception in 2017, Huboo has seen spectacular growth in new business and turnover, leading to the building of a second warehouse in Bristol and ambitious plans for Europe and the US. It’s not just the trend for e-commerce that had has elevated Hoboo; its success is based on putting people first, excellent training and its innovative micro-hubs system.”

Ladybird Photography

Best Customer Focus

Commenting on Ladybird Photography, the winner in the Best Customer Focus category, the chairman of the judges said:

“Ladybird Photography is an adept company that takes advantage of every opportunity that comes its way. It focuses on providing photographic services for the less well off in East Sussex for events such as christenings, weddings and portraits. In recent years, it gained from switching to digital technology cutting out the need for leather-bound albums, which dramatically cut costs. More recently, it reinvented itself again with a funeral celebrancy service, which involves officiating at services and managing the live streaming of funerals to remote mourners. Ladybird Photography is sharp and nimble, and quick to find new angle.”

Roads Transport Authority

Best Innovation

Commenting on Roads Transport Authority, the winner in the Best Innovation category, the chairman of the judges said: :

“Dubai’s government-run Roads Transport Authority (RTA) is a pioneer of digital transformation for improving its transport systems. Its latest project – Rail Infrastructures Maintenance Management System – for Dubai Metro and tram radically improves inspection and maintenance. The advanced system keeps track of every aspects of running a rail service including assets, risks, maintenance, budgeting and annual capital expenditure with results displayed in an easy-to-read dashboard. Congratulations to RTA for developing a complex system that digitises all rail maintenance helping it to meet the travel demands of one of the world’s fastest growing cities.”

Correct Careers Coaching

Best New Product / Service (less than 2 years old)

Commenting on Correct Careers Coaching, the winner in the Best Product/Service (less than two years old) category, the chairman of the judges said: :

“Sales training company Correct Careers Coaching has proved that it practices what it preaches judging by its impressive sales trajectory. The company provides training in modern sales techniques using social media marketing to generate leads. In only a few years, it has given sales training to more than 28 different industry sectors including start-ups; and diversified with an online B2B sales training course for HR consultants. Another unique product is its sales psychology course for beginners to elite sales professionals, which sounds absolutely fascinating. With sales leads vital for any business, this is must-have training for any business looking to win new clients.”

NKD Pizza

Best Product / Service Range

Commenting on NKD Pizza, the winner in the Best Product/Service category, the chairman of the judges said: :

“Just when you thought that there was nothing new anyone could do with pizza, well-established UK restaurant group NKD Pizza has come with the first on-the-go pizza slice concept. The Slice by NKD is being sold at kiosks located in Euro Garages sites across the UK, where there is a plentiful supply of hungry drivers. The pizza slices are freshly baked and made with local ingredients; and come with quirky names such as ‘Garden Party’ and ‘In a hurry for pepperoni’. The branding and marketing for Slice by NKD is stylish and fun; and the Slice by NKD is a certain winner with pizza lovers.”

Addo Food Group

Best Customer Focus

Commenting on Addo Food Group, the winner in the Best Customer Focus category, the chairman of the judges said: :

“By being forward thinking and focusing on customer service and new product development, Addo Food Group has seen sales for its chilled savoury pastry products double in the past six years. Addo Food carefully watches trends and in line with the wellbeing movement, it launched a new vegan range for the Walls brand. It rose to the challenge at the height of the pandemic by switching to 24 hours production for key products to meet demand. Congratulations to Addo Food for ensuring that customer’s needs are met and retailers are not left with empty shelves. ”