Meet the Winners

On Tuesday 10th November, 700 leaders from across the customer and employee engagement community came together at Old Billingsgate, London, for the 2026 Engage Awards, hosted by comedian Maisie Adam.

Now in their 11th year, and fresh from being named Awards Event of the Year at the Awards Awards 2026, the Engage Awards received a record-breaking number of entries across 37 categories this year. Every entry was assessed by an independent panel of 40 judges, who praised the outstanding calibre of this year’s submissions.

Congratulations to every one of our winners and finalists. Here’s who took home the honours on the night.

Best Flexible Working Initiative

Gold: ElectraLink

ElectraLink introduced a permanent four-day working week with no reduction in pay and no compressed hours, an idea that started with its own employees. Developed collaboratively through consultation, pilots and ongoing feedback, the approach is built on trust, autonomy and outcomes rather than hours worked. Supported by hybrid working and inclusive family policies, it has made flexibility available to everyone, strengthening wellbeing, inclusion and engagement while the business continues to grow.

What the judges said: The judges described this as super impressive and truly transformational for employees. They loved that it listened to what employees said would make a difference, then made it happen, with clear benefits for both the business and its people.

Finalists: ElectraLink, POWWR, Robert Gordon University

Best Use of Social & Community for Customer Engagement

Gold: Oxford International

When its Spring Competitions were marketed independently for the first time, Oxford International turned to its own social channels to build a genuine international community. Rather than relying on paid promotion, the team followed the participant journey, sharing explainers, mentor spotlights and practical guidance before arrival, then authentic student interviews and live storytelling once the programmes began. Students, parents, schools and partners were able to follow and share the experience together, creating a lasting community and a sustainable platform for future programmes.

What the judges said: The judges loved the warm, authentic storytelling that built a credible international community from a standing start. They called it a great example of using community and social platforms to engage an audience, hitting exactly the right spot.

Finalists: Cumberland Building Society, Oxford International, Workvivo by Zoom

Best Approach to Customer Loyalty & Retention

Gold: Luware

As Luware moved to a subscription model, it set out to make loyalty the product of genuine human relationships. Every customer now has a dedicated, named contact from onboarding through to renewal, supported by a proactive nurture programme of regular business reviews, feature demonstrations and performance reporting. Luware also rethought how it measures and staffs support, focusing on fast first responses and customer satisfaction rather than resolution targets, and hiring for empathy and relationship skills from sectors such as hospitality and retail.

What the judges said: The judges praised a strong programme built on trusting people and focusing on outcomes, calling it a great example of a culture that looks after customers across their entire lifecycle.

Finalists: Clarity Environmental Ltd, Landmark Information Group, LeMieux, Luware, SurveySparrow

Best Employee-Led Transformation

Gold: SYSTERAL

SYSTERAL is a unified IT service management platform built from within by the YouCall-it team, the same people who had spent years running a global IT services network and experiencing its challenges first-hand. Shaped by direct feedback from clients, service providers and colleagues, the platform brings procurement, service delivery, vendor management and inventory oversight together in one place, supported by an AI assistant named in memory of a much-missed colleague. The result is a more transparent, connected way of delivering IT services for businesses around the world.

What the judges said: The judges called this an impressive, employee-driven transformation, built by people who understood the challenges first-hand. They described it as a standout programme that has transformed service delivery for YouCall-it and its customers.

Finalists: Colleague Representation Forum (CRF) partnering with Standard Life, Cummins, Mott MacDonald, SYSTERAL

Best End-to-End Customer Journey

Gold: Hackney Markets, Shop Fronts & Street Trading

Hackney’s Markets, Shop Fronts and Street Trading service redesigned its whole customer relationship around what people are really trying to achieve: starting, sustaining or growing a business. The OpenMarkets.London platform created a simple, mobile-friendly route to discover opportunities and apply, with assisted routes kept in place for those who need extra support. Programmes such as Trading Places and The Pitch connect licensing with mentoring and enterprise development, and frontline colleagues are empowered to improve the service, turning the council from gatekeeper into a practical partner for local entrepreneurs.

What the judges said: The judges loved this entry, describing a very impressive way of helping entrepreneurial people access the support they need to succeed, with a hugely improved journey from start to finish. Well done to all on the team!

Finalists: Bigger Brighter Bolder Ltd, Hackney Markets, Shop Fronts & Street Trading, MarketStar, Virgin Media

Best Example of Talent Management & Development

Gold: Clarity Environmental Ltd

Clarity Environmental created its ‘Set up for Success’ programme, a structured onboarding and development journey that gives every new starter a clear route to mastering their role. Each person follows a transparent plan built on a ‘tell, show, do, review’ approach, combining workshops, shadowing, role play, case studies and coaching, with progress tracked openly throughout. Creative touches such as an Olympic medal-style sign-off for each skill keep new colleagues motivated, helping them become confident experts quickly while staying connected to Clarity’s culture during a period of rapid growth.

What the judges said: The judges were impressed by a programme that tackled a real business problem head on, with great feedback and clear evidence of real impact. They were delighted to see it meet its objectives so convincingly.

Finalists: Clarity Environmental Ltd, Informa PLC, Simplyhealth, Sopra Steria

Best Use of Innovation in Customer Engagement

Gold: NRG Energy Inc.

NRG Energy transformed customer engagement from a reactive, survey-led process into a predictive capability. Its predictive sentiment operating system uses behavioural and operational data to understand how customers are likely to feel, even if they have never completed a survey, allowing teams to identify customers who may be at risk and reach out with tailored support before dissatisfaction occurs. Now embedded across customer experience, marketing, pricing and retention teams, it directly connects customer experience with business decision-making.

What the judges said: The judges described this as genuinely innovative and a true culture shifter, using data to understand customers who never respond to surveys, and then acting on it.

Finalists: Clarity Environmental Ltd, Dubai Electricity and water authority (Transformation of Customer Happiness Centers), E.ON Next, Hackney Markets, Shop Fronts & Street Trading, NRG Energy Inc.

Best Personalisation of Employee Experience

Gold: SUSE

SUSE’s Futureselves Discovery Programme is a personalised journey for experienced, later-career colleagues, designed by its in-house organisational psychologist. Built around four pillars of Wisdom, Wealth, Work and Wellbeing, it helped participants shape goals across their careers, lifestyles and values, supported by expert-led workshops and a personalised AI coach. Participants also experimented with AI tools to solve real work challenges, helping SUSE’s most experienced people feel seen, re-energised and ready for the future.

What the judges said: The judges called this an excellent, unique and inspiring entry. They noted that investing in people at this stage of their careers is rare, yet the impact is clearly demonstrated, with some really positive employee feedback.

Finalists: Clarity Environmental Ltd, Firstup, Montcalm Collection, SUSE

Sales Transformation

Gold: Expedia Group, powered by Seismic

Expedia Group, powered by Seismic, transformed sales enablement from a content support function into a driver of commercial performance. Using Seismic, the team created a single source of truth for content, tailored sales communications, structured learning paths and automated, personalised partner materials. Coaching based on the behaviours of top performers and AI-powered role-play gave sellers a safe space to practise, helping them prepare for better partner conversations and making enablement something sellers now actively seek out.

What the judges said: The judges described a highly impressive transformation that turned sales enablement into a strategic driver of commercial performance. They called it the most credible entry in the category, with genuine behavioural change rather than simply a new platform.

Finalists: DHL eCommerce x The Maverick Group, durhamlane & Hexagon, Expedia Group, powered by Seismic, VXI Global Solutions

Best Customer Engagement Redesign

Gold: Olympia Events

Olympia Events redesigned its customer engagement model to put guests first across its heritage event spaces and new International Convention Centre. The team introduced ‘The Olympia Way’, a shared set of values and EPIC behaviours embraced by employees and external partners alike, from security to food and beverage. New customer feedback tools, dedicated Duty Managers and a joined-up operating model are helping deliver a consistent, premium experience across the whole Olympia destination.

What the judges said: The judges called this an excellent entry and an impressive turnaround, backed by the strongest evidence base in the category. They loved how everyone, including external partners, has been brought into ‘the Olympia way’.

Finalists: Accenture, Castore, Clarity Environmental Ltd, Hays Travel & OAK, Olympia Events

Best Employee Engagement Redesign

Gold: Accenture

Accenture’s StratComms team reimagined internal communications for a global client account, turning routine updates into something people genuinely wanted to engage with. The BOSS Campaign introduced a distinctive new identity, including a playful cast of characters in professional attire, created with humans in the lead and AI as the envisioning engine. Rolled out through reusable templates, leadership moments and storytelling sessions that turned employees into brand ambassadors, it has made communications something colleagues look forward to and act on.

What the judges said: The judges described this as a creative, engaging and truly unique way to drive engagement and connection, and a really positive way of instilling pride. In the words of one judge: so impressive!

Finalists: Accenture, Network Rail, Sutton 1079, Thomas, Welcome Break

Everyday AI for Customers & Colleagues

Gold: Forty1

Forty1 created an AI Academy for Inizio Engage XD that treated AI adoption as a people and behaviour change challenge rather than a technology rollout. Using behavioural insight to tailor the experience to different audiences, it combined learning pathways, leadership storytelling, peer advocacy, communities of practice and immersive, AI-powered experiences. Colleagues learned with AI by solving real business challenges together, and the approach is now being scaled across the wider business and adapted for clients.

What the judges said: The judges praised a people-centric, thoughtful and well-built approach to embedding AI into the business. Strong testimonials, and its roll-out as a solution for clients, show just how successful it has been.

Finalists: Accenture, EPAM Systems Ltd, Flightscape, Forty1, Merck & RLVNT.AI

Best Employee Engagement Team

Gold: InteLogix

The InteLogix Philippines leadership team, led by Country Manager Eden Gutierrez, shapes the employee experience at every stage, from recognition and wellbeing to crisis response and community outreach. When a series of earthquakes and typhoons struck the Bacolod region, the team opened its site to employees and their families as a place of safety, then redirected its engagement budget into grassroots relief for the local community, delivered by employee volunteers. Ongoing initiatives such as tree planting continue to connect employee wellbeing, community impact and business success in one culture of care.

What the judges said: The judges called this an excellent and very impressive example of internal engagement working hand in hand with community engagement, making InteLogix a genuine employer of choice.

Silver: First Bus

First Bus’s Colleague Engagement Team helps a large, largely frontline workforce across the UK and Ireland feel informed, connected, valued and heard.

Finalists: Anglo American, Clarion Housing Group, First Bus, InteLogix, Montcalm Collection, Nationwide Building Society, Sanofi

Best Employee Experience for Frontline or Hard-to-Reach Employees

Gold: Grupo Salinas

Grupo Salinas created Salud GS to close a gap in access to healthcare for employees across Mexico, so that where someone lives no longer determines the care they receive. The integrated wellness service brings medical, psychological, nutritional and paediatric specialists to employees wherever they are, through phone, chat, video and messaging, with a simple log-in and no app download needed. AI-powered triage and a conversational assistant help employees describe their concerns naturally, while personalised reminders and workshops shift the focus from treatment to prevention.

What the judges said: Wow was the word from the judges: an initiative making a genuine, life-changing difference to employees and their families. A brilliant example of diagnosing a real need and creating a truly inclusive solution. Amazing!

Silver: Glasgow 2026 Legends

Glasgow 2026 recruited, trained and deployed its volunteer workforce, The Legends, in record time to deliver the Commonwealth Games.

Finalists: First Bus, Glasgow 2026 Legends, Grupo Salinas, Jaguar Land Rover, Northumbria Police, Serco Environmental Services, Welcome Break

Best Employee Listening and Insight Strategy

Gold: BBC

The BBC redesigned employee listening as a continuous, trusted system rather than a series of one-off events. Inspired by how radio listening became an everyday habit, it moved from centralised to distributed listening, building a network of trained facilitators across the organisation and focusing on psychologically safe spaces for genuine dialogue. Treated as a People Experience product in its own right, the approach turns colleague insight into visible decisions and action, helping build a more inclusive and responsive organisation.

What the judges said: The judges called this a fantastic entry that proves the impact listening can have on decision-making and action. They loved how deep listening has replaced survey fatigue, turning sharp insight into action that shapes culture.

Silver: Grupo Salinas

Cuéntanos, meaning ‘Tell Us’, is Grupo Salinas’ long-running employee listening and support programme, designed to hear employees across offices, stores and remote field locations throughout Mexico, including those without regular digital access.

Finalists: Aberdeen plc, Assicurazioni Generali S.p.A., Aster Group, BBC, Colleague Representation Forum (CRF) partnering with Standard Life, Grupo Salinas, Newstel Worldwide

Best Internal Communications Strategy

Gold: Accenture

Accenture’s StratComms team acts as the dedicated internal communications function for a large global client account, treating communications as a behavioural design challenge rather than a production task. Every piece of work starts with what employees need to understand or do differently, from campaigns that helped colleagues adopt new AI tools with confidence, to an interactive prototype that brought a new chatbot to life for stakeholders, to an origami-inspired culture identity that shows values in everyday moments. Thoughtful use of AI extends the team’s creative capacity, so communications land with clarity and lead to real change.

What the judges said: The judges called this a fantastic example of true strategic communications, embedded at the heart of the business. They found the focus on genuine behaviour change, rather than clicks and likes, a refreshing change.

Silver: Aster Group

Aster Group co-designed a new internal communications strategy with its colleagues, built around one simple principle: connection.

Finalists: Accenture, Aster Group, Currie & Brown, DKSH, EY, People's Pension, Tata Consultancy Services

Best Use of AI in Employee Engagement

Gold: Merck & RLVNT.AI

Merck’s Global Communications function, working with RLVNT.AI, set out to turn access to its internal AI platform into real, lasting AI confidence across its worldwide team. The people-first programme combines regular MondAI learning sessions and an online community with a network of trained Change Agents, each given dedicated time to coach colleagues. AI upskilling was built into performance goals, while creative touches such as an AI avatar called Alfred and talks from leading technology experts made the journey engaging, creating a blueprint that can be shared across the wider business.

What the judges said: The judges praised strong, demonstrable results from a simple, targeted programme focused on behaviour change. They highlighted dedicated time for change agents as a brilliant example of building AI into the culture.

Silver: EPAM Systems Ltd

EPAM’s AI/RUN Global People.Transform Bootcamp took a build-your-own-agent approach, previously used with engineers, and applied it to its entire People function for the first time.

Finalists: Dubai Electricity and water authority /DEWA Innovation & Future Shaping Framework (AI), Each Person, EPAM Systems Ltd, Firstup, Luware, Merck & RLVNT.AI, Nationwide Building Society

Best Use of AI in Customer Engagement

Gold: Ada

Ada set out to make an AI agent the primary way enterprises engage with their customers: a single, always-on interface that resolves needs instantly across voice, messaging and email. Rather than simply answering questions, Ada’s Playbooks allow the agent to complete multi-step tasks on a customer’s behalf, such as rebooking a disrupted flight or processing a refund, personalised in real time using information from the systems a business already runs. Delivered through its Agentic Customer Experience Operating Model, the approach puts customer experience teams in control, so they can own and continuously improve the AI agents engaging their customers.

What the judges said: The judges described Ada’s impact on customer experience as transformative and excellent. They called it an exceptionally strong entry and a distinctive example of AI working at genuine enterprise scale.

Silver: Reed in Partnership

Reed in Partnership used AI to transform how people are welcomed into the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme following referral.

Finalists: Ada, CarTrawler, InteLogix, Learnlight, Notify AI & Clarins, Reed in Partnership, ScottishPower, SHEBA® - Mars Pet Nutrition, UJET, Watermelon Research in partnership with LV=

Best Rewards & Recognition Programme

Gold: National Grid

National Grid transformed a well-liked but under-used recognition scheme into Living our values, a company-wide cultural programme that turned its three values, Do the right thing, Find a better way and Make it happen, into visible, everyday behaviours. Built on one strategic and creative platform but delivered locally, it gave business units the flexibility to tailor content and celebrations to their people, with a particular focus on reaching field colleagues. Colleagues were involved at every stage, from nominating and judging to choosing and celebrating, strengthening pride, belonging and connection across a dispersed workforce.

What the judges said: The judges named this the strongest submission in the category, praising a great increase in participation and an inclusive experience with peer ownership at every stage.

Silver: Impact Food Group

Impact Food Group created Making an Impact, a company-wide recognition programme designed for the realities of its frontline school catering teams.

Finalists: Bupa, Dubai Electricity and water authority - Share.K Recognition Programme, Each Person, Grupo Salinas, Impact Food Group, National Grid, Voy, Warner Hotels

Best Use of Technology in Employee Engagement

Gold: Currys x YellowFish

Currys and Yellow Fish have partnered to create Be Amazing, a bespoke digital engagement platform that engages, educates and recognises Currys’ frontline retail colleagues across the UK and Ireland. Designed around the Currys Store Plan, the platform turns business priorities into engaging experiences through interactive learning, gamification and personalised rewards and recognition. During the busy peak trading period, connected campaigns used live sales, HR and customer satisfaction data to reward colleagues fairly, recognise outstanding customer service instantly and reinforce the behaviours that matter most on the shop floor.

What the judges said: The judges called this an excellent entry with great storytelling and impact. They praised a clear connection between engagement and company success, and an excellent use of technology with standout results.

Silver: V&A

With new museums opening, the V&A needed an intranet its growing workforce could trust.

Finalists: Currys x YellowFish, Firstup, Four Seasons London at Park Lane, Knight Frank, Love's Travel Stops and Interact, Parkdean Resorts & Inpulse, Thomas, V&A

Best Use of Technology in Customer Engagement

Gold: Ada

Ada’s entry centres on its unified Reasoning Engine, a single intelligence layer that powers one AI agent across voice, messaging and email at the same time. Because every channel shares the same intelligence, customers enjoy a consistent, personalised experience wherever they get in touch, with full context carried across their journey. Combined with Playbooks that carry out tasks on a customer’s behalf and tools that let teams find and fix issues quickly, the platform learns and improves over time, helping brands turn service moments into lasting engagement and loyalty.

What the judges said: The judges described this as the most technically differentiated entry in the category, delivering a seamless experience across channels that learns over time, backed by impressive improvements and the best-balanced testimonials in the field.

Silver: Clarity Environmental Ltd

Clarity Environmental developed RAM Transform, a software platform that helps customers meet new Extended Producer Responsibility packaging regulations in a fraction of the time.

Finalists: Ada, Cardstream Group, CarTrawler, Clarity Environmental Ltd, E.ON Next, Engage People, Kantar & Hyundai Motor Company, ScottishPower, Virgin Media

Marketing Campaign of the Year

Gold: Bellway

Feels Like Home is the vision behind Bellway’s new brand identity, marketing campaign and customer communication strategy, created with Wolff Olins and grounded in extensive research with customers, colleagues and stakeholders. The brand modernises Bellway to meet changing customer expectations while staying true to the values it was founded on, with a warm, uplifting tone of voice built on being caring, uplifting and pragmatic. Celebrating real, relatable moments in people’s lives, it is designed to simplify every stage of the homebuying journey and help customers feel proud to call their new house home from day one.

What the judges said: The judges called this a coherent, well-researched brand transformation and a polished, persuasive and visually beautiful campaign, with a memorable idea that immediately connects with customers.

Silver: Flipkart Commerce Cloud

Flipkart Commerce Cloud set out to reframe how the technology industry talks about motherhood, from a ‘career break’ to a period of growth.

Finalists: Bellway, Bupa, Flipkart Commerce Cloud, Foundation, GridBeyond, NHS Property Services, Signature Group, SP Energy Networks, Tusker

Best Use of Customer Insight

Gold: Entain

Entain’s insight team set out to bring together two worlds that had always been measured separately: how customers think and feel, and what they actually do. By joining perception data with behavioural data, and working closely with product owners and engineers to test long-held assumptions, the team gave colleagues a shared, evidence-based view of their customers. The result is a repeatable capability that anchors decision-making across Entain’s brands and markets, and has already led to faster, better experiences for customers.

What the judges said: The judges called this one of the strongest entries in the category, joining together data nobody else had managed to connect and turning it into faster, better experiences for customers. Super impressive, well done!

Silver: CarTrawler

CarTrawler’s Voice of the Customer programme created an AI-enabled customer intelligence ecosystem that brings customer feedback and operational data together in one place.

Finalists: bOnline, CarTrawler, Entain, Lloyds Banking Group, Northern Gas Networks, NRG Energy Inc., Scottish Water, The Women's Gym, VMO2 with Quadrangle, Watermelon Research in partnership with LV=

Excellence in Improving Customer Outcomes

Gold: Standard Life Plc

Standard Life redesigned its bereavement journey around the reality of grief, recognising that people who have lost a loved one are often least able to cope with complex forms and decisions. Drawing on research into how grief affects memory, concentration and decision-making, teams across behavioural science, data science, inclusive design, digital and communications came together to reduce effort, remove barriers and give customers more choice and control over how they engage. Every change was guided by one question: how do we make this easier for someone going through one of the hardest times of their life?

What the judges said: The judges called this a fantastic example of supporting customers through some of the most difficult days of their lives. By seeing the product from the customer’s perspective, the team has completely changed how it is experienced.

Silver: Hackney Markets, Shop Fronts & Street Trading

Hackney’s Markets, Shop Fronts and Street Trading service redesigned itself around what customers really want to achieve: not a licence, but the opportunity to start and grow a lawful, viable business.

Finalists: Aviva, Belfast Metropolitan College, Bigger Brighter Bolder Ltd, British Gas, CXD, HMRC, Hackney Markets, Shop Fronts & Street Trading, HubGem, Lloyds Banking Group, Reputation, Standard Life Plc

Best Approach to Change Management

Gold: Currie & Brown

Currie & Brown used the launch of its new global brand, built around the value of certainty, as a programme of organisational change, helping employees understand, adopt and confidently apply a new strategic positioning in their everyday work. Shaped by research with employees and clients, the programme followed a model of global consistency and local ownership, with leaders prepared first and then equipped to explain the change to their own teams. Practical tools, messaging and ongoing support turned the brand into a shared narrative, helping the business differentiate itself and strengthen client relationships.

What the judges said: The judges described an exceptionally well-planned change programme, treating the brand launch not as a one-off campaign but a sustained programme. A mature understanding of how to make change stick.

Silver: NatWest Boxed

NatWest Boxed’s Operational Readiness Team built, from a blank slate, the operational engine needed to support the rapid growth of a new Banking-as-a-Service business.

Bronze: Ceres

Following a period of restructuring, Ceres launched A New Era, a business-wide transformation programme to rebuild confidence and align its people behind a clear vision for growth.

Finalists: Allianz Partners Health and Clever Nelly, BDO, Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, Ceres, Currie & Brown, Forty1, Merck & RLVNT.AI, NatWest Boxed, Northumbria Police, Royal Mail + NKD, Thames Water - Retail Change & Contact Centre Support

Best Diversity and Inclusion Strategy

Gold: Xceed

Xceed set out to build a workforce from talent others were overlooking: people from underserved communities in Upper Egypt and people with visual and physical disabilities. It became the first company in Egypt to establish contact centre capabilities in Upper Egypt, opening delivery centres in Qena and Asyut, and built a structured disability employment programme, scaled through a partnership with GIZ Egypt. Roles are designed around each person’s needs, with tailored tools such as customised screen reader software, proving that inclusive hiring delivers better outcomes for people and the business alike.

What the judges said: The judges called this a highly compelling and truly strategic programme, opening up employment in underserved regions and creating meaningful careers for people with disabilities. Great diversity in action!

Silver: Murphy

Murphy’s People & Social Value Strategy is designed to improve the lives of current and future employees and the communities it works in, building a workplace where everyone feels secure and comfortable to be themselves.

Bronze: ElectraLink

ElectraLink’s Diversity & Inclusion Strategy was created to ensure every employee feels accepted, valued and able to contribute fully, with the ambition of becoming a leading example of best practice in the energy sector.

Finalists: Bright Horizons UK, Concentrix + Virgin Media O2, Each Person, ElectraLink, JCDecaux, JLR, Leonardo Hotels, Mastek UK, Murphy, Volkswagen Group UK, Xceed

Overall Customer Experience Excellence Award

Gold: E.ON Next

E.ON Next set out to rebuild trust and engagement in a challenging energy market through a customer-led digital experience. Its Playmaker app brings every customer interaction into one personalised place, with energy-saving tips, easy-to-understand usage insights, rewards and simple routes to renewable options, while BILLIE turns traditional bills into an interactive digital experience. This is underpinned by high-quality human support, with every colleague trained as an Energy Specialist, round-the-clock WhatsApp support and AI-powered tools that help colleagues give confident, consistent answers.

What the judges said: The judges described an excellent overall customer experience, with an innovative app and huge levels of engagement. A great example of a utility improving customer experience while positively influencing how customers use energy.

Silver: Hackney Markets, Shop Fronts & Street Trading

Hackney’s Markets, Shop Fronts and Street Trading service brought what customers once experienced as separate regulatory, operational and commercial processes together into one consistently excellent experience.

Bronze: CarTrawler

CarTrawler designed a customer experience strategy to reduce effort for customers and employees alike, improve access to self-service and provide more proactive, personalised support.

Finalists: Bupa + Ipsos, CarTrawler, E.ON Next, Ethos Farm, Flightscape, Hackney Markets, Shop Fronts & Street Trading, Luware, Northern Gas Networks, Octopus Electric Vehicles, People's Pension, SurveySparrow

Best Customer Service Team

Gold: Carl ZEISS Vision UK and Kantar

Carl Zeiss Vision UK’s Customer Care Team is the trusted voice of ZEISS for independent and national optical practices across the UK and Ireland, helping them keep delivering great care to their patients. Using insight gathered with Kantar, the team has transformed customer care into a strategic advantage, making it easier for customers to get the right help at the right time. A shadowing programme invited colleagues from across the business to listen in on calls and spend time in the optical labs, while clear ownership, specialist expertise and strong partnerships have made the team a benchmark for ZEISS globally.

What the judges said: The judges praised a well-rounded entry with great outcomes, and loved how the team opened up its headsets so colleagues could hear what customers hear. As one customer put it: ‘The customer care team feel like family to me.’

Silver: Luware

Luware rebuilt its customer team around one ambition: near-perfect customer satisfaction through genuinely better human interactions.

Bronze: Heathrow Airport

Heathrow Helpers are the people passengers look for when the airport feels busy, unfamiliar or stressful.

Finalists: ARKK, Carl ZEISS Vision UK and Kantar, Clarity Environmental Ltd, Heathrow Airport, HubGem, InteLogix, Luware, NatWest Boxed, People's Pension, Simply Business, Sopro, VXI Global Solutions

Best Use of Innovation in Employee Engagement

Gold: Bright Horizons UK

Bright Horizons created SuperChef in response to feedback from its nursery chefs, who wanted more opportunities to showcase their skills and shape the food they serve. Chefs from across the organisation were invited to create and submit original recipes meeting the company’s nutritional standards, with winning and finalist dishes added to nursery menus. The initiative turned chefs from behind-the-scenes colleagues into recognised innovators, strengthening pride, engagement and their connection to Bright Horizons’ purpose of supporting children’s health and wellbeing.

What the judges said: The judges loved everything about this approach, giving airtime to some true unsung heroes. A refreshingly simple idea with real impact on employees, customers and the business. Great entry!

Silver: ElectraLink

ElectraLink introduced a permanent four-day working week, with no reduction in pay and no compressed hours, to improve wellbeing, engagement and inclusion while maintaining strong business performance.

Bronze: Sanofi

Sanofi’s Mapping What Matters initiative built a robust, journey-based diagnostic to understand where employees experience friction and why.

Finalists: Awardco, Bright Horizons UK, Dubai Electricity and water authority - Innovation Collaboration Program, each person, ElectraLink, Firstup, Immediate, Mars, Incorporated., MindShift Labs, Northumbria Police, Royal Mail, Sanofi

Best Customer Centric Strategy

Gold: Bupa + Ipsos

Bupa, working with Ipsos, set out to make customer-centricity part of everyone’s role across its UK business, from clinics and hospitals to dental, insurance and care services. Recognising that in healthcare emotional connection matters as much as efficiency, Bupa built an interconnected ecosystem of capabilities, including customer listening, Net Emotional Value measurement, the Hello Bupa customer community, journey mapping, behavioural research and ConneCXions. Together, these embed customer insight into everyday decisions, helping teams design human-centred experiences that build trust, compassion and advocacy.

What the judges said: The judges called this a standout, highly sophisticated customer-centric programme, designed for the realities of healthcare where trust and emotional connection matter. A highly credible, human-centred entry.

Silver: Money Wellness

Money Wellness provides free, independent debt advice, so the only measure of success is whether someone’s life gets better.

Bronze: E.ON Next

E.ON Next rewired its customer strategy to connect with customers proactively throughout their energy journey, guided by an insight approach that puts real customer voices at the centre.

Finalists: bOnline, Bristan Group Ltd, Bupa + Ipsos, CarTrawler, E.ON Next, Flogas Britain, Luware, Money Wellness, Sopro, The Women's Gym, Tusker, Zepz

Best Employee Engagement Strategy

Gold: Sanofi

Sanofi’s Employee Experience Strategy is built on a simple conviction: engagement is the outcome of a well-designed employee journey. Building on its first employee journey diagnostic and design-thinking sessions where employees identify friction and co-create solutions, the strategy brings together a unified global framework, a dashboard connecting employee experience to business outcomes, tangible improvements at key moments such as onboarding and career transitions, and equipping every employee to drive experience improvement themselves.

What the judges said: The judges called this a first-class entry that nails it: employee experience is the driver of business outcomes. A small team creating wide global change. Well done to a team doing Excellent work!

Silver: Skyscanner Internal Communications

As Skyscanner launched its new company strategy, Accelerate, its Internal Communications team shifted its role from sharing information to building belief.

Bronze: First Bus

First Bus set out to rebuild trust and create a consistent, people-first experience for colleagues across the UK and Ireland, most of whom are frontline drivers and engineers.

Finalists: Avanti Communications, British Airways, First Bus, Four Seasons London at Park Lane, JCDecaux, Montcalm Collection, National Grid, Nationwide Building Society, Newstel Worldwide, Paysafe, Sanofi, SAP UKI, Skyscanner Internal Communications

Best Vulnerable Customer Strategy

Gold: Hope 4U

Hope 4U exists to reach vulnerable households before crisis takes hold. Working with Bradford Council, Bradford and Airedale NHS, Northern Gas Networks and Northern Powergrid, it embedded financial and energy support within NHS maternity care, reaching new and expectant families at one of the most financially precarious moments of their lives. Families receive joined-up support in a single conversation, with interpreting available around the clock, and the Bradford model has become Hope 4U’s national blueprint, now operating with hospitals, energy networks, water companies and local authorities across the country.

What the judges said: The judges called this a distinctive and highly award-worthy strategy, embedding support within NHS maternity care to reach families before crisis. A very inspiring, holistic approach. Breaking down silos works everywhere!

Silver: Money Wellness

Through its frontline casework, Money Wellness discovered that survivors of domestic and economic abuse were being charged a fee to access an order that protects their address during insolvency, leaving many unable to keep their location safe.

Bronze: Octopus Energy: Putting People over Payments: The Octopus model for inclusive energy support

Octopus Energy moved from a reactive, transactional approach to debt towards a proactive, holistic and human-centred model, recognising that financial stress is often a sign of a deeper personal crisis.

Finalists: Battersea Power Station, Dubai Electricity and water authority (A Step Toward an Inclusive Smart City), Entain, Flogas Britain, Hope 4U, HSBC UK, InteLogix, Money Wellness, Northern Gas Networks, Octopus Energy: Putting People over Payments: The Octopus model for inclusive energy support, Standard Life Plc, Virgin Media, Xceed

Vision and Values

Gold: Nationwide Building Society

Following its acquisition of Virgin Money, Nationwide set out to maintain engagement, build cultural cohesion and connect colleagues across both organisations to a shared purpose. A ‘Stronger. Together.’ identity and narrative became the golden thread through communications and leadership moments, and both leadership teams developed a joint Blueprint setting out a shared purpose, strategic priorities and customer-first behaviours. When the integration reached its final legal milestone, the ‘We’re official!’ campaign marked the moment as one Nationwide team, deepening pride, belief and connection.

What the judges said: The judges described a highly effective culture programme delivered during a major acquisition, creating alignment and belief at a potentially disruptive time. Fantastic, well planned and particularly impressive.

Silver: The Podcast Guys Ltd

As The Podcast Guys grew quickly, its old values had become something nobody could name.

Bronze: Newstel Worldwide

Newstel’s culture grew around the vision and values of its founder and CEO, Jonas Fandrey, but they had never been written down.

Finalists: Ceres, Flexicare (Group) Limited, GAUCHO Restaurants, Genus plc, Hill Group, JCDecaux, MarketStar, National Grid, Nationwide Building Society, Newstel Worldwide, NSPCC, POWWR, SANOFI, The Podcast Guys Ltd, Voy

Best Company Culture or Workplace Culture Initiative

Gold: V&A

With new museums opening, including V&A East, the V&A set out to embed V&A East’s ethos of democratising access to culture into its working culture and prepare the organisation for multi-site working. The museum focused on inclusive recruitment to inspire new and different people to work and volunteer with it, and introduced a new Employer Brand to deliver a consistent experience at every stage of a V&A career. Collaboration across sites has helped build an integrated culture where staff and volunteers feel inspired and enabled to play their part in bringing creativity to all.

What the judges said: The judges praised a brilliant articulation of what the V&A set out to achieve, calling it a super programme to rejuvenate the museum’s culture, with phenomenal evidence of impact.

Silver: SANOFI

Sanofi’s Culture Talks give every leader and manager a ready-to-use, structured forum for team conversations that bring the company’s values to life.

Bronze: Accenture- GiveBack

#GIVEBACK is an employee citizenship programme launched by Accenture Strategy & Consulting India to turn a commitment to sustainability and social impact into everyday employee action.

Finalists: Accenture- GiveBack, Alpine Fire Engineers, DAS Fire, Archipelo Coaching, Aster Group, BritBox International Ltd, Clarity Environmental Ltd, MindShift Labs, National Grid, Penningtons Manches Cooper, Richmond Pharamacology, Rotork Plc, SANOFI, SGN, Somerset Bridge Group, Sopra Steria, V&A

Best Employee Wellbeing Strategy

Gold: People's Pension

The People’s Pension, part of not-for-profit People’s Partnership, put colleague health and wellbeing at the centre of its ambitious growth plans, recognising that engaged, resilient colleagues are essential to delivering exceptional service. Its strategy combines holistic wellbeing support with genuine colleague ownership, through colleague networks, feedback, wellbeing champions and co-created initiatives. Wellbeing is treated as a strategic enabler of engagement, productivity and performance, true to the organisation’s long-standing social purpose.

What the judges said: The judges described an outstanding wellbeing strategy, with colleagues genuinely shaping the agenda. One judge called it probably the best entry they had read in terms of understanding the brief.

Silver: Elsevier

Elsevier launched MindLife to give every employee meaningful, accessible support for their whole-person health, where previously there had been no formal wellbeing provision.

Bronze: HubGem

HubGem’s wellbeing strategy has one aim: a workplace where nobody has to choose between the job they love and the life they love.

Finalists: Bupa, Elsevier, EPAM Systems, Inc., Freemans Grattan Holdings, GAUCHO Restaurants, Hill Group, Hope 4U, Housing 21, HubGem, JLR (Jaguar Land Rover), Jobsplus, Leonardo Hotels, London Borough Of Havering, Orbia, People's Pension, SAP UKI, Simplyhealth

Best Use of Training

Gold: Impact Food Group

Impact Food Group developed a bespoke Production Chef Apprenticeship Programme, in partnership with Learnmore, to attract, develop and retain talent in school catering. Designed around the realities of school food production, it lets learners apply their skills in their roles straight away, transforming apprenticeships from a compliance activity into a strategic driver of workforce development. The programme challenges perceptions of hospitality careers and creates clear pathways for colleagues to progress from entry-level positions into skilled and leadership roles.

What the judges said: The judges called this innovative, creative, practical and inspirational, with the clearest evidence of impact in the category. As one judge put it: if only all apprenticeships were run this way. Brilliant!

Silver: Four Seasons London at Park Lane

Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane created Elevate, a leadership programme designed to create lasting changes in behaviour rather than simply building knowledge.

Bronze: Forty1

For Inizio Engage XD, Forty1 and Inizio’s learning specialists Nazaré designed an AI Academy built to change how people work, not just what they know.

Finalists: Allianz Partners Health and Clever Nelly, Black and White Engineering Ltd, Bupa + Ipsos, Flutter UK & Ireland, Forty1, Foundation, Four Seasons London at Park Lane, Foxtons, Glasgow 2026 Legends, Impact Food Group, JCDecaux, Lantmannen Unibake UK Limited, Lhasa Limited, NSPCC, P&O Cruises in partnership with Cowry Consulting, Simplyhealth, Space NK

Great Place to Work

Gold: HubGem

HubGem, recently named the World’s Happiest Workplace, has built a culture on trust, psychological safety and genuine care for the whole person. Its approach to leadership draws on social work and psychology rather than traditional management theory, with every leader trained through the HubGem Leadership Programme and The Happy Workplace Programme to hold strengths-based conversations, create safety in one-to-ones and coach on resilience. Guided by a People Strategy that puts culture, wellbeing and engagement first, HubGem shows what is possible when people are trusted, supported and able to bring their whole selves to work.

What the judges said: The judges called this a very strong, persuasive entry, and found it hard to argue with the World’s Happiest Workplace! They loved the line that sets the tone: ‘We no longer call these HR metrics. We call them leadership metrics.’

Silver: Bright Horizons UK

Bright Horizons has built a colleague experience rooted in purpose, belonging and growth, guided by its HEART values of Honesty, Excellence, Accountability, Respect and Teamwork.

Bronze: ElectraLink

ElectraLink has built a culture on trust, flexibility, inclusion and employee voice, where people, purpose and performance are intrinsically linked.

Finalists: Black and White Engineering Ltd, Bright Horizons UK, ElectraLink, Flexicare (Group) Limited, Hackney Markets, Shop Fronts & Street Trading, Housing 21, HubGem, Landmark Information Group, MarketStar, Mastek UK, nVent, Richmond Pharamacology, SAP UKI, Speexx, UK Inbound Sales at Domestic & General

Thank you

A huge congratulations to all of our winners and finalists, and a heartfelt thank you to our judges for giving so much of their time and expertise.

The 2027 Engage Awards dinner will take place on 9th November 2027, with entries opening on 27th January 2027. Find out more at www.EngageAwards.Com

Congratulations to all of our 2026 Winners!