A 13-strong judging panel has completed the daunting workload of choosing the winners in this year’s Irish News Workplace & Employment Awards.
They had to mull over a record number of entries (they smashed through the 150-mark yet again this year), and more than 70 companies and organisations have made the short-list.
One of the north’s leading business figures Ellvena Graham OBE, current chair of Tourism NI and of Catalyst, chaired the judging session at the IntoMedia headquarters.
Also on the adjudication panel were representatives of the awards initiative’s Gold sponsor partners Orlagh O’Neill (Carson McDowell), Joanne Mallon (Queen’s University), Martina Corrigan (Errigal Group) and Niall McAleer (Options Technology)
The were joined by other key business partners Ronnie Crawford (Calibro Workspace), Olivia Stewart (NI Chamber), Colin Maxwell (nijobfinder), Edel Creery (NIE Networks), Eimear Kearney (Titanic Belfast), Tiarnan O’Neill (Galgorm Collection) and Stephen Miller (Miller Hospitality), as well as by Irish News business editor Gary McDonald.
The judges remarked on the quality of the award submissions, as applicants remain unerringly determined to stand out and benchmark themselves against their peers.
“We were struck again not just by the sheer numbers but by the exceptional quality of the entries this year,” Gary McDonald said.
“The standard was impeccable, and every single winner will have thoroughly earned the right to step up to the podium at the gala awards dinner in Titanic Belfast on June 6,” he added.
This year’s entries included a raft of new names to the competition, which continues to go from strength to strength, and the short list reflects a mix of blue chip companies, innovative small firms, public sector organisations and education.
More details on this year’s awards at https://wea.irishnews.com/