Judges

Toni is an experienced HR professional with 20+ years in professional services. She trained as an accountant at PwC, working with global clients across multiple sectors. After 10 years in client facing roles she moved into human resources and went on to shape and drive the firm's reward strategy. As part of the HR leadership team, she was also responsible for employee relations and global projects. She joined A&O in 2016 as Global Head of Reward and also became the firm's first Head of Wellbeing. Throughout her career Toni has worked with senior leaders to create people strategies that drive change and improve performance across many aspects of the people agenda including diversity, resourcing, performance management and wellbeing in the workplace - a topic she is passionate about.

Barclays BUK Oversight Manager, Let's Talk Men's Mental Health Allyship Lead and Mental Health Advocate. I am a huge advocate for Mental Health and wellbeing, particularly men’s health and trying to encourage men to speak up and battle the stigma that surrounds it. It’s okay to not be okay and men need to understand and embrace that. I am part of a Barclays mental health working group where we regularly hold forums and tackle a variety of subjects from depression, anxiety, grief, addiction, and self-doubt among many others, offering a safe space to talk and share, whilst offering support and advice. Outside of Barclays I am an active individual that likes running, cycling, and hiking, I find these exercises a great way to reset and refocus whilst keeping fit and healthy. I also volunteer for a Kent based homeless charity called Porchlight where I assist with getting rough sleepers off the street and on a path of independence. That support goes far beyond finding them a place to call home, it also offers professional support for addiction issues, employment workshops to help with CV writing and applications, whilst also offering cooking workshops to help them be more independent and self-sufficient.

Laura is an experienced Benefits professional with a strong passion for employee experience. As Health & Wellbeing Leader at Adobe for nearly eight years, she has embedded wellbeing into the benefits agenda, built a strong culture of preventative health, and implemented data-driven enhancements to health offerings aligned with the company’s inclusivity strategy.

Katie is a highly experienced Director with more than 23 years' experience in the financial services industry. She brings a broad and informed perspective, shaped by a long career supporting individuals and organisations to achieve improved financial outcomes across a range of settings and challenges. Katie has a strong commitment to clear communication, high-quality education, and targeted, evidence-based interventions that support people in the workplace. Having seen first-hand the emotional impact that financial stress can have on individuals' lives, Katie is passionate about recognising initiatives that deliver meaningful impact, raise industry standards, and play an integral role in supporting overall wellbeing.

Bev Baxter is the Wellbeing Lead at Alzheimer’s Society, where she is dedicated to supporting the wellbeing and mental health of all employees and volunteers. She leads the organisation’s Wellbeing Working Group and oversees the development of wellbeing guidance, strategy, learning and intranet resources, ensuring colleagues have access to clear, practical support. Bev also manages staff wellbeing surveys and uses data driven insights to strengthen and evolve the Society’s wellbeing offer, helping to create a healthier, inclusive and more compassionate workplace.

As a Senior Chief Human Resources Officer and NRC member, I leverage my experience and credentials as a certified SPHRi™ and FCIPD to align HR efforts with the organisation's vision and goals. I have extensive experience across all HR strategic and operational areas and in building strong alignment with NRC and ExCom on HR matters.

Harpreet is a wellbeing champion at NatWest and a mental health advocate in the Sikh Panjabi Community. He focuses on mental health in tech, living with grief and also the intersectionality with faith, religion and culture.

As Performance and Wellbeing Manager, I am responsible for shaping and embedding a holistic approach to employee wellbeing that supports both individual wellbeing and sustainable organisational performance. My role focuses on aligning wellbeing initiatives with business priorities and performance outcomes. I work closely with leaders, HR colleagues and key stakeholders to use data, insight and employee feedback to identify priority areas, design targeted interventions and measure impact over time. Prior to this role, I worked as a HR Business Partner, partnering with leaders to deliver impactful, people focused solutions. This experience gives me a strong understanding of operational challenges and enables me to bridge wellbeing and performance in a way that is realistic and meaningful

Jane Clifford is the People Director for Brewers Decorator Centre, the largest independently owned decorators’ merchants in the country. Brewers has been trading since 1904 and employees more than 1800 colleagues to provide a range of products and expert advice for both trade and retail customers. Jane has more than 25 years’ experience in HR, in a variety of sectors including professional services, construction, manufacturing and retail. Her current remit includes HR, recruitment, learning and payroll. Jane is passionate about inclusion, equality and creating a workplace in which colleagues can be happy. Jane is always striving to balance the commercial and compassionate drivers within HR, so the department is seen equally as adding value and caring about every colleague.

Jim Cohen is Managing Director of Ubiquitous Ltd, with over 20 years’ experience leading commercial teams, growing client partnerships, and delivering creative, results-driven campaigns. He is known for strategic thinking, calm execution, and a practical understanding of what helps people and organisations thrive. Jim’s leadership style is honest, energetic, and collaborative, focused on building trust and shared purpose. He is proud of the culture at Ubiquitous, where high standards sit alongside genuine care for colleagues and clients. As a judge, Jim will look for initiatives with clear impact, inclusivity, sustainability, and real-world adoption.

Tiger joined Samaritans in April 2023 and he has had a wide-ranging career in the non-profit sector. He has worked previously as People Engagement Director at the National Trust where amongst other responsibilities he led their work on equity, diversity and inclusion. His career has also seen him hold positions at Royal Institution for Chartered Surveyors, NSPCC and England Netball. Tiger has been a Trustee of Volunteering England, NCVO and ACEVO. He is currently a Board member for the Charities HR Network. He was awarded an MBE in the 2021 New Year’s Honours list for services to volunteering, including during the pandemic.

Dr Najat El Mahdy provides senior leadership across people strategy, OD, and organisational transformation, supporting institutions operating in complex, regulated environments. Najat leads initiatives covering talent management, recruitment, capability development, and operating model design, ensuring alignment between strategic objectives and day to day execution. She works closely with executive leaders, cross functional teams, and external partners to deliver practical, evidence based solutions that strengthen organisational effectiveness.

Mags has over 20 years experience in benefits and wellbeing, predominantly in the financial services sector. With extensive expertise in benefits design, wellbeing strategy and governance, Mags partners closely with senior leaders and regional teams to deliver inclusive, sustainable programmes that align to business objectives while meeting local needs. Mags is passionate about cultivating workplaces where employees feel supported, empowered and valued and where wellbeing is embedded into culture rather than treated as an initiative.

Stella brings over a decade of experience in designing and delivering impactful wellbeing strategies and training programmes for large, complex, global organisations. She is passionate about helping organisations unlock the full potential of their people through holistic wellbeing approaches and the creation of healthy workplace cultures. Through her work, Stella has demonstrated that when employee wellbeing is prioritised, organisations build engaged, high-performing teams that drive sustainable business success.

Raffaela Goodby is Chief People Officer for Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Trust. She has 20 years’ experience across local government, the NHS and the private sector. Raffaela is a proud broken record on Women’s Health and the celebration of the divine feminine in the workplace. She is leading programmes to promote sexual safety in the workplace and help create an environment where women and girls can speak up, hoping to help change workplaces to be safer for all.

Dawn is proud to be an Ambassador for This Can Happen and she works alongside other external organisations to support various Mental Health initiatives. She trained as an MHFA & SFA and plays a leading role in the Mental Health & Wellbeing space within her own organisation. She has spoken on various panels including one for MHFA England’s ‘My Whole Self’ campaign that attracted an audience total of 1000 attendees. Dawn brings warmth, honesty, and deep insights, using her own lived experience to every conversation. A passionate advocate for changing the way we talk about Mental Health in the workplace.

Vicky is Well-Being & Benefits Senior Manager at Latham & Watkins, where she designs and delivers well-being programmes across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, working closely with partners, associates, and staff to support both performance and well-being. A Chartered Health Psychologist and Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society, she specialises in behaviour change and well-being in high-performance professional environments. She has previously worked for the NHS, Public Health England, UCL, and the voluntary sector. She is passionate about translating psychological science into practical action to empower people and teams to thrive in demanding roles.

I have worked for NatWest for several years in various roles including customer facing, but throughout my career I have always been passionate about wellbeing and the impact poor wellbeing can have on someone. Now as a Wellbeing Manager for NatWest I get the opportunity to make a real difference to the lives of colleagues and customers through our strategy and initiatives. We use data and feedback to inform our priorities to ensure we are always focusing on the right areas for our people.

Russ is the EMEA & US Head of Wellbeing and Practice Resource Management at Ashurst. He combines deep expertise in talent management with a strong commitment to wellbeing, championing initiatives that embed sustainable working practices across the firm. Russ leads the firm’s wellbeing strategy and serves as an in-house Mental Health First Aid instructor. He also drives digital wellbeing learning and awareness events, while integrating Mindful Business Charter principles into resourcing and performance frameworks. Known for turning strategy into practical tools and communities, Russ partners with senior leaders to link resourcing insight with people strategy—helping colleagues thrive and practices perform.

Megan Mosey (she/her) is a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & CSR Manager with years of experience leading organisation wide DEI, wellbeing and responsible business programmes within complex professional environments. Her work focuses on moving inclusion beyond intent into delivery, embedding DEI into governance, people processes and organisational practice in ways that drive meaningful, culture shifting change. She brings a strong belief in storytelling and transparency as tools for building trust and sustaining progress. Megan was shortlisted at the 2025 Women & Diversity in Law Awards for Diversity Champion of the Year (Specialist Role). She brings a clear, implementation-focused lens, with particular attention to identifying instances of going above and beyond and pushing boundaries.

Wali has over 20 years of experience working in various roles within Further and Higher Education, Local Government, the Community and Voluntary Sector and now the Civil Service. Wali has a BA (Hons) in Business Administration and PG Diploma in Business Computing from the University of Westminster. Wali is currently the Diversity and Wellbeing Manager at the Forestry Commission and is also a Mental Health First Aider. He is a finalist in the Great British Wellbeing Awards 2026 for the category of Mental Health Advocate of the Year.

Louisa Rose is CEO of youth mental health charity Beyond and the founder of Now and Beyond – a free, national mental health festival for the educational community. Louisa is passionate about creating platforms that empower young people to use their lived experiences to shape change. Previously, Louisa worked as a social media consultant for ten years and is particularly interested in the intersection between tech and the mental health of young people. With lived experience of depression, anxiety, Tourette’s and OCD, Louisa publicly reflects on her personal mental health journey. Louisa is married and a mother of two young boys.

Joanne Sheehan is a senior HR professional at Societe Generale with extensive experience in governance, regulation and risk within the financial services sector. Throughout her career, she has led on complex policy, compliance and people-risk initiatives, bringing a strong strategic and commercial perspective to these initiatives. As a judge, Joanne draws on her depth of experience to recognise programmes that demonstrate measurable impact, sustainable practice and leadership commitment to employee health and performance.

Tara Tapper is Chief People and Culture Officer at Arrive, with over 30 years’ experience in senior HR and operating roles across technology, banking, legal, healthcare and retail. Previously COO at Cloudreach, she led a private-equity-backed turnaround, its sale to a major PLC and the subsequent integration. At RBS after the financial crisis she transformed technology and corporate functions, including large-scale offshoring while based in India. She holds a Master’s in Occupational Psychology and is recognised by the British Psychological Association for research on gender diversity.