2026 Winners

Legacy Award

RECIPIENT:

Lisa O'Callaghan

Overall Excellence in HR

The winner of this award will be announced at the awards ceremony.

HR Business Growth Strategy

WINNER:

Bidvest Noonan - Customer Engagement Strategy

FINALISTS:

• Bidvest Noonan - Customer Engagement Strategy
• BWG Foods - Hire 2 Retire (H2R)
• Drivrr Group - Scaling Transport Recruitment
• HR Team - HR Leave Hub
• HRLocker

Best Workplace & Employee Engagement Award

WINNER:

Gas Networks Ireland

FINALISTS:

• Cheeverstown - Every Voice Matters
• CPM
• Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine - Bringing Strategy to Staff
• Family Carers Ireland - Long Service Awards
• Gas Networks Ireland

HR Team of the Year

WINNER:

Citco

FINALISTS:

• Bidvest Noonan
• BnM
• BWG Foods - H2R Team
• Citco
• Enterprise Ireland
• Lilly - HRS GBS Cork
• MarketStar - People Success Team

HR Business Leadership Award

WINNER:

CPM - Leadership Blueprint

FINALISTS:

• CPM - Leadership Blueprint
• The Doyle Collection

HR Rising Star of the Year

WINNER:

Hollyfort - Klaudia Nowakowska

FINALISTS:

• Citco - Daniel Leers
• Enterprise Ireland - Rachel McCormack
• Hollyfort - Klaudia Nowakowska
• Irish Medical Organisation - Natasha Davies
• MiFinity - Jennifer Kirwan
• Swoop - Sadbh MacDermot
• The River Lee - Rebecca Vos

Best Health & Wellbeing Impact Award

WINNER:

Longford County Council

FINALISTS:

• Allianz Global Life - WellBeings
• Core Optimisation - The Vibe Tribe
• Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine
• Kare
• Leonardo Hotels - Leo Cares
• Longford County Council
• Mater Misericordiae University Hospital
• MMD Construction Cork

Best Workplace DEI Impact Award

WINNER:

Intersport Elverys

FINALISTS:

• Cheeverstown
• DPER - Assisted Return to Career (ARC)
• Intersport Elverys
• Leonardo Hotels UK & Ireland
• NIBRT - Inclusive Reproductive Health Framework 
• Protential Resources
• Pure Data Centres - Lunch & Learn Session

Excellence in Talent Acquisition and Recruitment

WINNER:

Bidvest Noonan - Inclusive Employability Pathways

FINALISTS:

• Applegreen
• Approach People Recruitment - 'Always-On' Engine
• Bidvest Noonan - Inclusive Employability Pathways
• Drivrr Group - Transforming Transport Recruitment
• MarketStar
• MiFinity
• Protential Resources

Excellence in Workplace Training & Development

WINNER:

FLEXÉIR Facilities Services - Elevate

FINALISTS:

• Cork College of FET Bishopstown Campus
• FLEXÉIR Facilities Services - Elevate
• McBreen Environmental
• ODKB - Learning Together Programme
• SD Worx Ireland

Excellence in Workplace Training & Development - Large

WINNER:

BaxterStorey Ireland - People Team

FINALISTS:

• BaxterStorey Ireland - People Team
• Cheeverstown - Learning Beyond Compliance
• CPM - The Academy 2.0
• DPD Ireland
• Elis Ireland - High Potential Fast Track
• Enterprise Ireland - Building Capability
• Iarnród Éireann
• Leonardo Hotels - Leonardo Academy
• William Fry - L&D Strategy

Graduate Training Programme of the Year

WINNER:

Viatris Ireland

FINALISTS:

• AIB
• Deloitte Ireland - Future Leaders Academy
• Intersport Elverys - Next Generation Management Programme
• Irish Manufacturing Research
• McLaughlin and Harvey
• Viatris Ireland
• William Fry

Best HR Performance - Healthcare, Pharma & Life Sciences

WINNER:

Mater Misericordiae University Hospital

FINALISTS:

• Cheeverstown
• Mater Misericordiae University Hospital
• MCR Group
• Rehab Group

Best HR Performance - Construction, Engineering, Property & FM

WINNER:

Bidvest Noonan - People Transformation Programme

FINALISTS:

• Bidvest Noonan - People Transformation Programme
• BMD & Co.
• Hollyfort
• MMD Construction Cork

Best HR Performance - ICT & Financial Services

WINNER:

HRLocker

FINALISTS:

• HRLocker
• Prosperous Financial

Best HR Performance - Retail & Hospitality

WINNER:

BWG Foods - Hire 2 Retire (H2R)

FINALISTS:

• BaxterStorey Ireland
• BWG Foods - Hire 2 Retire (H2R)

Excellence in Workplace Culture

WINNER:

CluneTech

FINALISTS:

• CluneTech
• Hostelworld - People Powered Remote First
• Prosperous Financial
• SD Worx Ireland

Best Culture Transformation Project / Initiative

WINNER:

Hollyfort - Built to Lead

FINALISTS:

• Hollyfort - Built to Lead
• HRLocker
• McBreen Environmental

Best Workplace Social Impact Award

WINNER:

Iarnród Éireann & I Wish

FINALISTS:

• Bidvest Noonan - Purpose in Action
• Iarnród Éireann & I Wish
• MMD Construction Cork
• Powercomm Group - Biodiversity in Schools Initiative
• Pure Data Centres - Lunch & Learn Session

Employer of the Year

WINNER:

CluneTech

FINALISTS:

• Approach People Recruitment
• Clark
• CluneTech

HR Leader of the Year

WINNER:

Center Parcs - Shane Cox

FINALISTS:

• BWG Foods - Mary Wall
• Center Parcs - Shane Cox
• First Derivative an Epam Company - Anita Russell
• Pure Data Centres - Sanjana Sharma
• Westbury Hotel - Lorraine Harmon