Carpenters Group Celebrate Employee Excellence Awards 2026
Last night, colleagues from across the business came together at Oh Me Oh My in Liverpool city centre for our Employee Excellence Awards - an evening dedicated to recognising the people who make a real difference every day.
This year’s awards saw an exceptional level of engagement, with 284 nominations submitted across the business, before being carefully considered by the judging panel. The standard throughout was extremely high, and being shortlisted was an achievement in itself.
The awards focused on the behaviours and values that shape how we work, recognising the way our people respond to challenges, support colleagues and continue to raise standards across the business.
Hastings colleagues recognition
We were proud to also recognise our colleagues from the Team that support Hastings Direct, one of our long‑standing partners. During the evening, nine colleagues from our Hastings Carpenters Group team were presented with awards in recognition of the contribution they make through their work and collaboration. The award was presented by Donna Richards, CEO, and Sam Nicholson, Head of Insurance Services.
The Hastings Carpenters Group team colleagues recognised on the night were:
Ben Wilson, Max Simpson, Tom McGaw, Bethany Simmonds, Emmanuel Adamolekun, Rebecca Peters, Sophia Perry, Thomas Austin Jones and Elisha Wray.
These awards reflected the strength of our partnership with Hastings Direct and the positive outcomes that come from working closely together. It was a pleasure to celebrate these achievements alongside teams from across our own business.
Agile & Adaptive Award
The Agile & Adaptive Award recognises excellence in flexibility, problem-solving, continuous improvement and resilience. Presented by Stuart Hancock, Head of Business Implementation.
Finalists
Insurance Services: Jordan Laffey, Samuel Chapman‑Rugen
Legal Services: Joseph Cartwright, Samuel Gaskell
Support Team: Nicola Cummings, Freya Schumann
Winners
Insurance Services: Jordan Laffey
Legal Services: Samuel Gaskell
Support Team: Nicola Cummings
Driven to Be the Best Award
The Driven to Be the Best Award recognises excellence in accuracy, ambition, commitment and leadership. Presented by Head of People, Sarah Pickerill.
Finalists
Insurance Services: Stephen Brown, Daniel Mainwaring
Legal Services: Donna Ellis‑Connell, Jake Moscrop
Support Team: Ash Hayes‑Kowalczyk, Vanessa Roth
Winners
Insurance Services: Daniel Mainwaring
Legal Services: Jake Moscrop
Support Team: Ash Hayes‑Kowalczyk
Doing the Right Thing Award
The Doing the Right Thing Award recognises excellence in integrity, ethical behaviour, accountability and fairness. Presented by Alan Hayes, Chief Legal Officer.
Finalists
Heather Rainford, George Pickering
Chloe Hellon, Michelle Taylor
Ryan Brewer, Sue McCready
Winners
Heather Rainford
Chloe Hellon
Sue McCready
Supporting Each Other Award
The Supporting Each Other Award recognises excellence in teamwork, empathy, encouragement and communication. Presented by Jo Haslam, Head of Fast Track RTA.
Finalists
Insurance Services: Kayleigh Flynn, Niall Crilly
Legal Services: Stephen Hall, Monisha Ratchford
Support Team: Charlie Ashton‑McCulloch, Georgia Williams
Winners
Insurance Services: Kayleigh Flynn
Legal Services: Monisha Ratchford
Support Team: Charlie Ashton‑McCulloch
Innovative Solutions Award
The Innovative Solutions Award recognises excellence in creativity, innovation, risk‑taking and impact. Presented by Karen Campbell, Chief Technology Officer
Finalists
Insurance Services: Edward Martins, Ruen Haslem
Legal Services: Joseph Wait, Daniel Smith
Support Team: Matthew Taylor, Greg Ormson
Winners
Insurance Services: Ruen Haslem
Legal Services: Daniel Smith
Support Team: Matthew Taylor
Outstanding Individual Award
The Outstanding Individual Award is the CEO Award, recognising exceptional impact and contribution across the business.
This year, the award attracted significant interest, with 74 colleagues nominated, underlining just how meaningful this recognition is. From those nominations, Alex Mills was named Highly Commended, reflecting the quality of his work and the respect earned from his colleagues.
The overall winner of the Outstanding Individual Award was Jake Smith, an achievement that stands out within an exceptionally strong field and reflects sustained excellence recognised across the business.
The Employee Excellence Awards are a reminder that our success is built on the commitment and skill of the people behind it. A special thank you to Paul Challoner, Commercial Director, for hosting the evening and helping to make it such a memorable celebration. Congratulations to every finalist and winner, and thank you to everyone who continues to demonstrate excellence in their role.
