Time to pick best of crop for annual cHeRries Awards

Specialists in the field of human resources (HR), training and recruitment in the north-east of Scotland can now submit their entries to a prestigious annual awards ceremony for the sector.

Nominations for the cHeRries Awards, run by the Press and Journal’s owner, DC Thomson Media, are open as of today.

The company is delighted to present the cHeRries, which recognise excellence in human resources, training and recruitment in the region.

The annual event features 12 categories and attracts an audience of more than 500.

This year’s ceremony, in association with Robert Gordon University (RGU) and supported by Mattioli Woods, will be held on Friday, June 1, 2018, at Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre. It will provide a fantastic platform for showcasing the best HR professionals and practices across the whole of the north-east.

Last year the biggest prize of the night – the Top Cherry for outstanding contribution – went to Sean Saluja. Mr Saluja is a partner and head of the employment division at law firm Burness Paull. He has more than 20 years’ experience in dealing with all aspects of employment law and has been recognised by Chambers UK, which publishes an annual guide to Britain’s top lawyers, as a leader in his field.

The awards were launched in 2008 and have grown year on year. It is backed by a high profile group of companies committed to recognising the importance of people to the success of businesses.

This year three new categories have been added: Superb Services to the Industry; Terrific Team of the Year; and Exceptional Employee Engagement.

Moira Bailey, academic strategic lead at RGU’s Aberdeen Business School (ABS) said: “We continue to support the cHeRries Awards through the Blossoming Award, as the award itself recognises the importance of early career HR practitioners, as well as the value of education programmes such as the MSc in human resources management.”

ABS comprises three departments of management, accounting and finance, and people, organisations and practice.

Students can study management related areas, or accounting both at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

A range of specialist MSc courses is offered including international business, finance, project management, human resource management and purchasing and supply chain management. The ABS is also developing its business in the delivery of corporate programmes and has a growing reputation in research.

Alan Ferguson, managing director of employee benefits at Mattioli Woods, which is supporting sponsor and sponsor of the Top Cherry award, added: “We are keen to recognise outstanding talent and believe that great people, strategies and HR practices are vital in enhancing business performance which, in turn, makes an important contribution to the area’s economy.

“There are some truly inspirational individuals in the fields of HR, recruitment and training. Many never receive the recognition they deserve for what they do and the positive impact they have. The cHeRries offer the perfect opportunity to reward those people who are striving so hard to achieve exceptional standards. It is a particular honour to be involved with the event this year, as the awards celebrate a milestone 10th anniversary. We continue to be impressed with the support it commands from the business community in the north-east, with whom we are proud to be involved on a daily basis. We regard the cHeRries as a fantastic showcase of the region’s outstanding talent and, through the years, have seen some amazing local businesses emerge from the event. It is a privilege to play our part in helping the awards continue to go from strength to strength.”

The firm is a leading provider of employee benefits and wealth management services. Employing more than 600 staff it takes care of almost £8billion of clients’ assets at nine locations across the UK.

Alison Sellar, chief executive of activpayroll, sponsors of the Excellent HR Manager category, said: “Working closely with HR professionals, we recognise the vital role they play within an organisation and are delighted to continue to support HR excellence in the north-east.”

Alison Woods, partner and head of employment at CMS, which sponsors the Team of the Year award, said: “We are delighted to support the 2018 cHeRries Awards and to celebrate excellence in HR management across the region.”

Lesley Birse, president of people and organisation for Wood, sponsor of Outstanding HR Director, said Wood is passionate about its people.

“The role of HR professionals in helping shape and support a company’s direction, growth and culture cannot be understated and Wood is proud to support the cHeRries Awards, which shine a light on the achievements of talented teams and individuals working in this profession,” she said.

“Being part of the prestigious event and the judging process is extremely inspiring and I am proud to be involved. It’s a fantastic insight into successes and examples of excellence across the HR community, which challenges us to aim higher in everything we do. The evening itself is a unique opportunity to bring peers from across different industries together to recognise the instrumental role of HR professionals in enabling employees and organisations to meet their aspirations.”

Paul McGuire, recruitment manager at Peterson’s, sponsors of the Fantastic HR Advisor award, said: “Developing people is one of Peterson’s core values so we believe it is important to continue to recognise achievements in HR, recruitment and training, therefore we are delighted to be supporting the cHeRries.”

Adrian Hunter, interim chief executive at AECC, venue sponsor, said: “AECC have hosted the cHeRries for eight years so have been able to watch the event grow and evolve into the success it is today and are delighted to be on-board as the venue sponsor for the ninth annual event in 2018. The event will yet again showcase the very best talent in the HR industry in the north-east of Scotland and we look forward to working with DC Thomson Media once again.”

Ruth Harris, HR director, Petrofac Engineering and Production Services, West, said: “Providing employees with the right personal development, training and career support is central to business success. This philosophy is very close to our heart and makes the Tremendous Training category a special one for us.”

Ray Riddoch, managing director and SVP Europe of Nexen Petroleum UK, said: “Nexen is delighted to sponsor the Extraordinary HR Initiative at this year’s cHeRries Awards, following Nexen’s success in winning the Excellent HR Manager Award at last year’s event. There are so many great ideas and work being put into practice by our HR personnel and these awards are not only a great opportunity to reward our people but to also celebrate innovation and creativity and share this success with the wider industry.”

Ross MacRae, group HR director at Orion Group said: “Orion Group is an international leader in the provision of personnel to a number of industry sectors. Today Orion Group manages the placement of thousands of contractors and permanent personnel every year via their worldwide network of offices throughout Europe, the Americas, the Middle East, Asia Pacific and Africa. Orion has the market intelligence and the experience necessary to take a holistic approach to project delivery managing manpower provision from start to finish.”

Helen Stuart, HR director at Taqa, gift table sponsor, said: “Taqa is delighted once again to support the cHeRries in 2018, celebrating excellence in HR where individuals make a positive impact by ensuring that the people strategy remains at the forefront of their business.”

A spokesman for CIPD, sponsor for the Exceptional Employee Engagement award, said: “CIPD Scotland is once again delighted to be involved in the cHeRries Awards, as they celebrate outstanding achievements in people management, and learning and development in the north-east of Scotland” •The deadline for entries is February 18. Entry forms and category criteria are on the website. Tickets are on sale now and can be bought online.

“We are delighted to support the2018cHeRri es Awards and to celebrate excellence inHR management across the region”