Digital HR publication, HRZone, has revealed the winners of its 2024 Culture Pioneer Awards. Now in its fifth year, the Culture Pioneer Awards recognises the achievements of both organisations and leaders in delivering positive workplace culture change.
The winners and highly commended represent those who are making a tangible impact on organisational culture and continuously striving to support a thriving workplace. This year, five categories were celebrated: Wellbeing, Inclusion, Learning, Brand and (new to this year) Leadership.
The Culture Pioneers of 2024 were announced on 13th November at the Culture Pioneers Leadership Forum, featuring Disrupt London, which took place at The Brewery in London.
The winners and highly commended for the 2024 Culture Pioneer Awards are as follows:
Wellbeing Award:
Winner: Pharmacist Support
Highly commended: Lawline
“Pharmacist Support demonstrated a holistic, personalised approach to wellbeing, with an added human touch. The initiative started by listening to employees first, and assessing their needs, followed by senior leaders role-modelling the right behaviours for a supportive culture.” Evelina Dzimanaviciute, Culture Pioneers Judge and CEO of Elite Mind Academy
Inclusion Award:
Winner: Cadent Gas Ltd
Highly commended: Ingeus UK
“This is a ground-breaking project within the gas industry – Claire Valentine and Cadent Gas are true pioneers within this arena. They addressed a real gap on a sensitive topic in a very personal and human way. And the impact of creating a community that enables people to share their own stories and traumas in a safe space is really significant.” Diane Lightfoot, Culture Pioneers judge and CEO of Business Disability Forum
Learning Award:
Winner: Progeny
Highly commended: Nine Feet Tall
“Progeny offers a brilliant example of how to move L&D beyond just “pushing training”. The organisation demonstrated creativity and resourcefulness, while carefully considering different business needs and the end-to-end learning journey. What’s more, the team was keen to pilot, test and refine its approach in an effort to continually evolve.” Lior Locher, Culture Pioneers Judge, Award-winning Senior Learning Consultant at NIITMTS
Brand Award:
Winner: Wurzak Hotel Group
Highly commended: The People Experience Hub
“Wurzak Hotel Group took everything they did to the next level, not merely doing a tick box exercise to bring their culture to life, but doing so in an in depth and innovative way. Their brilliant results showed the true extent and impact of their great work.” Debra Corey, Culture Pioneers Judge, Founder & Chief Pay it Forward Officer, DebCo HR
Leadership Award:
Winner: Yasmine Alani, Media Zoo
Highly commended: Cheryl Allen, Atos
“Yasmine has been honest about the challenges she faced and how much she had to learn to be effective in a tough environment. She has been brave, and patient, and brought people on the journey with her, literally changing hearts and minds.” Blaire Palmer, Culture Pioneers judge, CEO of That People Thing and author of Punks in Suits.
The 2025 Culture Pioneer Awards will open for entries in February 2025. Subscribe to the Culture Pioneers mailing list to be the first to receive full details.
Joanne is the editor for Workplace Wellbeing Professional and has a keen interest in promoting the safety and wellbeing of the global workforce. After earning a bachelor's degree in English literature and media studies, she taught English in China and Vietnam for two years. Before joining Work Well Pro, Joanne worked as a marketing coordinator for luxury property, where her responsibilities included blog writing, photography, and video creation.