Over 200 members of staff heard chief executive, Adrian Jeakings, open the award lunch with an upbeat message. He said: “Colleagues from all over the company are telling me how they are winning business and inspiring communities by putting our customers first…
“But we need to continue developing new and innovative products and services to meet the needs of our audience and clients.”
Turning to the main purpose of the event, Adrian said: “This is one of my favourite days of the year. It’s always a great pleasure to stand up here in such splendid surroundings and recognize the people that have done outstanding things over the past year. Today is all about celebrating the outstanding achievements of our colleagues. Listen, learn, applaud and, above all, enjoy.”
Double Archant Awards winner was the Mustard TV team from Archant East which scooped the Team of the Year category while its MD, Fiona Ryder, won chief executive Adrian Jeakings’ Special Award. Both were rewarded for a successful launch of the new local TV station for greater Norwich and “achievements notable on a national scale” for what is “arguably the best local TV station in England.”
Archant Herts & Cambs were other big winners with The Hunts Post taking the Archant Inspiring Communities Award for its “truly inspiring brand and never-ending series of campaigns”, and the Welwyn & Hatfield Times – Pure Property winning the Innovation of the Year – Product or Service category for producing “one of the best-looking supplements in the industry”. In addition Senior Sales Executive, Rebecca Guest, was given the Contribution to Client Success Award. Rebecca “understood her client’s needs and prepared a responsive brief, with the result that the client needed to increase staffing to deal with the new business generated.”
Archant London & Kent scored a double success with Sales Manager Elaine Allen named Coach of the Year for “making good salespeople better, helping them hit targets, improving their confidence and providing guidance where it is needed.” Senior Newspaper Sales Executive, Gill Broad, took the Unsung Hero of the Year title after an online vote by Archant staff. Her nomination said: “Gill has a fantastic rapport with everybody from the flagship supermarket store manager to the local newsagent. She always goes above and beyond what is required to get the newspapers in the best position possible to maximise the sales. A real star but an unsung one.”
The Archant Norfolk & Suffolk Editorial Production took the Innovation of the Year – Process award for its Separation of Content and Design project. Judges said: “A fully revamped set of editorial production processes, methods and systems was implemented. Creativity, better teamwork and products that people are proud of are great outcomes from this change.”
Press Room Team Leader, Adam Alexander, from Archant Print, was named Employee of Year after joining the Thorpe team just two years ago. Adam demonstrates flexibility in how he solves problems, said judges, “encouraging the people around him to find innovative ways to do things differently. Open and honest with his team, he has sought to be creative and encouraging and is a real asset to Archant.”
Group Credit Control Manager, Andy Waters, from Archant Accounting Services was named Leader of the Year. Judges said: “Andy has led a challenging area of the business to deliver excellent results. But the outstanding achievement is in the way that Andy has gathered such strong and consistent support from users across the business, including 20 citations with his entry.”
Archant Dialogue Editorial Director, Jonathan Arnold, took the Creative Content Award for creating “Aura - a true Rolls Royce of a magazine which the client and the client’s customers loved – caught the judges’ eyes and met the category requirements exquisitely.”
Archant South West Customer Service and Sales Support Manager, Rachel Rees, scooped the title of Customer Service and Support Person of the Year. Judges said: “Rachel is a solution finder for both customers and staff. Her understanding of how the business can work together has led to Rachel adding value in every area she touches.”
