The judging panel for the Corporate Engagement Awards is made up of leading industry experts who are based in in-house across sponsorship, partnerships, CSR and sustainability roles. We will also be inviting the winner of the last year's Grand Prix to judge the awards. If you are interested in judging the 2021 awards, please send in a short bio for consideration, to michelle.manton@communicatemagazine.co.uk
Dean has almost 25 years’ experience in the charity sector, mainly in human rights and international development. His previous experience includes running high value partnership teams at Amnesty International and ChildHope. He joined ActionAid in October 2016 and is incredibly proud to be part of a dynamic, ambitious and passionate team who are committed to changing the world.
Thomas Ball heads up the partnerships team at WWF-UK, overseeing a portfolio of innovative and award-winning partnerships with some of the biggest names in business. Prior to WWF, he worked as a consultant sustainability strategist at brand purpose agency, Given London, working with corporate clients to creatively tackle issues that matter and to deliver positive change for people, their communities and the environment. Prior to this he ran his own business for 10 years as a photographer and filmmaker making environmental and social documentaries for clients around the world. He is also co-founder and director of ‘Our Yard’, a not-for-profit social enterprise in NW London transforming a Victorian farm building into a sustainable hub for the local community and small businesses.
Sam is responsible for the development and execution of Vodafone Group’s digital transformation strategy. Having started his career in political campaigns and policy, he spent seven years in agency working on communications campaigns for a range of multinational, FTSE 100 and SME companies. Prior to joining Vodafone Sam was the head of communications at the privacy and reputation law firm, Schillings.
Lucy Dormandy is Sustainability Strategic Engagement and Communities Lead for leading insurance, savings and retirement company, Aviva. She leads Aviva’s ESG reporting approach, integration of sustainability into their engagement and communications strategy, and Aviva’s award-winning strategic community partnerships. She has 15-years’ experience working in sustainability engagement and implementation across the public and private sector, including for organisations like Hilton, Philips and Unilever. She is passionate about the role that corporations can play in changing the world for the better.
Duncan currently works as the interim head of corporate partnerships at Place2Be. Passionate about mental health and supporting children, it has been an incredible opportunity to work for this charity. Duncan is also on the board of trustees for the Asylum Research Foundation – as human rights are another cause he actively supports.
Outside of work, Duncan produces dance music and used to be a professional bagpipe player. He’s passionate about nature and being out exploring in the wilderness.
Having worked in film and TV, Theatre and Dance in his native Newcastle, James moved to London and joined the Charity Sector in 2011. Working as Head of Corporate Partnerships at Stroke Association, British Heart Foundation, and Alzheimer’s Society he has raised more than £25m through the team’s he has led and has worked in partnership with such recognisable brands as HSBC, Royal Mail, Iceland, M&S, Legal & General, and Bayer Healthcare. James has recently taken up the role of Head of Partnerships & Philanthropic Giving at Independent Age, where he is responsible for building relationship based partnerships across Corporate Partnerships, Major Donors, and Trusts and Foundations.
Sara has worked at Legal & General Group for over 30 years, in a number of different roles from managing complaints teams, delivering training and compliance roles. For the last 10 years Sara has worked in Corporate Social Responsibility, focused on Environment, Social and Governance commitments for Legal & General and their impact in communities. She leads on a number of community programmes including financial education, volunteering, social enterprises and employee engagement. As Head of CSR for the Group she believes in using the knowledge and skills of L&G employees to deliver real impact within the communities they live and work.
Sara is currently a Trustee for Crawley Open House and volunteers her time with Independent Age as a befriender to support older people from isolation. She previously volunteered as a School Governor and committee member for South East Surrey Dyslexia Association (SESDA).
As Communications and Marketing Director for SUEZ, Naomi has responsibility for both the communications and marketing teams for the UK and Sweden.
From starting her career in agency life working in public affairs, she became a specialist in sustainability communications, crisis management and corporate communications, with experience spanning industries from retail to banking. In 2009, she became SUEZ group’s youngest ever head of department, aged 28.
Naomi has been instrumental in numerous projects during her 12 years at SUEZ, including increasing SUEZ’s media share of voice in the waste management sector from fifth, to first position. In 2015, she project managed the group’s rebranding and repositioning in both the UK and Scandinavia, and has overseen the employee engagement programme resulting in the company being awarded the Sunday Times Best Companies’ ‘Best 25 Big Companies to Work For’ accolade in 2018 and again in 2020, for a predominantly operational and dispersed workforce.
Naomi has co-authored the book ‘Managing a Crisis: A Practical Guide’ (2006, Palgrave Macmillan) and is a member of the CIPR’s STEM committee.
Emma’s journey into corporate partnerships has been underpinned by her drive to better connect with people and improve livelihoods. She began as a BSL Interpreter, connecting with the Deaf community and then went onto deliver community development projects, personal fundraisers and continues her awareness and advocacy work for causes such as mental health, maternity rights and body positivity.
Emma has delivered award winning communications in her career, working in multimedia agencies within the corporate, charity, health and education sectors.
She is currently the Partnership officer for the British Dietetic Association, and coordinates BDA’s Work Ready programme - a nutritional health and wellbeing service for workplaces.
Head of foundation
Marc Leckie is the CEO of The Harlequins Foundation, the charitable arm of Harlequins. Marc has spent his entire career in the sports charity sector having previously worked as a Director at Charlton Athletic Community Trust. He is a passionate advocate of the role sport can play in improving life opportunities, promoting wellbeing and championing inclusivity in society.
Corporate partnerships manager
After studying for an MA in Theatre & Performance at Sheffield University, Cat began her fundraising career in small London theatres, working with donors and supporters at the Arcola Theatre then at Theatre Royal Stratford East. Now at Tate, she manages a portfolio of largescale Corporate Partnerships which support some of the galleries’ best-known programme, including BMW Tate Live and the UNIQLO Tate Lates, most recently launching The EY Exhibition: The Making of Rodin at Tate Modern.
Sabrina is currently a corporate partnerships manager at the British Red Cross, part of the largest humanitarian network in the world. She supports the delivery and growth of award-winning partnerships with leading brands, like Aviva and Standard Chartered Bank, to meet the critical needs of people in crisis. With six years of experience working in the third sector, Sabrina brings a wealth of knowledge on how to unlock the power of partnerships to create a more compassionate and just world.
Head of corporate partnerships
As Head of Corporate Partnerships at the UK’s largest conservation charity, Nicky delivers collaborative cross sector public-private partnerships and programmes based around positive actions that tackle the joint climate change and biodiversity crises and support a low carbon economy. With 20 years’ experience in marketing communications for world renowned agencies and leading brands, Nicky’s private sector experience supports her ability to deliver impactful corporate engagement strategies on behalf of one of Europe’s largest conservation organisations.
Head of charity and corporate communications
Laura Roberts is Head of Charity and Corporate Communications at IGD.
IGD is an organisation of two interconnected communities – Commercial Insight and Social Impact – working together to make a tangible difference to society, business and the individual.
Laura oversees all marketing and communications activity for Social Impact from IGD, which unites and inspires the food and consumer goods industry to drive positive change across the economic, social and environmental issues that affect us all. She also manages the organisation’s internal and corporate communications strategies.
Following a five-year stint as a B2B journalist, Laura moved into the world of PR and corporate communications more than 10 years ago. She has since held a variety of agency and in-house roles, with clients ranging from sustainability start-ups to multinational food and consumer goods companies.
I lead Linklaters work on responsible business globally, ensuring that our own ESG performance reflects the expectations of those around us and of the advice we provide to clients on many related themes. I am active in a range of sustainability networks including as co-chair of the Legal Sustainability Alliance, as chair of Business for Societal Impact, as an advisory member for both the UNGC-UK Network and the Living Wage Foundation and, in my spare time, am proud to act as chair of an east London employability charity and am also a local school governor.
Isadora Tharin leads Thomson Reuters Foundation’s sponsorships and partnerships with corporate supporters, overseeing a portfolio of programmes focused on Human Rights, Inclusive Economies and Media Freedom. Prior to the Foundation, her work over 17 years in both the INGO and cultural sectors has aligned companies with world-class charities, reinforcing brand profiles and creating sustainable business opportunities that also do good. She is passionate about finding synergies between for-profit and non-profit worlds that drive lasting and meaningful change.
Aaron is the Community Relations Ambassador at London City Airport. As the Community Relations Ambassador, Aaron is a key point of contact between the airport and local communities, providing information and gathering feedback about the £500million development that is ongoing at London’s most central airport. As part of his work at the airport, his work covers the following areas: biodiversity, social responsibility and employee engagement programmes across a portfolio of 13 London Boroughs. Aaron is also a Trustee and a Chair of Governors at Drew Primary School in Newham.