Celebrating excellence: The 2023 Business Culture Awards finalists announced

In the dynamic world of business, creating a positive organisational culture has emerged as the cornerstone of success. This year the Business Culture Awards celebrates those companies that have taken a leap forward, enhancing both their people and performance through innovative cultural initiatives.

The extensive judging panel, comprising more than 50 prominent HR and business leaders, have meticulously reviewed and chosen the finalists for the 2023 Business Culture Awards, for which The People Space is a partner. These organisations have not just understood the pivotal role of culture in business, but they have actively integrated substantial initiatives that positively impact organizational performance.

Tim Pointer, chair of judges, said: “The way we connect, collaborate and deliver our work has rapidly evolved in recent years. It's fantastic to see such a breadth of organisations thinking innovatively and taking deliberate action to better engage and empower their employees. Across these case studies, we see how a winning business culture delivers positive performance and results for all stakeholders.”

For those anticipating the big reveal, the winners will be announced at a glittering event at the DeVere Grand Connaught Rooms in London's West End on Wednesday 15 November. An evening dedicated to celebrating the spirit of enterprise and innovation, it's an occasion not to be missed.

This year Business Culture Awards is also running a daytime learning and networking conference before the big night. Attendees can engage with past winners and partners and gain insights into their strategies. Senior practitioners from organisations including Wunderman Thompson, Civil Service Fast Stream, Sage, Ocado Group, Mitie, Oracle and Swiss Re are among the speakers.

You can view the programme and speakers, as well as highlights from the June conference at Lord’s Cricket Ground. 

Speakers will share actionable insights that your team can bring back to your organisation on: 

• Successfully aligning culture and business strategy
• Creating lasting behaviour change in leaders and teams based on organisational values
• Reengaging employees and customers post-pandemic
• Building a more inclusive, creative, collaborative organisation

This event is designed to enable attendees to network with like-minded senior practitioners and their teams in a forum which enables real conversation, debate and connection around the major workplace trends facing businesses right now. 

To all the finalists, well done. Here's to celebrating business culture and to forging connections. Make sure to book your spot at the awards dinner for what promises to be an enlightening and enchanting evening.

2023 FINALISTS

Best Business Transformation Initiative (Large Organisation)

Alzheimer’s Society
GKN Automotive + Emperor
Invesco + Corporate Punk
Lloyds Banking Group
Noble Foods
SOCOTEC UK
Shared Services Connected

Best Business Transformation Initiative (Small to Medium Organisation)

Be Caring
Citygate Automotive
CLOUD NINE
Creative Media
Gattaca
Ninety Consulting

Leading with Purpose for Business Culture (Large Organisation)

Cambridge University Press & Assessment
ISS World Services A/S
Leeds Building Society
Lloyds Banking Group
Noble Foods
Provide Community Interest Company + ETS

Leading with Purpose for Business Culture (Small to Medium Organisation)

CAE Technology Services
Gattaca
Lubbock Fine
Ninety Consulting
RMP Enterprise
Vynamic

Best Brand & Values Initiative for Business Culture

Arriva Group + WPA Pinfold
Be Caring
Cambridge University Press & Assessment
elaworld + elements
Escapism Bars
Lovell + Culture Consultancy
Sage

Building a Culture of Innovation Initiative

ABM Industries + FTI Consulting
AstraZeneca UK
CAE Technology Services
monday.com
Provide Community Interest Company
Shared Services Connected
UST

Best Working Environments & Practices Initiative

Currys
Lloyds Banking Group
NHS Shared Business Services
Peldon Rose
Sage
Shared Services Connected

Best Learning Initiative for Business Culture (Large Organisation)

DFDS UK&I
Great Western Railways + The Happy Consultancy Group
Imperial Brands
Lloyds Banking Group
Mitie
Pernod Ricard (Chivas Brothers) + Hive Learning
Phoenix Group + Samaritans + CanStudios + Cowry Consulting
WPP

Best Learning Initiative for Business Culture (Small to Medium Organisation)

Blue Door Creative Development + The Regional Support Centre, U.S. Department of State + Kit Theatre CiC
CAE Technology Services
Embrace CX
Gatehouse Bank + ETS

Best Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Initiative (Large Organisation)

Cambridge University Press & Assessment
Lloyds Banking Group
Mitie
Pernod Ricard (Chivas Brothers) + Hive Learning
Shared Services Connected
XPS Pensions Group

Best Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Initiative (Small to Medium Organisation)

Blue Door Creative Development + The Regional Support Centre (RSC), U.S. Department of State + Kit Theatre CiC
Euro Accounting
Gattaca
Lewes FC
Vynamic

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion category sponsored by ISS

Best Wellbeing Initiative for Business Culture (Large Organisation)

Alzheimer’s Society
EE (Part of BT Group)
Lloyds Banking Group
Shared Services Connected
Viasat + Inmarsat
XPS Pensions Group

Best Wellbeing Initiative for Business Culture (Small to Medium Organisation)

Creative Media
Embrace CX
Lubbock Fine
Peldon Rose
SevenRooms
ZOPA

Best CSR / Corporate Sustainability Initiative

ihateironing
ISS UK + PwC
Lloyds Banking Group
Mount Anvil
REAL JOBS
RMP Enterprise
UST

Best Employee Voice Initiative for Business Culture (Large Organisation)

Alzheimer’s Society
AstraZeneca UK
Currys
HSBC
ISS World Services A/S
NHS Shared Business Services
Sage
Wunderman Thompson

Best Employee Voice Initiative for Business Culture (Small to Medium Organisation)

Autocab
Citygate Automotive
Scott Bader Company

Business Culture Leadership Award

Be Caring – Sharon Lowrie
Escapism Bars – Flynn Byrne
Make it Clear – Sarah Edwards
Mortgage Advice Bureau – Claire Smith
Peldon Rose – Jitesh Patel
UST – Sunil Balakrishnan

Sponsored by EJF Search

Business Culture Team Award (Large Organisation)

BT – Data, Legal, Compliance & Assurance
DFDS UK&I – People Team
Invesco – European Marketing Leadership (MLT)
NHS Shared Business Services – Internal Communications Team
Shared Services Connected – Continuous Improvement Team
UST – OVC (Office of Values and Culture)

Business Culture Team Award (Small to Medium Organisation)

Autocab – People Team
Citygate Automotive – People and Culture Transformation Team
Peldon Rose – Culture Calendar Team
Wagada Digital Team
Zopa – People Team

Best Coaching, Mentoring &/or Personal Development Initiative for Business Culture

Embrace CX
Gatehouse Bank + ETS
MCBS Electrical
Mount Anvil
NFU Mutual
Sodexo
Transport for London + t-three
Wunderman Thompson

Sponsored by EMCC UK

Best Talent Approaches for Business Culture

Cambridge University Press & Assessment
ISS UK + PwC
Lloyds Banking Group
REAL JOBS
SevenRooms
SOCOTEC UK
Transport for London

Sponsored by Gattaca Solutions

Best Global/International Organisation for Business Culture

GKN Automotive + Emperor
Imperial Brands
Integrated Global Services (IGS)
ISS World Services A/S
Scott Bader Company
UST
WPP

Best Large Organisation for Business Culture

Arriva Group + WPA Pinfold
AstraZeneca UK
DFDS UK&I
HSBC
Metro Bank
Sage
Sodexo

Best Medium Organisation for Business Culture

CAE Technology Services
Citygate Automotive
Gattaca
HE Simm Group
Lovell + Culture Consultancy
MI-GSO | PCUBED
No7 Beauty Company + Coode Associates

Best Small Organisation (50-250 people) for Business Culture

CLOUD NINE
Embrace CX
Mount Anvil
PACE-XL
Spirit Health Group

Best Small Organisation (under 50 people) for Business Culture

Escapism Bars
Interaction
Level
Make it Clear
The Good Marketer
Wagada Digital

Best Public / Not-For-Profit Organisation for Business Culture

Alzheimer’s Society
Barnsley Premier Leisure + WPA Pinfold
National Trust + dragonfish
Provide Community Interest Company
Transport for London

Business Culture Consultancy of the Year

Coode Associates
Corporate Punk
Culture Consultancy
dragonfish
The Happy Consultancy Group
Vynamic

International Finalists 2023

Best Business Transformation Initiative

Allianz Turkey
Goodbody + Culture Consultancy
ÌGA – Istanbul Grand Airport
ISS World Services A/S

Leading with Purpose for Business Culture

ISS World Services A/S
Netsurit

Best Learning Initiative for Business Culture

İGA –İstanbul Grand Airport
Transparent BPO

Building a Culture of Innovation Initiative

Bitwise Industries
Netsurit

Best CSR / Corporate Sustainability Initiative

ÌGA – Istanbul Grand Airport
MHP SE + FTI Consulting

Best Large Organisation for Business Culture

Fiverr
Saint Gobain North America + FTI Consulting

Best Medium Organisation for Business Culture

Goodbody + Culture Consultancy
OKE Group GmbH

Business Culture Consultancy of the Year

CultureBrained® Consultancy
Culture Consultancy