HR Director of the Year

It has been a challenging 12 months, but HR directors have risen to that challenge – and none more so than the 10 heads of HR shortlisted in this year’s HR Excellence Awards.

Our 2013 shortlist comprises HRDs who have helped their boards through difficult financial times and aided in creating conditions for performance turnaround; who have taken brave decisions when reorganising HR  delivery to generate huge cost savings; who dealt with unionised organisations at times of wage pressure and who have developed and implemented frameworks to reverse declining engagement and reduce employee attrition. They have been at the forefront of examing the future world of work; of creating working environments that encourage diversity; in helping young people develop skills through apprenticeships; and in proving the business case for the adoption of employee ownership models.

Each of the HRDs on our shortlist has shone in their very different industry sectors and each has demonstrated excellence in HR. We congratulate them on making the shortlist. Find out more about each HRD by clicking their name on the left hand side of this page.

  • Liz Bingham, managing partner, people, Ernst & Young
  • Richard Crouch, head of HR and OD and communications, Somerset County Council
  • Tanith Dodge, HR director, Marks and Spencer
  • Neil Morrison, group HR director, Random House Group
  • Toby Peyton-Jones, director of HR, Siemens UK & North West Europe
  • Alex Rickard , Head of employee proposition, Towry
  • Sarah Salter, group HR director, Northumbrian Water
  • Louise Smalley, group HR director, Whitbread
  • Gillian Taylor, senior vice-president - HR executive, MBNA Bank of America
  • James Watts, vice president, HR, KFC UK and Ireland

Now it is up to you, our readers, to vote for the overall winner. 

To register your vote, please follow this link: 

Vote now

Please note: only votes from HR professionals and industry experts will be counted.

Deadline for voting is Friday 7 June.

The winner will be announced at our gala dinner at the Hilton Park Lane on 2 July. Book your tickets to attend here.