Meet the Judges
Alison Harmer FIIC
Alison founded the copywriting and editing business Harmer Editorial in 2001. She produces internal and external communications for some of the UK’s biggest brands. As the senior copywriter, she brings stories to life, building understanding and fostering audience trust. As an expert editor, Alison applies journalistic rigour across content channels, cutting waffle, cliché and jargon to simplify content and maximise its punch.
Alli Cary
Alli Cary is Head of Internal Communications at Voyage Care, a leading adult social care provider. Alli has over 13 years’ communications experience in health and social care, specialising in Internal Communications for the past 8 years.
In her current role at Voyage Care, Alli has established a multi-award winning team who thrive on connecting people to the organisation’s purpose, bringing the stories of colleagues and the vulnerable people they support to life.
She is an IOIC Fellow and holds a BA Hons in Visual Communication, along with a Masters in Internal Communications Management.
Alli lives and works in the Midlands and spends her free time playing netball, baking and enjoying the company of friends and family.
Ann Hood
Ann has over 30 years’ experience in employee communications and PR. She has extensive experience of working with leadership teams during times of major organisational change, restructuring and crisis. Advising and delivering external and employee communications that clearly shares the business strategy and vision. Coached top teams and key leaders within the businesses in how best to deliver understandable and engaging communications both internally and externally.
Ann has worked with and lead both international and national based internal communication teams to deliver engaging employee communications as well as measuring employee's opinions, attitudes and understanding of the business goals, globally and locally.
She has been a member of the IoIC Scotland committee for over 18 years and has presented at and hosted a variety of communication conferences throughout her career.
Claudi Schneider
Claudi is Head of Film and Animation at Sequel Group. She has been producing award-winning films and animations for internal audiences for almost 20 years. Over this period Claudi has supported the IoIC in a number of volunteering roles and currently serves on the Board of Directors.
Working closely with a broad range of UK and global corporate clients, she brings her experience of strategic communication, leadership communications, employee engagement, concept creation and story-telling together to produce purposeful strategic and creative content for internal and external audiences.
Eduvie Martin
Eduvie has almost 20 years international experience in internal comms across multiple sectors. She studied Broadcast Journalism at the New York Film Academy and holds a Masters degree from the IE Business School, Madrid.
In 2023, she was named PR woman of the month, nominated for a Comms Hero Award, and received the Simplys award for Best Internal Comms Rising Star.
She is the President Elect of the International Association of Business Communications UK and Ireland and volunteers her time with the Chartered Institute of Public Relations and on the board of her comic book start-up: Comic Republic – a start-up known globally for authentic stories and illustrations of African superheroes inspired by culture.
Eduvie is a chartered comms professional known for attracting global media visibility to her comic book start-up, hosting internal TV shows and podcasts, facilitating over 300 Town Halls, and influencing comms professionals to deliver work that adds value.
Erum Quddus
Erum Quddus has 10 years’ experience as an Agile communications leader. She works closely with senior leaders on Agile transformation communications. Erum has over 20 years’ experience driving communications for Agile transformations, mobile banking and change programmes (tech, digital, business & process). She has worked in financial services, fintech, IT and insurance.
Erum is a regular trainer of the course, ‘Leading Agile Communications’ with the IOIC, developer of the industry-leading Agile Communications Activities Planning tool and author of the Agile Communications Manifesto.
She runs Lunch & Learns and webinars on the importance of Agile Ways of Working using her metaphor, and demos on how to use her comms planning tool for successful comms for an Agile or tech transformation.
Follow Erum on LinkedIn for her best tips, insights and best practices in this space https://www.linkedin.com/in/theagilestorytellingcompany/.
Joe Salmon FIIC
With over two decades internal comms experience including in-house, freelance consultant, and agency, Joe specialises in leadership communications, employee engagement, organisational culture, and communicating change.
Joe's career highlights include senior communication roles at Vodafone, BT, Inmarsat, Spotify, and Hill & Knowlton Strategies. Where he designed and developed compelling employee campaigns to help his global clients to grow from the inside out, by building pride, advocacy, a sense of belonging, and excitement!
An elected Board Director and Fellow at the Institute of Internal Communications, trailblazer for the UK Black Comms Network, and mentor to others in the IC profession. Joe has a Post Graduate Diploma in Internal Communication Management. Is an event host, panelist, and guest speaker, and featured on the PRovoke Media Innovator 25 list.
Max Puller FIIC
Max Puller is an award-winning, strategic and creative, business transformation and employee engagement leader with wide-ranging experience, both in-house and consulting, from across the public, private and charity sectors.
In February 2024, Max joined FTSE 250-listed IT and technology services provider, Computacenter, as Business Strategy and Communications Director. Prior to Computacenter, Max was Business Transformation Director at BCW, a WPP company, Head of Colleague Communications and Engagement at Tesco Bank, Employee and Change Communications Director at Sodexo, and Chief Communications Officer at the UK Ministry of Defence.
In his spare time, Max is a Non Executive Director of the South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust and Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. Max completed the IOIC’s Masters in Internal Communication Management in 2020, and is a Fellow of both the Chartered Institute of Public Relations and the Institute of Internal Communication.
In 2023, Max was delighted to pick up the Best Employee Experience Programme award at last year’s IOIC’s National Awards for BCW’s work with global facilities management firm, JLL.
Melanie Hinds
Melanie is the Global Head of Internal Communications and Employee Engagement at Amnesty International, having held previous roles in other third sector organisations and large corporate companies. Melanie has around 25 years’ experience of professional communications management and leadership, having started her career in public relations before moving into internal communications around 14 years ago.
Melisaan Foster
Melisaan is an experienced consultant in employee engagement, communications and inclusion with a demonstrated history of working across a variety of sectors and regions.
Melisaan was awarded the Mark of Excellence, Outstanding Young Communicator, CIPR Excellence awards 2018 and leads the WorkBuzz team to help businesses build great company cultures by gaining feedback from their people.
Michala Griffin
Specialising in internal communications within the public and private sector (both in Canada and the UK), Michala started her IC career at Gap Inc. Fast forward two decades later, with the last ten of them spent working in financial services.
Her expertise ranges from change communications, c-suite counsel, leading and developing high performing teams, as well as helping join the commercial and cultural dots of organisations. She has had the privilege to lead and oversee significant merger and acquisition communications, and is currently ‘joining the dots’ in her new international role at QBE Insurance.
Michala gained her Fellowship at the Institute of Internal Communications during the height of the global pandemic and is an active mentor to others looking to progress their IC profession.
Nicola Lally
Nicola Lally is a partner at accountancy and business advisory firm, BDO. As Communications and Corporate Affairs Partner, she oversees the firm’s internal and external communications programme. She is lead Comms adviser to the firm’s Board, sits on BDO’s Culture Board and Crisis Committee, and is co-chair of the Sustainability and ESG Board. This senior access means she is no longer simply telling the stories but influencing the actions behind them too.
Before being an in-house adviser, she trained at a leading corporate comms agency working on behaviour change campaigns, corporate comms and crisis management for major UK and global brands.
Nicole Bearne
Over a career spanning 25 years in the highly competitive world of Formula One motor racing, Nicole Bearne helped her team win nine World Championships. From 2014 - 2023 she headed up the Internal Communications function at the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team. In 2023 Nicole founded The Comms Exchange, an internal communication and employee experience consultancy which employs a blend of robust academic theory and real-world business experience to help clients build happy, high-performing, people-centric organisations. Nicole is also an Associate Director with the award-winning Fresh Communication agency.
Nicole holds a Master’s degree in Organisational Behaviour and a CIPR Diploma in Internal Communication. She is a member of the Institute of Internal Communication, the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (MCIPR) and an Accredited PR Practitioner. She is frequently invited to speak at Internal Communications and Employee Experience conferences in the UK, USA and Europe.
Oli Howard
Oli’s main work is with the CIPD, the body for HR and the wider people profession, where he is Head of Membership. He has previously worked in senior communication roles for public and charity sector organisations, with a strong focus on internal communication. He is the lead author of the IoIC's guide to IC strategy and an alumni of the programme with Kingston University, having graduated with Distinction in 2012. Oli is a Module Leader for the IoIC's Masters in Internal Communication.
Peter Lyons
Peter has worked in internal communications, marketing and PR for over 14 years for a range of well-known brands in the UK and Australia. Peter is an experienced strategic and trusted c-suite advisor providing counsel across a diverse range of portfolios and has extensive experience across change and leadership communications, creative campaigns, and event management.
With a track record of being both a nominee and winner for various campaigns over the years, Peter is looking forward to joining the judging panel to recognise the brilliant work internal communication teams are delivering in the UK.
Rob Jones
Ross is co-founder and content director of communications agency Artful Dog. He has more than 20 years’ experience in internal comms – planning, writing and editing magazines, websites, brochures and other campaign materials. He is the editor of IoIC’s membership magazine, Voice.
Ross Behenna
Ross is co-founder and creative director of communications agency Artful Dog, responsible for art direction and design strategy across print and digital projects, including IoIC’s membership magazine, Voice. He has extensive experience across publishing, marketing and branding.
Ruth Findlay
Ruth Findlay is Head of Internal Communications at Scottish Water, Scotland’s water and wastewater provider. Ruth has over 25 years’ internal communications experience in the Finance, Utility and Public Sectors. Although she started her career in international and investment banking, she developed a growing interest in employee communications and engagement. This lead to her setting up the first strategic internal communications function in Bank of Scotland in the mid 1990s.
In her current role at Scottish Water, Ruth has established a highly skilled, multi-award winning team, who thrive on connecting people to the Scottish Water purpose, bringing the stories of colleagues and customers to life in a creative way.
She is also interested in the education sector and has been a Non Executive Board member and Executive Director of Fife College and Carnegie Enterprises Ltd.
She is an IoIC Fellow and holds a MA Joint Honours in English and French, along with a distinction in the Masters in Internal Communications Management, for which she won a prize for the highest achievement. In 2018 she was awarded ‘Outstanding Contribution to the Communications Industry’ by IoIC Scotland. She is also a fully qualified member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers in Scotland.
Ruth lives in Fife, Scotland with her husband and two children.
Sally Otter
Sally has worked in communications for more than 25 years. She trained as a journalist at Sheffield University and then worked in print, television and script-writing before joining the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign, where she was Head of Communications with responsibility for PR, publications and digital.
Sally moved to Oxfam in 2010 and took on the role of Head of Internal Communications before joining the National Trust as its Head of Internal Communications where her team won ‘Internal Communications Team of the Year. She moved to BFS in August 2022 to set the internal communications strategy for the global business. This is the sixth year Sally has supported the IoIC Awards.
Sandra Lowman-Simpson FIIC
Sandra began her career in property and facilities management, working on various global accounts and rising to senior levels. Her achievements culminated in her being awarded the runner-up spot for the BIFM Young Facilities Manager of the Year. In 2011, after qualifying, she transitioned into the communications industry. Since then, Sandra has worked in a variety of roles, including as an in-house generalist (and specialist), a change agent, a senior consultant to the C-suite, and interim positions with top London agencies. Her extensive experience gives her a comprehensive understanding of communications practice. She became a Fellow of the Institute in 2023. Today, Sandra advocates for the well-being of communicators by supporting them as a coach and mentor. She is passionate about assisting the work of the Institute to help shape the next generation of communicators.
Shalini Gupta
With over two decades of internal comms experience, Shalini has worked for insurance, banking, telecoms and professional services sector specialising in leadership communications, employee engagement, organisational culture, and communicating change.
Shalini's career highlights include communication roles across India, Middle East and the UK at RSA, GE Capital, Aviva, BT, NatWest group and Arup.
A Fellow at the Institute of Internal Communications, Chartered CIPR practitioner, WeAreTheCity Rising star nominee, and mentor to others in the IC profession, Shalini is passionate about sharing her experience and knowledge and can often be found speaking at industry panels, hosting or writing blogs.
Sherrie Burnham
Sherrie Burnham has worked in the PR and communications sector for more than 25 years, starting in PR before moving into the world of Internal Communications later on in her career. She is a proud Fellow of the IoIC and mentor and Chartered member of the CIPR. After being on the other side of the IOIC awards, as nominee and winner over the years she joins the judging panel for another year to support the IoIC and see the fantastic work that our IC teams across the UK are delivering.
Sinéad Bell FIIC
Sinéad is an award-winning reputation management professional, with a specialist interest in internal communications. She helps to protect and enhance the reputations of her clients through proactive campaigns, issues mitigation and management, and where appropriate, internal and external change management programmes. She has experience across a broad spectrum of sectors and with more than 12 years’ experience in external relations, she can also advise how internal communications and external communications can work together.
Sonia Squires
Sonia Squires is Head of Internal Communications at Citizen Housing. Sonia started her career working in higher education institutions, the University of Manchester and the University of Huddersfield where she worked with under-represented groups, supporting and encouraging young people to achieve their ambition. She then found her calling with internal communications, working for the NHS, AQA and most recently in social housing. Sonia’s passion is in supporting leaders with their communication so that they develop a greater connection with their teams. This stems from her MBA dissertation which focused on the importance of leadership in employee engagement and the significant impact it has every day.
A mum of two young girls (3 and 5), Sonia spends her weekends exploring new places/ parks and singing lots of Disney and Bollywood songs on repeat. Vegan for nearly 10 years, Sonia's a big Derby County fan, and has a season ticket for the Rams cheering them on through good times, and bad!
Tracy Keates
Tracy is a proud Fellow of the IoIC with over 20 years internal communication experience both in house at HBOS and Lloyds Banking Group and more recently as the Commercial and Strategy Director at Limehouse Films.
Known as a trusted, creative, and experienced professional with a proven track record of delivering award winning communications, campaigns and channels that deliver value across different organisations and sectors.
Tracy is delighted to be a judge again this year.
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