At the 2009 IRP Awards, fifteen exceptional professionals were honoured for their commitment and dedication at the Institute of Recruitment Professionals’ glittering awards ceremony.
Alison Henderson writes about the 2009 award evening below:
The first ever staging of the Institute of Recruitment Professionals’ Awards proved to be a glittering, glamorous occasion held in the splendid, historic surroundings of the Honourable Artillery Company in central London.
These awards are the only ones given by recruitment’s trade body, the REC, to recognise and salute the very best in the business, working at all levels and in different disciplines.
A total of 340 people – a sell-out audience – enjoyed a convivial evening beginning with a three-course dinner after which everyone was richly entertained by broadcaster Gyles Brandreth who was acting as Master of Ceremonies for the evening.
Putting the awards into context, Kevin Green, the REC’s chief executive, explained that following the launch of the IRP, the awards were the next leg of a journey which could take between 10 and 15 years. “This is towards realising our goal of professionalising the industry and attaining Chartered status. This all starts with the IRP members themselves, giving them recognition and respect for bringing such value and high standards through their own individual capabilities.”
Reflecting on the state of the industry in a particularly difficult trading year, Green went on to say: “In 2009 recruiters have shown themselves to be creative and innovative as well as resilient and resourceful.”
However, the evening belonged to the exceptional professionals who were shortlisted for the 15 awards, all of whom were singled out by their peers for their commitment in going that extra mile for their company, clients and candidates; or for demonstrating great dedication to their work.
The top honour of Recruiter of the Year went to Permanent Recruiter title winner, Jody Marks, who, until recently, was head of permanent recruitment at Rullion Computer Personnel, based in Altrincham, Cheshire.
Marks had already set out his stall at last year’s IM awards when he was runnerup in the Permanent Recruiter category. Ambitious and single-minded in his work, he particularly impressed the judges by excelling in such a difficult year, receiving excellent feedback from both candidates and clients on his performance.
Moreover, according to Marks’ nomination, his company’s reputation had been
enhanced by some of the core strategies he had implemented and as a result it had become
the chosen partner on some exciting new projects in the north-west region.
The judges believed that, having shown such determination and strength, Marks would be an excellent ambassador for the entire recruitment industry.
Among the other winners were Peter Cullimore, of Universal Care and chair of the REC’s Nursing and Social Care Sector Group, who won the Lifetime Achievement Award for his tireless role in championing the recruitment industry. In particular, he was lauded for the way he had concentrated the group’s efforts towards achieving the highest possible standards with the lowest level of Government intervention possible.
Another winner was Peter Dunkerley from Russam GMS, the Interim Recruiter of the Year, who was new to recruitment when he joined the company eight years ago but, now aged 65, has shown himself to be a champion of the needs and aspirations of the interim sector.
WORDS Alison Henderson
View pictures of last year's event:
