The stars of Wales’ customer service sector were celebrated at the 27th annual Cnect Wales Awards.
Supported by headline sponsor Jomo People, the sold-out event at Cardiff City Stadium brought together more than 500 industry professionals to recognise the innovation, talent, and excellence across Wales’ thriving customer experience industry, which contributes over £650 million annually to the Welsh economy and employs 32,000 people. The guest host was comedian, television presenter and actor Joel Dommett.
This year’s awards reflected the adaptability and creativity of an industry that continues to evolve in the face of technological change, shifting employee expectations, and ever-higher customer demands, the organisers said.
Innovation in talent development shone through as The Consumer Helpline (TCH Group) was awarded Gold for Best Talent Programme, recognising its forward-thinking approach to nurturing skills and meeting business needs.
The evening also saw the introduction of a brand-new category, Best Working Environment, which celebrates organisations making a difference not only for their people but also for the environment and wider sustainability. Starling Bank claimed the inaugural award.
Diversity and inclusion were recognised as being key to excellence, with BBC Cymru Wales winning the Diversity, Equality & Inclusion Award, while the final company award Business of the Year was split into three categories. Sky Cardiff received the Best Community Award, Starling Bank was named Best Inhouse Business of the Year, and SSCL took the title of Best Outsource Business of the Year, all demonstrating the breadth of talent and innovation within the sector.
Individual achievements were also in the spotlight. Amy Dicomidis of Capital on Tap was named Customer Contact Leader of the Year.
Meanwhile, the Senior Leader of the Year Award celebrated both inhouse and outsourced leadership, with Trish Norman of Lenvi (inhouse) and Nicholas Miles of CGI (outsource) taking home the top honours.
Sandra Busby, Managing Director of Cnect Wales, said:
“This year’s winners highlight the creativity, dedication, and innovation that make Wales a leader in customer experience. From harnessing technology and AI, to redefining talent strategies, to championing inclusivity and transforming customer support, our finalists and winners have set an incredible benchmark for excellence. We are proud to celebrate not only their achievements but the industry’s vital contribution to the economy and communities across Wales.”
Katie Lee, Co-Founder and Talent Partner at Jomo People, added:
“We’re super proud to be back as headline sponsors of the Wales Cnect Awards for another year. It’s such a fantastic way to celebrate the amazing people working across contact centres in Wales – people from all sorts of backgrounds who bring so much energy, skill, and heart to what they do.
“Every year, the diversity of the entries reminds us just how vibrant and varied this industry is. These awards aren’t just about recognising individual achievements; they’re a chance to showcase the whole sector and the vital role it plays in communities across Wales. Being part of this event means we get to support and champion the people behind the scenes who make such a difference and that’s something we’re proud to do year after year.”
Cnect Wales said it extended its gratitude to all sponsors who made the awards possible, including headline sponsor Jomo People and category sponsors: Welsh Government, Starling Bank, Systems X, Hapus People, Admiral, Capital on Tap, Cardiff Council/Invest in Cardiff, Deloitte, IRIS, Talent Tent.
Full details of all category winners are:
Individual Awards
Apprentice of the Year – sponsored by Welsh Government
Gold Winner – Lisa Evans – Legal & General Retail
Silver – Connor Power – Deloitte
Newcomer of the Year – sponsored by Welsh Government
Gold Winner – Jessica Hardaker – Blackhorse Finance
Silver – Ava Murphy – Legal & General Direct Sales
Support Person of the Year – sponsored by Starling Bank
Gold Winner – Aimee Green – Aldermore Group
Emerging Superstar – sponsored by Starling Bank
Gold Winner – Ian Morris Which?
Silver – Jamie Shelley – Legal & General Direct Sales
Advisor of the Year (Inhouse) – sponsored by SLD Wealth
Joint Gold Winner – David Tazzini-Lloyd – Lloyds Banking Group
Joint Gold Winner – Ryan O’Connor – Nextbase
Advisor of the Year (Outsource) – sponsored by SLD Wealth
Gold Winner – Abigail Hughes – Target Group
Team Leader of the Year (Inhouse) – sponsored by Cnect Wales
Gold Winner – Sajeda Musa – Aldermore Group
Silver – Caitlin Scrase – Sky Cardiff
Team Leader of the Year (Outsource) – sponsored by Cnect Wales
Gold Winner – Daniel Cooper – Firstsource Solutions
Trainer of the Year – sponsored by Buzzwales
Gold Winner – Patrick Kinsella – Starling Bank
Silver – Rebecca Davies – Capital on Tap
Support Manager of the Year – sponsored by Buzzwales
Gold Winner – Samantha Knapton – Deloitte
Joint Silver – Nadine Morgan – Legal & General Workplace Savings
Joint Silver – Edward Evans – CGI
Customer Contact Leader of the Year – sponsored by Systems X
Gold Winner – Amy Dicomidis – Capital on Tap
Senior Leader of the Year – sponsored by Systems X
Gold Winner (Inhouse) – Trish Norman – Lenvi
Gold Winner (Outsource) – Nicholas Miles – CGI
Silver – David Lewis – 118 118 Money
Company Awards
Specialist Team of the Year (Customer) – sponsored by Hapus People
Joint Gold Winner – Lloyds Banking Group – Domestic & Financial Abuse / RAEC Team
Joint Gold Winner – DVLA Multi Channel Team
Joint Silver – Pepper Money – Third Party Oversight Customer Team
Joint Silver – Virgin Atlantic – Customer Solutions Team
Specialist Team of the Year (Colleague/People) – sponsored by Hapus People
Gold Winner – Deloitte – Wellness Advisory Team
Customer Team of the Year – sponsored by Admiral
Gold Winner – Which? Wills Team
Joint Silver – Legal & General Direct Sales Partnerships Team
Joint Silver – Transport for Wales – South Wales Contact Centre Team
Customer Success – sponsored by Capital on Tap
Gold Winner – Private Sector – Blackhorse Finance – Transforming the Customer Complaints Journey
Gold Winner – Public Sector – Shared Services Connected Ltd (SSCL)
Silver – Adra Tai Cyf
Best Talent Programme – sponsored by Cardiff Council/Invest in Cardiff
Gold Winner – The Consumer Helpline (TCH Group)
Best Working Environment – sponsored by Cardiff Council/Invest in Cardiff
Gold Winner – Starling Bank
Diversity, Equality & Inclusion – sponsored by Deloitte
Gold Winner – BBC Cymru Wales
Best Technology/Digital Initiative – sponsored by IRIS
Gold Winner – Lenvi – PF1 Team
Best Advice Line/Helpline – sponsored by IRIS
Gold Winner – Transport for Wales – Concessionary Travel Card Line
People & Culture – sponsored by Jomo People
Joint Gold Winner – Admiral Money
Joint Gold Winner – EE
Silver – Aldermore Group
Best Client Partnership – sponsored by Jomo People
Gold Winner – The Consumer Helpline (TCH Group) and Ospreys
Business of the Year – sponsored by Jomo People
Gold Winner Business of the Year – Best Community Award – Sky Cardiff
Gold Winner Business of the Year (Inhouse) – Starling Bank
Gold Winner Business of the Year (Outsource) – Shared Services Connected Ltd (SSCL)
