More than 160 colleagues came together to celebrate the very best of Finnebrogue at the annual Finnebrogue People Awards Dinner on Friday 9th October, an evening dedicated to recognising the outstanding individuals and teams who make the Downpatrick based site such a special place to work.
The evening opened with remarks from Melissa Mackey, Head of HR, who reflected on another year of growth, innovation and achievement. Melissa spoke about the energy, commitment and shared sense of purpose that continue to define Finnebrogue, recognising the contribution every colleague makes to its success.
The highlight of the evening was the presentation of the coveted Employee of the Year Award by Joe Stranney, Regional Director. This award recognises an individual who has made an exceptional impact on Finnebrogue over the past year, consistently demonstrating excellence, leading by example and embodying the values that make the business what it is.
This year’s Employee of the Year was awarded to Phillip Woods, Head of Hygiene. Phillip has been with the business nine years and his commitment, leadership and dedication have made a lasting difference. His passion for maintaining the highest standards, supporting colleagues and driving continuous improvement sets a benchmark for others to follow and makes him a truly deserving recipient of Finnebrogue’s highest people honour.
The standard was exceptionally high, making the judges’ decisions tougher than ever. Congratulations to every finalist who made the shortlist, and to our highly commended recipients and outstanding winners whose hard work, leadership and commitment embody the very best of Finnebrogue.
Operations Excellence Award
Winner: Tsanyo Atanasov
Highly Commended: Pawel Ropiak
Operational Support Champion
Winner: Gary McIlhone
Highly Commended: Ross Murray
Resilience Award
Winner: Amy Irvine
Quality Excellence Award
Winner: Lauris Bergmanis
High Commended: Daina Kazlauskiene
Innovation Champion
Winner: Sean Kearney
Safety Star Award
Winner: Paul Lavery
Sustainability Champion
Winner: Regina Vencke
Customer Satisfaction Award
Winner: Aaron Beattie
Supply Chain Excellence Award
Winner: Robert Cochrane
Outstanding Newcomer Award
Winner: Aine Burns
People Development Champion
Winner: Alina Pavel
People Manager of the Year
Winner: Vaeceslav Guzan
Spirit of Finnebrogue Award
Winner: Eleonora Mercuta
Outstanding Progress Awards
Winner: TJ Brown
Highly Commended: Gheorghe Stan
Feed Your Future Student of the Year
Winner: McKenzie McCarthy-Russell
One Team Award – recognised for collaborating cross-functionally to building a stronger Finnebrogue under Sofina
Finance team
Employee of the Year
Winner: Philip Woods, Head of Hygiene
Highly Commended: Anthea McAuley, Communications Manager
