Gill White, CIPD, & Nerina Ramlakhan PhD, judge the National Happiness Awards 2019

Whoever said that it's rude to judge obviously doesn’t know our next two lovely judges. They’re the most polite people you could ever wish to meet.

Gill White

Gill joined CIPD in July 2012 as Head of CIPD Training and was appointed a director for the newly formed directorate of careers & CPD in September 2013. Since then she has taken responsibility for the content, commercial, regional and international teams. She is currently the business and markets development director. Her remit covers commercial enterprises, business development and the international and regional areas. Gill delivers speeches and workshops around the world which focus on the future of learning and development, leadership, strategic alignment and behavioural science. Prior to working for the CIPD, Gill has held a variety of L&D leadership roles at Vodafone, Xchanging and SSP. She also held operational roles at consultancy IDology, Whitbread, Greenall’s and Vodafone. Gill holds the prestigious IOD chartered director status, one of only 1,000 in the UK. She is also a fellow of both the IOD and CIPD. Gill’s main passion beyond learning and behavioural science remains her love of wine, something she studied to degree level when working in the trade. She never happier than when reading a book on the brain, accompanied by a nice pinot noir.

What Gill is looking for in entries to the National Happiness Awards 2019

What I look for is the additional evidence – like videos or photos that help bring the entry to life. Anything that really helps demonstrate the impact that the intervention has had makes it more compelling.

Nerina Ramlakhan PhD

Physiologist Nerina has over 20 years’ experience in maximising individual and organisational performance. She founded BUPA’s Corporate Wellbeing Solutions and has worked extensively in the public and private sector. After completing her post-doctoral training and research into the effects of lifestyle interventions on mental disorders, she spent five years in corporate health screening before studying organisational psychiatry and psychology at Guys Hospital. For over a decade she worked with the Nightingale Psychiatric Hospital in London on their sleep, energy & physical health programmes. Nerina’s work with individuals and organisations includes motivational and leadership programmes, wellness and energy programmes, return to work coaching following long-term sickness absence and burnout prevention. She also runs regular sleep/energy workshops for women recovering from cancer at the Haven Centre in Fulham. Nerina’s work is featured regularly in the national press and she has appeared on BBC radio, GMTV, ITV’s This Morning, CNN and SKY NEWS. Nerina is the sleep advisor to the Silent Night bed company and Melia Hotels and Resorts.

What Nerina is looking for in entries to the National Happiness Awards 2019

I'll be looking for initiatives that bring happiness into organisations and examples of the impact these have. How do they engage their people and are the initiatives measurable? For the individual awards I'll be looking at the actions the nominees do and how these impact on the people around them. Is their happiness infectious?