Julie-anne named the South West’s HR Leader of the Year

Julie-anne was named HR Leader of the Year at The Business Desk Leadership Awards South West at a gala dinner held in Bristol.

The honour recognised the way she has led the strategy and processes which have enabled Wildanet to build and retain an exceptional team of people during what has been a period of rapid growth for the company.

Such is the success of the business and its impact on the region, the awards also saw a further two of its key personnel shortlisted as finalists;  Wildanet CEO Helen Wylde-Archibald (in the Company Leader category); and Wildanet Head of Marketing Matt Greaves (in the Marketing Leader category).

Wildanet is driven by a strong ethos of inclusivity and inclusion, both in its operations bringing high speed broadband to hard-to-reach communities in Cornwall and Devon, and in the way it manages its own business, recruitment, and training.

Julie-anne leads a multifaceted People department with a wide-ranging brief including employee relations, recruitment and development, along with facilities and fleet management, Health and Safety, Colleague IT services and leading the corporate ESG agenda which saw Wildanet become the first UK-based AltNet to become a Certified B Corporation.

She was also the driving force behind the establishment of the Wildanet Technical Training Academy - a new centre of excellence for Cornwall officially opened in September 2023 - dedicated to providing industry-leading training and apprenticeships for the next generation of telecommunication engineers.

Julie-anne said: “It was fantastic to be part of such an inspirational event and an incredibly proud moment for all of us to see Wildanet recognised for its achievements.

“This award recognises the excellent team, teamwork and values that makes Wildanet such an exciting company to be a part of and which has driven our mission and success growing our own business and in transforming connectivity for communities in Cornwall and Devon.”

South West editor of TheBusinessDesk.com Michael Ribbeck, who chaired the panel of awards judges said: “The aim is to celebrate the very best of business in the region and that is exactly what these awards do.”