This award recognises a team-based innovation initiative that has clearly raised the value and impact of the Shared Services organisation. It celebrates those that have moved beyond "business as usual" to fundamentally redesign how work is delivered, whether through new processes, service delivery models, organisational approaches, technology enablement, or a combination of these.

Evaluation criteria:

• Business Value and Strategic Impact: The submission should demonstrate how the initiative delivered clear business results (financial, operational and/or experience related) and has helped shift GBS from a cost-focused function to a driver of competitive advantage and strategic value.
• Quality of Execution and Complexity Management: The submission should illustrate how the complexity of the change was managed, including planning and project management, engaging and aligning global stakeholders, and successfully integrating the innovation with existing systems, processes, and ways of working.
• Innovation Culture and Scalability: The solution should be a repeatable way of innovating that encourages ongoing innovation, supports agile behaviours and strengthens the organisation's culture of continuous improvement across teams and locations.

This award recognises an emerging or next-generation leader in the Shared Services organisation, not only senior executives. It honors individuals who lead with vision, build strong teams, and play a key role in driving the future of GBS. The recipient actively leads change, develops talent, and builds credibility with senior leaders by showing how GBS can shape the wider business strategy.

Evaluation criteria:

• Clarity of Vision and Ability to Inspire: The nominee should clearly define where the team or function is heading and effectively bring people along. Evaluators will look for real examples of setting direction, communicating it simply, and aligning different teams around shared goals.
• Leading People Through Change: The nominee handles effectively the human side of transformation by managing uncertainty, listening and responding to concerns, keeping morale and performance high during change and creating an environment where people feel safe to experiment and contribute.
• Strategic Impact and Credibility with Senior Leaders: The nominee strengthened the position and reputation of GBS inside the organization. Evaluators will look for evidence of credibility with senior leaders, influence in shaping business decisions, and clear examples where the nominee's leadership helped GBS be seen, and used, as a key driver of enterprise value.