JUDGE’S NAME Paul Nowak
The Queen's Awards recognise the positive social impact a business delivers, and how sustainable or innovative they are
CATEGORY Prime Minister's Advisory Committee AREA OF INTEREST Trade Unions, Employment Relations & Engagement, CSR
Paul is the deputy general secretary of the TUC, representing 48 unions and 5.6 million union members. He is also a member of the ACAS Council and the Government’s Strategic Trade Advisory Group. Paul first joined a union as a fresh-faced youngster working at ASDA at the tender age of 17. Prior to joining the TUC, he had been an active member of unions including the GMB, UNISON and CWU, and fulfilled roles as varied as call- centre operator, hotel night porter and local bus information officer. A lifelong Everton fan, Paul lives in Merseyside with his wife Vicky and their three children.
WHAT’S YOUR TOP TIP FOR A COMPANY THAT IS THINKING OF APPLYING FOR A QUEEN’S AWARD? Engage your staff in the process and talk to them about why it’s important. I want the Awards to be owned by the whole workforce not just senior managers. I'd also advise companies to think about going 'above and beyond' when it comes to CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility). The judges are keen to see a real commitment to staff, to the environment and local community coming through loud and clear in the entries. DESCRIBE THE BENEFITS OF BEING A QUEEN’S AWARDSWINNER, AS YOU SEE IT All too often our businesses are simply judged on their balance sheets or share prices. Those things are important, but the Queen's Awards also recognise the positive social impact a business delivers, and how sustainable or innovative they are. To have that externally validated and to come through a very competitive field should be a source of pride within the business and beyond. DESCRIBE A FEW FEATURES YOU BELIEVE MAKE BRITISH BUSINESSES SUCH A GLOBAL SUCCESS I passionately believe that the future for UK plc is dependent on us a taking the 'high-road' to economic growth: productive, leading-edge companies that blend together good jobs, high skills and sustainability. These are precisely the sorts of qualities the Queen's Awards set out to reward, and precisely the sort of qualities which will give UK business a competitive edge.
WHAT MADE YOU CHOOSE TO BE A JUDGE FOR THE QUEEN’S AWARDS? I'm probably in a different position to most of the other members of the PMAC. For a number of years the TUC has been represented at a senior level of the PMAC, and I think that reflects the fact that our unions represent employees across a huge range of sectors. From airlines to supermarkets; car-plants to high-street banks, we have millions of union members working in every occupation and profession. WHY DO THE QUEEN’S AWARDS MATTER TO BUSINESS? All too often we don't do enough to celebrate the fantastic work that British companies - and their staff – do, day in, day out. The Awards do exactly that, as well as providing a real 'seal of approval' that can help companies promote their work and grow their business. WHAT DOYOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT BEING A QA JUDGE? The PMAC are a pretty eclectic group, and its good to get the input from a diverse range of senior civil servants, senior business figures and - I would say this - trade unionists! It's also great to get a feel for the range of businesses out there. Some are household names whose products we all know, many others are SME's, family businesses or social enterprises that are quietly working away, delivering for their customers and having a positive social impact. WHAT SPARKS YOUR INTEREST ACROSS QUEEN’S AWARD APPLICANTS THIS YEAR? It’s clear that companies are really getting to grips with the need for us to de-carbonise our economy. What's clear is that this is not just the case for those employers who would consider themselves as being part of the 'green economy', but for every business, large and small. It’s a feature of all of the Awards - and the Sustainability and Innovation Awards in particular - that I think we will see become more important, year-on-year.
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