Lifetime achievement award 2017 – payroll
Awarded by the CIPP board of directors
Presented by: Gordon Cresswell FCIPP Awarded posthumously to: Michelle Crook MSc FCIPPdip
A tribute by Eira Hammond FCIPPdip, chair, CIPP Michelle and I joined the CIPP board at the same time, back in 2008, and she became chair of the board in 2013. As a board we could always rely on her to challenge our thinking. I remember when discussing angles of the topics under discussion, Michelle would come up with something new or different that caused even further debate, ensuring the board had considered every viewpoint the membership might have. She was always willing to take a line different from the rest. Michelle graduated with the MSc in Business and Reward Management in February 2016. It was a remarkable achievement to study for and to receive the MSc whilst being chair of the CIPP board, while at the same time holding a managing director position for a thriving payroll outsourcing service company. It really shows the commitment she had to the payroll industry and studying generally, both of which were extremely important to her. Gordon Cresswell was contracted to set up the bureau and employ his successor and leave after six months. Gordon saw Michelle develop very quickly from payroll manager to become a director of ESOS, incorporating the Pertemps payroll with new clients. She was extremely good in a crisis with the skill of providing a viable solution very quickly; her technical input was always spot on and beautifully delivered. Board colleagues have said of Michelle: “Throughout her time as chair of the CIPP board, she was a fantastic mentor to the management team and was a lovely, bubbly, intelligent, professional person. She thrived on working hard and playing hard” and “I learned to love Michelle’s quick wit which could be to the point, but never nasty. We enjoyed some happy times together which I will cherish.” When I took over early as chair last year, Michelle gave me much needed support and help. She provided a very welcome listening ear when sometimes I just needed to talk something through. We shared many evenings putting the world to rights and sharing how proud we both were of our own families and their achievements and our hopes for their futures. The legacy Michelle has left the CIPP and the payroll industry will make a long-lasting difference to the Institute as well as the membership. She was integral to the CIPP purchasing our home, Goldfinger House. Her passion for payroll was instrumental in bringing to life the change of criteria and upgrade process for membership and the introduction of Individual Chartered Status, which we launched yesterday. I know she would have been proud to know she had played an integral part in this significant accomplishment. Awarded by Rob Crook, Michelle’s husband, accepted the award
In her personal life, she had started volunteering as a ‘Samaritan’ in her local town of Solihull, giving something back to the community; I know that this work was very important to her, and that she definitely made a difference to the people she spoke to.
The best-laid plans, by Gordon Cresswell Sometimes, despite a mountain of preparation, things don’t go quite as anticipated. Thus it was in one small (but crucially important) part of the CIPP Awards ceremony at The Celtic Manor Resort. I was privileged to share a table with Rob Crook, husband of our late colleague Michelle to whom a tribute was to be paid at the end of the evening. Through my CIPP involvement and having worked for six years with Michelle, Rob and I are old friends. He very much shares the same outlook on life that Michelle did, and has the same quick wit. In preparation for the evening he had written and rehearsed a small speech of thanks. However, none of us were prepared for the raw emotion of the evening.
a brilliantly touching tribute followed by the most beautiful and fitting photographic collage behind us on the stage. I watched as everyone stood in honour of our late colleague. I was not the only one with tears streaming down my cheeks.
Rob accepted the award and I whispered: “Are you going to say a few words?” He just shook his head as his tears got in the way.
Afterwards in the bar Rob said, “I wouldn’t mind but I’ve been rehearsing for a fortnight!” and I pointed out that Michelle will be regarding us as a couple of wimps. I promised Rob that I would pass on his message of appreciation: “I have always been extremely proud of Michelle’s successes and achievements, and today is no exception. I would like to thank the CIPP for recognising her skills and commitment to a profession and people that she loved. Thank you.”
Having been awarded the privilege of making the presentation to Rob, I stood on the stage with Sir Trevor McDonald as Eira delivered
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ANNUAL EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2017
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