Best Practice Awards Judges 2026
The Judges for the Working Families Best Practice Awards 2026 are:
Emma Banister – Professor of Consumption and Society and member of the Work and Equalities Institute at University of Manchester.
Emma is a qualitative researcher with interests in issues connected with the interface of work and home. Current projects explore the transition to parenthood, fathers’ and mothers’ lived experiences of Shared Parental Leave (SPL), the impact of fathers’ solo care on family work-care dynamics and the particular challenges faced by SMEs in offering support and family-friendly initiatives.
Her work has been published in a range of business and sociology outlets, and her video casebook exploring the lived experiences of parents’ use of SPL can be found on the Working Families website.
Paul Coulson – Chair of Trustees, Working Families
Paul is an employment law and employee relations consultant, providing pragmatic and achievement-oriented solutions for his clients. He has significant legal, employee relations, commercial and leadership experience in both private practice and industry. Paul is a passionate coach and mentor who enjoys unlocking potential and problem-solving which is focused on equity and inclusion.
Paul brings to Working Families his experiences of having been brought up in a single-parent household on a Council estate in the north of England and of becoming a single parent himself when his three children (now in their late teens and early twenties) were in primary education.
Una O’Reilly – Experienced Chief People and Culture Officer and Vice-Patron of Working Families
Una O’Reilly is an experienced HR leader with over 25 years’ experience shaping high-performing organisations across luxury hospitality, property, retail, and real estate. She works with boards and executive leadership teams to turn people strategy into measurable business impact, building leadership capability, energising culture and enabling sustainable growth.
Through UOR People Consultancy, Una operates at the intersection of leadership, culture, and organisational design, helping organisations embed human sustainability into the way they lead, decide, and grow. She is currently working for Battersea Power Station, supporting the team behind one of London’s most ambitious mixed-use regeneration projects.
Una combines commercial rigour with deep human insight. She holds a BSc (Hons) in Technology Management, a Postgraduate Diploma in Human Resources and Organisational Development, is an NLP Master Coach, and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (FCIPD)
Jane van Zyl – Chief Executive, Working Families
Jane joined Working Families as CEO in September 2018. She has 18 years’ experience working in the third sector and has held senior leadership positions at a number of UK charities, including Samaritans and Sands. She believes in the value of a fulfilling, balanced working life and its transformative power to create social connections, build self-esteem, and impact the wider community. She is a passionate advocate of equal opportunity for all.
She spent her childhood in the UK (Norfolk) and South Africa (Cape Town & Johannesburg). Jane holds a social science bachelor’s degree from the University of Cape Town in Industrial Sociology and Industrial Psychology.
Guest judges for 2026
Charlie Beswick – Speaker, author, advocate and Working Families ambassador
Guest judge for Best for Carers
Charlie is a speaker, author, and advocate dedicated to helping individuals and organizations embrace difference and overcome adversity. As a mother to a son with a rare craniofacial condition and autism, Charlie has transformed her personal journey into a powerful platform for raising awareness, providing support, and promoting inclusion for families and individuals impacted by disability.
She is the author of the best-selling book Our Altered Life, a brutally honest account of how she came to terms with a life she never expected. As part of Our Altered Life, Charlie has, to date, educated over 8,000 children and young people on visible differences and behaviours typically associated with autism.
Charlie is the founder of S.E.N.D Gin and Cheese CIC, that provides parental mental health support before, during and long after their children’s diagnosis of disability or additional needs.
She is a passionate advocate for employed parent carers and offers guidance to improve the well-being of carers, helping both individuals and employers understand how to better care for carers through talks and workshops that emphasize the importance of empathy and inclusion. She empowers audiences to shift their perspectives, embrace vulnerability, and champion inclusivity both within the SEND community and beyond.
Cecilia Crossley – Founder of From Babies With Love
Guest judge for Best for All-Round Flexibility
Cecilia Crossley is a purpose-driven entrepreneur and the founder of From Babies with Love and Uplifting People – an award-winning social enterprise transforming the role of HR in driving positive change.
By reimagining how companies support their people, Cecilia helps global brands connect people strategies with purpose – delivering commercial outcomes and at the same time empowering vulnerable children around the world.
With a background in finance and international development, she blends corporate expertise with a deep commitment to equity and sustainability. Winner of the Prime Minister’s Point of Light Award, her pioneering work puts impact at the heart of the employee experience – from hire to retire.
Leading a growing movement that proves HR is a powerful force for systemic change, Cecilia is the host of the How HR Leaders Change the World podcast and a sought-after speaker on purpose-led business and the power of HR; Cecilia engages audiences with her extensive knowledge, warmth and practical insights, leaving them motivated and armed with actions to drive change through business success.