Best Practice Awards Judges 2025
The Judges for the Working Families Best Practice Awards 2025 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.
Helen Humphreys – Chair of Trustees, Working Families
Helen is an experienced strategic change communication director with extensive leadership experience in culture and behaviour change. She has advised and supported many large, global organisations with their employee communication and engagement as they go through significant change.
Helen has been a strong advocate for ensuring the employee voice is heard – and listened to – especially at times of uncertainty and change. To help with this, Helen provides mentor support and advice to senior business and communication leaders and teams to help them engage their employees during periods of transformation and change.
Outside of her work environment, Helen has been active in the voluntary and charitable sector for many years. Helen spent seven years as a community governor in a local primary school, after which she joined the board of Drinkaware, and served six years as a trustee.
Helen’s experience improving employee communication and engagement, has given her a good understanding of the issues faced in the workplace as employees try to balance their home and work commitments. She has been the value of the services provided by Working Families – to businesses and to individuals.
Harvey Tilley – Chief Operating Officer, ILF Scotland
Harvey began his career in the British Army as an officer in the Royal Irish Regiment serving in Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Kosovo and Sierra Leone. Since leaving at the end of 2000, he has spent the best part of the last 20 plus years working in the public and voluntary sectors. Specifically, this has been in the areas of homelessness, disability, care, grant giving and employability. Prior to taking up post as ILF Scotland’s Chief Operating Officer, the majority of roles he has held during this time have been leading large scale charitable operations across the UK.
As Chief Operating Officer for ILF Scotland, Harvey not only deputises for the CEO, but is responsible for all operational delivery, IT, health and safety, information governance, facilities, human resources and organisational development.
Throughout the whole period (especially through the COVID pandemic) since joining ILF Scotland, he has seen the overwhelmingly positive impact of life friendly working to the individual, organisation and wider society, when this practice is adopted. In his spare time when he is not occupied with his family, Harvey is a keen cyclist, Co-Chair of Forces Children Scotland and Trustee of Community Veterans Support.
Una O’Reilly – Experienced Chief People and Culture Officer and Vice-Patron of Working Families
Una O’Reilly is an experienced Chief People and Culture Officer with over 25 years Human Resource experience gained from working across Hospitality, Property, Retail and Real Estate. Most recently Una was the Group Chief People, Culture and Sustainability Officer for Caprice Holdings, a luxury hospitality group which includes Caprice Holdings, The Ivy Collection, Bill’s and The Birley Membership Clubs. She was previously with Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, from 2013-2022, as URW Group Director of Engagement and Director of HR UK/Italy. Prior to joining URW, Una held a variety of Human Resource leadership roles with responsibility for UK, Europe and Asia. Una holds a BSc Hons Technology Management, Post Graduate Diploma in Human Resources and Organisational Development and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personal Development.
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.
Marvyn Harrison – Guest judge for Best for Fathers Award
Marvyn Harrison is a visionary leader who has become renowned for his ability to deliver business goals and drive cultural change through sound strategy, communication, and people management. He is highly respected in his industry and is considered a credible source of knowledge on community strategy.
As the founder of Dope Black Dads and Dope Black Men, Marvyn has become a
powerful voice for the Black community across the UK, US, and Africa. Through his
work at BELOVD, a strategic consultancy focusing on cultural transformation, he has helped clients such as WPP, Footlocker, City Football Group, and News UK achieve tangible results across a range of projects and campaigns. By focusing on policies and procedures, talent acquisition, HR, and people strategy, Marvyn is able to effect real change and deliver meaningful results.
With his passion for leadership, community, and diversity, Marvyn is dedicated to making a significant impact in his industry and society. Through his work and contributions, Marvyn is helping to create a more equitable and just world for all.
Becca Maberly – Guest judge for Best for Mothers Award
Becca Maberly is an antenatal, postnatal and parenting expert and the founder of A Mother Place – famed for telling it like it is about pregnancy, birth and what comes after!
She is the author of Nobody Tells You (over 100 honest stories about pregnancy, birth and parenthood) and more recently The Mother of All Journals – a paper-based space where you’ll find support, encouragement, hacks and humour to help you grab a slice of calm in the chaos!
Her online courses guide women and their partners from conception through to birth, feeding, sleeping, going back to work and everything in between, with honesty and humour.