Here are the 2023 IRMS Award Winners!

Each year, the IRMS recognises excellence, innovation, and dedication to the sector of information management with our prestigious Industry Awards. The awards were presented on Monday 15th May 2023 at a Gala Dinner, held during the annual IRMS Conference in Manchester. Below is the winner for each category and a little summary of who they are and why they won.

Professional of the Year: Natali Higgins

We happen to believe that the professionals in the Information and Records Management profession are some of the best in the world. But we can't give everyone an award. Therefore, we look for examples of people who not only excel in their own career but also help others to excel in theirs too. This year's winner lives up to that reputation and then some.

Natali Higgins combines her own highly complex and multi-faceted day-to-day work with providing invaluable support to their fellow information professionals. An ardent advocate of the profession and its people, with clear-sighted commitment to their improvement, she is also generous with her time, always willing share knowledge and expertise, guiding others through new and shared challenges and giving them the confidence to speak.

Team of the Year: Information Governance Team, Wellcome Trust

Where there are fantastic professionals out there, there are some fantastic teams made up of some fantastic professionals too! Each team has people of varying experience and skill sets, all doing things to advance their own organisation and, potentially, support others too. Therefore, each year we look for that team that really is an example of team power.

The Information Governance Team at the Wellcome Trust are the golden example of this! This new team’s passion and dedication has led to reduced cost, closure of audit actions and a wider recognition of information governance needs across the entire organisation. With achievements across the areas of physical and digital storage, information risk management and data governance.

Supplier of the Year: Oyster IMS

You would expect suppliers of Information and Records Management services to go above and beyond for their clients and customers. However, what about those ones that create something special? Something that means you grow from their services in more ways than you thought you would. You learn more from them than you thought you would. You experience more from them than you thought you would. Those suppliers are truly special. And we think they should be celebrated and encouraged.

Over the last year, Oyster IMS has provided invaluable support to many people and organisations, often going above and beyond the service and standards expected, demonstrating commitment, enthusiasm and professionalism. One customer summed them up by saying: “We would be quite lost without them.”

Innovation of the Year: Digital Knowledge and Information Management Team, Cabinet Office

Information and Records Management, as a practice, faces many challenges. Not only in how it works practically, but also how it can keep up with how the world and ways of working are changing. From innovative technical solutions, through to innovative ways to grab attention and raise awareness of 'soft skills', it all helps 'the cause' and develops the profession.

The innovative approach taken by the Digital Knowledge and Information Management Team at the Cabinet Office provides a solution that offers the potential to tackle a common information and records management challenge, combining human expertise with the power of technology, ensuring compliance while saving time and money in the process.

Author of the Year: Robert Bath

Every edition of the IRMS Bulletin is packed with great content and insights from professionals of all ages, experiences and backgrounds. Each year, the bulletin team creates a shortlist of authors that have put forward some great content for our members to enjoy and benefit from.

This year is no different with Rob Bath, who has made an outstanding series of contributions – he is an excellent and prolific writer with a tetrad of articles:

• "How do you solve a problem like Microsoft Teams Chat and Posts retention?” – Issue 225, January 2022.
• “Understanding Microsoft 365’s new Records Management settings” – Issue 227, May 2022.
• “New options for ending retention in Microsoft 365” – Issue 229, September 2022.
• “How to tackle your digital heap?” – Issue 230, November 2022.

Alison North New Professionals Award: Payton Kufeldt

The Alison North New Professionals Award recognises those who are new to our profession. You'll be able to read the winning submission in the next edition of the Bulletin so watch out!

Lifetime Achievement Award: Paul Duller

To be awarded a lifetime achievement award from the IRMS we are looking for someone who is a credit to the profession or their organisation. Someone who, over the course of their career (no matter how long), has improved their organisation, improved the practice or maybe improved the profession. And if you've done all 3 then you are a Lifetime super star.

Dr Paul Duller would definitely tick all 3. In a career spanning more than three decades, Paul Duller has helped organisations and individuals, in more than 30 countries and territories across the world, recognise the value of their information assets, and develop the recordkeeping capability needed to manage, preserve and protect them. He is – rightly – highly respected both in the UK and internationally, and has worked as a consultant, advisor and expert witness to a number of government agencies and independent inquiries on both sides of the Atlantic.

And last but not least, Paul has also served their profession – as a volunteer with and for the IRMS, spending 15 years on our Executive Team including 4 years as Chair, and 20 years as co-editor of the IRMS Bulletin before retiring last year.

In addition, as Tutor and Honorary Teaching Fellow in Archives and Records Management at the University of Dundee, he has supervised and supported a myriad of students through their Master’s training and research – and inspired a whole New Generation to enter the profession.

Special Recognition Award: Claire Archibald, Elizabeth Barber, Keith Batchelor

Periodically the Society makes a special award to those who have made a significant contribution to the profession in the previous year. This year it is in recognition of the dedication and efforts that have gone into a free toolkit to support schools with management of their information in line with the current legislative frameworks.

Two highly valued volunteers – Keith Batchelor and Claire Archibald – have spent many hours working on the retention schedule. In doing so, they have been mentored by the wonderful Elizabeth Barber.

Fellowship

Fellowship of the IRMS is the senior degree of individual professional membership. It is awarded those members of ten years or more standing who have, in the opinion of their peers, attained appropriate eminence, authority or seniority. Non-members of the Society deemed worthy can be awarded honorary fellowships. We therefore welcomed the below entrants into the IRMS College of Fellows for 2023:

• Jaana Pinnick
• Liz Robinson
• Mark Camilletti
• Vicki Wilkinson

Full List of IRMS 2023 Award Winners:

• Information and Records Management Professional of the Year 2023: Natali Higgins
• Information and Records Management Team of the Year 2023: Information Governance Team, Wellcome Trust
• Supplier of the Year 2023: Oyster IMS
• Innovation of the Year 2023 (sponsored by Iron Mountain): Digital Knowledge and Information Management Team, Cabinet Office
• Author of the Year 2023 (sponsored by Tribal): Robert Bath
• Alison North Award for New Professionals 2023: Payton Kufeldt
• Lifetime Achievement Award 2023: Dr Paul Duller
• Entrants into the IRMS College of Fellows for 2023: Jaana Pinnick; Liz Robinson; Mark Camilletti; Vicki Wilkinson

All our winners join a proud history of previous award winners so we say congratulations to them all!

If you have any queries about the IRMS Awards, please get in touch with the Awards team via awards@irms.org.uk.