2024 saw the introduction of several new categories to our annual Excellence Awards. Alongside the celebration of our long serving employees and a farewell to those heading off into retirement, we named a Rising Star, an Unsung Hero, a Group Apprentice of the Year, an Outstanding Contribution and an Apprentice of the Year (GBL). We caught up with several of the winners to see how they felt about their achievements:
Rising Star: Theo Christou
Our recent Excellence Awards saw the launch of several new categories that celebrate the wide range of talent within our business: Rising Star; Unsung Hero and Group Apprentice of the Year.
The Rising Star Award was won by Theo Christou, a Commercial Surveyor with Building Services & Engineering. Theo joined us straight from university in 2020 and completed a 2-year building services engineering apprenticeship course, passing with a distinction. Since then, his career has gone from strength to strength and his efforts mean this award was well-deserved.
We caught up with Theo to find out how he feels about his award win:
❓ Q: What does the win mean to you?
✨ A: “I really appreciate the recognition in my efforts to date, this also reflects all the support and guidance I have received in my career at Grattes. I am pleased to know I have been able to make a positive contribution, and I look forward to future learning and development.”
❓ Q: Describe the culture at Grattes in 3 words.
✨ A: “Supportive, rewarding, collaborative!”
❓ Q: What do you think of the new awards?
✨ A: “I think the new awards are a great addition, it gives recognition, encouragement, and motivation to employees from various divisions in the business.”
Unsung Hero: James Chaplin
James joined Security Systems & Software in 2003 as a Service & Maintenance Engineer. In March 2014, he was promoted to the position of Service Account Manager. In April 2018, James was promoted again to his current position of Operations Manager. During his time with us, James has completed a vast amount of training, most recently completing his L5 CMI Apprenticeship in Operations & Departmental Management.
James also wanted to highlight the brilliant opportunities for development at Gratte Brothers: his son has recently joined the business and has just started his second year of his apprenticeship to become a Service & Maintenance Engineer for GBSM.
❓ Q: What does the win mean to you?
✨ A: “I think most people will say it’s always nice to be recognised. It was a bit unexpected, I wouldn’t say I am an unsung hero myself, I am part of a great team that works together, if I have been recognised for what I do then I would say the whole team has been recognised.”
❓ Q: Describe the culture at Grattes in 3 words.
✨ A: “Family, trusted, respected.”
❓ Q: What are your thoughts on the updated awards?
✨ A: “I wasn’t able to be there on the night but I am looking forward to next year and also nominating deserving members of my team.”
Group Apprentice of the Year: Aneta Neuman
The winner of our Group Apprentice of the Year was Aneta Neuman, our Digital Innovation Manager. Aneta featured in our National Apprenticeship Week coverage earlier this year (watch the video to find out more about her role). Having joined Gratte Brothers in 2014, Aneta began her apprenticeship in 2022. She is working on her Data Analyst Level 4 apprenticeship, and is playing a crucial role in implementing, streamlining and improving our internal processes.
❓ Q: Reflecting on the win – what does it mean to you?
✨ A: “Being nominated was a big surprise, the kind that makes you read your email twice, (or 4 times in my case)! Walking away with the win felt even more surreal, especially given the bar was very high, and there were some serious contenders in my category. This apprenticeship has been transformative, both professionally and personally, so receiving this recognition means a lot. It’s particularly special because it also shines a spotlight not just on my journey, but on our entire Digital Innovation Team, the solutions we create, and the meaningful work we do every day.”
❓ Q: Describe the culture at Grattes in 3 words.
✨ A: “Supportive, inclusive, driven.”
❓ Q: What are your thoughts on the updated awards?
✨ A: “I think the revamped event is a great way to see diverse characters and personalities being celebrated across all of the business. It really brought to life the variety of achievements happening throughout the group.”
We’d like to thank our winners and contributors, and we look forward to watching their careers go from strength to strength.
