THE 2026 JUDGES
Our expert judging panel will represent a whole host of specialties across the industry.
Judges are invited to score the entries following our robust criteria, via an online judging system and then come together for a judging day to decide on our shortlist and winners.
Adam Jordan
Owner & Founder
SupplyIN2 Limited
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Adam Jordan is the Owner and Founder of SupplyIN2 Limited and Co‑Founder/Investor at DocLibrary, bringing over 18 years’ experience in the contracting and payroll intermediary marketplace. He has built a strong reputation in UK staffing and recruitment, specialising in supply chain management, procurement, and end‑to‑end outsourcing solutions. Adam’s expertise spans Umbrella, technology, and UK staffing markets, where he has helped agencies and suppliers optimise compliance, commercial performance, and contractor experience. Known for his strategic approach to sales and marketing, he has led growth initiatives for leading brands in the sector, accelerating market penetration and strengthening long‑term partnerships. Through SupplyIN2, Adam connects recruitment businesses with best‑in‑class suppliers, while at DocLibrary he supports innovative, tech‑driven solutions that streamline documentation, governance, and supply chain visibility.
Rebecca Seeley Harris
Employment Status and IR35 Expert
Re Legal Consulting
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Rebecca Seeley Harris is widely recognised as the UK’s leading legal expert on employment status, IR35 and off-payroll working. With more than 25 yrs of specialist experience, she advises government, industry and organisations on complex workforce and tax status issues.
Rebecca is also a leading authority on umbrella company policy and regulation. She was commissioned to write an independent report on umbrella reform and previously spearheaded the #FairUmbrella campaign. She also served as Chair of the FCSA Independent Arbitration Panel. She was seconded as Senior Policy Adviser at the Office of Tax Simplification, contributing to both the Employment Status Review and the Small Company Taxation review.
Rebecca is a past winner the the Contracting Industry Influencer of the Year and is a regular commentator in national media and writes for professional publications. She is a member of the Employment Status Consultative Committee and HMRC’s Employment Status and Intermediaries Forum.
Paul Chamberlain
Head of Employment & People Solutions
JMW Solicitors LLP
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Paul leads JMW’s Employment and People Solutions team and brings over 30 years’ employment law experience, with nationally recognised expertise in the legal issues affecting recruitment businesses, umbrella companies and employment agencies. He regularly advises on employment status matters, the Agency Workers Regulations, GLAA compliance, the Working Time Regulations and industry-specific regulatory frameworks, and provides training on these topics to clients and sector bodies.
Paul has long-standing relationships with key trade associations including TEAM, the REC, ALP and the FCSA, and acts for senior executives as well as recruitment businesses, giving him deep insight into how legal issues intersect with commercial goals. His pragmatic, commercially aware approach helps clients manage risk while keeping their business moving forward.
Seb Maley
CEO
Qdos
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Seb Maley is Chief Executive of Qdos, having joined the organisation in 2003. Over more than two decades, he has led its growth into a market-leading provider of business insurance for the self-employed and a recognised authority on employment status and IR35. Under Seb’s leadership, Qdos now advises more than 2,000 public and private sector organisations on employment status and off-payroll compliance, while insuring over 30,000 contractors, freelancers and SMEs across the UK. He has been at the forefront of industry debate on IR35 reform and contractor rights, helping businesses and policymakers navigate complex regulatory change. Seb is regularly quoted in national media, including the Financial Times, The Telegraph and This is Money, and is a prominent voice on issues affecting the contracting sector.
Shelley Ankers-Wainwright
Founder
Umbrella Ready Limited
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Shelley Ankers-Wainwright is the founder of Umbrella Ready, a consultancy supporting umbrella companies and labour supply chain businesses with operational structure, compliance and accreditation readiness.
With over 18 years’ experience in the contractor payroll and umbrella sector, Shelley previously held senior leadership roles within large umbrella organisations before launching her consultancy in 2020. Her background spans the operational, commercial and governance aspects of running umbrella companies, giving her a practical understanding of how compliant models work in the real world.
Through Umbrella Ready, Shelley works with both start-ups and established providers to design robust operating models, strengthen compliance frameworks and prepare businesses for accreditations such as SafeRec and FCSA.
She is widely recognised across the sector for her independent insight into umbrella employment, supply chain risk and industry best practice.
Anthony Sherick
Director
The PHA Group
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Anthony has worked in the Contracting Industry for over 15 years and was the MD of ContractorUK, Technojobs and founder of womenintech.co.uk.
A passionate advocate of contracting compliance and innovation as well as a commentator on the contracting market particularly careers, contracts and the hiring market. Anthony set up The Contracting Awards to recognise those companies that continue to innovate and set the highest standards in the contracting industry. As well as to help celebrate the sector and encourage relationships.
Anthony is a Director at The PHA Group and is involved with advising contracting, recruitment, HR Tech and individual clients with their marketing, social and media profile.
Philip Ross
Chair of the Self Employed Section
Community Union
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Philip Ross is a UK based self employment activist, freelance consultant, and policy writer best known for his long standing advocacy on behalf of freelancers, contractors, and independent professionals. He is the co-chair of the self-employed section for Community Union and was a founding member of IPSE, where he served on its first board and led early lobbying efforts around IR35 and employment status. Drawing on his own experience as a self employed consultant, Ross has consistently argued for clearer tax rules, fair treatment of the self employed, and recognition of freelancing as a legitimate and valuable way of working. He is a co-author of Not Alone, Trade Union and Co-operative solutions for the self-employed. Ross is also active in Labour aligned policy circles, contributing to debates on self employment, late payment, and “rights at work” for freelancers, and regularly writes and speaks in specialist media on these issues. His day job is in cyber security.
James Osborne
With over 25 years experience in the recruitment sector, James is Co-Founder of The Recruitment Network (TRN), a large global membership community of recruitment business leaders, Co-Founder of Karmavo, a human capital venture fund and a Non-Executive Director for a number of fast growth recruitment businesses.
James’ sole purpose is to enable recruitment leaders build and scale highly profitable recruitment businesses and maximise shareholder value.
Julia Kermode
Julia is a contingent workforce expert on a mission to safeguard workers, empower them and ensure they are treated fairly. She has particular expertise in the umbrella sector, with detailed knowledge on compliance and best practice.
Through her website IWORK.co.uk Julia actively champions contingent working, and lobbies the government on issues such as tax avoidance, disguised remuneration, loan charge, employment status and the gig economy.
Prior to IWORK, Julia spent 7 years as CEO of FCSA, a trade body for accountants and umbrella companies. Julia also spearheaded FCSA’s influence within the government, and raised standards within the umbrella sector.
Julia is also a contractor herself, providing consultancy services to advise and support businesses in how they engage contingent workers..
Robert Woodward
Rob is an Associate Director in BDO’s Global Employer Services team and a Chartered Tax Adviser. He has twenty years’ experience of advising employers on matters such as employment status, off-payroll working, furlough grants, internationally mobile employees, HMRC enquiries and employee expenses and benefits. Rob’s clients include organisations in the private, public and not for profit sectors but with a particular focus on those operating in the recruitment sector.
Rob has a wide range of experience within the contracting sector, working with a number of contractor clients. Rob is a member of the Chartered Institute of Taxation (CIOT), a fellow of the Association of Taxation Technicians and sits on the CIOT Employment Tax Technical Committee. Rob has presented on and written about a range of tax matters.
