Project Management Global gets exclusive access to the winners and highlights of the prestigious APM ceremony.
The annual APM Awards ceremony is a glittering celebration of project excellence across all sectors. This year, Project Management Global was given a unique opportunity to go behind the scenes and delve deeper into the stories of the nominees, winners, and guests.
A Global Stage for Project Management
One of the most striking aspects of the ceremony was its international focus. Compared to previous years, there was a clear shift from a UK-centric event to one showcasing projects and delivery teams from around the world. Attendees hailed from the Middle East, US, and Asia, with a live stream ensuring that APM members everywhere could share the experience.
Award Winners Spotlight Project Management’s Impact
While the awards themselves were a highlight, conversations with guests revealed a deeper focus on the projects’ broader impact. Dr. Khalood Rambo and Dr. Mona AlQahtani, along with their team, flew in from Saudi Arabia to receive the Social Project of the Year award for their Scholarship Program for the Royal Commission for AIUIa. This project, aligned with Saudi Vision 2030, aims to transform AlUla into a cultural and tourism hub by enhancing local education and professional opportunities.
Dr. Khalood Rambo stated, “I am thrilled to be recognized by the APM, and to have the work that we are doing, highlighted on a global stage”. The project showcased a unique governance model, allowing flexibility for students studying abroad, and providing extensive pre-departure training through AlUla Language Institute. So far, the project has supported over 1000 students, reinforcing the KSA’s endeavors for a home-grown skilled workforce committed to regional growth.
Another big winner was MIGSO-Pcubed, taking home awards for Company of the Year and Technology Project of the Year for their collaboration with greyfly.AI and DHL. Their Intelligent Project Prediction (IPP) platform uses advanced analytics and machine learning to improve project outcomes through better risk management, decision-making, and project maturity.
Speaking with greyfly.AI’s Managing Director Lloyd Skinner moments after collecting the award, the pride and delight in what they had achieved was infectious. Thanking both the team and his exceptional client in Tim Bolam, Vice President, Project Delivery at DHL, Lloyd stated, “we need more organizations like DHL that are willing to be courageous with AI, and be the first to try new things.” He continued, “DHL as a client was one hundred percent committed to seeing the project through, and Tim as the project sponsor driving through the changes. The success of the project has a huge amount to do with the faith that Tim and the DHL team put in us and their continued support throughout.”
Tim added, “What was special about working on the project with Greyfly.AI and MIGSOPcubed, was that it was an opportunity to work with two organizations that understood the power and potential of Artificial Intelligence, whilst at the same time having a total and complete understanding of Project Management, and the project life-cycle.”
The evening also saw Transport for Wales (TfW) win Project of the Year for their work on the South Wales Valleys railway project. This £1.5 billion project involved electrification of over 170 km of track , installation of new signaling systems, commissioning brand-new trains, station upgrades, and even the development of two newly built stations. The project’s focus on social good, particularly in a deprived area, resonated with both the judges and attendees.
Michael Scott Evan-Prado, Programme Manager for TfL, summed up the mood of the team, “This is our first APM nomination, and given we have only been operating for just over four years the team just can’t believe it!” Speaking of his pride in the close-knit team and the Welsh community that the railway serves, he said, “This award means so much more, and to so many people involved, both delivering the project and our stakeholders. It’s about the social good that we are able to achieve; our project is actually making a difference on the ground, to everyday people, in their lives. We are not just a project, we are a force for social good, and we are just getting started!”
Other winners included Babcock International Group, who also secured two awards: Safe Project of the Year and the new Project Management Challenge Award.
Babcock Construction a Specialist firm, achieved the outstanding safety record of delivering over two million construction hours within the CDM site so far, and all without a single Lost Time Injury. Babcock’s other success on the night came courtesy of the Project Management Challenge Award, speaking to the winners from Team Synergy (Babcock, Devonport Plymouth) who worked with Ash Rescue Centre, a Dartmouth based charity, providing a permanent and holistic retirement home for horses, donkeys. “The whole team were thrilled to come out as winners.” and continued “ and although the team faced numerous challenges, we tackled them as a team together, and knew we came up against inevitable barriers and blockers that we overcome them as a team”
Individual Excellence Shines Through on the Night
Among the individual award winners on the evening, we spoke to Charlotte Blewitt (National Highways), Harriet Brennan (Deloitte), and Kiara Orchard (Sellafield Ltd) each recognised for their outstanding contributions to the profession.
Harriet Brenan, Project Professional of the Year, reflected on the key takeaways from her project, an internal Deloitte initiative, creating an Office for Generative AI, encompassing the roll out of generative AI, fluency, training and tools. She commented, “looking back at the programme it was the constant communication and stakeholder management that was central to the programmes success,” and continued with some advice for those looking to coming into the industry to consider their transferable skills, and consider just jumping in!”
Charlotte Blewitt, Charter Project Professional of the Year stated that becoming Charted, had been something she had set her sights on, from the start of her career. “Becoming Charter, was important for several reasons,” she outlined, “It is internationally recognised, providing her clients with definitive assurance of her project delivery,” and she continued, “from a personal perspective, providing a recognisable level status, in her achievement.”
And Kiara Orchard, who scooped the Emerging Project Professional of the Year Award, spoke of how she was able to transition her love of organising and planning in her everyday life, to a rewarding career in project management. She commented that “ Coming through a Degree-Apprentice was challenging, having to balance both work and studies” she continued “but that having the reward of coming through the other side has been worth the hard work and is something that she is hugely proud of achieving”.
It is impossible to fully captured all of the exceptional winners from the event, however you can get a full list of all of the winners, and find out more about the fantastic projects and teams behind the accolades on the APM’s website here.
These awards not only celebrate individual and team achievements but also highlight the vital role project management plays in driving innovation and positive impact at a societal level, touching the heart of the communities in which we all live.
The APM, is demonstrating its place at the top of the industry, by expertly marshalling the profession into a new era. Cementing itself as a world-class project body, the awards ceremony served as a platform to showcase the best and brightest in the field, setting a new standard for aspiring project managers around the globe.
