The Collaboration Award
In recognition of the women who value collaboration over competition and bring people together to achieve great things. Whether uniting colleagues across different functions, bridging silos, or fostering partnerships beyond their own teams, these women demonstrate the power of cross-functional collaboration to deliver exceptional outcomes and drive meaningful change.
Winner!
Rhea Ebanks-Simpson
Senior User Researcher, Westminster City Council
Alongside her role in local government, Rhea Ebanks-Simpson is also a PhD candidate researching the employment rights of care workers in the UK. Her work focuses on service transformation, digital design and experience, and strategic recommendations, all driven by a passion for using research to deliver exceptional customer services.
Rhea led the transformation of Westminster’s “Report It” service, a platform used by residents to report a range of local issues. She recognised early on that the service was failing to meet user needs and that internal silos were hampering progress. Initially met with hesitation and scepticism, Rhea worked to bridge the divide between the digital team and 30 separate service departments.
By introducing an agile, design sprint approach, she created space for cross-functional collaboration. Service teams were invited to take part in resident interviews, workshops, and ideation sessions, experiencing the challenges firsthand and contributing to co-designed solutions. Her approach helped shift working relationships from passive consultation to active partnership, significantly improving engagement and embedding empathy into the process of service redesign.
Rhea’s efforts not only improved the digital experience for residents but also transformed the Council’s internal approach to customer-centred innovation. Her methods were later applied to other initiatives, including the housing repairs service, where she brought together staff from all levels—service heads, operatives, contact centre agents, and contractors—to analyse challenges and co-create solutions collaboratively.
Judge’s comment:
“This is an incredible example of determination, smart thinking, empathy, perseverance and resilience. [...] What a difference Rhea made to residents and the culture of the organisation.”
Judge’s comment:
“Such inspiring work, brilliant examples, and impact. [...] Rhea offered colleagues so many opportunities to meet, learn, and collaborate.”
Rhea’s leadership has not only improved services for residents but set a new standard for collaborative change in the public sector. She should be immensely proud of the impact she’s made and the legacy she’s building.
Highly Commended!
Sarah Andrews
Founder & Principal Consultant, Cupola CX
With over two decades of experience in healthcare, government, and commercial sectors, Sarah Andrews has consistently championed cross-functional collaboration as a path to better customer and employee experiences. Through her consultancy, Cupola CX, she has led a series of impactful projects that brought together diverse teams to solve systemic problems and deliver meaningful change.
From supporting a municipality's transition to a new City Hall, to empowering a new customer service leader in the health supplements industry, and rebuilding trust at a national pest control company, Sarah’s work demonstrates how inclusive, design-led collaboration can break down silos and create shared purpose. Her empathetic and practical approach helped stakeholders from across organisations align behind common goals, design better services, and take collective ownership of the customer journey.
Judge’s comment:
“A strong entry that showcased a successful project through a defined collaborative framework that delivered significant commercial and CX outcomes.”
Judge’s comment:
“Sarah shared interesting experiences and examples of uniting people around a common goal.”
Sarah’s commitment to service, trust-building, and inclusive leadership stood out, earning her this well-deserved recognition.
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