From apprenticeships and qualifications to professional development and employability skills. Supporting learners, partners, and centres with tools to deliver, assess, and grow.
Join a professional community committed to excellence in management and leadership. Access exclusive resources, and recognition pathways including Chartered Manager.
Connect, celebrate, and lead with CMI’s vibrant community. From events and awards to networks and campaigns, get involved and help shape the future of management.
Stay informed with expert insights, thought leadership, and the latest in management. From in-depth features to practical guidance, explore the ideas shaping today’s workplace.
Learn about CMI’s mission, values, and impact. From our Royal Charter to governance, careers, and sustainability commitments, discover who we are and what drives us.
CMI Awards of Excellence
Hiba Khan is a Doctor in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Chief Revenue Officer at Medics.Academy, and Honorary Lecturer at The University of Central Lancashire. With a background in entrepreneurship and healthcare innovation, she was awarded an Innovation Fellowship at Mid and South Essex NHS Trust and leads a global team at Medics.Academy.
A member of the UK Young Academy, Hiba contributes to national research and policy initiatives and has governance experience as Vice-Chair at Queen Mary University Students’ Union and Governor at the University of West London. She has received several awards, including national honors in quality improvement and clinical practice, and is also a regional weightlifting gold medalist.
Dr. Hiba Khan Chief Revenue Officer Medics Academy Studying at Exeter University
Winning the CMI Apprentice of the Year Award 2024 would be an incredible honour, both personally and professionally. Personally, it would serve as a celebration of the hard work, dedication, and commitment I’ve invested throughout my apprenticeship journey as well as my involvement in the shared learning and development of other apprentices in my cohort.
"Recognition of my efforts and a high point of my career. To be rewarded and recognised just through nomination is amazing, and I never dreamed that I would be shortlisted. "
"Winning this award would be an incredibly meaningful milestone in both my personal and professional journey. As a full-time working mother, this recognition affirms the challenges I've overcome and the dedication I've maintained to excel in my career."
"Being recognised by the CMI for both the hard work and dedication I've put in, and the manager I've become, brings me great pride both professionally and personally. To be nominated for the CMI award will be a lifelong reminder of my grit, determination and perseverance, as well as the manager I am."
Hiba Khan is a Doctor in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, currently serving as the Chief Revenue Officer at Medics. Academy and an Honorary Lecturer at The University of Central Lancashire. With a strong background in entrepreneurship and healthcare innovation, Hiba was awarded an Innovation Fellowship at Mid and South Essex NHS Trust. At Medics.Academy, she leads the development function and oversees a global team of executives.
A member of the UK Young Academy, Hiba actively contributes to national research and policy initiatives. She also brings governance experience as Vice-Chair of the Board at Queen Mary University Students’ Union and as a Governor on the University of West London's Workforce Committee.
Hiba has been recogniszed with several awards, including national honors in quality improvement and multiple "Outstanding" awards in clinical practice. Outside of her medical career, she has also achieved a gold medal in regional weightlifting.
Debbie McArthur left school at 16 with basic qualifications and began her career in banking. After various career paths and a transformative experience in her mid-40s, she returned to education, eventually earning a degree through the Open University. This marked the beginning of a journey in continuous learning and a career change into teaching.
Debbie now works within a large NHS Trust, where she is pursuing a Senior Leader Apprenticeship and has developed strategically in her role. She leads a team responsible for delivering apprenticeships under the Trust’s Employer Provider status and oversees the development of flagship leadership programs.
On a personal note, Debbie has been married for 44 years, has two children, seven grandchildren, and two cats.
Laura Fenton graduated from The University of Liverpool with a degree in Business Economics and began her career at Hargreaves Lansdown in 2015, where she developed a passion for financial advice. By 2020, she had secured a team leader role, successfully navigating her team through the challenges of COVID-19.
After returning from maternity leave in 2021, Laura began an apprenticeship that helped her manage a major restructure, leading to her promotion to Advisory Service Support Manager. She now oversees all support functions within the advisory division, guiding her teams to efficiently support over 100 Financial Advisers.
Trish Burley is the Distribution Manager for JD Wetherspoon, a role she secured six months ago after a decade of working in Wetherspoon pubs. Trish recently completed her Operational Departmental Management apprenticeship and earned CMI accreditation through Leeds Beckett University. Balancing her responsibilities while living in Birmingham, working in Watford, and studying in Leeds required strong management skills.
The skills and confidence Trish gained through her CMI accreditation have prepared her for further study and for developing efficiencies in Wetherspoon’s distribution processes. Outside of work, Trish is dedicated to her community, volunteering weekly with the sea cadets, and enjoys traveling whenever possible.
Will Burchell is currently the Chief Executive Officer at The Bone Cancer Research Trust, a charity that has invested £5.7 million in the last five years on 73 outstanding research projects, all of which have a focus on improving the lives of patients with primary bone cancer.
By the commencement of the CMI Apprenticeship, he had progressed to a director level role in a regional social care charity. Will undertook the apprenticeship after reflecting on his training and development to this point, and recognising that it had largely been vocational, and reliant on his natural leadership style to achieve results.
Will recognised that this inflexibility had the potential to limit his future impact and career progression. As it was his ambition to become a charity CEO, he saw the need to invest in his own development to become a more versatile and adaptable leader. The CMI Apprenticeship has been fundamental in equipping Will with the skills and experience to take the next step in his career. Having experienced the benefits first-hand, he has become a huge advocate for the difference it can make, leading a number of friends and colleagues starting their own apprenticeship journey.
Will Burchell CMgr FCMI Nottingham Trent University
To even be considered for this award is huge honour, and to win it would mean everything to me. I am a passionate advocate of the difference that can be made by effective Third Sector provision, and the learning gained through the apprenticeship has completely changed how I approach the challenges currently faced by so many non-profit organisations. I consider myself so lucky to be in position where applying my learning can benefit so many people and communities. The CMI apprenticeship has reinforced my desire to continue to learn and develop, and redoubled my commitment to put my energy into making a positive difference in our society.
"To win this award on a personal level, would show that the late evenings/weekends studying/working, hard decisions I made, and relentless pursuit to be the best version of myself were worth it. It would instil a new layer of confidence to ensure I continue to develop, which in turn supports the people and organisations I collaborate with. Winning the award would champion best management practice and CMI within the organisation, especially as I look to earn Chartered status in the coming months. The award, coupled with the CMI qualifications, will be the edge that makes me THE candidate, not a candidate."
"Winning the award would mean a lot to me, as I genuinely believe that the apprenticeship helped to change me for the positive, developing my self-belief and confidence and giving me the skills I needed to develop my career to the next stage and understand what it takes to be an effective manager. The award would be recognition of my dedication to developing myself further and the commitment I put into completing the apprenticeship within the eighteen-month timescale, as I had to balance it against an increasing workload and frequent short notice requests for information from the executive team."
"It would be a great honour to receive the award in recognition of my hard work, what I have achieved over the last two years and how the apprenticeship has developed me. It would also reward those who supported me and especially the company founder who has established a culture within which her colleagues can develop and grow. Obtaining the award would also give me the confidence and motivation to continue my learning journey to Level 7 studies and ultimately to progress to a more senior management role, as is my ambition."
Will Burchell is currently the Chief Executive Officer at Nottinghamshire Deaf Society, a specialist charity originally formed in 1890. In September, Will is moving role to become Chief Executive Officer at The Bone Cancer Research Trust, a charity that has invested £5.7 million in the last five years on 73 outstanding research projects, all of which have a focus on improving the lives of patients with primary bone cancer.
Having worked in the Third Sector since graduating from the University of Nottingham almost 25 years ago, Will initially started his career as a Support Worker for people with learning disabilities. By the commencement of the CMI Apprenticeship, he had progressed to a director level role in a regional social care charity.
Will undertook the apprenticeship after reflecting on his training and development to this point, and recognising that it had largely been vocational, and reliant on his natural leadership style to achieve results. Will recognised that this inflexibility had the potential to limit his future impact and career progression, and as it was his ambition to become a charity CEO, recognised the needed to invest in his own development to become a more versatile and adaptable leader.
The CMI Apprenticeship has been fundamental in equipping Will with the skills and experience to take the next step in his career. Having experienced the benefits first-hand, he has become a huge advocate for the difference it can make, leading a number of friends and colleagues starting their own apprenticeship journey.
Ryan is Top Spin Tennis’s General Manager, having worked up the ranks since starting with the racket sport specialist business from the age of 15. Now 25, he’s responsible for the overall running of the multi-site business, specifically focussing on developing the organisations competitive advantage. To support this, he enrolled on to the Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship and hasn’t looked back since.
Ryan has directly applied the new skills and knowledge to modernise and propel the business forward achieving record-breaking revenue, a scalable enterprise, and greater employee engagement. Managing a full-time senior management position alongside full-time education hasn’t come without its struggles. However, as the programme comes to a close Ryan is on course to achieve a first-class honours degree, and Chartered Manager status.
Having left school with few qualifications and no real career direction, it’s a complete privilege being shortlisted for this award. Ryan’s appetite to pursue a career in management has been fully ignited over the past five years, and the journey has only just begun…
I’m currently employed as a Trainee Inspector of Health and Safety with the Health and Safety Executive, inspecting workplaces and investigating accidents, helping employers to manage their risk and improve their employees’ health, a role I started in June 2023. I completed my Team Leader Apprenticeship whilst working as a Traincrew Analyst for Great Western Railway, a role I held for nine and a half years. In that role I produced executive and management analysis and reports in relation to traincrew, managed the four traincrew taxi accounts and worked with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders to help improve the service that Great Western Railway provides to its customers.
My name is Amanda Isom and I am Regulatory Affairs Director at Bloom Regulatory Limited.
Bloom Regulatory is a London-based regulatory consultancy offering support in the beauty and wellness space with expertise in cosmetics, food supplements, candles and home fragrance. Our philosophy is to look beyond regulatory affairs and deliver solutions that make a difference through our unique and innovative approaches to regulatory strategy.
I joined Bloom Regulatory in 2020, just one year after the company was founded, doubling the total headcount at the time. One year later I started my apprenticeship and around the same time was promoted to Regulatory Affairs Director and I now lead a team of regulatory advisors whilst directing the CEO on strategic matters using the knowledge gained as part of my Operations Manager Apprenticeship.
I’ve always been someone with a strong dedication to my work. Completing the apprenticeship in parallel with balancing my operational and strategic tasks has been very challenging but I am very grateful to all of those who helped me along the way. The apprenticeship has enabled me to support, shape and lead my team, as well as develop my strategic leadership skills and contribute to the transformation and growth of the business. To be shortlisted for the “Apprentice of the Year” by CMI is a huge honour and privilege.
text
We are delighted to announce that Johnathan Dodd is our 2022 Outstanding Apprentice of the Year.
To win such a prestigious award means the world to me. Not only having recognition of how the apprenticeship has developed me as a person, but how the learning has enabled me to take a fresh approach at problems and implement new services to ensure mariners around the world are kept safe every day. This award will give me the confidence to continue to strive for excellence and look at new ways to approach my personal and professional life. I believe this would also show as an example to my team and colleagues what can be accomplished and how it can be recognised.
Johnathan Dodd Director of Maritime Safety, Inmarsat
"Feels fantastic to receive the recognition for my hard work during the apprenticeship, and is also a great reward for those who supported me over my time as an apprentice. It feels even better to be here representing my organisation who has created a strong culture of developing their people."
My name is Dave Lock and I am an IVVQ Function Lead, Engineering Manager and an apprentice at Thales.
Thales is an engineering solutions corporation and operates in 70 countries with 81,000 employees globally. Our Air Traffic Management covers 40% of the earth surface and we secures 80% of all global banking transactions for 95% of worlds largest banks. Our purpose is building a future we can all trust and our mission is to develop sustainable solutions that help customers think smarter and act faster to exploit decisive moments.
My journey at Thales started with a Systems Engineering Internship as part of sandwich placement at university and very much enjoyed the world of industry. I dipped my toes in management and leadership as an intern facilitating communications (stand ups and touch points) with a large and diverse engineering group on a very technical and challenging simulation programme. I returned to university and achieved my goal of a first class result to beat the entry criteria for the Graduate Development Programme at Thales. Around the same time as starting my apprenticeship I was promoted to a Line Manager role of IVVQ Function Lead as a means to provide challenge and a canvas on which to practice the knowledge skills and behaviours learned as part of the apprenticeship.
7 months prior to the End Point Assessment I was promoted to Engineering Manager with a new focus on Customer engagement and providing value internally, to our Customer, the British Army and the tax payer through another simulation programme.
I’ve always been somebody with a strong attitude in not only working hard, but also working smarter and bringing improvements and efficiencies along the way. The thing that motivates me every day is knowing that the work I do, and the products that Thales deliver are helping those in our armed forces think smarter and act faster and it gives me great joy to know that I am helping provide those products to those who need it.
Completing the apprenticeship in parallel with balancing the two management and leadership roles I hold at Thales has been very challenging but I am very grateful to all of those who helped me along the way at Thales and Pearsons TQ. I am looking forward to offering my knowledge and experience to those who will follow in my footsteps for this apprenticeship.
I am currently the Managing Director of Marathon Kids UK (formerly Kids Run Free), a national not-for-profit organisation dedicated to combating childhood obesity and poor mental health in children through physical activity. Alongside this, I am studying an Executive Master’s of Business Administration and Senior Leader Master’s Degree Apprenticeship through Aston University in collaboration with the CMI. The apprenticeship has enabled me to support, shape and lead my current team of employees, as well as implement strategies to engage thousands of children and their families across the UK, helping them to take their first steps towards an active lifestyle.
I enjoy working with people and take pride in making a difference through sport. In my spare time, I am the Vice Chair of Governors and Early Years Curriculum Lead at Woodlands Infant School, as well as the Safeguarding Officer at my local football club. I am also a co-owner of a successful health and fitness business, which has led to more sporting opportunities for children and young people in the village where I grew up in Ireland.
I am grateful to have been nominated for this award. Being a finalist for the "Apprentice of the Year" from a large and credible organisation like the CMI is an honour and privilege I will never forget. This experience has enabled me to transform the organisation, while also advancing my strategic leadership skills, career and potential as a young person in business.
