Student of the Year

Jessica Louise McWeeney is Operations Manager at Elm Tree Medical Centre, one of the UK’s highest-rated GP surgeries, where she leads teams to deliver excellent patient care within an inclusive, high-performing environment. She began her career at 17 through a Business Administration apprenticeship and progressed into management roles within the NHS.

Committed to continuous development, Jessica completed CMI Level 5 and Level 7 qualifications in Strategic Management and Leadership, finishing in 2025. She applies her learning directly to service improvement, team engagement, and operational excellence, demonstrating the impact of practical leadership development in healthcare.

Oliver Braid CMI Level 7 Extended Diploma in Strategic Management and Leadership Practice is a senior commercial and people leader with over 15 years’ experience supporting organisations through growth, change, and complex workforce challenges, including initiatives that have helped more than 250,000 people into employment. His career spans enterprise sales, consulting, and senior leadership roles within global technology organisations, where he has built and led high-performing teams through periods of scale and transformation.

Alongside senior roles, Oliver completed multiple CMI Level 7 qualifications, including the Extended Diploma in Strategic Management and Leadership Practice, achieving Chartered Manager status. His leadership style is ethical, values-led, and people-centred, balancing commercial performance with empathy. He is passionate about developing others through mentoring and his involvement with the CMI community, and has a strong interest in how emerging technologies are shaping the future of leadership.

James Walker is an accomplished electrical professional with over 23 years’ experience across the industrial, public, and infrastructure sectors. Beginning his career through an electrical apprenticeship, he gained international experience in Australia and New Zealand before returning to the UK to work with City of York Council, where he also achieved an HNC in Electronic and Electrical Engineering.

For the past seven and a half years, James has progressed within Network Rail, moving from Electrical Artisan to Team Leader and now working in a critical electrical Control Room role. Committed to continuous development, he has completed the CMI Level 3 in Leadership and gained a NEBOSH qualification, with plans to begin CMI Level 5. His nomination for CMI Student of the Year reflects his strong leadership, technical expertise, and dedication to lifelong learning.

Verity Buckley graduated from Edge Hill University in 2025, where she focused on applying academic learning in practical, real-world contexts while creating meaningful opportunities for other students. She gained valuable experience through a consultancy pilot project and by co-designing and presenting a marketing campaign for North West Cancer Research, translating theory into professional, purpose-driven outcomes.

Alongside her studies, Verity founded the Edge Hill Business Society and co-created an award-winning student-led company focused on preventing drink spiking. She also held representative leadership roles within the student body, developing strong skills in collaboration, advocacy, and inclusive leadership, and leaving a positive and lasting impact on the student community.