Every year, Gallagher Bassett (GB) hosts the GB Awards - a celebration of our people and a chance to stop and reflect on the amazing work they do each and every day.

This year there were nine award categories. They include:

• Internal Customer Service Provider of the Year
• External Customer Service Provider of the Year
• Emerging Leader of the Year
• Impact Leader of the Year
• Claims Manager of the Year
• Sales Person of the Year
• Process Challenger of the Year
• The National Gallagher Way Award
• Business Impact Award.

We spoke with Melissa Zadey, Team Manager, who was recognised with the Impact Leader of the Year award! Melissa joined GB’s Return to Work team in January 2013.

Josh Newberry, General Manager - SA, nominated Melissa:

“Mel is an excellent leader and is one of the most dedicated people I have been fortunate enough to work with. She devotes so much time and energy into her people and the loyalty they show her and GB is second to none.

Mel ran the first mobile return to work team when it commenced in SA in 2015 and has been an instrumental person in cementing this role as a cornerstone of the scheme.

Mel is an amazing problem solver and is able to manage the very demanding priorities that come with leading in this industry. She supports her team on a daily basis, and they have never failed a KPI and has always been at the top of the RTW performance”.

When asked about what she enjoyed most about her role, Melissa remarked:

“We all come to work for a large part of our lives, so it is important to love what you do. I can honestly say that I love my role and the industry I work in. I am really proud of my team and the way they inspire me every day to reach my full potential, to be a successful leader, to lead them with honesty, integrity and respect. These are the things that motivate me and seeing them succeed is so inspiring.

I am a strong advocate for reward and recognition. It is important to celebrate and recognise success as I believe this is what helps shape and build our unique culture which is the backbone of our organisation. The ability to be face to face and have an impact in our community to assist injured workers, their employers and allied health professionals to achieve success in their return to work is also an incredible feeling.

Our team manages the bulk of our corporate employers in South Australia. I enjoy reviewing their early intervention procedures and educating them to improve return to work rates within their industries to positively impact their organisation. When these changes are implemented and I see that we are making a positive change, the feeling that I get is immensely satisfying.”

There was a total of 51 nominations over the nine categories.

John McNamara, GB Australia Chief Executive Officer, said:

“I’d like to once again thank all of the people who took the time to nominate their colleagues for an award this year. I really love seeing our GB family members supporting each other and celebrating each other’s success and achievements.

Congratulations again to all of our nominees, finalists and winners. It’s inspiring to read all the examples of the ways that our people from all parts of the business are living The Gallagher Way, and demonstrating that our people are our strength.”

Want to learn more about GB’s vision and values? Check out The Gallagher Way here.