After a hugely successful night at the HEA/HEMSA Awards 2025, where we were honoured to receive three major accolades: HEA/HEMSA Organisation of the Year - Large, Employee of the Year (awarded to Clare Saggs, IT Administrator), and Trainee/Apprentice of the Year (awarded to Ollie Langham) - we caught up with our Employee of the Year 2025, Clare Saggs, to hear how she’s feeling in the aftermath of an unforgettable evening.
HI CLARE, CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN ON YOUR WIN AS EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR 2025 AT THE HEA AWARDS! HOW DOES IT FEEL?
It’s always lovely to be recognised for the things you do. It feels great to be appreciated and applauded for the extra effort, especially after a challenging year implementing a new ERP system, EFACS, across the company. Organisation-wide migrations are never easy, but the results have definitely been worth it.
The awards night itself was an unforgettable experience. I especially enjoyed spending the evening with colleagues from different departments - people I don’t often get to see day-to-day. Being together in such a beautiful environment made it even more special; the hotel and setting were truly lovely.
COULD YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR ROLE AND WHAT YOU DO?
One of the things I love most about my job is the variety. My main role is to support all IT users across the business. This includes resolving day-to-day issues, administering the network, ensuring all users are set up with the correct permissions, and making sure everyone has the right equipment. In short, my job is to help ensure our IT systems run as smoothly as possible for everyone.
Security and data protection are also key parts of my role - making sure we comply with GDPR and that colleagues have access to exactly what they need.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN AT CU PHOSCO? DID YOU HOLD ANY PREVIOUS ROLES IN THE COMPANY?
I’ve been with CU Phosco for 34 years. I first joined in August 1991 at just 18 years old, working in the purchase ledger department. After around two years, I moved into IT as an IT Assistant, before eventually taking on my current role as IT Administrator.
HOW HAS THE COMPANY CHANGED DURING THIS TIME?
The company has changed enormously since I first joined. Back then, most things were done on paper. I remember when we only had monochrome “green screen” computers, long before today’s full-colour displays. Backups were done manually on floppy disks!
Since then, I’ve seen CU Phosco evolve from those early systems to a fully functioning network with remote access, modern infrastructure, and a digital-first approach. It’s been incredible to witness - and be part of - the company’s entire technological transformation.
WHO WAS THE FIRST PERSON THAT YOU TOLD?
The first person I told about my nomination was my good friend and colleague Cheryl, our Sales Office Supervisor - although she already knew! When I won, she was at the awards night with me, so it was lovely to celebrate the moment together.
HOW DID YOU CELEBRATE?
I celebrated with a wonderful dinner at the Celtic Manor alongside friends and colleagues, topped off with a lovely bottle of champagne. A perfect way to end a very special evening!
Thanks, Clare, for spending the time with us and a massive congratulations from the whole CU Phosco team – this award is truly deserved.
If you would like to find out more about our awards, as well as the nominations that we received, take a look at the full article, here