Placement awards honour student excellence

Cardiff Business School recently hosted the Undergraduate Placement Awards, spotlighting the remarkable achievements of our students during their placements.

Held on 21 March 2024, the awards acknowledged outstanding placement student contributions to businesses locally, nationally, and globally.

Placements are a popular option for many students at Cardiff Business School and these experiences help students develop their professional skills and set them apart in the competitive job market post-graduation.

Cardiff Business School’s Opportunities Zone supports students with finding and applying to placements, as well as helping them throughout their placement journey.

20 students who were on placement last academic year (2022/23), were shortlisted for awards.

Alex added: "The Annual Placement Awards event is a great way to celebrate these successes with academic colleagues, strategic partners and our shortlisted placement students. A special thank you has to go to our amazing award sponsors; without them this fantastic event would not be possible."

Congratulations to our winners and highly commended students:

Placement Student of the Year, sponsored by Novus

• Award Winner – Lewis Gibbins (Aldi)
• Highly Commended – Ollie Davies (Wincanton)

Intern of the Year, sponsored by Celsa UK

• Award Winner – Will Beaney (Sparta Capital Management)
• Highly Commended - Gracie Holliday (Rocialle Healthcare)

Student Contribution to a SME, sponsored by ICAEW

• Award Winner – Gemma Green (Darwin Gray)
• Highly Commended – Amber Dale (Ultra X)

Meet our student winners

Lewis Gibbins, who won Placement Student of the Year said:

“Being named Placement Student of the Year was truly rewarding and a testament to my fantastic time at Aldi. I had the opportunity to make a real impact on the business through various roles in-store operations. A standout role for me was having the responsibility to distribute Christmas stock to over 80 stores in the Cardiff region.

My time management, industry knowledge, and leadership skills have all undergone significant development thanks to my placement, and I couldn’t recommend it enough! A placement is not only a chance to apply your knowledge but also to grow, both as a professional and as a person."

Will Beaney, winner of Intern of the Year, said:

“It is an incredible honour to be recognised by Cardiff University as Intern Student of the Year. I know how successful the other nominees were in their respective placements; to have been awarded this brings great pride to both Sparta and myself. In my placement, I am responsible for reconciling Sparta’s trades, positions, cash, P&L, and more than 50 currency accounts across 5 custodians.

I could not have comprehended prior to commencing my placement how much learning I had ahead of me. Completing my placement in London has been an immense personal development experience. I have been continuously challenged, made lifelong friends, and created some of my favourite memories. I have learnt as much about myself as I have about my industry; I will return to Cardiff a vastly different person to the one who left for placement at the end of 2022.”

Gemma Green, winner of Best Student Contribution to a Small to Medium-sized Employer (SME), said:

“It feels amazing to be recognised for my achievements and how far I’ve come on my placement journey. It feels great knowing that the work I did was meaningful and had an impact on the company.

I have learnt so much on placement, including both professional skills and personal skills. My confidence has increased as well as my professionalism. I would always recommend a placement to others, as it has allowed me to improve many skills that apply to uni, work, and daily life. It has allowed me to grow as an individual and gave me invaluable experience that will help me secure a job after I graduate.”

All Cardiff Business School undergraduate degrees are available with the option of a professional placement year. Business Management (BSc) also offers the opportunity for students to complete an integrated placement in the spring semester of their second year.

Contact the Placements Team at Cardiff Business School for more information on the opportunities we offer.