Two of the shortlisted candidates are Donegal employees; Ronan Cunningham from Centra Killybegs was nominated for the Pride of Centra Employee Award category while Máirtín Kelly from Centra Mountain Top was nominated in the Pride of Centra Outstanding Contribution Award category.
Presented by broadcaster Sybil Mulcahy, the Pride of Centra Awards were established to acknowledge staff who demonstrate passion and enthusiasm in cementing Centra as the number one convenience retailer at the heart of communities across the country. These 17 Centra employees were selected as finalists out of 11,000 staff employed in Centra stores across the country, demonstrating the significance of their achievement.
Ronan Cunningham received his nomination for the customer relationships he has built. 2016 was also a great year for Ronan as he combined his love for music and his role at Centra! He wrote a football song in support of the Ireland team heading to the Euros entitled ‘Nous sommes the Irish’ with customers becoming big fans.
Máirtín Kelly was honoured in the Outstanding Contribution category for his work with people with disabilities and under privileged colleagues and customers in his store. He is an inspirational leader that has cemented his business as a truly open and inclusive member of the community in Mountain Top.
Four category winners were:
• Pride of Centra Employee Award – Sean O’Shea from Centra Dooradoyle, Co Limerick
• Pride of Centra Department Manager Award – Celine Cassidy from Centra Bridgetown, Co Wexford
• Pride of Centra Store Manager Award – Elaine Kirwan from Centra Charleville (Limerick Rd), Co Cork
• Pride of Centra Outstanding Contribution Award – Eileen Lynch from Centra Carnmore, Co Galway
The 17 finalists represented nine counties; Donegal, Cork, Dublin, Limerick, Waterford, Sligo, Wexford, Kilkenny and Galway. All shortlisted candidates were recognised for their ongoing commitment to their work with community initiatives, charity organisations, customer service and engaging activities in-store.
Commenting on the Pride of Centra Awards, Luke Hanlon, HR Director of Centra, said; “It has been a really exciting year for Centra with our new ‘Live Every Day’ brand positioning which encourages people to make the most of every day and the finalists here today have been key in bringing this to life.
“We are extremely proud of the 11,000 staff members who represent the Centra brand and these awards are important in recognising outstanding staff members commitment to their customers and their local community. Their dedication is very important to us as we understand the strength they bring to the Centra brand and today we show our appreciation of that. I would like to congratulate all our finalists on this wonderful achievement.”