JUDGES
Each of the awards will be judged by a panel of experts from the worlds of HR and law. Likewise, the process itself will be robust and rigorous. Once entry deadlines have closed, judges will initially study all submissions before coming together to debate the merits of all entrants, in order to then announce the shortlist.
Kevin is a Non-Executive Director, business adviser and coach. His NED roles include The Law Society of England & Wales and Dimensions UK, a large not-for-profit social care organisation. Through his work as a Partner with PSFI, he advises professional and financial services firms on people strategy, culture, executive succession planning, governance and diversity, equity and inclusion. As a coach he works with senior executives across sectors and also acts as a mentor to senior HR leaders.
In recognition of his commitment to creating diverse workforces and inclusive cultures Kevin was included in HR Magazine's Most Influential UK HR Practitioners 2022 and listed as an INvolve Heroes Women Role Model 2021 & 2022 and as a Top 50 Ally Executive in the Outstanding LGBT+ Role Models list 2022. Kevin has also served as a Steering Group member for the government-sponsored Hampton Alexander/FTSE Women Leaders Review.
Prior to embarking on his portfolio career Kevin worked for over 30 years as an HR executive with roles at EY, Freshfields, Norton Rose Fulbright and KPMG.
Kevin holds an honours degree in Politics from the University of York and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. He lives in Ealing with his wife Shami.
Raphael is an HR technology entrepreneur. He is the Chairman of Rare Recruitment, and the Managing Director of award-winning people technology firm Rare Technology. Rare Technology works with over 150 elite employers, including all five Magic Circle law firms. Its Candid applicant tracking system handles more graduate recruitment applications to law firms than any other system; its contextualised recruitment software has processed over three million graduate job applications; and its multi-award winning Hemisphere learning software reduces bias and changes outcomes in hundreds of schools, companies and law firms.
Raphael has a first-class degree from Oxford University. He has written for the Guardian, Times and Financial Times. He has been named in the Economist’s Top 50 Global Diversity List, the FT’s Empower Top 100 Ethnic Minority Executives list, and as Legal Week’s Outstanding Innovator.
Lak is the Director and Principal Consultant of Pure HR & Mediation Ltd, a specialist consultancy he founded in 2023 to support law firms and a wide range of organisations in navigating complex organisational change, strategic transformation, and sensitive employee relations matters. He is an accredited Mediator with the International Mediation Institute and brings a balanced, pragmatic approach to resolving workplace conflict and facilitating constructive dialogue.
With more than 30 years of experience in people, leadership, and organisational development, Lak has worked across multiple sectors and cultures. Notably, he spent a decade as HR Director for Europe, the Middle East and Asia at Norton Rose Fulbright (NRF), where he played a pivotal role in shaping the firm’s people strategy across a diverse international footprint. In his final two years at NRF, he created and led the Partner Development function, providing both strategic guidance and operational HR support to the partnership and senior leadership teams.
In addition to his consulting practice, Lak serves as a Lay Member of the Employment Tribunal, bringing his extensive HR expertise to the judicial process. He is also a member of the Risk and Audit Committee for the charity Police Now, contributing to governance, oversight, and organisational resilience. Lak is known for his clarity of thought, collaborative style, and ability to guide organisations through high-stakes people challenges with confidence, discretion, and insight.
