The RailStaff Awards 2024

Lydia Fairman

Said the following about sinead Trudgill:

“I've worked with Sinead now for a number of years. Sinead is bright and lively, and has an incredible memory for detail, which means every person she meets, always feels lucky to have met her, because she makes them feel heard.

Sinead is our HR Director, and works hard and tirelessly to do the right thing for her people both in the team, but also in the wider business. She always sees the person at the heart of whatever she does.

Sinead champions the people who have the good luck to work for her. She recognises potential and helps people realise the value they bring to their role. Sinead recognised my potential early on in my career, and pushed me to stretch myself, study, and ultimately, is the reason I have an enjoyable career today.

I cannot see a person more deserving of an award than Sinead, for all the positive energy, spirit, drive, challenge and joy she brings into a room. She will challenge what she sees to be wrong, she will listen and have her views changed if it's right, and ultimately, constantly strives to be the best person she can be - which I think she achieves!“

Siobhan Ritchie

Said the following about sinead Trudgill:

“I have worked with Sinead for just over two years now, and am proud to have her as my HR Director.

Sinead is not like any HR professional I have worked with. Sinead has an authentic and unique style and is extremely customer focused. Sinead has a ‘can do’ attitude, and is bold and determined in the way that she strives to deliver people, and customer focused solutions.

Sinead encourages her team to be pioneers and to break down boundaries, and will support them with what they need to do to achieve these things.

As a manager, Sinead has been supportive and encouraging of my development, and has used her unique insight to motivate me, and helped me to gently tiptoe outside of my comfort zone through her understanding of my potential and my barriers.

There are some skills that can’t be taught, and this is true of Sinead in her innate ability to be energising, to empathise with others, to care for, and truly see the people within the HR processes.

Sinead acts as a mentor to many people seeking advice about how to enter our sector, and she is always engaging with people, trying to support them with accessing a career in rail. With such a busy schedule, it would be easy for Sinead to simply focus on her corporate commitments and objectives, however Sinead goes above and beyond in this space because she truly values individuals, and feels that this is the right thing to do.

Sinead is a proud ambassador of our industry, and is champion for our contribution to UK Plc.

Our industry is lucky to have Sinead as leader.“