Last week we were delighted to host our 3rd Academy Graduation Ceremony alongside the Richard Livingston Annual Award and Rising Star Award. The event was held in The Affidea Stadium, Belfast celebrating our employees’ successes, hard work, dedication and marking excellence in Professional Development across the Group.
Hosted by Wendy Close People Director and Lee Stuart MD Covernet and with guest speaker Fiona Cambridge President of the Insurance Institute in NI, Academy mentors, Better Together Programme members and Graduates, applicants and nominees for the Richard Livingston & Rising Star Awards in attendance, along with those who nominated a colleague.
The Academy Programme has been designed to encourage and support staff to undertake professional qualifications relevant to their role and to assist in the achievement of their educational and personal development goals.
We were delighted to have 27 staff from across the Group who Graduated from our Academy Programme, having successfully completed their qualification as part of Class of 2022, 2023 , 2024 and 2025.
Those who Graduated from The Academy Programme included:
• Ferghal Thompson – AbbeyAutoline, Certificate in Insurance (Cert CII)
• Christopher Finn – AbbeyAutoline, Certificate in Insurance (Cert CII)
• Heather Galbraith – AbbeyAutoline, Certificate in Insurance (Cert CII)
• Jennifer Irvine – AbbeyAutoline, Certificate in Insurance (Cert CII)
• Michael Kearney – AbbeyAutoline, Certificate in Insurance (Cert CII)
• Paul McCandless – Find Insurance NI, Certificate in Insurance (Cert CII)
• Sharon Ward – Group Compliance, Certificate in Insurance (Cert CII)
• Nathan Martin – Prestige Underwriting Customer Relations, Certificate in Insurance (Cert CII)
• Niall Conway – Prestige Underwriting, Certificate in Insurance (Cert CII)
• James Carter – Prestige Underwriting, Diploma in Insurance (Dip CII)
• Joanne McKeown – AbbeyAutoline, Certificate in Insurance Product Advice (APA)
• Ian Campbell - AbbeyAutoline, Certificate in Insurance Product Advice (APA)
• Louise Connolly - AbbeyAutoline, Certificate in Insurance Product Advice (APA)
• Nathan Gibney - AbbeyAutoline, Certificate in Insurance Product Advice (APA)
• Mark McSherry – Find Insurance NI, Certificate in Insurance Product Advice (APA)
• David Nash – Find Insurance NI, Certificate in Insurance Product Advice (APA)
• Kieran Quigg - Find Insurance NI, Certificate in Insurance Practice (CIP)
• Gary Rice – AbbeyAutoline, NVQ Level 3 in Financial Services (including Cert CII)
• Marian Carlin - AbbeyAutoline, NVQ Level 3 in Financial Services (including Cert CII)
• Michelle Hughes - AbbeyAutoline, NVQ Level 3 in Financial Services (including Cert CII)
• Ryan Donaghy – AbbeyAutoline, Level 5 Award in Leadership & Management
• James O’Hara – AbbeyAutoline, CIPD Level 5 Associate Diploma in People Management
• Orla Lewsley – Pricing, Fellow of the Institute & Faculty of Actuaries (FIA C.Act)
• Lorcan McClean - Pricing, Fellow of the Institute & Faculty of Actuaries (FIA C.Act)
• Tammy Hagan – Group Training, Level 3 Award in Education & Training
• Nicola Dilworth - Group Training, Level 3 Award in Education & Training
• Gordon Wotherspoon - Group Training, Level 3 Award in Education & Training
Each of the Graduates received a Graduation certificate and trophy to mark their achievement.
Now in its fifth year, The Richard Livingston Award and Rising Star Awards followed the Graduation ceremony with a total of 16 applicants having been nominated for these prestigious awards.
Those nominated applications for Richard Livingston Award included the following:-
• Gareth Magahy – Group Compliance
• Lorcan McClean – Pricing
• Orla Lewsley - Pricing
• Ian Campbell – AbbeyAutoline
• Ferghal Thompson – AbbeyAutoline
• James Carter – Prestige Underwriting
• James O’Hara – AbbeyAutoline
• Niall Conway – Prestige Underwriting
Those nominated applications for Rising Star Award included the following:-
• Ewan McKenzie - AbbeyAutoline
• Courtney Macken – Prestige Underwriting
• Lee Moran – AbbeyAutoline
• Mark Romein – Prestige Underwriting Claims
• Alex Turley – AbbeyAutoline
• Nathan Hamilton – AbbeyAutoline
• Wahib Ben Said – Covernet
• Ben Walsh - Covernet
During the ceremony a summary of each of the shortlisted applications / nominations was presented and the winning entry announced bringing the event to a close.
We are delighted to announce the winner of the Richard Livingston 2026 winner as James Carter, Schemes Underwriter for Prestige Underwriting. James was presented with his award by Lee Stuart.
We are delighted to announce the joint winners of the Rising Star Award as Ewan McKenzie, Apprentice Sales Advisor in AbbeyAutoline and Ben Walsh, Graduate Software Developer Covernet.
Congratulations once again to James, Ewan and Ben on their fantastic achievements and well done to our Academy Graduates and the nominated applicants for the Richard Livingston & Rising Star Award.
We would also like to congratulate James O’Hara, Senior Manager PL, AbbeyAutoline, on receiving ‘Special Recognition Award’ (on an exceptional basis). James has been relentless in his quest for self-development and improvement leading him to win the prestigious and esteemed Rutter Medal in 2025 – recognising the best FCII candidate across the whole of the UK! James is very much a role model for all colleagues to look toward as to how committing to personal and professional development enhances and enriches your experience within a work role.
We look forward to celebrating more success in coming months across the Group.