Mason Hayes & Curran named CX champion at Irish CX Impact Awards 2024

Law firm Mason Hayes & Curran has been crowned CX Champion 2024 at the renowned Irish CX Impact Awards, held at the Crown Plaza Santry. The firm was recognised for its groundbreaking talent acquisition strategy that emphasises diversity and inclusivity in its internship programme.

The sixth annual awards ceremony, hosted by Colm O’Regan, saw 40 companies submitting 55 entries across 15 categories, with 180 industry professionals in attendance. The awards programme, established in 2018, continues to set benchmarks for customer experience excellence in Ireland.

The judges praised Mason Hayes & Curran’s commitment to aligning their internship programme with their client base diversity, noting that their entry “set a new standard for customer experience excellence” through innovative strategies and inclusive customer journeys.

“We recognised that increasing the diversity of our internship candidates was vital to sustaining our business success and aligning with our firm’s commitment to representation and social justice,” a spokesperson for the law firm commented.

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Laura O’Toole, customer experience controller at Sky, received the CX leader of the year award. “This recognition is a deeply meaningful moment in my career,” she said. “Leading the charge in transforming customer experiences has been a journey filled with growth, challenges and incredible opportunities to innovate and make a difference.”

Aer Lingus was an award winner for its AerClub loyalty programme. Carol Glynn, director of airline retailing, commented: “The Aer Lingus team was delighted to receive the award. At AerClub, our people are focused on delivering great value and exclusive benefits for our valued members. We will continue to go above and beyond to ensure that AerClub members have the best possible experience when they fly with Aer Lingus.”

Stephen Mackarel, managing director at awards gold sponsor Workair, described customer experience as ‘the fulcrum of profitability’ for modern businesses. “Customers now have access to more information than ever before and are making better informed decisions about where they spend their hard-earned money. Over 80 per cent of customers will pay more for better service,” he explained.

“Workair partners with our clients to help them select and deploy the technology that will best enhance their CX strategy,” Mr Mackarel added. “The technology can never replace the human empathy and skills of a live person, but it will enhance a customer’s experience, make an agent’s life easier and reduce the cost to serve. Leading Irish brands like PrePay Power, The AA, Aercap and Relatecare trust Workair to deploy the optimal technology that supports their CX strategy.”

The event was supported by fellow gold sponsor Abtran, along with supporters including Amárach Research and The Customer Experience Professionals Association (CXPA) Ireland, with The Irish Times serving as communications partner.

Marketing manager Jessica Lavery said that Resilience Healthcare was thrilled to win a CX Impact Award. “As a provider of essential disability services, this recognition reflects our commitment to making a meaningful impact on both the individuals we support and our customers,” she added.

Amy Noonan, VP operations and customer experience, said award recognition for TestReach “underscores the critical role customer experience plays in delivering high impact technology solutions. It’s inspiring to see this work celebrated, highlighting customer focused innovation and meaningful engagement with end-users like those taking their exams online with TestReach,” she stated.

Judging co-ordinator Agnieszka Jozwiak noted that over the last six years the CX Impact Awards have significantly heightened business awareness across industries and have encouraged businesses to assess and improve their own practices.

“As a head judge I had the privilege to witness how businesses are continuously pushing the boundaries in pursuit of customer satisfaction and loyalty, and how this recognition fosters a culture of prioritisation to stay ahead of evolving expectations, which is exactly what CXPA Ireland stands for,” she said.

“I would encourage my fellow CX professionals to join our judging panel in coming years, as it is a rewarding and insightful experience offering a unique opportunity to assess the most innovative and impactful customer service initiatives across Ireland.”

The rising star award was presented to Amy Collins of Bus Éireann. Michelle Peacocke, head of customer experience at the bus company, commented that Ms Collins demonstrates the dedication to customer service that is crucial to delivering success for customers. “The expertise, enthusiasm, determination, and care that Amy exudes every single day is exactly what the industry needs,” Ms Peacocke remarked.

Award finalist Mark Rohan, chief operating officer at Klearcom, commended the awards programme for highlighting the critical role of ensuring flawless customer experience journeys. “This recognition emphasises the industry’s need for reliable, seamless customer interactions across global contact centres,” he added.

Adam Kane, commercial partnerships lead at awards organiser Business River, commented: “Events like this are made possible through the support of sponsors. We are thankful to our 2024 gold sponsors, Workair and Abtran, and supporters The Customer Experience Professionals Association (CXPA) Ireland and Amárach Research, and our communications partner, The Irish Times. Their investment in the awards underlines their commitment and support of this key business area.”

Awards judges

Agnieszka Jozwiak (Judging Co-ordinator) – Customer Experience Consulting & Advisory, CXPA Ireland
Jennifer Brennan – chief executive, Thrive Marketing
Gavin Carpenter – chief executive, Phonovation
John Carroll – marketing manager, Irish Distillers Brand Homes, Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard
Jamie Coleman – vice-president customer experience, Quest Software
Rachael Corcoran – director, digital engagement lead Ireland, EPAM Systems
Tim Farmer – managing director, W5 Marketing Intelligence Ltd.
Shane Lynn – chief executive, EdgeTier
Tara Martin – vice-president customer success, RentalMatics
Terri McCarthy – independent consultant, The Experience Edge
Aideen McGrath – head of PR, communications and campaigns, Laya Healthcare
Ann Marie O’Donnell – customer strategy director, Actavo
Brian O’Flynn – director, Capventis
Jan Richards – head of CX, Irish Life Group
Eddie Stack – CX director, Insight6
Maria Svejdar – head of marketing, communications and customer experience, GS1 Ireland