Denise Sharpe wins Leadership Award at the UK Company Culture Awards 2026

We are absolutely thrilled to share that our CEO and co-founder, Denise Sharpe, has won the Leadership Award at the UK Company Culture Awards 2026 - and in our 25th anniversary year, this recognition feels especially meaningful.

We were shortlisted across two categories this year, the Leadership Award and Best Agency to Work For and to come away with a win makes it all the more special.

What are the UK Company Culture Awards?

The UK Company Culture Awards celebrate organisations and individuals who are genuinely driving positive change in the way businesses are built and led. The Leadership Award specifically recognises leaders who put people at the heart of everything they do, those who inspire through action, build trust over time and create environments where teams can truly flourish.

A leader who has always led with heart

Denise co-founded Outsourced Events in 2001 alongside her business partner Alexandra Sibley, with a simple founding belief: put people first and everything else will follow. Over the past 25 years, she has led the business through remarkable growth - from a small founding team to 45 people delivering over 240 events each year for 54 clients across international markets. Through every period of change, including the upheaval of COVID when she protected jobs and retained every client, she has remained a consistent, grounded presence for the team.

It is that consistency, not the headlines, but the everyday commitment to doing things the right way, that this award recognises.

In Denise's own words:

"Winning this Leadership Award feels really special, particularly in our 25th year. I've never seen leadership as having all the answers or being the loudest person in the room. For me, it's always been about showing up, supporting people, staying calm when things get difficult, and trying to make a positive difference however I can.

I also know I could never have achieved this without my business partner and best friend, Alex. We've built this together, always sharing the same values and belief in the kind of business and culture we wanted to create.

There have definitely been stressful moments and challenges along the way, so being recognised like this genuinely means a lot. I'm proud of what we've achieved together and very grateful to work with such brilliant people who constantly motivate and support me. I am very excited for what the future will bring as a team."

A culture built together

The Best Agency to Work For shortlisting is a reminder that this award is as much a reflection of the team as it is of Denise. Culture is not built by one person in isolation, and Denise would be the first to say so. From our five core values - we put people first, we're partners, we care, we challenge, we're curious, to our Best Companies 1-Star Accreditation and a Net Promoter Score of 100, what we have built at Outsourced Events is the result of years of shared investment and trust.

Congratulations to all finalists and fellow winners at this year's awards. It is an honour to be recognised alongside so many businesses doing outstanding work.