Alex Knapper has been awarded Hinckley & Rugby's annual staff award for his pivotal role in transforming the Society's branches with their bright and contemporary new design.

Chief executive Chris White presented Alex with the Jeanette Lewis Annual FAB Award, the second outing for the prize established in 2012 in memory of a former colleague.

Alex, the Society’s Project Manager, has made an outstanding contribution to applying the new brand and branch design to the head office and five branches to date – at South Wigston, Rugby, Nuneaton, Coalville and Hinckley’s Castle Street. Further branches will be converted to the new look in the coming months.

Going ‘above and beyond’, Alex has ensured the changeovers to the new look have been efficiently executed and finished to a very high standard whilst keeping disruption to customers and staff to a minimum.

Chris White, who presented the award to Alex at the Society’s annual staff briefing, held in Hinckley, said: “Alex has shown huge commitment and tenacity in bringing all the benefits of the design concept to our branches whilst shouldering much of the hard graft required.”

Alex, who has worked at the Society for 18 years, said: “I was very surprised to win. I’ve enjoyed working on the branches, getting each prepared and then seeing the changes through to completion.

“Each is a challenge, but rewarding when you can see staff and customers enjoying the new environment when all the work is done. I’d like to share this award with the great local contractors we work with and the staff members who help to change each branch.”

During the briefing Chris outlined the past year’s achievements and the Society’s plans for 2013. Chris said: “We had news of some really positive performance during 2013 to share and ambitious plans for 2014, all of which is only possible thanks to our amazing staff.”

Alex was chosen from the winners and nominees of the past year’s monthly FAB awards (Fabulous service, Above and Beyond) who were all congratulted at the staff briefing. They are: Ben Moore, Shelly Rhodes, Hitesh Gohil, Sam Roberts, Helen Sage, Jessica Marples, Darren Dawkins, Tracey Phipps, Jeanette Sobalski, Abigail Johnson, Lee Moore, Lucinda Callaghan, Michael Sharpe, Carol Butterworth, Andy Phillips, Jacky Rieth, the Lutterworth branch staff, Christine Wilson, Chris White, Jill Storey, Jill Gent, Teresa Mansell, Jamie Clarke and Gemma Holt.