ACR News Awards 2026 winners revealed T
he ACR industry came together on 19 March at the Grand Connaught Rooms in London to celebrate excellence, innovation
and leadership at the ACR News Awards 2026. After a year of economic uncertainty, political turbulence and the ever-present pressure on skills and sustainability, the event off ered a moment to recognise the people and projects that continue to drive the sector forward. As noted on stage, the industry’s most persistent challenges remain the environment, skills and the rise of connected technologies, themes refl ected across this year’s categories and winners. It was acknowledged that stability remains elusive, with global politics and supply chains still unpredictable. Yet the sector’s long tradition of collaboration, debate and shared problem-solving continues to set it apart. The awards themselves are the product of that spirit, supported by judges and contributors who work behind the scenes to make the event possible. After the formal presentations, the
Meet the Judges
MARTYN COOPER Currently commercial manager at FETA, Martyn has had a long career in the chemical industry. He has also been involved in a variety of projects, including the launch and promotion of the BRA Putting into Use Replacement Refrigerants (PURR) report.
GEMMA DORMER
Gemma has had a wide range of experience on the tools, starting in the rental area before making her way into commercial service and install, and more recently into industrial. Active in the industry outside her work, she helps mentor students at Eastleigh College.
STEVE GILL
An HVACR, energy consultant, Steve has enjoyed a long career in the HVACR and energy sectors, helping end-users of industrial systems make informed decisions regarding energy effi ciency and sustainability.
AMY GITTOES Amy is an experienced sales manager with a solid foundation in customer service in the refrigeration manufacturing sector. She has played key roles in driving innovation and has experience in leading apprenticeship initiatives.
FAYE MADDOCK
Faye Maddocks is the UK Commercial Director at A-Gas, with over 16 years of experience in the HVACR industry. She is dedicated to advancing lifecycle refrigerant management and supporting the industry’s transition to more sustainable refrigerant practices.
JOHN SKELTON
John is and has worked in the RACHP industry for 40 years. He started as an apprentice working for Sainsbury’s Supermarkets, and has worked as an end-user, a consultant, and a contractor for an OEM before his current role as Managing Director of BEMS.
KEVIN GLASS Former Managing Director of Bitzer UK, Kevin has 40 years of experience with a wide-ranging career that has spanned technical, management and latterly senior leadership roles.
ASTRID PRADO
Currently serving as Head of Marketing at Star Refrigeration, Astrid has over 20 years in the cooling sector, and has worked to accelerate the adoption of eLearning training methodologies and diversity initiatives across the industry.
CATARINA MARQUES
Catarina is a Senior Research Fellow at LSBU with 18 years’ experience working on funded research projects in the areas of refrigeration, district heating and cooling. She is the project director for Transport, Industrial and Commercial Refrigeration (TICR), a consortium project funded by the UK Department of Energy Security and Net Zero.
The ACR News Awards 2026 winners.
celebrations continued with music and a mini-golf tournament. It was a light-hearted end to an evening that highlighted not only technical achievement, but the resilience, community and good humour that defi ne the ACR industry at its best.
L-r: Steve Bennion and Lynn Sencicle.
20 May 2026
www.acrnewsawards.com
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