UK. Our exceptional Moodie Davitt Report team member, Chief Sub-Editor Leanne Farnell has today (25 June) been recognised by parent company Mark Allen Group for her outstanding contribution through the company’s monthly Values in Practice (VIP) Awards.
The VIP Awards is a peer-led initiative celebrating employees who actively bring the organisation’s core values to life: Passionate, Creative, Nurturing and Fair.
Leanne emerged as one of the leading performers in this month’s awards, as she was recognised for a remarkable body of work that exemplifies values-driven excellence and an unwavering commitment to quality.
A standard of excellence behind every word
Leanne’s nomination, submitted by The Moodie Davitt Report Founder & Chairman Martin Moodie, highlighted an extraordinary volume of work delivered over May and June.
During that period, she sub-edited every single word across three Moodie Davitt Report digital magazines and two supplements, totalling 416 pages.
In addition, she turned her expert eye to an ezine, a major Milan Malpensa Airport corporate publication, 13 newsletters, hundreds of web stories, 25 e-alerts, and several video scripts and subtitles.
It amounts to an exceptional workload in a key job role where accuracy, consistency and quality are non-negotiable.
What particularly distinguished Leanne in the nomination was not simply the scale of her contribution, but the manner in which she approaches her role every day.
As Moodie noted in his submission: “Leanne is deeply passionate about language and quality, highly creative in turning functional copy, headlines and captions into content that genuinely sings.
“She is also impressively nurturing in the way she helps writers improve, often through thoughtful one-to-one feedback.”
The nomination also praised Milton Keynes-based Leanne’s balanced and trusted approach to editorial leadership.
“She’s always fair in her judgement, gentle when she can be, firm when she needs to be, and trusted by the team, because everyone knows she makes both the content and the people around her better,” the nomination revealed.
Recognition from Mark Allen Group leadership
Leanne’s stellar performance was highlighted by Mark Allen Group CEO Ben Allen as he announced the latest VIP Award recipients in a video address today.
“I’m exhausted just thinking about that,” said Allen, commenting on Leanne’s recent body of work.
“Leanne was recognised for an extraordinary combination of precision, creativity and care in a role that is absolutely critical to the quality of The Moodie Davitt Report,” he added.
His comments reflect the importance of the sub-editing function that is the equivalent of an endangered species in the media world but is fundamental to maintaining the editorial standards, credibility and reputation that readers expect from The Moodie Davitt Report.
Martin Moodie said: “The Moodie Davitt Report is the only travel retail B2B media to employ a sub-editor of any kind let alone a full-time Chief Sub-Editor. This underlines the focus – no, obsession – we place on quality of words, factual accuracy and clear and coherent storytelling.
“How refreshing it is to have a colleague with whom I can debate semantics, grammar and house style each and every day. A too-often unsung heroine in our organisation whom, via this recognition, is unsung no longer.”
Standing out within a wider values framework
The Mark Allen Group’s VIP Awards are designed to recognise everyday behaviours that strengthen workplace culture and reinforce shared organisational values.
Employees across divisions are nominated monthly for demonstrating behaviours that support colleagues, improve processes and contribute positively to workplace culture.
Winners receive formal recognition, Amazon vouchers and eligibility for an annual ‘Values Champion’ award.
Within this framework, Leanne’s recognition reflects sustained excellence across every dimension of the programme – passion for quality and language, creativity in editorial presentation, nurturing support for colleagues and writers, and fairness in her judgement and approach.
Our congratulations go to Leanne, whose award is a fitting tribute to a professional whose meticulous work touches virtually every aspect of The Moodie Davitt Report’s editorial output, ensuring the quality readers see is matched by the dedication and expertise behind the scenes.
Read more about Leanne in our Meet The Team interview series here. ✈
