Christine Golden, a tax payment and filing initiative coordinator, has won the Zurich Municipal sponsored Award for Innovation, at this year's Public Servants of the Year Awards. Christine also went on to win the most prestigious award for Outstanding Public Servant of the Year for her pioneering approach, commitment and determination in successfully leading an initiative to encourage and persuade 67 large employers to pay tax and National Insurance on time, bringing forward a staggering £1 billion of late payments. Christine's efforts resulted in millions of extra pounds becoming available for the delivery of public services.
Christine proved to have a dynamic and resourceful approach to setting up new systems to encourage electronic and prompt tax payment. She was also commended for the great strides made in changing the late payment culture amongst directors of large employers - people who would normally be too senior for recovery officers to contact.
The announcement was made at a ceremony at the London Marriott Hotel on 12 May organised by Public Finance magazine, in partnership with the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA), the Cabinet Office and the Office of Government Commerce.
Guy Munnoch, Managing Director of Zurich Municipal, said "This year's Public Servants of the Year Awards highlight the valuable contributions being made by individuals behind the scenes across our public services and the significant impact their work has on all of our lives.
"Christine's has broken new ground in combating the late payment culture, resulting in money becoming available which is critical to ensuring the delivery of high quality public services. She has shown exceptional ability, strong commitment and genuine desire to make a difference.
"The high calibre of all the short-listed entries is commendable and we congratulate all who took part."
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The Zurich Financial Services Group is an insurance-based financial services provider that focuses its activities on its key markets of North America, the United Kingdom and Continental Europe. Founded in 1872, Zurich is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland. It has offices in approximately 60 countries and employs well over 70,000 people.
