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Lead with Thanks
Welcome to Lead with Thanks, the bite-sized interview series where Thankbox Co-Founder Tsvetelina Hinova chats to leaders who put gratitude at the heart of how they lead.
They share stories of their most memorable moments of appreciation, as well as highly practical tools and methods that have worked well throughout their careers.
Ready to lead with thanks? Let's get going!
Lead with Thanks
Episode 5: Marketing, momentum, and meaningful recognition with Vikki Gledhill
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In this episode of Lead With Thanks, Thankbox Co-Founder Tsvetelina Hinova sits down with Vikki Gledhill, a seasoned Reward leader with over 20 years’ experience shaping how organisations recognise, support, and celebrate their people. Now Head of Reward & Pensions at Yorkshire Water
Vikki brings a career’s worth of wisdom from major organisations, including Cox Automotive, Manchester Airport Group, Northern Foods and 2 Sisters Food Group.
And yes - she’s as passionate about appreciation as we are.
Vikki shares why effective recognition shouldn’t be a once-a-year HR initiative—but an always-on campaign, just like the best marketing efforts. If brands have to stay visible to build emotional resonance, why wouldn’t internal reward programs do the same?
Together, Vikki and Tsvetelina explore:
- Why reward and recognition work best with continuous promotion, not set-and-forget schemes.
- How a simple “thank you” can create the kind of emotional reaction that boosts motivation and engagement.
- Why recognition must align with employees’ personal values - not assumptions.
- The role of wellbeing, benefits, and total reward in shaping a modern employee experience.
- Her path across multiple industries and what each taught her about people.
- Why she believes recognition is a strategic tool, not a “nice to have”.
If you're curious how to make recognition feel meaningful (and not just mandatory), Vikki’s insights are pure gold.