Q1. Why are you nominating this person?  What contribution(s) and achievement(s) qualify the nominee for this award? Was their contribution(s)/achievement(s) for their organization, business, or client?

Nicole Henderson serves as Deputy Director for the Business Relationship Management Service at UNHCR. She joined the organization as Chief of Collaboration and Communication in Copenhagen in 2018. Nicole has been working with colleagues across the organization to understand the application technology requests and to steer, advise and guide the IT delivery. Her team is accountable for the ongoing technical support of the delivered enterprise solutions that serve UNHCR's colleagues. With over 25 years in IT, Nicole has led IT and IT business change functions in UK private sector in Digital Media and Construction sectors. Nicole also has 17+ years' experience working with KPMG, both within their internal IT function and as a management consultant working with many private & public sector clients to implement enterprise business technology solutions. In addition to her 22 years based in the UK, her international experience includes starting her career in the Caribbean and working on consulting engagements across the US, Europe and Hong Kong. She manages the complete ADSM IT Outsourcing contracts for Refugee Systems, ERP, Collaboration & Communications and Data & Integration. She also oversees the outsourcing contracts for Project Services and Staff Augmentation for UNHCR. She oversees Tier 1 contracts with a TCV of over $50 million. Nicole has contributed to her organization and its business by working with the Suppliers to transition the in-house business to them.

Q2. What metrics, if any, coincide with this nomination (e.g., financial, business growth, or client satisfaction impact)?

As Nicole is in charge of overseeing the ADSM IT & Project Services outsourcing contracts, she has aided the organization's business growth. The business has support for different applications from various regions. More business can be done efficiently and digitally and she is the one who oversees it all. She has also led her colleagues and oversees the end-to-end management of the contract. She has worked on all domains and has extensive knowledge on Supplier Relationship Management. She works with the Suppliers to ensure smooth delivery and operations.

Q3. Please describe their influence. Is it internal via leadership roles, chairing groups, etc. or external via social media, speaking engagements, thought leadership, etc.?

Nicole has a lot of influence at UNHCR. She has a leadership role as she oversees the entire outsourcing and all the internal teams who collaborate with the Suppliers. She also has a chairing role as she chairs most of the Steering and Executive meetings with the Suppliers. She is also a thought leader as her leadership role is not restricted to the organization, but also to the Suppliers to ensure they comply with the contract and understand the needs and requirements of her organization. Her scope of work includes enhancement of processes, governance, service & supplier management, application development and service transition.

Q4. What personal qualities have they demonstrated that would qualify them for this nomination (e.g., promotes collaboration, great communicator, supports other women, leads by example)?

Nicole is a dedicated resource who is able to view the business from macro and micro levels. She is a great communicator and is able to manage multiple people at all levels. Her leadership skills show that she is extremely patient with her colleagues and the Suppliers and she leads by example. She promotes collaboration and ensures that all parties are on the same page before proceeding with any decisions. She also supports women and ensures everyone feels comfortable with their work, everyone is encouraged and motivated and that all are respected. She ensures that the relationship between parties within her organization and externally (between 2 or more Suppliers) is smooth and transparent with the accurate and required data being shared. Nicole not only partakes in the decision-making or high-level discussion, but is also active with BAUs like SOWs, Invoices and SLAs. She is able to manage large teams with ease.

Q5. Is there any other information you would like us to consider?

Nicole has been entrusted by UNHCR to oversee the entire ADSM contract which has 4 contracts with 3 suppliers. She has managed to bring in uniformity in the structure of Supplier Relationship Management and have streamlined processes overall for the overall domain. This shows that her organization values her contributions to the business and that she is highly capable of managing multi-million contracts and varied internal and external stakeholders.

Nomination Summary

Nicole is a leader by example and who takes ownership, provides support to her team members and colleagues to lead challenging transition/outsourcing to success and also balances relationships with external stakeholders with ease and grace.

In which of the following years did the nominee demonstrate these qualities/achieve these results? Select all that apply.

2022, 2023