The winners of the 2022 Grundfos People Awards were announced at an award ceremony hosted in Bjerringbro on 8 September.
Hosted by CHRO Mirjam Baijens, the ceremony was attended by winners from 2022 and some winners from 2021 and 2020.
Meet the winners
The Grundfos People Awards celebrate culture, innovation, positive environmental impact, community engagement, health, safety and well-being and learning. The Foundation sponsors the awards and scholarships granted to the winners.
| 2022 Grundfos Community Engagement Award 20,000 EUR awarded to the best local community and charity initiative to acknowledge the dedication of the employees |
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| Grundfos India wins the 2022 Grundfos Community Engagement Award with the project “Assisted employment model in Chennai, India” along with the NGO Swabodhini – School for Children with Special Needs. A 20,000 EUR grant will help the school broaden the assisted employment model, supporting more children and trainees.
“The project takes an active role in the community by giving people with special needs a chance to work and develop employable skills, and takes a strong step in building a more inclusive workplace. In the pilot, Grundfos India hired four trainees with special needs through an assisted employment model in partnership with the Swabodhini School for Special Children. In a slow yet progressive way, the trainees are acclimatized to the job, work environment, and acceptance by employees. Two trainees have since been moved to mainstream production where they contribute to many activities.”
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 Morten Bach Jensen, Divisional CEO of DBS with Krithika Iyer Shivakumar and Ganesh Kumar from Grundfos India. 2022 Grundfos People Awards. Photo: Lars holm |
| 2022 Grundfos Culture Ambassador Award 10,000 EUR divided equally between up to three employees role modelling Grundfos values, Grundfos Key Behaviours: Accountability, Collaboration and Customer Centricity, or other culture specific elements |
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| Thomas Kvistgaard Krarup: A true role model of the Grundfos values
“Thomas is a very strong representative for a Grundfos that dares to go new ways, offer new solutions and following through with the customers to ensure new territory is captured with success. He demonstrates strong customer centricity and focus on sustainability.” |
 Thomas Kvistgaard Krarup and Bent Jensen, Divisional CEO of CBS. 2022 Grundfos People Awards. Photo: Lars Holm |
| Nandhini Manivannan: Transcending Boundaries – India’s first woman shop floor employee
“Nandini shows the highest level of responsibility and accountability. It requires more strength and courage than most of us can imagine doing what she has done. Being a first mover is always tough – Nandhini has taken this on and has become a role model for other employees” |
 Nandhini Manivannan and Bent Jensen, Divisional CEO of CBS. 2022 Grundfos People Awards. Photo: Lars Holm |
| Dorte Maach: One of the bastions of Grundfos living culture
“Dorte is consistently taking a high responsibility in all cases she is part of, supporting and organising in a super collaborative manor. She is a great colleague, and she has a long history as a strong cultural ambassador in the organisation. She cares for our company and she always goes the extra mile for colleagues and our customers.” |
 Dorte Maach and Bent Jensen, Divisional CEO of CBS. 2022 Grundfos People Awards. Photo: Lars Holm |
| Grundfos Environmental Impact Award 10,000 EUR awarded to the team behind an initiative that significantly provides environmental impact, reduces footprint and has global potential |
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Mogens Olesen and Jan B.D. Sørensen with the project Energy Optimization in a Box
“The team has collected best-practice examples from local energy saving initiatives with a significant overall impact on the environmental footprint of our production facilities in Denmark. They have demonstrated and documented substantial savings, combined with ready-to-use financial elements and attractive pay-back times. They furthermore supply information packages and guidance on how this can be implemented outside Denmark on a global scale.”
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 Mogens Olesen and Jan B.D. Sørensen (Denmark) with Stéphane Simonetta, Divisional CEO of Industry. 2022 Grundfos People Awards. Photo: Lars Holm |
| Grundfos Health, Safety & Well-being Award 10,000 EUR awarded to the team behind a project that goes the extra mile to improve our Health, Safety & Well-being standards |
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Angelica Hernandez Muñiz and Jacobo Aguilar Torres with the health initiative Challenge yourself and grow your health and well-being
“The Jury would like to thank MXP for the 3 good ideas of which this one was chosen as a winner, since overweight and obesity is an increasing global challenge. We all know the detrimental impacts of obesity both in terms of physical health, diseases etc. but also on a broader well-being agenda. It can be a sensitive matter for the employer to engage in, as many will think this is a personal matter and a personal choice. Yet, many struggle with overweight and may benefit from an employer backed initiative.”
“The Jury thinks it is encouraging to see our San Luis Potosì site engaging based on voluntary participation, and this initiative can bring a lot of positive effects for the employee individually but also for the workplace. Maybe those colleagues that benefited will wish to be ambassadors towards other colleagues, who may have an interest.”
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 Mikael Geday, CFO, with Angelica Hernandez Muñiz (Mexico). 2022 Grundfos People Awards. Photo: Lars Holm |
| Grundfos Innovation Award 3 x 10,000 EUR awarded to the teams behind initiatives or ideas within Sustainability, Business Development or Technology that is new to Grundfos, has global potential, reduces our environmental footprint and solves real challenges |
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Sustainability: Jan Plougmann with the innovation ATON
“Project ‘ATON’ rethinks and leverages existing components into a true DBS HVAC system. It’s a system in-a-box, it’s autonomous and adaptive, it uses the pump as an IOT sensor, it’s easy to commission; but even more valuable, the Jury award ATON as the winner within the Sustainability Category, as it provides real CO2 savings by reducing energy, has potential to decide the most sustainable energy source and use far less materials than conventional component-based installations.”
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 Jan Plougmann (Denmark) with COO Ulrik Gernow. 2022 Grundfos People Awards. Photo: Lars Holm |
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Technology: Peter Elvekjær and Valeri Kechler with the innovation AI for dosing pumps
“Grundfos digital dosing pumps are the most advanced in the industry. Applying AI technology into pumps will take digital dosing to next level. With AI, the motor will be used as sensor, thereby removing product complexity and materials, increasing reliability and paving the way for non-electronic digital dosing pumps. This convinced the Jury to award AI for Dosing Pumps first prize within the Technology Category.”
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 Ulrik Gernow, COO, with Valeri Kechler (Germany) and Peter Elvekjær (Denmark). 2022 Grundfos People Awards. Photo: Lars Holm |
| Grundfos Scholarship 30,000 EUR divided between passionate employees with a burning commitment to release their own natural abilities and potential via education, training and international activities |
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Ainur Tashenova (Hungary): ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) Courses “A comprehensive application with a holistic approach to Grundfos and a very strong passion for the accounting function. Very well described how the training would serve to improve Grundfos.” |
 Krisztina Zinkné Balogh and Ainur Tashenova (Hungary/Kazakhstan). Grundfos People Awards. Photo: Lars Holm |
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Bernardo Riaño (Colombia): Specialization in Production and Operations Management
“Dedicated and passionate Grundfos colleague with a strong care for the company and a desire to benefit the local team in Colombia. Improved production techniques will strengthen our position in the market.” |
 Bernardo Riaño (Colombia) with CHRO Mirjam Baijens. 2022 Grundfos People Awards. Photo: Lars Holm |
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Ghina Septia Filiana (Indonesia/Denmark): High-Potential Women Leaders Program at Stanford University
“Very passionate application with considerable thoughts behind and clear objective for the future. Ghina has a sincere eagerness and passion to learn, deepen her impact and inspire others.” |
 CHRO Mirjam Baijens with Ghina Septia Filiana (Indonesia/Denmark). 2022 Grundfos People Awards. Photo: Lars Holm |
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Krisztina Zinkné Balogh (Hungary): Certificate as a trainer (Grow Group)
“Krisztina is passionate about her job and how to develop further, with a sincere aim to improve her professional training skills, and thus become a better trainer for new and existing colleagues.” |
 Krisztina Zinkné Balogh (Hungary) with CHRO Mirjam Baijens. 2022 Grundfos People Awards. Photo: Lars Holm |
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Natascha Seidel (Germany): Bachelor studies in Energy economics and management
“High passion and drive, and a keen interest in Energy. Natascha’s desire to gain knowledge on saving/preserving our natural resources and reducing our climate impact are well connected to Grundfos’ sustainability agenda.” |
 Natascha Seidel (Germany) with CHRO Mirjam Baijens. 2022 Grundfos People Awards. Photo: Lars Holm |
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Rajesh Kumar Gopalakrishnan (India): Digital Manufacturing and Smart Factories with hands-on training “Passionate and motivated application supporting the Digital and Automation journey, which is very relevant for the future development of Grundfos.” |
 Rajesh Kumar Gopalakrishnan (India) with CHRO Mirjam Baijens. 2022 Grundfos People Awards. Photo: Lars Holm |
“We are strengthened by the sharing and learning from all the great ideas around Grundfos. We’ve received many amazing submissions. They were impressive and it was hard for the jury to select the final winners. Therefore, a huge thank you for your time and dedication, and again congratulations to all who participated,” said CHRO Mirjam Baijens at the ceremony.
Also in attendance were representatives from the Foundation, sponsor of the awards, Grundfos Group Management, nomination and judging committees, as well as Sachin Bhoite and Lykke Leonardsen of C40 Cities. Niels Due Jensen, former CEO and son of Grundfos’ founder Poul Due Jensen, and his daughter Annette also honored the winners with their presence.