Professor Claire Gubbins, Professor of Organisational Behaviour & HRM at Dublin City University Business School, joins the judging panel for the HR Leadership & Management Awards 2026, bringing over 20 years of academic research and industry consulting expertise in learning and development, workplace social relationships, and evidence-based HR practice.

As co-founder of DCU's Masters in Strategic Learning & Development and recipient of multiple teaching excellence awards, she brings research rigour and practical insight to evaluating L&D initiatives that drive continuous learning and organisational capability.

Claire's research centres on workplace social relationships, investigating how social networks facilitate informal learning and tacit knowledge circulation. Her focus on hybrid working models and evidence-based practice positions her to evaluate how organisations build effective learning cultures in increasingly dispersed, complex operating environments. Her research is published extensively in top-tier journals and informs her co-authored books Learning & Development in Organisations: Strategy, Evidence and Practice and Learning and Development Effectiveness in Organisations: An Integrated Systems-Informed Model of Effectiveness.

Her academic credentials are complemented by extensive industry experience. As a consulting advisor nationally and internationally, Claire has supported organisations in designing and implementing learning strategies aligned with business objectives. She designs and delivers executive education programmes through DCU's Centre for Executive and International Education and previously served as judge for the National Learning & Development Institute Industry awards.

Professional recognition includes the DCU President's Award for Excellence in Teaching Innovation (2013) and an International Advance HE Senior Fellowship for Teaching Excellence (2021). Claire holds fellowships with the Centre for Evidence Based Management and serves on councils for The Learning & Development Institute of Ireland and the Irish Academy of Management, where she chairs the Early Career Development Network supporting emerging academics.

Organisations preparing L&D submissions should demonstrate how initiatives ground learning strategy in evidence-based practice, create measurable impact on capability and performance, and respond to contemporary workplace dynamics including hybrid working and continuous learning requirements. Professor Gubbins' presence on the judging panel signals the awards' commitment to recognising L&D excellence rooted in research rigour and practical organisational impact.

The HR Leadership & Management Awards 2026 ceremony will take place on Thursday, October 15th, 2026 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Santry. Entries remain open until July 10th, 2026, with finalists announced August 17th. 

Visit the official HR Leadership & Management Awards website to review award categories, and access entry guidance. Subscribe to the newsletter for updates on judging panel announcements, category insights, and exclusive event coverage.