People on the production floor are thinking, 'This could be for me too'
In honoring the memory of Geoff Selig, a leader who believed that an organization's greatest asset lives within its people, IVE Group has named ten employees as recipients of its 2026 THRIVE scholarships. The program, now entering its second year, reflects a quiet but deliberate conviction: that investing in human potential is not a gesture but a strategy. What makes this cycle notable is not merely who was chosen, but who applied — production workers and those outside traditional advancement pipelines, suggesting that a culture of aspiration may be taking root across the whole of the enterprise.
- A fiercely competitive applicant pool made selection genuinely difficult, signaling that ambition runs deeper and wider through IVE's workforce than any single program can fully capture.
- Production teams applied in greater numbers than ever before, disrupting the assumption that scholarships belong only to those already on obvious career tracks.
- Ten individuals — Nicola Hande, Andrew Wolfe, Ria Sakellariou, Stephanie Adams, Dan Cabban, Hayley Stevens, Melissa Stevens, Rhys Norris, Charles Knight, and David Humble — have been selected to pursue tailored professional development opportunities.
- Beyond their own growth, the recipients are being asked to carry something larger: to serve as visible ambassadors for the THRIVE initiative and what it represents across the organization.
- The program is landing not just as a reward for ten people, but as a signal to the entire workforce about where IVE chooses to place its resources and its faith.
IVE Group has announced the ten recipients of its 2026 THRIVE – Geoff Selig Scholarships, a program named for the company's late former executive chairman, whose guiding belief was that organizations grow by growing their people. Now in its second year, the initiative drew a strong and competitive field of applicants from across IVE's national operations — submissions marked by genuine ambition and clear professional intent.
What distinguished this cycle was the breadth of participation. Production teams applied at notably higher rates than in previous years, suggesting the program is reaching people who might not have previously seen themselves as candidates for this kind of support. The selection process was, by the company's own account, genuinely difficult — a testament to the depth of talent distributed across the business.
The ten winners are Nicola Hande, Andrew Wolfe, Ria Sakellariou, Stephanie Adams, Dan Cabban, Hayley Stevens, Melissa Stevens, Rhys Norris, Charles Knight, and David Humble. Each will undertake professional development designed to strengthen individual capability while serving the organization's longer-term goals.
But the company is asking something more of its recipients: to act as ambassadors for the THRIVE program itself, making visible to the wider workforce what IVE values and where it is willing to invest. In that sense, naming these ten is as much a message to everyone else as it is a recognition of the ten themselves.
IVE Group has named ten employees as recipients of its 2026 THRIVE – Geoff Selig Scholarships, a program now in its second year that celebrates the company's commitment to developing its workforce. The initiative carries the name of Geoff Selig, the company's late former executive chairman, whose philosophy centered on investing in people and creating pathways for growth within the organization.
The scholarship program drew a notably strong field of applicants from across IVE's operations nationwide. The submissions themselves were marked by genuine ambition and a clear sense of purpose—people thinking seriously about where they wanted to take their careers and how the company could help them get there. The competition was fierce enough that the selection process became genuinely difficult, a reflection of the caliber of talent distributed throughout the business.
What stood out this year was the breadth of participation. Applicants came from different roles and different corners of the organization, but notably, production teams submitted applications at higher rates than in previous years. This shift signals that the program is reaching beyond the usual suspects, that people across the company—not just those in obvious advancement tracks—see themselves as candidates for development support.
The ten winners are Nicola Hande, Andrew Wolfe, Ria Sakellariou, Stephanie Adams, Dan Cabban, Hayley Stevens, Melissa Stevens, Rhys Norris, Charles Knight, and David Humble. Each will now pursue professional development opportunities designed to strengthen their own capabilities while contributing to the company's longer-term success.
According to a company spokesperson, the scholarships exist to support employees in taking on development work that benefits both the individual and the organization. But there's a secondary dimension to the award: the recipients will also serve as ambassadors for the THRIVE program itself, representing both the initiative and IVE's broader investment in its people to the rest of the workforce. In that sense, naming these ten isn't just about rewarding them—it's about signaling to everyone else what the company values and where it's willing to put resources.
Notable Quotes
The THRIVE – Geoff Selig Scholarships are designed to support employees in pursuing professional development opportunities that strengthen both individual capability and the long-term success of IVE.— IVE Group spokesperson
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does a company create a scholarship program in the name of a former leader?
It's a way of keeping someone's values alive in the organization. Geoff Selig believed in investing in people, and by naming the program after him, the company is saying that belief didn't die with him—it's still how we operate.
What does it mean that production teams applied at higher rates this year?
It means the program is working as intended. In the first year, you might only hear about scholarships if you're in an office or in a visible role. By year two, people on the production floor are thinking, "This could be for me too." That's inclusion actually happening.
Are these ten people getting money, or something else?
The source doesn't specify the exact form of support—it could be funding for courses, time off for training, mentorship, or a combination. What matters is that each person gets a pathway to develop in a way that matters to them.
Why make the winners into ambassadors?
Because a scholarship program only works if people know it exists and believe it's real. When your colleagues see that someone like them won, and then see that person thriving, it changes what feels possible.
Does this kind of thing actually change how people feel about working somewhere?
It can. It depends on whether the company follows through. If these ten people get real support and actually grow, and if the company keeps doing this year after year, then yes—people notice that they're being invested in.