Kent and Interact are celebrating after winning Bronze in the Best Use of AI in Internal Communications category at the AI Comms Awards 2026, recognising the transformative impact of Kent’s AI-powered employee experience platform, Frank.

Announced at the AI Comms Awards ceremony on Thursday, the award recognises how Kent has successfully used AI and intelligent employee experience technology to connect more than 13,000 employees across 26 countries through a single digital workplace experience.

Developed in partnership with Interact, Frank has become the central hub for communications, collaboration, knowledge sharing and employee engagement across Kent’s global organisation, helping employees find information faster, stay informed and work more effectively wherever they are.

Transforming Internal Communications at Scale

Kent, a global engineering and energy services company, faced a significant challenge following a period of rapid growth. As the organisation expanded, employees were relying on fragmented systems, disconnected SharePoint sites and multiple communication channels that made information difficult to find and share.

The organisation needed a single digital destination that could unite communications, improve knowledge discovery, reduce reliance on email and create a more connected employee experience for a globally dispersed workforce.

Working alongside Interact, Kent launched Frank in January 2025. Named in honour of the company’s founder, Frank Kent, the platform combines intelligent personalisation, AI-powered search, social collaboration and Microsoft 365 integration to create a seamless employee experience.

At the heart of the solution is an AI Search Assistant that allows employees to ask questions in natural language and receive instant, permission-aware answers, helping people find policies, documents, expertise and information in seconds rather than minutes.

The platform also delivers personalised content based on role, location and interests, ensuring employees receive the information most relevant to them while maintaining a consistent global experience.

Delivering Measurable Results

Since launch, Frank has delivered significant business and employee experience outcomes across the organisation.

Key results include:

• 70% monthly active users sustained since launch
• 34% daily active users across 26 countries
• 22,126 searches per month with an average of just 1.1 clicks to content
• 75% reduction in communications team email volume
• 25% reduction in company-wide email traffic
• 150 trained local content creators publishing across the business
• 80% employee involvement during the platform launch

The project has also transformed how internal communications operates at Kent. Rather than relying on a small central communications team, local teams and subject matter experts across the organisation are now empowered to create and share relevant content, helping communication become a shared responsibility throughout the business.

The impact has been felt across the workforce.

Joanne Hennigan, SVP Communications & Advocacy at Kent, said:

“It’s our one digital door into the world of Kent, making work simpler, faster and more connected.”

Mandy McDermott, Internal Communications Director at Kent, added:

“We have gone from a team of four communicators to a community of 150. That is the real transformation. We have made communication everyone’s job.”

Recognising Practical AI Innovation

The AI Comms Awards celebrate organisations that are using artificial intelligence to deliver meaningful results in communications, engagement and business performance.

Kent’s award-winning project stood out for its practical application of AI to solve real employee challenges. By combining AI-powered search, intelligent personalisation and self-service access to knowledge, Frank has helped employees spend less time searching for information and more time focusing on their work.

The platform has also become a critical part of Kent’s wider digital workplace strategy, supporting onboarding, collaboration, culture initiatives and future business growth.

Importantly, the success of Frank demonstrates that AI can deliver measurable value when applied to genuine business needs, improving employee experiences while delivering operational efficiencies at scale.

Celebrating a Shared Achievement – AI Comms Awards 2026

Learn more about how Interact is helping organisations transform employee experience with AI:
https://www.interactsoftware.mom/ai-employee-experience-interact/

Read the full AI Comms Awards 2026 winners announcement:
https://www.communicatemagazine.com/article/winners-of-the-ai-comms-awards-2026-revealed/