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2024 WINNERS

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT

category partner

Baroness Floella Benjamin MBE

Baroness Floella Benjamin, OM, DBE, DL is a renowned actress, presenter, author, businesswoman, philanthropist, and politician. Celebrating 54 years in the entertainment industry, she has received accolades like a BAFTA Special Lifetime Achievement Award and an OBE. She has served as a Deputy Lieutenant of Greater London, Chancellor of the University of Exeter, and a Lib-Dem peer since 2010, successfully advocating for children’s television and performance rights. A dedicated advocate for diversity and inclusion, she chaired committees to commemorate Windrush and is actively involved in various charities. Her acclaimed works include the bestselling book Coming to England and her autobiography, What Are You Doing Here? She took part in the King’s Coronation and saw it as embracing diversity nirvana.

PUBLIC CATEGORIES WINNERS

BRAND AND/OR MARKETING CAMPAIGN

This category is determined by: Public Vote

Reclaiming School Picture Day for Dove by We Are The Romans

Reclaiming School Picture Day is a Dove campaign empowering women to embrace their natural beauty. Dove’s research shows that Black children face race-based hair discrimination from as early as five years old. The film shows women retaking their school pictures, showcasing their chosen hairstyles and expressing their beauty on their own terms. The campaign influenced new UK government regulations and made waves in national press, as well as sparking debate online and in real life.

BROADCASTER, JOURNALIST OR HOST

This category is determined by: Public Vote

Nadia Ali

Nadia Ali is an English television and radio presenter of Bangladeshi heritage, renowned for hosting her own Sunday evening show, The Nadia Ali Show, on BBC Asian Network. This Ramadan, Ali embraced a new personal milestone by choosing to wear a hijab, marking a significant moment in her journey and on the network.

CELEBRITY

This category is determined by: Public Vote

Beverley Knight MBE

Raised by Jamaican parents, Beverley Knight MBE is an English singer, songwriter, actress, and radio personality, often hailed as the “Queen of British Soul.” Over the past 15 years, she has been one of the UK’s most consistently successful artists, with multiple top 10 albums to her name. Since the release of her debut album in 1995, Beverley has continued to captivate audiences. Last year, she launched her largest UK tour to date, featuring over twenty headline dates. Due to overwhelming demand, additional tour dates have been added for 2024.

CHARITY / CONTRIBUTION TO COMMUNITY

This category is determined by: Public Vote

Halima Begum - Oxfam

An international humanitarian and CEO of Oxfam GB, in the last few months Halima has been in Palestine and South Sudan to support communities enduring some of the most devastating global crises. A disabled Muslim woman, as a little girl her eyesight was partially saved only when London’s British-Bangladeshi community protested for her to receive the health care she was entitled to as the child of Commonwealth citizens – sensitising Halima from an early age to the power of communities. Previously CEO of the Runnymede Trust, the UK’s race equality think-tank, Halima is also widely respected for her leadership on domestic equalities and civil rights matters, including her tireless efforts through the pandemic to ensure racially minoritised communities were prioritised for the Covid vaccine.

MUSIC ARTIST

This category is determined by: Public Vote

Saloni

Saloni is a singer-songwriter whose music blends Pop, R&B, and Bollywood influences, seamlessly merging her Eastern and Western worlds. Known for singing in over 10 languages, this British Asian artist with deep Indian roots aims to weave multiple languages into her original music, creating a universal appeal for South Asians everywhere.

ONLINE INFLUENCER

This category is determined by: Public Vote

Mason Blake

Mason Blake is a comedic and fashion content creator who uses his platform to craft engaging, fun, and relatable content. As a prominent voice for the LGBTQ+ community, he shares his perspectives and experiences with authenticity. Mason has garnered over 500,000 followers on TikTok alone.

SPORTS PERSONALITY

This category is determined by: Public Vote

Alice Dearing

At 27 years old, Alice made history as the first Black female swimmer to represent Team GB at the Olympics when she qualified for Tokyo 2020, specialising in open water events. Additionally, in 2020, she co-founded the Black Swimming Association.

BUSINESS CATEGORIES WINNERS

FUTURE LEADER

This category is determined by: Judging Panel

category partner

WINNER

Olivia Grant - Reed Smith LLP

Olivia is an associate in the structured finance team at Reed Smith and is co-chair of Reed Smith’s Multicultural Network, and thus responsible for formulating and implementing the firm’s strategic plans in relation to the recruitment, retention and promotion of Black, Asian and ethnic minority talent.  
Olivia also serves as the committee secretary of Noticed, the UK’s first inter-law firm diversity network, dedicated to improving ethnic minority representation and inclusion across the profession.  
 
Additionally, Olivia leads a number of Reed Smith’s pro-bono partnerships, increasing access to commercial legal advice for those working to advance racial justice. 

SPECIAL MENTION

Sana Butt - DLA Piper

Sana has emerged as a formidable force, shaped by her tumultuous journey from a traditional Pakistani upbringing to her present role as a beacon of resilience and determination. 
 
With almost seven years in the early careers industry, where she lives and breathes social equity daily, she is already a role model to many as she uses her voice to encourage inclusion and belonging wherever she goes. As the trailblazing first member of her family, a low-income household, to attend university, she uses her story to motivate the students she engages with on a day-to-day basis and works tirelessly to close the gap of inequity within early careers. 

INSPIRATIONAL LEADER

This category is determined by: Judging Panel

category partner

WINNER

Geoffrey Williams - Burberry

The driving force behind Burberry’s global DE&I strategy, Geoffrey spearheads transformative initiatives with a focus on business impact. He has implemented a global strategy achieving gender balance across the brand, partnered with the Brit School to introduce young people to the creative business and provided bursaries to start their careers. Beyond strategy, he catalyses change by infusing marketing campaigns with inclusivity and authenticity. His roles on the risk committee and Human Resources Leadership Team (HRLT) underscore his commitment to a corporate culture rooted in integrity and accountability. He ensures the global workforce is equipped to navigate and embrace cultural nuances.

SPECIAL MENTION

Donna Herdsman - Korn Ferry

Donna Herdsman is Head of DE&I Consulting (EMEA) at Korn Ferry. She focuses on supporting clients in the development of inclusive leaders and sustainable inclusive culture. 
 
She has led initiatives that enable people to connect and showcase the value that is their unique self. A senior member of the Black Employee Network, she uses her different experiences, clients (e.g. the government of South Africa) and senior leadership roles (PricewaterhouseCoopers; IBM) to inspire others to know that barriers are made to be overcome. An award winner (Involve Empower; First Woman), Donna has been a judge at the Black British Business Awards for the last 11 years, shining a continual light on the excellence of ethnic talent. 

SPECIAL MENTION

Naomi Sesay – Channel 4

Naomi has devoted her career to serving as a powerful advocate for DE&I and a trailblazer for social enterprise. She is a keynote speaker who challenges audiences to examine their emotional and cultural intelligence to create an effective, high-performing and truly diverse workforce. Naomi has shared her insights on how to connect, resonate and powerfully lead diverse teams with audiences from Warner Bros., AMC, the Metropolitan Police, Viacom and Harvard Medical School, and has developed and delivered training for organisations including Google NBC Universal, Amazon, Mars UK and Deloitte. She is currently building the very first female-lens smart city in Sierra Leone.

EXCEPTIONAL INCLUSION

This category is determined by: Judging Panel

WINNER

Jacquline Alcindor - Legal & General Investment Management (LGIM)

Jacquline is a DE&I specialist and her current position is Global Diversity and Inclusion Programme Partner at Legal & General Asset Management. Her role and remit includes creating global strategic DE&I plans, goals and programmes aligned to asset management business priorities.

Jacquline currently works with a variety of internal and external stakeholders such as talent, acquisition, distribution, communications, employee networks, HR business leadership teams and asset management executive leaders as well as external partners to ensure that all activities are aligned to delivering the DE&I strategy.

Prior to working in DE&I, Jacquline was a banker.

CHAMPION (ALLY)

This category is determined by: Judging Panel

WINNER

Mat Moakes - OVO

Mat joined the leadership team at OVO as Chief Commercial Officer in 2023 with key responsibilities for driving forward energy efficiency and carbon reduction in the home through technology such as electric vehicles, heat pumps and solar. He very quickly decided to get involved in OVO Belonging and took on the role of Sponsor of OVO Embrace, a network focused on accelerating race and ethnicity inclusion, and making OVO a truly anti-racist organisation. He actively holds his leadership team and OVO overall accountable for doing what’s right and making OVO a brand of choice for ethnic minority communities, both as customers and talent. 

SPECIAL MENTION

Matthew Hamilton-James - Motability Operations

Matthew has been an ally to Motability Operations‘ Reach network since 2020. He was leading the company at the time of George Floyd’s murder and spent time listening to and understanding the experience of the impact this had on colleagues and communities, turning those voices he heard into action by committing to change. Since then he has continued to positively use his voice and position of influence for others within the Reach network, being supportive and highly visible. He is committed to driving DE&I within Motability, sponsoring listening circles to better understand ethnic colleagues’ experiences, leading a targeted development programme and forging external partnerships accelerating learning and action. 

NETWORK GROUP (ERG)

This category is determined by: Judging Panel

category partner

WINNER

Black Employee Network - Amazon

The Black Employee Network (BEN) is an employee resource group at Amazon that’s open to Black employees and allies. BEN’s mission at Amazon is to recruit, retain and empower Black employees across the business. In the UK, BEN provides Amazon employees with nationwide access to resources and networking opportunities, and engages in initiatives that support personal and professional growth. BEN connects members with mentors and provides career and personal development workshops. It is responsible for hosting internal events year-round and driving external initiatives within the wider ethnic minority community.

WORKPLACE HERO

This category is determined by: Judging Panel

WINNER

Annmarie Holligan - BT Group

Annmarie Holligan is a Planning and Campaigns Project Manager at BT Group and consistently pushes the boundaries to advance ethnic minority inclusion within the business and beyond. She goes over and above her hectic day job to ensure ethnic minority inclusion is at the core of everything she does.

For the past 4 years, Annmarie has been the powerhouse ensuring that BT Group’s Ethnic Diversity Network delivers successful, strategic initiatives / events.

In the recent year, Annmarie has worked with a strategic partner, McKinsey & Co, to create the ‘One Community’ pilot. This initiative has successfully provided Black colleagues with valuable networking and learning opportunities alongside other industry professionals and leaders.

In addition, Annmarie mentors young women and has been described by leaders as “a catalyst for a more positive and inclusive culture at BT Group”.

SOCIAL IMPACT

This category is determined by: Judging Panel

 

category partner

JOINT WINNER

Merky Books, supported by HSBC UK

HSBC UK, in partnership with #Merky Books, set out on a joint mission to equip future generations with the tools they need to maximise potential, particularly those who are most under-represented.

Following the success of the Stormzy scholarship at the University of Cambridge in 2020, the partnership expanded into schools by providing financial literacy support through the creation of the HSBC x Merky Books Futures series, which enabled authors specialising in financial literacy and entrepreneurialism to connect directly with 14-to-16-year-olds to offer advice to become ‘money smart’ while navigating a challenging economic landscape.

JOINT WINNER

Creative Access

Creative Access creates practical DE&I programmes that open up career access, help people thrive in the creative industries and create real impact. It works with hundreds of partners across film, TV, the arts, theatre, museums, advertising, publishing and beyond and supports thousands of individuals each year, from groups historically under-represented in the sector in terms of ethnicity, disability and lower socio-economic status, to access new careers and thrive in their existing ones.

OUTSTANDING EMPLOYER

This category is determined by: IIE Maturity Matrix

category partner

WINNER

HSBC UK

HSBC UK serves more than 14 million customers across the UK, supported by over 20,000 colleagues. The company offers a complete range of retail banking and wealth management to personal and private banking customers, as well as commercial banking for small to medium businesses and large corporates. Its intention is to open up a world of opportunity for its customers, colleagues, communities and the planet that everyone shares. HSBC UK values difference, with diverse ideas and perspectives helping it to innovate, manage risk, and grow the business in a sustainable way.

SPECIAL MENTION

Lloyds Banking Group

Lloyds Banking Group is committed to building a fully inclusive environment, reflective of the society it serves, where all colleagues can fulfil their potential. Getting this right is at the heart of its purpose to help Britain prosper – a more inclusive society is a more prosperous ones, and a diverse business is a better business. It is proud to have been the first FTSE 100 company to set targets to increase ethnic diversity at senior levels and its ethnicity strategy is led from the top and supported by comprehensive plans to ensure the company makes sustainable progress.

SPECIAL MENTION

Network Rail

Network Rail’s role is to run a safe, reliable and efficient railway, to get people and goods where they need to be and to support the UK’s prosperity. To do this successfully, Network Rail is committed to creating an organisation that represents the passengers it serves and becoming a more equitable, diverse and inclusive organisation by nurturing the individuality, skills and expertise of its people and attracting the best talent. Their work to remove barriers for Black, Asian and ethnic minority employees and applicants has led to the company exceeding ethnicity targets in its highest levels of leadership and having industry leading data-sharing rates.

Thank you to all our partners, sponsors, and attendees for making this event unforgettable. We are honoured to celebrate the progress and achievements made together. Photos from the evening will be shared on our social channels, and videos will be available on our YouTube channel.

Follow us to relive the highlights and stay updated on next year’s event and the reopening of nominations.

We look forward to celebrating with you again!

OFFICIAL PARTNER

CATEGORY PARTNERS 2024

SUPPORTING PARTNERS 2024