Some of the UK’s top business leaders are up for awards in this year’s European Diversity Awards.
The event, to be held at the Natural History Museum on the evening of 30 September, celebrates individuals and organisations who support diversity in all walks of life.
There are awards for the overall company of the year, most inclusive employer and employee network of the year.
Previous European Diversity Awards winners include Barclays, IBM, and Nestle, who were all recognised for their commitment to diversity in 2014.
Top individuals from the business community will also vie for the title of Diversity Champion of the Year. Fiona Cannon MBE from Lloyds Banking Group and Sheila Flavell from FDM Group are among this year’s nominees.
Away from business there are categories celebrating the best community project of the past 12 months, the journalist of the year and hero of the year.
The event is now in its fifth year and continues to go from strength to strength. Founder Linda Riley, a tireless campaigner on diversity issues, said: “The number of businesses and business leaders on the shortlist shows that diversity in the workplace is moving up the agenda and is of strategic importance to companies across the UK.”
“The awards are about recognising and shining a light on those who truly stand out. The 2015 European Diversity Awards is set to be the biggest and best yet,” she added.
Full shortlist:
CAMPAIGNER OF THE YEAR
Jack Monroe – Poverty
Juno Roche – Trans Rights
Karen Ingala Smith – Domestic & Sexual Violence
Liam Hackett – Ditch The Label
Louisa Symington-Mills – CityMother & CityFathers
Mohammed Zafran – Youth Sport
Prem Goyal OBE JP – Leadership Opportunities
Dr Yvonne Thompson CBE – Women
SOCIETE GENERALE – CHARITY OF THE YEAR
African & Caribbean Diversity
Age UK
Allsorts Youth Project
L’Autre Cercle
La Strada International
Volunteering Matters
Shabang!
Young Dyslexics
HEATHROW – COMMUNITY PROJECT OF THE YEAR
BiPhoria
Diverse Futures
Give ‘Em Hope Campaign
Positive 21
Race Equality Foundation
Sustainable Food In Urban Communities
Trans Men Support & Advice UK
Women Against Violence Europe (WAVE)
ROYAL AIR FORCE – COMPANY OF THE YEAR
Coca-Cola Enterprises
Maersk
Marriott
Pfizer
Standard Life
Swiss RE
Talengo
Vodafone Group Plc
DIVERSITY CHAMPION OF THE YEAR
Alison Berryman – Barclaycard
Claudia Parzani – Linklaters
Colin Campbell-Austin – The Telegraph Group
Debra Searle – MIX Diversity Developers
Fiona Cannon OBE – Lloyds Banking Group
Kim Sawyer, US Embassy – Portugal
Richard Chapman-Harris – Mott MacDonald
Sheila Flavell – FDM Group
UNITED HEALTH GROUP – DIVERSITY TEAM OF THE YEAR
BBC Academy – Expert Voices Team
HOLA Network – American Express
HSBC Diversity Team
Royal Air Force
Scandic Hotels
The Memorable Event – The Novartis Flashmob Core Team
UBS Campus Recruitment Team
Women For Sustainable Growth
UNILEVER – HERO OF THE YEAR
Ajaratu Bangura – Muslim Woman Food Bank
Andrea Palmer – BP Plc
Antoine Aoun – French Paraplegic Motivator
Dilys Price OBE – Disability
Hannah Winterbourne – British Army
John Campbell – Autism / Mental Health
Katherine Grantham – HSBC Balance Network
Rioch Edwards-Brown – So You Wanna Be In TV?
INSPIRATIONAL ROLE MODEL OF THE YEAR
Alison Unsted – Hogan Lovell
Anita Krohn Traaseth – Innovation Norway
Azita Shariati – Sodexo
Charlene Brown – BNY Mellon
Emma Cusdin – Thomson Reuters
James Broderick – UBS
Julie Baker – RBS
Tracey Ford – JAGs Foundation
HERBERT SMITH FREEHILLS – JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR
Alanna Jane Higginson – Gaia
Aleem Maqbool – BBC News
Assed Baig – Channel Four News
Emma Barnett – The Telegraph
Melaine Reid – The Times
Nikki Fox – BBC, Disability News Correspondent
Owen Jones – The Guardian
Tulip Mazumdar – BBC News
MOST INCLUSIVE EMPLOYER OF THE YEAR
Arlanda Express
AT&T
BBC Local Apprenticeship Scheme
Marriott
MasterCard
PwC, Agnes Hussherr
Taxi020
UBS Junior Resource Development Council
OUTSTANDING EMPLOYEE NETWORK OF THE YEAR
African Caribbean Network – Accenture
Womens Network – BNY Mellon
GLAM – Mckinsey & Company
GLEE@PwC
FLAGG – UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office
HSBC Pride Network
Unity LGBT Network – EY
Young Persons Development Network – Standard Life
SUPPLIER DIVERSITY & INCLUSION PROGRAMME OF THE YEAR
Barclays PLC
IBM Switzerland
Connect to Success, US Embassy Lisbon, Portugal
Enterprise Rent-A-Car