Ethnicity Awards Programme 2020

2020

# E T H N I C I T YAWA R D S E T H N I C I T YAWA R D S . C O M

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Good Luck to all of the Top 10s.

You are all winners!

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OFFICIAL PARTNER HSBC has always brought different people and cultures together to open up opportunities for our customers.

Diversity and inclusion is part of who we are.

A connected workforce that reflects the communities where we operate helps us meet the needs of our diverse customer-base, and different ideas and perspectives help us innovate, manage risk, and grow the business in a sustainable way.

The year 2020 will be remembered for many things, and among the top is what it has meant for equality and inclusion. The Black Lives Matter movement rightly created pressing demand for change.

As a long-time partner of the Investing in Ethnicity Programme, and a founding member of the UK’s Race at Work Charter, we have been working for some time on making HSBC UK a place where everyone is valued, respected and supported to fulfil their potential. We also know we have a lot of work to do.

As an organisation we spent a lot of time this year listening and learning from the experiences shared by our people. Talking about ethnicity can be complex, but it’s necessary.

In July, the bank set out a series of global ethnicity commitments to improve opportunities for Black, Asian and ethnic minority employees, and boost the diversity of its senior leadership.

Here in the UK, we are establishing an ethnicity framework to help determine what racial equality in our business should look like, where the gaps are and where action needs to be taken.

Firstly, it starts at the top. An executive sponsor from the HSBC UK Executive Committee is chairing a new Ethnicity Steering Committee that’s working with all businesses based in the UK to drive these efforts.

Secondly, we’re reviewing how we recruit and help develop our people, including recognising the need for particular effort for Black colleagues. This will help us meet or exceed HSBC’s global commitments in the UK, which include at least doubling the number of Black employees in senior roles by 2025.

We’re also looking at how we can better share accountability for equality. While HSBC’s business leaders have a critical role to play in supporting Black, Asian and minority ethnic colleagues, everyone has a responsibility to support racial equality at HSBC. By encouraging more

Coral Taylor, Head of Diversity and Inclusion, HSBC UK, 2020 conversations about race and ethnicity and how it has affected colleagues’ different experiences, the bank will learn to become more empathetic and aware of racism in its various forms.

Further, we are reinforcing HSBC’s zero tolerance approach to racism by doing more to create a safe space for colleagues and give them the opportunities and the confidence to speak up and raise concerns more easily.

Lastly, and critical to our efforts on racial equality, we are measuring and sharing our progress. Improving the data that we hold on the ethnicity of our people is helping us better understand the specific challenges and measure the effectiveness of our actions, and we will publish this information for the UK each year.

We understand the important role we play in the UK’s efforts to tackle racial inequality, and that lasting systemic change will take commitment, perseverance and time.

We will keep working on this for as long as it takes.

Indeed, as Noel Quinn, HSBC Group Chief Executive Officer, says: “Saying the right words is easy. Doing the right thing is harder. We want to be judged by the concrete, sustainable actions we take to be a more diverse and inclusive bank.”

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THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

Category sponsors

Silver supporter

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WELCOME

The Ethnicity Awards, with official partner HSBC UK, was founded to shine a light on the Black, Asian and minority ethnic individuals and organisations that have been inspirational in addressing inequality and pushing for positive change.

This is our third annual ceremony, and we’ve already seen a lot of momentum building. Over the last three years, we’ve worked with hundreds of organisations to help shift the dial and enable their ethnic minority employees to have fairer opportunities and increase career progression.

We’ve held Action Groups and brought together industry leaders to try to collectively raise the bar.

Each of our Investing In Ethnicity members has shown that they’re prepared to put in the work to becoming workplaces that are truly open and equal to all.

This year has been one of the toughest in living memory for many. We have been contending with a pandemic that has been proven to disproportionately affect Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. We also saw

worldwide demonstrations following the killings of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd amongst many others. Yet through this considerable darkness, there has been many much needed conversations surrounding race and systemic racial injustice here in the UK and around the world.

On the following pages, you will be able to read about the great work being done by our shortlisted Top 10s in each category. We hope to work together with all of our members, sponsors and nominees to invest in a more prosperous future for everyone.

We appreciate your feedback on every part of the awards so, if after the event, you have suggestions on how to improve this process, please don’t hesitate to let us know.

We will be live tweeting alongside you tonight, please use the official hashtag: #EthnicityAwards on social media to make yourselves known!

Enjoy the awards!

The Ethnicity Awards Team x

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BAME HOST YOUR Inspirational Leaders ALEX SCOTT MBE Alex Scott MBE is a former professional footballer, pundit and presenter.

The former Arsenal Captain and England Centurion is the co-host of Sky Sports’ Goals on Sunday, a well-regarded pundit for BBC and Sky Sports, a regular on BBC’s Match of the Day as well as an ambassador for Nike and Mastercard.

Alex signed with Arsenal at age 8 and stayed with the team for most of her career. Alex helped the club achieve a domestic double of the FA Women’s Cup and the FA Women’s Premier League. She was also a key figure in the historic quadruple season for Arsenal in which they won all their trophy competitions.

This became the obvious prelude to Alex’s captaincy for the club in the 2014/15 season. While playing for England Alex had the opportunity to travel all over the world to play the game she loves. Retiring from international football in 2017, though not before representing Great Britain in the Olympics. Alex ended her career the second most capped England player with 140 appearances.

Since her retirement in 2018, Alex has begun a successful broadcasting career and has quickly become renown for her insights into the game and sharp punditry skills. Alex is a steady part of BBC Sport’s football broadcasting team and co-host of Sky Sports’ Goals on Sunday. Alex made history as the first female Sky Pundit on a Sky Sports’ Super Sunday and made waves as the first female to commentate for the BBC for a Men’s World Cup. Over the Christmas period, Alex joined Amazon Prime’s hosting team providing coverage on the streaming service on Boxing Day. Alex has also been involved co-presenting Match of the Day Kickabout on Saturday mornings as well as forming part of the presenting team for The Women’s Football Show on Sunday evenings. Away from the world of football, Alex took part in and won Bear Grylls: Mission Survivor and the Sports Relief Strictly Come Dancing special in 2018. In 2019, Alex returned to the Strictly Ballroom making it all the way to the Quarter Finals with partner, Neil Jones.

Alex has also become a regular guest presenter for The One Show.

Along with her achievements in broadcast, Alex has undertaken some exciting commercial and ambassadorial opportunities. Since retiring, Alex has worked with some impressive brands including Mastercard, Nike, Cadbury’s and Barclaycard. Alex is also an ambassador for The Sun Newspaper, writing a weekly column and providing exclusive insights surrounding key tournaments throughout the year as well as holding an ambassadorial role at her former club, Arsenal.

Alex is also heavily involved in charitable projects, working with Premier League Communities and launching the Sky Ocean Rescue and Premier League Plastic Pollution Challenge. She also opened The Alex Scott Academy in 2012 in partnership with Kingston College and Puma, the first of its kind for women in the UK. Alex wanted to create an academy system that not only focused on training but also focused on working towards qualifications, providing players with an unrivalled calibre of training, skill development and match play all while promoting excellence in the classroom as well.

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BAME Inspirational JUDGING PANEL Leaders JUSTIN ONUEKWUSI | LGIM Justin is Head of Retail Multi-Asset Funds at LGIM and a member of the Asset Allocation team which manages over £50 billion for pension schemes and savers throughout the world. He leads on the management of the team’s retail and risk-profiled multi-asset funds managing the award-winning Multi-Index Funds. Justin co-chairs the Legal & General Inclusion Team (LEGIT). Externally, Justin is an adviser to the board of City Hive Ltd, which focuses on driving diversity initiatives throughout the asset management industry. In addition, he sits on the ethnicity workstream of the industry-wide Diversity Project and is a co-founder of the movement #talkaboutblack, which focuses on creating more black senior leaders in the asset management industry and beyond as well as addressing the taboo that surrounds conversations about ethnicity. Justin is a CFA charterholder, winner of the Ethnicity Awards Future Leader category, featured on the 2020 EMpower Senior Executive Leaders List and was a finalist for the 2019 Black British Business Awards (Financial Services). Earlier this year, Justin was awarded the honour of the Freedom of the City of London, due to his work within diversity and inclusion.

PAULETTE BALSON | Tesco Paulette has been involved with the BAME at Tesco colleague network since its creation in 2010. The network aims to support with career advice and ensure people in the wider community know that Tesco is a great place to work and shop. Paulette is passionate about supporting colleague development and have been Network Chair since 2018. She has supported the creation of two new colleague D&I conversation guides, and organising virtual focus sessions with BAME colleagues, to discuss the biggest obstacles they face at work.

LIAM FOGARTY | Natwest Group Liam is a Global Inclusion Manager based in Edinburgh, prior to joining the world of Diversity & Inclusion, Liam worked in Personal Banking for 10 years in a variety of roles in Operations, Business Management and Branch Banking. Up until October Liam held the global responsibility for LGBT+ inclusion agenda and driving change across the organisation to ensure it is inclusive for their customers and their people. Liam now leads the bank’s Ethnically Diverse agenda, for which the aim is to ensure that Natwest Group is representative of the communities it serves.

MELISSA GODFRAY | Lloyds Banking Group Melissa Godfray leads the ethnicity agenda on behalf of Lloyds Banking Group. She has 20 years experience working in the Inclusion & Diversity field, some of this time spent as a lawyer specialising in discrimination. Melissa is proud to be part of a team driving innovation and demonstrating leadership on Inclusion and Diversity

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ROB NEIL | Krystal Alliance Rob Neil OBE, has over 37 years experience in the Civil Service and was a founding member of the Ministry of Justice’s BAME Staff Network P.R.O.U.D. He was also the first elected Chair of the (now) Civil Service Race Equality Network. Rob was awarded an OBE in the 2018 New Year’s Honours list for ‘Services to Race Equality in the workplace and the community’ and received his gong from the Queen at Buckingham Palace in May 2018. Later in the same year, Rob became the inaugural winner of Investing in Ethnicity’s Workplace Hero Award in November 2018 before successfully graduating from the Civil Service Future Leaders Scheme in January 2019. A member of the CIPD and speaker at numerous people and race related conferences and events, Rob also designs, delivers and evaluates a range of development activities rooted in his vast experience and works in collaboration with an expanding team of Krystal Alliance Associates.

AMIR KABEL | Burberry An award-winning global leader and influencer in D&I, Amir is currently Global Director of Diversity and Inclusion and has been listed in the Global Top 50 Diversity Professionals List, Top 50 Most Influential Diversity Stars 2020 List, and won the ‘Head of Diversity’ Award at the European Diversity Awards in 2017, for his commitment to and 12+ direct years of service in the field of D&I. Amir has also received the following accolades: Telegraph’s Top 50 LGBT Executives List 2015; Winner of ‘Corporate Rising Star’ at the British LGBT Awards 2015.

WINCIE KNIGHT | ViacomCBS Wincie Knight is VP Global Inclusion Strategy at ViacomCBS Networks International (VCNI) EMEA. She is responsible for leading VCNI’s diversity and inclusion strategy in EMEA, where she is a passionate advocate for championing a company culture centred on belonging. In the UK, and is instrumental in VCNI’s participation in Creative Diversity Network’s Project Diamond, as well as liaising with Ofcom on ViacomCBS’s diversity developments. Knight holds an MSc in Organisational Behaviour from Birkbeck, University of London where she conducted research focused on BAME employees in media organisations.

CORAL TAYLOR | HSBC Coral is HSBC UK Head of Diversity and Inclusion and believes that she is very lucky to have a job that lets her work on her passion for fairness for all. She has over fifteen years of experience of delivering diversity and inclusion programmes in the public and private sectors, and for her focus on delivering measurable change, Coral was named Head of Diversity and Inclusion of the year at the Inclusive Company Awards in 2018.

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THE TOP 100+ POLITICAL FIGURES

ONLINE IMPACT

DAVID LAMMY MP DAWN BUTLER MP DR ROSENA ALLIN-KHAN MP HUMZA YOUSAF MSP MARSHA DE CORDOVA MP MUNIRA WILSON MP NADIA WHITTOME MP RISHI SUNAK MP BARONESS SANDIP VERMA SADIQ KHAN

AMAL FASHANU AMBER ROSE-GILL AMENA KHAN BEABADOOBEE EMMA DABIRI GARY THOMPSON GRACE F VICTORY KELECHI OKAFOR NATASHA NDLOVU ROBERT DOUGLAS

LGIM – CHARITY OR COMMUNITY INITIATIVES

LLOYDS BANKING GROUP – FUTURE LEADER

ANAH PROJECT BLACK MINDS MATTER UK GURKHA WELFARE TRUST REFUGEE COUNCIL ROTA (RACE ON THE AGENDA) RUNNYMEDE TRUST SHOW RACISM THE RED CARD SISTAH SPACE TELL MAMA UK SICKLE CELL SOCIETY

BELINDA BROWN, DIAGEO PLC CELIA FRASER, CAPITAL GROUP CURTIS JAMES, THE CO-OPERATIVE BANK KARIM PERRINEAU, BNY MELLON MEKIDA CARR, METROPOLITAN THAMES VALLEY NADINE DYER, DELOITTE SHAILESH AGARWAL, JP MORGAN SHEILA MOAZZAMI, STATE STREET SOFIA ASLAM, ASHURST LLP TOLU OKE, SAINSBURY’S SUPERMARKETS

NATWEST - INSPIRATIONAL LEADERS

BRAND IMPACT

NIVEDITA KRISHNAMURTHY, CAPGEMINI ZAHEER AHMAD, EY LEROY KNOWLES, BNP PARIBAS UK KULDEEP MEHMI, SAVILLS KAREN FINLAYSON, PWC KUNAL SHAH, GOLDMAN SACHS ALAN HIGGINS, HSBC ANNETTE BYRON, FRESHFIELDS BRUCKHAUS DERINGER DEBBIE ELLISON, GEOMETRY UK MOHAMMED AHMED, HOMESERVE

ANASTASIA BEVERLY HILLS ARGOS BEN & JERRY’S FENTY GLOSSIER IKEA JOHN LEWIS NIKE PALACE TRAPSTAR

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MEDIA MOMENT

SPORTS PERSONALITY

CELEBS COME TOGETHER FOR ITV’S BAME COVID-19 CAMPAIGN THE BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT CHANNEL 4’ S THE TALK CORONATION STREET’S RACISM STORYLINE GO GREEN FOR GRENFELL LOVE ISLAND’S LEANNE AMANING AND MIKE BOATENG MICHAEL HOLDING RECOUNTS RACISM LIVE ON AIR MICHEALA COEL’S I MAY DESTROY YOU NAGA MUNCHETTY’S RACISM ROW NATIONAL WINDRUSH DAY

ANTHONY JOSHUA BIANCA WILLIAMS DINA ASHER-SMITH ISA GUHA KATARINA JOHNSON-THOMPSON LEWIS HAMILTON MARCUS RASHFORD SALMA BI TRENT ALEXANDER ARNOLD ZESH REHMAN

BT - WORKPLACE HERO

MUSIC ARTIST

BENNARD OWUSU, BWF SOLICITORS BERNADETTE THOMPSON, CIVIL SERVICE DARA DOUGLAS, PWC JULIA MANSI, BT KAVALJEET SINGH, BP LAITH GHARIB, ATOS MARIA ST. LOUIS, CHANNEL 4 TELEVISION SADNA ZAMAN, CANADA LIFE SHABIHA AZAM, JOHNSON & JOHNSON VINCENT EGUNLAE, GRANT THORNTON UK LLP

BEVERLEY KNIGHT CELESTE DAVE THE RAPPER JORJA SMITH JOY CROOKES LITTLE SIMZ MABEL NAUGHTY BOY RINA SAWAYAMA STORMZY

BURBERRY – OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO COMMUNITIES

NETWORK GROUPS (ERGs OR BRGs)

ANEETA PREM KAJAL ODEDRA LESLIE THOMAS QC MICHAEL BRAITHEWAITE PATRICK VERNON OBE PAULA AKPAN ROBINA QURESHI SHANI DHANDA SEYI AKIWOWO YVETTE WILLIAMS MBE

AFRICAN CARIBBEAN PIONEERS NETWORK (ACPN), ROLLS-ROYCE BAME AT TESCO, TESCO CHORD, MITIE FUSION, VIACOMCBS REACH (RACE, ETHNICITY AND CULTURAL HERITAGE), MACFARLANES LLP MULTI-CULTURAL AFFINITY NETWORK, BALFOUR BEATTY MULTICULTURAL NETWORK, NATWEST GROUP ONE EMPLOYEE RESOURCE GROUP, NATIONAL GRID PRIME, PEARSON PLC UNITY. STANDARD LIFE ABERDEEN

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THE TOP 100+ VIACOMCBS - INSPIRATIONAL PERSONALITY DEV PATEL JADE THIRLWALL JAMEELA JAMIL JOHN BARNES MBE JOHN BOYEGA KUNAL NAYYAR LEIGH-ANNE PINNOCK NAOMI ACKIE NATHALIE EMMANUEL REGGIE YATES

OUTSTANDING EMPLOYERS ALLEN & OVERY FRESHFIELDS GEOMETRY JOHNSON & JOHNSON LLOYDS BANKING GROUP LEGAL & GENERAL MACFARLANES LLP NATIONAL GRID NATWEST VIACOMCBS

TESCO - CHAMPIONS (ALLIES) CLAIRE WILLS, FRESHFIELDS BRUCKHAUS DERINGER LLP COLETTE COMERFORD, LEGAL & GENERAL INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT (LGIM) FAYE SKINNER, ADOBE JAKE HOBSON, CBRE KATE PRIESTMAN, GLAXOSMITHKLINE LOUISE EBREY, NETWORK RAIL MATTHEW NEWICK, CLIFFORD CHANCE PAUL FLANAGAN, ALLEN & OVERY LLP PAUL KETT, DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION RYAN GALVIN, MACQUARIE BANK

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RUNNING ORDER

POLITICAL FIGURE LGIM – CHARITY OR COMMUNITY INITIATIVE NATWEST – INSPIRATIONAL LEADER ONLINE IMPACT LLOYDS BANKING GROUP – FUTURE LEADER BRAND MEDIA MOMENT BT – WORKPLACE HERO BURBERRY – OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO COMMUNITIES SPORTSPERSON MUSIC ARTIST NETWORK GROUP (OR ERG) VIACOMCBS – INSPIRATIONAL PERSONALITY TESCO – CHAMPION (ALLY) OUTSTANDING EMPLOYER HSBC – LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT investinginethnicity.com 12-15 Nominees-Ethnicity-Awards-2020.indd 15

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BAME Inspirational Political Figures Leaders DAVID LAMMY MP David Lammy is a Labour Party politician who speaks publicly about the importance of fathers and the need to support them in seeking to be active in the lives of their children.

He chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Fatherhood. He was the first Black Briton to attend Harvard Law School and practised as an attorney in California and is currently a visiting lecturer at SOAS.

DAWN BUTLER MP Dawn is a Labour Party politician and from 2017-2020 served as Shadow Secretary of State for Women and Equalities in Jeremy Corbyn’s Shadow Cabinet. The politician accused police of racial profiling after she was stopped whilst travelling in a car this summer, stating that police need to “stop associating being black and driving a nice car with crime.”

DR ROSENA ALLIN-KHAN MP Allin-Khan is a Labour Party politician and doctor who was Shadow Minister for Sport between 2016-2020. She completed a Master’s degree in public health and following this worked as a humanitarian aid doctor in Gaza, Israel, Africa and Asia. Prior to her election to the House of Commons, she worked as a junior doctor in the A&E department of Tooting’s St George’s Hospital. As well as her parliamentary and ministerial work she continues to work occasional shifts in the hospital during parliamentary recess.

HUMZA YOUSAF MSP Yousaf is a Scottish politician who has served as Cabinet Secretary for Justice since 2018.

In 2016, he became the first ethnic minority person to win a constituency seat in the Scottish Parliament. He was the first non-white and first Muslim member of the Scottish Government when he was appointed as a minister in 2012. At 27 he was also the youngest minister ever appointed to the Scottish Government. He became Scotland’s first ethnic minority and first Muslim cabinet minister when appointed as Cabinet Secretary for Justice in 2018.

MARSHA DE CORDOVA MP Marsha, a Labour Party Politician, is the Shadow Secretary of State for Women and Equalities and has been since April 2020. Marsha studied Law and European Policy Studies at the London South Bank University and after graduating worked at a number of charities including Action for Blind People before founding the charity South East London Vision in 2014. As an MP, Marsha has been involved in campaigning to make the Parliamentary Estate more accessible for disabled people.

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MUNIRA WILSON MP Munira is a Liberal Democrat politician who has served as the parties Spokesperson for Health, Wellbeing and Social Care since 2020. Munira has a degree in Modern Languages and after graduating trained as a tax consultant before starting her career with the Liberal Democrats.

NADIA WHITTOME MP Nadia is a Labour Party politician who, at the age of 23, was elected as the MP for Nottingham East in the 2019 general election, becoming the youngest MP. Nadia got involved in politics due to the effects of the under-occupancy penalty and austerity on her local community and was the first minority ethnic MP to be elected in Nottingham. Shortly after her election Nadia announced that she would only be keeping the equivalent of “an average workers wage” and would donate the rest (over £44k) of her MP salary to local charities.

RISHI SUNAK MP Rishi Sunak is a senior British politician who has served as Chancellor of the Exchequer since February 2020. After graduating with an MBA from Stanford University he worked in investment and hedge fund management. In 2014 Rishi was head of the Black and Minority Ethnic Research Unit of centre-right think tank Policy Exchange for which he cowrote a report on Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities in the UK.

BARONESS SANDIP VERMA Baroness Verma is an Indian-British MP. She is Ministerial Champion for Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls Overseas and Chair of UN Women UK. Baroness Verma attributes the culture in which she was born into impacting the way in which she viewed the world around her.

SADIQ KHAN Sadiq has served as the Mayor of London since 2016. Prior to joining the Labour Party Sadiq worked as a solicitor specialising in human rights issues and chaired the Liberty advocacy group for three years. He has been included in the Time 100 list of most influential people in the world and has been praised for promoting mutual tolerance among London’s varied communities, making transport more accessible and reducing the number of polluting vehicles in Central London. Sadiq is London’s first Muslim and first ethnic minority mayor.

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BAME Inspirational Leaders

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CHARITY OR COMMUNITY INITIATIVE Category Sponsor

LGIM is the investment management arm of Legal & General Group, a FTSE 100 company. We are one of Europe’s largest asset managers and a major global investor, with assets under management of £1.2tn (as at 30 June 2020). We strive to make diversity and inclusion part of everyday conversations and actions. It shapes our approach to our clients, employees and other stakeholders, as well as our position in the financial services industry and wider society. Every member of the leadership team has a formalised objective to embed diversity through their actions, believing that we are all stewards of company culture, responsible for cultivating an inclusive environment.

We have made good progress in the last few years on race and ethnicity through the following: • In the UK, we were an early signatory to the Race at Work Charter committing to the ‘Five Calls to Action’ • Our employee networks e.g. LEGIT’s Culture Club and LGIMA’s (US) Racial Equity Tactical Working Group, working with the Executive Committee to take direct, measurable action • Our partnership with Investing in Ethnicity, measuring our actions using the Maturity Matrix The role we play as an employer and an investor is critical. As long-term investors and responsible stewards of capital, we work with companies to help them improve their practices. In September, we sent letters to UK and US companies (to the Board Chair) that have no ethnic/racial diversity at board level, setting out our expectations and future voting sanctions. You can read more about our approach to Ethnic Diversity here.

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LGIM – CHARITY OR COMMUNITY BAME Inspirational Leaders INITIATIVE ANAH PROJECT Anah Project is a linguistically diverse refuge and support service for women experiencing any form of abuse or violence. The service has evolved over the years but originally started running in 1985. Anah Project aims to educate women on their human rights, increase their confidence and self-esteem and regain their independence. In 2012, the austerity measures meant that like many other organisations, Anah Project lost its funding from the local authority. It now relies on funding from donations and grant making bodies.

RUNNYMEDE TRUST The Runnymede Trust is a charity dedicated to ending racial and classist institutional prejudice. As the UK’s leading independent race equality think tank, the Trust conducts rigorous research and thorough analysis into social policy in order to make all citizens and communities feel empowered and enjoy equal opportunities. The Runnymede Trust publishes their research which forms a body of evidence that address key race equality challenges such as migration, integration, localised inequalities and Islamophobia. Their research covers a wide range of topics linked to BAME issues and makes these available to the public – not just policy makers – through their website.

BLACK MINDS MATTER UK Launched against the backdrop of a global pandemic, Black Minds Matter aims to help Black people and their families access mental health care that is professional, culturally appropriate and free. The Black Minds Matter U.K. fund is used to cover the cost of services— including up to 12 sessions of therapy. The charity aims to make mental health topics more relevant and accessible for all Black people in the U.K., removing the stigma and remodelling the services to be relevant for the Black community.

GURKHA WELFARE TRUST The Gurkha Welfare Trust ensures that Gurkha veterans, their widows and their wider communities are able to live with dignity. The Trusts achieves this primarily through the provision of financial, medical and community aid in Nepal through 22 Area Welfare Centres spread across traditional Gurkha recruiting areas. In the UK, in conjunction with other service charities and government bodies The Gurkha Welfare Trust offer advice and support to help the thousands of retired Gurkhas and their families who choose to settle here.

REFUGEE COUNCIL Refugee Council provide a national service in support of refugee children and young people who arrive in the UK alone. Refugee Council also works for fairer government policy through research, policy and advocacy, aiming to create large-scale change by galvanising public support for refugees through tmely and effective media campaigns which help to increase knowledge and understanding about refugees and people seeking asylum.

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ROTA (RACE ON THE AGENDA) ROTA is a social policy research organisation that focuses on issues impacting on Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. ROTA’s policy priorities are mental health, education and criminal justice. As a Black, Asian and minority ethnic -led organisation, all ROTA’s work is based on the principle that those with direct experience of inequality should be central to solutions to address it. Their work is actively informed by the lived experiences of Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities and their organisations.

SHOW RACISM THE RED CARD Show Racism the Red Card is the UK’s largest anti-racism educational charity. It was established in January 1996, thanks in part to a donation by then Newcastle United goalkeeper Shaka Hislop. Show Racism the Red Card utilises the high-profile status of football and football players to help tackle racism in society and has also expanded into other sports. The majority of the campaign’s work involves the delivery of educational workshops to young people and adults in schools, workplaces and at events held in football stadiums.

SISTAH SPACE Sistah Space works with African heritage women and girls who have experienced domestic or sexual abuse, or who have lost a loved one to domestic violence. Sistah Space’s specialised service seeks to assist those who are apprehensive about going to mainstream services without support, such as the police and other statutory services. The service also provides practical help with hygiene products such as sanitary pads, panties, bras, toothbrushes, toothpaste, soaps and other essential items (much of which have been donated by the local community).

TELL MAMA UK Tell MAMA UK is an independent, non-governmental organisation which works on tackling anti-Muslim hatred. Measuring Anti-Muslim Attacks (MAMA) is a secure and reliable service that allows people to report any form of Anti-Muslim abuse. The MAMA Project will provide a means for such incidents to be reported, recorded and analysed, working to ensure this data is accurate and reliable and the victims and witnesses affected receive support. This project also works with police forces across England, Wales and Scotland in order to ensure access to justice for victims through the prosecution of perpetrators.

SICKLE CELL SOCIETY Sickle cell disease is particularly common in people with an African or Caribbean family background. The Sickle Cell Society is the only national charity in the UK that supports and represents people affected by a sickle cell disorder to improve their overall quality of life. First set up as a registered charity in 1979, the Sickle Cell Society has been working alongside health care professionals, parents, and people living with sickle cell to raise awareness of the disorder. The Society’s aim is to support those living with sickle cell, empowering them to achieve their full potential.

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INSPIRATIONAL LEADER Category Sponsor

In NatWest Group our purpose is to champion potential, helping people, families and businesses to thrive. It is a clear call to action. We will break down barriers that get in the way. We will fight inequalities that hold people back. The barriers faced by people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds persist. The Black Lives Matter movement made clear the challenges that still exist. I believe we have a substantial role to play in tackling those inequalities. We have been encouraged by our progress at NatWest Group over the past five years to create a more inclusive culture. Alongside targets to increase Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic representation across our workforce that have been in place since the beginning of 2018, our Executive team and senior leaders across the bank have taken part in the network led reciprocal mentoring programme with Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic colleagues. We’ve shared inclusion learning resources in our NatWest Group Academy, and are making important progress with our early careers initiatives, such as our Social Mobility Apprenticeship programme – a first of its kind in banking.

However, we are far from complacent – we still have a long way to go.

We are fully committed to building a culture that will embrace inclusivity to allow people to thrive. At our best, we are an open, inclusive, progressive organisation, but until that is everyone’s experience, every time, we have more to do.

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NATWEST - INSPIRATIONAL BAME Inspirational Leaders LEADERS NIVEDITA KRISHNAMURTHY | Capgemini Nive is the global CEO of Capgemini’s Cloud Infrastructure Services, a global business generating revenues of over 2bn Euro annually. She’s a member of Capgemini’s Group Executive Committee with responsibility for 25,000 colleagues globally and is a passionate supporter of championing women in the workplace. Outside Capgemini, Nive is a non-executive director on the board of MITIE Plc, where she’s also a member of both its finance and audit committees. She is also involved with charitable initiatives encouraging girls to take up STEM careers and is an active enthusiast of Apps for Good.

ZAHEER AHMAD | EY Zaheer has held numerous senior level positions in public and private sector. Currently, he is the Head of Strategic Delivery for Diversity and Inclusion at EY. He leads on Race, Innovation and Thought Leadership strategies at EY. He is also a serving Magistrate sitting in adult criminal court, board member of European Muslim Initiative for Social Cohesion.

He is a member of the HR Guild, fellow of the Institute of Leadership and Management and member of the Race Advisory Board at the Chartered Management Institute.

LEROY KNOWLES | BNP Paribas UK Leroy grew up in Bedford with his mother and three elder siblings. He knows first-hand the importance that mentorship plays in yielding positive and life-changing outcomes for those from BAME and disadvantaged backgrounds. In addition to his role at the bank, Leroy is passionate about racial diversity and social mobility and mentors many individuals from BAME and disadvantaged backgrounds. Leroy is an active member of BNP Paribas UK Race and Ethnicity Working Group, hosts events around racial awareness for the bank’s Multicultural Network, and mentors for the Open Private School and for UpReach.

KULDEEP MEHMI | Savills Kuldeep is a diversity and inclusion champion, having supported the Taylor Bennett Foundation for over eight years and being appointed to its board as a Trustee. Through his work with the Taylor Bennett Foundation he is a mentor to trainees and has organized events to encourage tackling issues around the lack of diversity in the communications industry and beyond. He has featured on podcasts, webinars and quoted in articles regarding business diversity, showcasing his position as a thought leader. At Savills, he is a Committee Member and lead PR representative for Savills Ethnicity Group.

KAREN FINLAYSON | PwC Karen Finlayson is a Partner at PwC in the UK based in Leeds. Karen has worked for PwC for 23 years and is in the Risk Assurance business unit and she is the UK Regions Lead for Government and Health industries. Outside of PwC Karen is a mother, and NED at Sheffield Hallam University and Doncaster Children’s Services Trust. Passionate about equality, diversity and inclusion Karen has been helping to drive these agendas across the firm and across the business community and she was awarded the Senior Leader in Professional Services at the British Black Business Awards in 2018.

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KUNAL SHAH | Goldman Sachs Shah became a partner at Goldman Sachs four years after becoming a managing director (MD) in 2010, aged just 27. Shah joined Goldman aged 21, straight after graduating from Cambridge University, where he studied maths at Gonville & Caius College.

ALAN HIGGINS | HSBC UK Alan is one of the founding members of the HSBC ethnicity Employee Resource Group, Embrace UK. He has been pivotal in shaping it to what it is today where it now has nearly 2000 members. On top of that, he is also the UK Technology Diversity and Inclusion BAME Lead, where he leads a team of individuals whose passion is to drive change within the bank. Alan’s team also work with external organisations whose goal is to provide BAME students with first-hand experience of the world of work and opportunities to see real-life industrial applications of technology.

ANNETTE BYRON | Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer Annette co-leads Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer’s Global Black Affinity Network and drove their 2019 Talent Meeting, bringing colleagues together for a diversity hackathon, panel discussions and networking. Anette is the Partner Sponsor for Social Mobility, and she is on the graduate recruitment panel and cross-function social mobility committee, helping those from underrepresented backgrounds thrive at the firm. She is the driving force behind the Freshfields Stephen Lawrence Scholarship Scheme, a recruitment, development and mentoring scheme run by volunteers from Freshfields and clients.

DEBBIE ELLISON | Geometry UK Raised on a council estate and a young mum at 19, Debbie sought to carve a career in technology centred on empathetic leadership. She is a passionate advocate that diversity powers personal and business growth. She sits on WPP’s Roots steering committee, championing greater ethnic and cultural diversity across OpCo’s. She launched Geometry Roots with the same aim across its 44 markets and chairs the agency’s global IE&D council. Debbie has been named Industry Shaper by the global Women in Marketing Awards. And listed in Empower/Yahoo Finance Ethnic Role Models 2020.

MOHAMMED AHMED | HomeServe Ahmed has been shaped by his upbringing – son of an extremely hard working father, compassionate mother and supportive wife. The three areas he is passionate about and try to excel and lead in to drive the BAME, D&I and social mobility agendas are: Executive Board roles at Stoke and Staffs LEP and Midlands Engine Invest Fund – driving social mobility improvements in Staffordshire; Commercial Finance Director and Leader (FTSE 100 companies BT, National Grid, Lloyds and HomeServe) I drive their commercials as well as challenging, contributing and improving their D&I agenda and Entrepreneur (restaurant owners) – providing advice to budding entrepreneurs.

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BAME Inspirational ONLINE IMPACT Leaders AMAL FASHANU Amal is a presenter, journalist, fashion designer and activist against homophobia in sport.

She produced a BBC3 documentary Britain’s Gay Footballers. Amal is the founder of the Justin Fashanu Foundation and the Black Heart clothing label which promotes activism through fashion. The label is dedicated to her uncle, Justin Fashanu.

AMBER ROSE-GILL The winner of Love Island 2019 attended a BLM protest in London, buying, creating and issuing care packages to those in attendance. Amber filmed the whole day, starting with her purchasing items for the care packages and is donating all revenue from the video to BLM charities.

AMENA KHAN Khan is a British model, fashion designer and social media influencer. She is best known for founding the fashion company Pearl Daisy, designing black head scarfs and becoming the first hijab model in a L’Oreal hair-care campaign. In 2017, Khan was featured by Elle Magazine as one of four Muslim beauty influencers, in which she spoke out about fighting against stereotypes.

BEABADOOBEE Beatrice Kristi Laus, known professionally as Beabadoobee or Be a Kristi, is a Filipino-born British singer-songwriter. Since 2018 she has released five extended plays and supported The 1975 during several legs of their music tour. She was nominated for the Rising Star Award at the 2020 Brit Awards with her debut studio album due for release in October of this year.

EMMA DABIRI Dabiri is an Irish-Nigerian, London based author, academic and broadcaster. She lunched her debut book, Don’t Touch My Hair, in 2019. The book is a groundbreaking and fascinating investigation into black women and their hair, which pertains to race, social codes and culture amongst other things. Dabiri is a frequent contributor to print and online media, including The Guardian, Vice and The Times.

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GARY THOMPSON Known better as The Plastic Boy, Gary Thompson is a lifestyle, fashion and beauty blogger.

His instagram boasts over 308,000 followers. He experienced a lot of negativity and online bullying due to his ethnicity and lifestyle but says he has now “evolved” and is happy with the skin he is in.

GRACE F VICTORY One of the UK’s most successful bloggers and YouTubers, Grace promotes the discussion of mental health and has published a book; No filter, which discusses her battle with her mental health and the obstacles she faced growing up. Grace fought bulimia when younger and filmed a documentary on this with the BBC: Clean Eating’s Dirty Secrets.

KELECHI OKAFOR Kelechi is a British-Nigerian actress who is well known online. Kelechi is a published essayist, writing a piece titled It’s not okay to feel blue and other lies. The royalties from this piece have gone to Shout, a 24/7 suicide and crisis help and text line. She is also the founder of Kelechnekoff Fitness Studio.

NATASHA NDLOVU Natasha is a model, blogger and photographer based in London. She writes about photography, beauty, travel and her experiences working in the fashion industry. Natasha launched her website bisousnatasha.com in 2013 and it has grown to be a popular site showcasing a mixture of her personal style and photography.

ROBERT DOUGLAS Robert Douglas is a blogger who posts about life as a Black dad. He is open about anxieties and racism experienced as a Black father and is conscious to show these as well as positive depictions of Black fatherhood.

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FUTURE LEADER Category Sponsor

Lloyds Banking Group is committed to ensuring that our workforce reflects the diversity of our customer base and we were proud to be the first FTSE 100 company in February 2018 to set a public goal to increase Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic representation overall and at senior levels as part of our Helping Britain Prosper Plan. Our ethnicity strategy is led from the top and supported by comprehensive plans to ensure we make sustainable progress, including targeted career development interventions, a robust focus on increasing visibility of role models and a range of activities to build cultural awareness, understanding and advocacy across our workforce. In 2020 we set out our ‘Race Action’ plan to drive cultural change, recruitment and progression across the Group.

The plan includes: • Setting a new public goal, complementing our broader 2018 Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic targets, to specifically increase Black representation in senior roles from 0.6% at senior grades to at least 3% by 2025 to align with the overall UK labour market.

• Setting up a new advisory board made up of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic colleagues to influence and inform our ongoing diversity strategy and ensure we are making the right progress.

• Working in partnership with external experts to develop a race education programme and removing issues of bias within the organisation.

• Undertaking regular listening sessions to gauge our colleague experiences and progress against our goal.

• Publication of our Ethnicity Pay Gap report in 2020.

• All recruitment shortlists at executive leader grade to have a Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic candidate.

• Nurturing our talented Black colleagues through specific development and sponsorship programmes for both middle management and senior grades so that we can help break the ceiling for senior role models, including additional secondment opportunities.

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LLOYDS BANKING GROUP BELINDA BROWN | Diageo PLC Belinda Brown is Investor Relations Director at Diageo and the co-founder of Diageo’s Race, Ethnicity and Cultural Heritage (REACH) employee group. REACH focuses on ensuring an inclusive culture at Diageo and providing a community structure to support the retention and development of black and minority ethnic employees in the business.

With established chapters in the UK, Hungary and Brazil, Belinda is now supporting REACH to launch in India and Ireland. Belinda was named in the 2019 Timewise Power 50 Awards which recognise outstanding business figures who work flexibly across the UK. CELIA FRASER | Capital Group Celia joined Capital Group in January 2020 to develop its Europe and Asia Insights & Analytics capability. She was, prior to CG, a Risk & Analytics Manager at Lloyd’s Banking Group and Signature Event Lead for its R.E.A.C.H (Race, Ethnicity and Cultural Heritage) network. Celia revamped and leads CG’s Capital Associates of African Descent network’s European arm. Celia also volunteers with The Foundation for Reach Society and mentors graduates. An internationally-ranked junior tennis player, Celia obtained a 1st Class BSc Finance degree on a 100% sports scholarship at the University of Houston.

CURTIS JAMES | The Co-operative Bank Curtis joined The Co-operative Bank on their Transformation & Change Management Leadership Graduate Scheme. He is now a Delivery Lead with experience in regulatory and large scale technology transformation having worked on a number of critical data centre migration programmes. Alongside this, Curtis was a founding member and the current Chair of the Bank’s BAME network, REACH. Working with a dedicated committee and several other Bank networks, Curtis continues to drive cultural change aligning to the Bank’s diversity and inclusion strategy. He also sits on the Bank’s Diversity Taskforce.

KARIM PERRINEAU | BNY Mellon From starting his own company New Beings, to his role at BNY Mellon, Karim has long had a passion for tackling social inequality. To champion and foster an inclusive workplace at BNY Mellon, he designed and delivered a series of workshops on the themes of allyship, inclusivity and intersectional lived experience. He facilitated conversations around how Women of Colour navigate professional spaces (featuring Afua Hirsch) and on the lived experience of Queer People of Colour (featuring Phyll Opoku Gyimah). Karim has an MA in International Studies and Diplomacy from SOAS University of London.

MEKIDA CARR | Metropolitan Thames Valley I am fiercely proud of my mixed heritage of White British and Black Trinidadian. However, this pride did not blossom until early adulthood, when I had much more control over my surroundings. Growing up mixed race in a predominantly white, west London suburb in the 90’s, often meant having to suppress or minimize my blackness in a bid to avoid racial discrimination. These experiences do not leave any room for me as an adult today, to sit back and let any injustice pass by. I am compelled to be speak up and be heard and stand up to be seen in the face of inequality.

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– FUTURE LEADER NADINE DYER | Deloitte Nadine is a manager at Deloitte, co-chair of the Multicultural Network and is the respect & inclusion lead for Financial Advisory. Nadine also sits on the firm’s Ethnicity Council and has been pivotal in driving the conversation around Black Lives Matter. The Network hosted a firm wide ‘Let’s Talk’ session, following the killing of George Floyd, colleagues joined to listen, share and learn about Black experiences within the UK. Nadine is one of the founding individuals who developed Deloitte’s Black Action Plan, which was published and rolled out by Deloitte’s CEO and the managing partner for people and purpose.

SHAILESH AGARWAL | JP Morgan Shailesh is Business Lead for the AsPIRE(Asians and Pacific Islanders Reaching for Excellence) resource group at JPMorgan. He sits on the Diversity & Inclusion Council for his Line of Business and organized open-door sessions to improve senior-management engagement with underrepresented groups and is ensuring diverse talent attends external-conferences. He was the International Students’ Officer for Southampton University where he successfully campaigned for a tuition fee cap, along with organizing multiple events showcasing cultures from 20+ countries.

SHEILA MOAZZAMI | State Street Sheila is on the Leadership Development Programme at State Street, a global, enterprisewide rotational program designed for purposes of developing future leaders within the organisation. She is the Chair of the Race and Ethnicity Network UK at State Street and has been on the committee since its inception . She is passionate about anti-racism and works closely with East London Business Alliance (ELBA) for Parity, an award-winning project seeking to improve the employability and employment outcomes of young Black men living in London, and also serves as a mentor.. She is British of Iranian descent.

SOFIA ASLAM | Ashurst LLP Sofia recently qualified as a solicitor at Ashurst LLP. Through her involvement with the firm’s multiculturalism and BAME networks, Sofia has worked to increase awareness of the experiences of young professionals from BAME and Muslim communities in the workplace. Sofia has led events and initiatives, most recently running a collaborative project with Teach First allowing employees to share insight with students from low socioeconomic backgrounds during the pandemic. Sofia also founded eMpower connect, a network which supports young professionals from BAME and Muslim backgrounds.

TOLU OKE | Sainsbury’s Supermarkets Tolu is a seasoned thought leader known for making a significant impact across various industries, with an insatiable passion for diversity and inclusion. With a rich depth of experience in construction and the charity sector, and roles working at companies like Accenture and London South Bank University, she is now transforming the ethnicity and religion agenda at Sainsbury’s. In her ever dwindling spare time, Tolu leads a non profit Christian ministry. She runs international development projects building wells, providing solar energy, sponsoring children, facilitating educational support and providing medical assistance to displaced communities across the world.

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BAME Inspirational BRAND IMPACT Leaders ANASTASIA BEVERLY HILLS The international beauty brand has pledged to donate $1 million across Black Lives Matter across projects and charities which fight against systematic racism, oppression, and injustice. They stated that they are taking the time internally to discuss initiatives that will support black-owned businesses and artists in the beauty industry. ABH also committed to use their platform and privilege to amplify the voices of marginalised groups, including funding an ongoing scholarship programme which helps high-achieving, low-income underrepresented students get into and graduate from top colleges.

ARGOS Argos’s 2019 Christmas campaign saw the brand embracing diversity with an advert which featured a multi-ethnic daughter and South Asian dad duo drumming together.

More recently, the retail giant released an advert which featured a Black lesbian couple and their family, which sparked a racist outrage on social media. Argos responded to the haters, stating: “We’re proud to represent a diverse and inclusive Britain in our advertising.

Argos is for everyone.”

BEN & JERRY’S The ice cream giant has been a long-term campaigner for diversity and equality, regularly making public statements advocating for economic justice, environmental justice and LGBT+ rights. In 2019 Ben & Jerry’s founders created a new flavour of ice cream, Justice ReMix’d, to highlight racism and criminal justice reform. The company first affirmed its support of the Black Lives Matter in 2016, long before many had even heard of the movement.

FENTY When superstar Rihanna launched Fenty, she refused to concede that darker-skinned make-up shades ‘don’t sell’. Fenty Beauty’s launch rapidly increased inclusivity across the beauty industry, creating a catalyst for change, with brands rushing to diversify their shade range. On Blackout Tuesday, both Fenty fashion and beauty ceased operating on a global scale, in a show of solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement.

GLOSSIER In the wake of George Flloyd’s murder Glossier was one of the first brands to pledge support to the Black Lives Matter movement; putting their money where their mouth they donated $1,000,000 across a host of organisations, $500,000 to black-owned beauty businesses and $500,000 to organisations aiming to combat racial injustice including BLM, the NAACP Legal Defence and Education Fund, The Equal Injustice Initiative, the Marsha P. Johnson Institute and We Are The Protestors. The brand stated “We stand in solidarity with the fight against systemic racism, white supremacy, and the historic oppression of the Black community.”

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IKEA IKEA made headlines last Christmas with its fun seasonal campaign using around the music of underground East London Grime artist, D Double E. The ad was well received and was credited by the Guardian for bringing the genre into the mainstream. In May the homeware giant shared a statement re-affirming their brand’s position that equality is a human right. In June IKEA, pledged to donate $3 million over the following 12 months to support organisations that are working in support of social justice, economic empowerment and education initiatives for Black communities.

JOHN LEWIS Whilst more than one third of FTSE’s Top 100 firms have no board members of colour at all, it is a different story at John Lewis which is headed up by chairperson Dame Sharon White, making John Lewis one of the few large British companies with a black chief executive. In the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests, John Lewis released a statement in solidarity with the movement, stating their commitment to fostering a culture of inclusivity and decrying discrimination of any kind.

NIKE The sportswear giant has been investing in the fight against racism in football for over a decade. More recently, their support of Colin Kaepernick with the “Believe in something.

Even if it means sacrificing everything” campaign. For Black Live Matter, the brand pledged £32 million to support the Black community, and committed to investing in “organisations that put social justice, education, and addressing racial inequality in America at the centre of their work”. Shortly after the donation, Nike released a anti-racist campaign called Don’t Do It, which was so popular that even rival brand Adidas retweeted it.

PALACE The London skate brand pledged £1 million to Black Lives Matter-related causes, with initial funds going to The Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust and Black Lives Matter itself.

“We stand firmly with all protesters seeking justice against police brutality and racism,” the brand wrote on its Instagram, adding “This ain’t some bandwagon shit tbh it just took a hot minute to figure out if I could drum up a mill by the end of the year and work out what we’re going to do long-term.”

TRAPSTAR Earlier this year, London-based British streetwear brand Trapstar announced a £5,000 donation to the Black Lives Matter Global Foundation as part of the Black Lives Matter Movement. The brand is headed up by three black men who have had their own firsthand experiences with racism, which lead them to release an ‘Enough Is Enough’ limited collection, with all proceeds going to go to Black Lives Matter, The Stephen Lawrence Trust, and a fund benefiting the family of Belly Mujinga. The brand hopes to raise awareness and create more conversation surrounding the global issue of racism.

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BAME Inspirational MEDIA MOMENT Leaders CELEBS COME TOGETHER FOR ITV’S BAME COVID-19 CAMPAIGN An array of British-Asian celebrities came together to create a health advice video targeting the Asian community amid the coronavirus pandemic. Amongst the celebrities were Eastenders Nitin Ganatra, Naughty Boy, Meera Syal CBE and Sanjeev Bhaskar. The video was made in response to reports of the critical impact of Covid-19.

THE BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT The Black Lives Matter movement is a decentralised political and social movement advocating for non-violent civil disobedience in protest against incidents of police brutality and all racially motivated violence against black people. The movement began with the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter on social media in 2013 and returned to national headlines earlier this year in the wake of George Floyd’s killing.

CHANNEL 4’ S THE TALK In this popular Channel 4 film, Black Britons discuss their personal struggles against racism. Geoff Small, director of The Talk, pulled together an array of black and mixed-race personalities to highlight how even when a successful figure in the public eye you can still be dogged with racial prejudice and how they had to be warned of the racism they would face when growing up.

CORONATION STREET’S RACISM STORYLINE The longest running soap worldwide, Coronation Street recently tackled racism in their storylines. In May of this year the soap was praised for airing a racism-centred episode, highlighting the issue of racial ignorance to viewers. The episode saw character Ed Bailey come to terms with the constant racism he was facing from his boss and deliver a powerful speech on the issue. After the episode finished the soap was praised massively across social media for its brilliant representation of the issue.

GO GREEN FOR GRENFELL In lieu of physical celebrations taking place, Grenfell United, a group of survivors and bereaved families from the Grenfell tower fire, along with the organisers of Grenfell Silent Walk asked people to show solidarity for the Grenfell tragedy on the anniversary by ‘going green’ at home. While public buildings across London were illuminated in green light, people at home turned off their lights off and played a video which emitted a green light, lighting up the city in an emerald glow in remembrance.

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LOVE ISLAND’S LEANNE AMANING AND MIKE BOATENG The show’s first black couple. Although the couples romance was short lived in the villa, the union had the hashtag #BlackLove trending marking a historic moment in the reality show’s history. With the UK media being known for not being overly invested in black romance, fans of the show were quick to jump on social media and laud ITV for giving the couple the air time they deserved and became invested in the couples budding relationship.

MICHAEL HOLDING RECOUNTS RACISM LIVE ON AIR The former Jamaican cricketer turned commentator, cried whilst giving an off the cuff, heartfelt speech live on air about racism and the impacts it had on him growing up.

He has also been vocal about England’s cricket team’s decision to stop taking a knee before a game, stating that it is out of line with global attempts to raise awareness about institutionalised racism and inequality.

MICHEALA COEL’S I MAY DESTROY YOU Michaela Coel’s I May Destroy You was a huge success for British television drama in 2020.

The semi-autobiographical series, which centres Black actors and Black experiences, confronts subjects of sexual assault and racism. Coel herself has been widely outspoken about the racial abuse she has experienced throughout her life, challenging her peers in the television industry to do better and face up to the damaging stereotypes it perpetuates.

NAGA MUNCHETTY’S RACISM ROW The popular BBC News presenter was caught in a ‘racism row’ after calling out Donald Trump’s remarks about four Democratic congresswomen of colour as racist. Munchetty was censured by the BBC for her remarks following a single complaint, in a ruling which was later reversed. The row opened a can of worms and saw the presenter receive support from over 150 Black, Asian and minority ethnic broadcasters and journalists, and calls for the BBC to have diversity representatives on the semi-independent executive complaints unit.

NATIONAL WINDRUSH DAY The second national Windrush Day was launched this year with half a million pounds worth of funding from the Windrush Day Grant Scheme for community groups and local authorities across England to pay tribute to the outstanding legacy of British Caribbean community and their descendants.

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WORKPLACE HERO Category Sponsor

BT is one of the world’s leading communications services companies, serving customers in the UK and in 180 countries worldwide. Last year, we launched a bold Diversity and Inclusion strategy to ensure our business reflects the communities and societies in which we operate.

As part of this launch, we revamped our ten People Networks and each Network now has an Executive Sponsor. Mike Sherman, BT’s Group Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer is the Executive Sponsor for our Ethnic Diversity Network. This Network is chaired by Bernadette Kisaalu, a Principal Lawyer at BT. To attract and recruit diverse talent, for the past four years we’ve supported an annual leadership programme delivered by the Aleto Foundation – a charity that provides employability training for talented young people from ethnic minority backgrounds. This year, we collaborated with Aleto to successfully deliver a virtual leadership programme that supported approximately 100 delegates.

We are signatories to the Race at Work charter and have developed and implemented several initiatives to boost ethnic diversity at BT including capturing ethnicity data, reiterating that supporting equality in the workplace is the responsibility of all leaders and managers and supporting ethnic minority career progression.

In June this year, we launched our Ethnicity Rapid Action Plan (ERAP) to boost ethnic diversity at BT through four rapid action commitments and we are proud to say that we have made progress across all commitments. For example, we successfully launched a reverse mentoring programme. All Exco members have now been reverse mentored by matched colleagues and we are matching more reverse mentors with other senior leaders across the business.

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BAME BT – WORKPLACE Inspirational HERO Leaders BENNARD OWUSU | BWF Solicitors Bennard started his legal practice in 1992 as barrister, and he changed to solicitors.

Bennard is the Founder and the Senior Partner of BWF Solicitors, a community based High Street law firm founded. Bennard has trained many lawyers from the community.

BWFs Young citizens education programme, working with community secondary schools to help educate, inspire, and motivate young members of the BAME community. Through the Young Citizens Education Programme, BWF gives work experience to over 20 Secondary School pupils every year since 2006.

BERNADETTE THOMPSON | Civil Service Bernadette joined the Civil Service in 1998. She is a notable diversity campaigner and public speaker, working with leaders across government to drive a culture of inclusion in the Civil Service and increase the pace on driving representation of BAME employees particularly at more senior grades. Bernadette has co-chaired the multi award-winning Race to the Top G6/7 network, a community of interest of BAME Grade 6/7 employees across all Government departments with the main aspiration of increasing BAME representation in the Senior Civil Service.

DARA DOUGLAS | PwC Dara is an innovative disruptor, driving change across the organisation at PwC. She is responsible for leading new digital ways of working in Consulting with clients. In addition, Dara is passionate about changing the organisation to be more inclusive and give everyone a voice. Having set up the Diversity Mentoring scheme for those from socially deprived backgrounds, launched and chaired the Multicultural Business Network and ran a campaign called Colourbrave to drive more conversations on race in the workplace, Dara is now leading the UK Black Tech partnership to drive more diversity in technology roles.

JULIA MANSI | BT During her time at BT, Julia was a driving and passionate voice as Co-Chair of BT’s Ethnic Diversity Network. In the wake of George Floyd’s murder, she spearheaded an internal campaign to raise awareness, triggering conversations on race across BT. Julia also elicited a powerful statement of support from BT’s senior leadership, before co-interviewing the CEO in front of the Network, putting her racially diverse colleagues at the top of BT’s agenda. Julia’s contribution helped BT create its Ethnicity Rapid Action Plan, which aims to improve Black and ethnic minority employees’ experiences.

KAVALJEET SINGH | BP Kavaljeet Singh Bhamra has been working in BP for the past 23 years. As well as his day job as a Service Continuity lead he is also the Co-Chair to BP’s Positively Ethnic Network (PEN), a business resource group whose goal is to help BP become the number 1 employer in the UK for race and equality. He leads at BP largest site, Sunbury, with 3,500 staff.

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LAITH GHARIB | Atos Laith is a Business Analyst at Atos, supporting clients across multiple sectors with critical IT infrastructure. Key clients have included HMRC, Post Office, Defra, and TUI with topics ranging from national infrastructure to satellite imagery in benefit of the environment.

Also, Laith co-chairs the Atos Together Network aiming to “bring people together”.

This year the network is answering “How culturally diverse people feel at Atos?” whilst proactively implementing initiatives to help foster cultural diversity. Following this, Laith has been invited into the network of top 100 leaders at Atos.

MARIA ST. LOUIS | Channel 4 Television A driven and dedicated force for inclusion, diversity and collaboration at Channel 4. CoChair of The Collective, C4’s Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) Employee Resource Group, as well as 4Sales Diversity Taskforce and has had an active role in shaping the 2020 ‘Diversity in Advertising Award’. A Founding member of the Creative Industries Alliance sits on the Executive Board of PromaxBDA UK as Director of Corporate Social Responsibility and a WACL Future Leaders winner.

SADNA ZAMAN | Canada Life Sadna’s experiences at Canada Life, which included anniversaries marked with alcohol or lunch during the holy month of Ramadan, illustrated the need for a greater workplace inclusivity. In 2019, Sadna took a leading role in The Ethnicity Network, establishing a blog series that marked cultural days celebrated by colleagues. Before this, no opportunities existed for employees to actively share personal aspects of themselves. Sadna is a credible role model. She’s achieved a monumental shift in understanding, acceptance and knowledge-sharing, helping influence a more inclusive culture at Canada Life.

SHABIHA AZAM | Johnson & Johnson Shabiha works in Medical Education for Johnson & Johnson and has championed inclusivity throughout her 14 year career. Her dedication and passion for the meritocratic advancement of Black, Asian & Ethnic Minorities culminated in Shabiha’s appointment as the leader of the first J&J BAME Employee Resource Group in the UK. The group’s aim is to create a fully diverse workforce by activating a network of 5000+ J&J employees in the UK. Shabiha has delivered a number of significant initiatives including organising J&J UK’s first ‘Open Conversation on Race and Equality’ with almost 700 employees in attendance.

VINCENT EGUNLAE | Grant Thornton UK LLP Joining Grant Thornton in 2018, Vincent pioneered the firm’s first Ethnicity Network and has become a leading voice in the firm’s inclusion and diversity agenda. Vincent has driven the strategy behind the collection and interpretation of data to inform the BAME strand of the firm’s inclusion and diversity strategy. Outside work, Vincent is a co-founder of The Open Private School, a mentoring programme which aims to improve representation of state school students at the top level of the professional world. Vincent is also a One Young World project leader, aiming to achieve the United Nation’s SDG’s by 2030.

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FEATURE

2020 has been a challenging year to say the least. In what simultaneously feels like weeks and years ago, the COVID-19 pandemic took hold of the world, binding us all to our homes, separating us from our loved ones and dismantling our livelihoods. The general attitude of the nation was one of solidarity and perseverance; “we’re all in this together”. As lovely as that sentiment was, the reality was a little different. The pandemic exposed what those in the Black, Asian and minority ethnic community had long since felt; that the system was broken. Sure enough, we saw figures suggesting that although ‘BAME’ communities made up 14% of the UK population, they accounted for a third of COVID related deaths. We saw unprecedented job losses in our communities and people unable to receive financial aid. Yes, this pandemic was affecting all of us, but it was disproportionately affecting Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities.

In May, with uncertainty, frustration and heartache at boiling point, there came news out of Minneapolis, an unarmed Black man named George Floyd had been killed by police. The latest of a huge number of unjust killings of Black people by people sworn to protect them.

Determined for Floyd not to become just another statistic, people around the world took to the streets in protest in what would become a one of the biggest worldwide protest against systemic racism in our society of all time.

Now where do we go from here? The international movement now referred to as ‘Black Spring’ has started important conversations around race and we can’t let this lose momentum. We have to keep this dialogue going, however uncomfortable it might be. Our white allies must be willing to challenge racism where they encounter it, we all have to show up for one another. This is only the beginning.

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OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO COMMUNITIES

Category Sponsor

If we are to build a truly inclusive society, we need to speak up, listen to and learn from one another and take meaningful action.

At Burberry, we are committed to fostering a culture of diversity, inclusion and representation. In recent years, we have expanded training and scholarships, set up internal and external councils and formed partnerships with organisations contributing towards positive change.

Now, with these foundations in place, we are moving to action-oriented goals.

We are building and implementing a holistic strategy to help us drive positive change, both at Burberry and within the fashion and luxury goods industry. This encompasses areas such as attracting and retaining the best talent, fostering an open and inclusive culture, raising awareness and tailoring our global strategy to a localised approach. This year, we introduced a global diversity and inclusion policy, expanded our creative arts scholarships commitments, have rolled out allyship training and continued to partner with organisations making an impact in different communities around the world.

We are learning from a range of voices who are helping us not only to hear their stories, but also ask ourselves some challenging questions. We are firmly committed to accelerating our progress in this respect, holding ourselves accountable, promoting deeper allyship and ushering in positive and lasting change, in line with our values.

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BURBERRY – OUTSTANDING BAME Inspirational Leaders ANEETA PREM Aneeta Prem is the founder of Freedom Charity, which help victims of forced marriage and dishonour based violence. Prem works to fight injustices such as forced marriage, female genital mutilation, slavery and other forms of torture and oppression worldwide.

She has been instrumental in changing government policy and was instrumental in ensuring that Forced Marriage was made a criminal offence.

KAJAL ODEDRA Kajal Odedra isExecutive Director for Change.org UK, which has over 17 million users in the UK. With over 12 years experience as an activist, Odedra identified a diversity problem in the UK campaigns sector which led her to found the People of Colour in Campaigns network, which aims to increase diversity in the UK’s campaign sector. In 2019 she released a book, Do Something: Activism for Everyone, which is an accessible guide to grassroots activism and campaigning.

LESLIE THOMAS QC Leslie Thomas QC is an award-winning lawyer who has lead some of Britain’s most high-profile inquiries and inquests during his 25-year career as a human rights barrister.

Thomas is currently representing 23 clients from the Grenfell Fire disaster including survivors, bereaved family members and loved ones. Thomas read the opening statement at the Grenfell Tower inquiry, and brought up the issue of diversity and failing to consider the role that institutional racism may have played in contributing to the disaster.

MICHAEL BRAITHEWAITE As the child of Windrush generation immigrants, Michael Braithewaite lost his job of 15 years as a special needs teaching assistant after his employers ruled that he was an illegal immigrant, despite having lived in the UK for more than 50 years. This year Braithwaite and others handed in a petition to Downing Street signed by more than 130,000 people calling for action to address failings which led to the Windrush scandal. Braithewaite said he refuses to let the government brush the scandal ‘under the carpet’.

PATRICK VERNON OBE Patrick Vernon OBE is best known for his campaigning work for the Windrush Generation, helping to expose the Windrush Scandal and also launching the Windrush Justice Fund with JCWI. As a leading expert on African and Caribbean genealogy in the UK, he founded Every Generation Media and 100 Great Black Britons, which develops education programmes, publications and films on cultural heritage. Vernon was made Pioneer of the Nation for Cultural History by the Queen in 2003.

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CONTRIBUTION TO COMMUNITIES PAULA AKPAN Paula Akpan is a founding director of Black Girl Festival, the UK’s first arts and culture festival celebrating Black women and girls. This year Akpan and her business partner launched the Black Girl Fest Academy, a seven month community-focused creative programme in association with Today at Apple and the Mayor of London. She is also the co-founder of the “I’m Tired” Project, an award-winning photography campaign and international workshop programme which led to her receiving the Points of Light Award in 2017 for making a change in her community.

ROBINA QURESHI Robina Qureshi is the executive director of Positive Action in Housing, a Scottish refugee and migrants homelessness and human rights charity that is involved in countering racism and discrimination, particularly in housing. She is a notable critic of the UK’s asylum policies and has campaigned to stop inhumane treatment and close detention centres for asylum seekers.

SHANI DHANDA Shani Dhanda is the founder of the UK’s first ever Asian Woman Festival, aimed at smashing stereotypes and stigma to empower and celebrate Asian Women through culture, art and conversation. She is also a disability campaigner and founded the Asian Disability Network to provide support and education to the Asian community on disability matters.

SEYI AKIWOWO Seyi Akiwowo is a British-Nigerian women’s rights activist and campaigner. At the age of 23, Seyi was elected as the youngest black female Councillor in East London and established Glitch in 2017 after she faced horrendous online abuse, when a video of her speech at the European Parliament went viral. Glitch is a not-for-profit organisation determined to end online abuse through education, campaigns and advocacy.

YVETTE WILLIAMS MBE Yvette Williams MBE is a founding member of Operation black vote – a national campaign which aims to inspire BME communities to engage with public institutions in order to address race inequalities. She co-founded Justice4Grenfell after witnessing the Grenfell Tower disaster. Justice4Grenfell is a community-led organisation, focused on the longterm goal of obtaining justice for the bereaved families, survivors, evacuated residents and the wider local community.

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BAME Inspirational SPORTS PERSONALITY Leaders ANTHONY JOSHUA Joshua, the world boxing heavyweight champion, attended a BLM protest in his home town of Watford this year and made an impactive speech telling onlookers that “we can no longer sit back and remain silent on these senseless unlawful killings”. a The boxer is also investing a seven figure sum into his home town to create unity and opportunities adding change to the Afro-Caribbean community.

BIANCA WILLIAMS The Team GB sprinter accused police of racial profiling after being pulled over for a stop and search earlier this year. The athlete believes her and her partner were targeted due to being black and driving a Mercedes. Williams filmed the stop and search and shared it widely across social media. As a result of the high public interest the Met referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.

DINA ASHER-SMITH Asher-Smith is a British sprinter. She is the fastest British woman in recorded history and has been listed in the power-list as one of the Uk’s most influential people from African/ Caribbean descent. She is the 2019 World Champion at 200 metres, the 2016 and 2018 European champion at 200 metres and the 2018 European champion at 100 metres. She became the first woman to legally run under 11 seconds for the 100 metres in 2015.

ISA GUHA Guha, is an English cricket commentator, television and radio cricket broadcaster and former England cricketer who played in the 2005 and 2009 World Cup in which she was on the winning team. Guha also regularly writes a column for the BBC Sports website.

She started playing cricket when she was about 8 years old with her older brother and at the age of 13 was selected for the Development England side. Guha has a degree in biochemistry and molecular biology.

KATARINA JOHNSON-THOMPSON The athlete has competed at the Olympics and World Championships where she won the gold medal and broke the British record. She ranks No.6 on the all-time Heptathlon list. She holds the British record of 5,000 points for the women’s pentathlon. The athlete studied Sport Science at Liverpool John Moores University.

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LEWIS HAMILTON One of the most successful drivers in F1 history, Hamilton holds six World Championship titles, the second most of all time. Hamilton has been open about the lack of diversity in F1 and recently attended a BLM protest. Working with his F1 team, Hamilton will now be wearing all-black overalls and driving an all-black Mercedes in races which will show the words “End Racism” and #WeRaceAsOne.

MARCUS RASHFORD The Manchester United and England footballer led a successful campaign urging the Government to commit to providing free school meals to children in England in the 2020 summer holidays, penning an open letter to Parliament which went viral. In the letter, Rashford spoke of his own experiences of relying on free school meals when growing up.

SALMA BI Salma Bi was the first British Asian and Muslim player to be selected for Worcestershire County and is currently coach for Worcestershire and Warwickshire. Bi is also a registered Haemodialysis Specialist Adult Nurse and Olympics volunteer.

TRENT ALEXANDER ARNOLD At 21-years-old, Trent Alexander-Arnold is one of the most decorated football stars in the world having won both the Champions League and Premier League trophies with Liverpool FC. The football hero was a major supporter of this summer’s Black Lives Matter Movement and recently launched ‘Football for Change’ – a charitable initiative aiming to help some of the most disadvantaged young people in the country.

ZESH REHMAN Rehman is a Pakistani professional footballer who plays as a defender and is currently the player-manager of Hong Kong Premier League Club, Southern. He was the first BritishAsian to play in the Premier League and the first Pakistani international footballer to play professional football in England, Thailand, Hong Kong and Malaysia. Rehamn launched his own foundation, the Zesh Rehman Foundation, in May 2010 with the intention of helping young British Asian’s in football.

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BAME Inspirational MUSIC ARTIST Leaders BEVERLEY KNIGHT After more than a decade in the music industry, Beverley Knight was appointed an MBE in 2006 in recognition of her contribution to British music. Knight has now been in the industry for more than 25 years and takes her inspiration from Soul music superstars such as Sam Cooke and Aretha Franklin.

CELESTE Celeste, described as a once-in-a-generation talent and the finest British soul singer to emerge in years, won both a Brit Award and BBC Music Award in 2019. She has performed at some of Europe’s biggest music festivals such as Glastonbury, Primavera Sound, Field Day and Rock en Seine. The singer began her career as a teenager providing vocals for dance musicians such as Avicii and Tieks.

DAVE THE RAPPER Dave is a British rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer and actor. He won the Album of the Year Brit Award earlier this year and stole the show with his powerful performance of single; Black, which focuses on the perception of Black people in Britain, adding a verse to the song about the Grenfell Tragedy.

JORJA SMITH Jorja Smith’s new music video and single By Any Means was inspired by BLM protests.

After attending a BLM protest, Jorja left wanting to keep the BLM conversation going.

Jorja’s debut single Blue Lights, released in 2016, was a call for change illuminating police racial bias and brutality.

JOY CROOKES Crookes is British Neo soul singer-songwriter of Bangladeshi-Irish heritage. In her music, Crookes, incorporates details about relationships, self-reliance, her culture, her roots and her identity. She is a keen social activist and was present and vocal at BLM protests.

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LITTLE SIMZ Little Simz is a British rapper, singer and actress who has encouraged people to have conversations and educate themselves on race and highlighted the issue within the music industry that only seems to allow one Black woman at a time to do well.

MABEL The Spanish-born British singer and songwriter has received numerous awards and accolades. Her debut single Know Me Better was released in 2015. In January 2019, Mabel was nominated for the British Breakthrough Act award at the Brit Awards.

NAUGHTY BOY Naughty Boy is a British DJ, record producer, songwriter and musician who has won an array of awards and produced records for other hitmakers. He has openly spoken out about his mother battling dementia and how he moved in with her full-time during lockdown.

RINA SAWAYAMA Rina Sawayama is a Japanese-British musician, model and actor who started her solo music career after graduating from Cambridge University in 2012. Rina rapidly attracted the attention of press around her early releases which saw her included in the Dazed100 list and grace the covers of Clash Magazine and Sunday Times Style. In April 2020 she released her debut album “SAWAYAMA� via independent label Dirty Hit which was applauded by critics across the globe and has led her to be featured on the covers of NME, King Kong, DIY and Crash Magazine.

STORMZY The British rapper, singer and songwriter has collaborated with numerous hitmakers and won an array of awards for his music. Stormzy is known for his controversial and outspoken political views and he has openly called out what he sees as failings of UK Government officials.

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BAME Inspirational NETWORK GROUP Leaders OR ERG AFRICAN CARIBBEAN PIONEERS NETWORK (ACPN) | Rolls-Royce Started as a social group in 2011, the African Caribbean Pioneers Network (ACPN) became the first official Rolls-Royce ERG in 2014. The network’s focus has been to transition into a Business Resource Group (BRG) by working closely with the central business functions in an attempt to collectively address institutional and interpersonal racism as well as ensure that systems offer equal access to both tools and opportunities. The network’s vision is for everyone to be at their best and embrace their own style while accommodating the styles of others, creating an environment where as an ERG, it no longer needs to exist.

BAME AT TESCO | Tesco Everyone’s welcome at Tesco, and equality, diversity and inclusion are an important part of our business. We not only celebrate diversity, but embrace the value it brings to enable us to serve our customers. We want to support and encourage colleagues in developing their careers, and ensure the wider community see Tesco as a great place to work. BAME at Tesco network unites and represents colleagues from all ethnicities, helps raise awareness of different cultures and beliefs. The network supports development and mentoring, as well as providing a space to share experiences and inspire colleagues to be themselves at work.

CHORD | Mitie CHORD is Mitie’s Diversity and Inclusion group which ensures inclusive working environments for people of all ethnicities. Mitie’s inclusion policy recognises that our people make our organisation truly exceptional. The ‘One Mitie’ approach to business is underpinned by a belief that all individuals should be treated fairly and have access to equal opportunities. Mitie’s commitment to a fair and responsible workplace is unwavering and in line with our One Code, the same standards apply when we work with clients and supply chain partners.

FUSION | ViacomCBS International Networks Fusion is ViacomCBS’ employee resource group which aims to promote inclusion by celebrating cultural diversity in the workplace. Present in London, Fusion programming has ranged from hosting speaker sessions with positive role models to celebrating cultural awareness days. Events celebrated in the UK include Chinese New Year, St. George’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day and Black History month.

REACH (RACE, ETHNICITY AND CULTURAL HERITAGE) | Macfarlanes LLP The REACH (race, ethnicity and cultural heritage) network at Macfarlanes strives to encourage an environment where the culture and ethnicity of every person can be celebrated, enabling them to flourish and thrive. We believe that unique perspectives contribute to the tapestry that builds a successful law firm for today and for the future.

The network aims to provide opportunities for peer support and the exchange of information and ideas. A key objective is to support BME individuals at the firm and beyond – not just directly, but indirectly also, through the education and empowerment of proactive allies.

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MULTI-CULTURAL AFFINITY NETWORK | Balfour Beatty Our Multi-Cultural network helps the business understand cultural experiences and provides an open platform for employees to bring their own unique perspective to the development of the business’s working culture. Its members raise awareness and support events and help us identify and remove any barriers that might be holding back their peers from flourishing. Our Multi-Cultural Affinity Network was recognised at the Civil Engineers Contractors Association (CECA) Inspiring Change Awards - securing the ‘Inspiring Change in the Workplace’ award.

MULTICULTURAL NETWORK | NatWest Group Established in 2014, the Multicultural Network’s engagement group has soared to over 5,000 members in the last year. We’ve held over 200 global events, marking occasions like South Asian Heritage & Black History Month, The Holocaust, Eid, Diwali & Easter. We run extensive reciprocal mentoring and mentoring circles, development conferences and masterclasses. A new global committee of 40 colleagues further supports the elevation and development of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic talent, & is preparing to launch an ethnicity ally programme during Black History Month.

ONE EMPLOYEE RESOURCE GROUP | National Grid ‘ONE’ Employee Resource Group (ERG) is National Grid’s multicultural network. ‘ONE’ supports BAME (Black, Asian and minority ethnic) employees and shares the benefits of diversity in the workplace. ONE breaks down barriers and celebrates the successes of our BAME talent. ONE’s ambition is to support National Grid’s inclusion and diversity ambition to become a valued employer of choice, attracting, and retaining the best talent and representing the communities we serve.

PRIME | Pearson PLC Our ERG leadership team have raised their heads above the parapet to push forward a diversity and inclusion action. They have been successful in achieving buy-in from the C-suite, raising awareness of systemic racism through a number of company-wide activities. This ERG has been instrumental in bringing the issue of racial equality to the executive decision-making table and as a direct result Pearson is on its way to becoming a more diverse and inclusive organisation.

UNITY | Standard Life Aberdeen Unity is Standard Life Aberdeen’s ethnicity and multiculturalism colleague-led network.

As a founding signatory to the UK Government’s Race at Work Charter; Unity have worked in partnership with the company for a number of years to champion minority ethnic inclusion and create an environment where people from all ethnic backgrounds have the opportunity to thrive in their careers. This partnership has led to the publication of two co-created ethnicity action plans, an ethnicity lens being applied to HR policies and processes, and engaging hundreds of colleagues globally through events which have included cultural celebrations and #TalkAboutRace sessions.

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Inspirational Personality Category Sponsor

ViacomCBS Networks international (VCNI) is home to the world’s most iconic entertainment brands, including Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, BET, Paramount Network, Channel 5, Network 10, Telefe, Viacom 18 and Pluto TV. VCNI’s focus on diversity, equity and inclusion is a movement, not a moment – we are tackling racial representation head-on with several new and existing measures, such as our VCNI Race & Equity Task Forces, which work across three broad areas – Programming & Audience, Creative & Talent and Employee Inclusion – to develop new initiatives that help drive business-wide change.

We are continuing to work with a variety of external partners to support Black, Asian and minority ethnic employees in the UK, and to make sure that ViacomCBS is an inclusive destination for BAME talent.

Earlier this year, we implemented a ‘no diversity, no commission’ policy in the UK, alongside in-house opportunities for BAME talent through a sponsorship programme and a ‘Promotion Opportunity Project’ for those in production.

Fundamentally, we value our people, and we work to weave diversity and inclusion into our DNA. By keeping transparency and accountability at the heart of our inclusion strategy, we champion a values-driven approach that embeds diversity, equity and inclusion into every aspect of our operations.

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ViacomCBS Networks International BAME Inspirational Leaders Inspirational Personality DEV PATEL The British-Indian actor has openly discussed the racism he has faced in Hollywood, even being accused of “stealing roles from real Indians”. Earlier this year the trailer was released showing the actor as the leading man and traditional Victorian; David Copperfield, in new film The Personal History of David Copperfield. Patel, at the London Film Festival, called for more inclusivity in casting with the hope his recent role “opens the doors and sends a message to the industry to cast more minority actors in roles like this.”

JADE THIRLWALL Jade, one quarter of popular girl-band, Little Mix, is a vocal activist for many social justice causes. During lockdown she wrote a poem for Mental Health Awareness week about the impact lockdown has had on her mental wellbeing. Jade also joined fellow bandmate Leigh-Anne in the Black Lives Matter protests this summer, admiting that she too had experienced racist bullying in her past. When asked about her support of the movement, Jade said that she “should wear my heritage, my race and my roots with more pride” and that “white privilege still takes the limelight”.

JAMEELA JAMIL In 2018 Jameela started an Instagram account to create a safe and radically inclusive space on social media offering a place for original content that explores social issues that stem from mental health to climate change to the representation of marginalised groups.

This has now grown into the podcast, I Weigh, which encourages women to share how much they ‘weigh’ when measured in accomplishments, rather than a number on a scale.

JOHN BARNES MBE The ex-Liverpool and England International made his footballing debut at a time when racism was still rife in English football and black players had only recently become a regular feature in the game. Barnes has spoken openly about the racism he endured during his footballing career and has worked with numerous charities.

JOHN BOYEGA John is extremely vocal in his activism against racism and gave a powerful speech at a BLM protest in London’s Hyde Park. Boyega stated that he didn’t even know if we would have a career after doing so but still felt it important to speak out. He has also openly discussed the marginalisation and difficulties he experienced whilst working on Star Wars due to his race.

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KUNAL NAYYAR Nayyar has shown his acting prowess by being able to simply switch from loveable nerd in The Big Bang Theory to sinister killer in Criminal. Best known for his role as an astrophysicist in The Big Bang, Forbes listed him as the world’s third-highest-paid actor in 2015 and 2018. He also released his memoir Yes, My Accent is Real in 2015.

LEIGH-ANNE PINNOCK As well as attending a recent BLM protest and sharing this on her social media platforms, Leigh-Anne has shared videos on her experience with racism and the obstacles she has faced, including being told on a video shoot for Little Mix that as the black girl she would have to work ten times harder. Leigh-Anne is encouraging others to discuss their experiences of racism in the hope of raising awareness and change.

NAOMI ACKIE Naomi joined a host of other celebrities in demanding an end to systematic racism in TV and film, signing an open letter calling for fundamental changes in the industry. The actress also called on a fellow co-star to ask for advice on how to develop a ‘thick skin’ and deal with the abuse and pressure that comes from both race and working in a franchise as big as Star Wars.

NATHALIE EMMANUEL The Game of Thrones and Fast & Furious actress attended the first BLM protest in London in the wake of the George Floyd murder and a second one for Shukiri Abdi, a 12-year old Somalian refugee murdered in Greater Manchester. The actress has encouraged people to educate themselves about systematic racism.

REGGIE YATES The much-loved radio and television personality is a patron of Catch 22, a UK charity which helps people steer clear of crime or substance misuse. In addition, Reggie has been a longstanding supporter of Comic Relief and in 2013 travelled to Africa to spend time with children living in the slums of Kenya.

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CHAMPION (ALLY) Category Sponsor

Everyone’s welcome at Tesco, and equality, diversity and inclusion is an important part of our business. We not only celebrate diversity, but embrace the value it brings to enable us to serve our customers.

We want to support and encourage all colleagues in developing their careers, and ensure Black Asian Minority Ethnic individuals in the wider community see Tesco as a great place to work.

Our BAME at Tesco network unites and represents colleagues from all ethnicities, and helps raise awareness of different cultures and beliefs.

The network supports with development and mentoring, as well as providing a space to share experiences and inspire colleagues to be themselves at work.

In the past 12 months, we have driven awareness of different cultural celebrations across our stores – Including marking Ramadan and Black History Month in London, Diwali in Leicester and Christmas Eve in Slough.

Paulette Balson, BAME Network Chair, said: “Many of our colleagues have invested time and energy into our BAME colleague network and helped to drive our agenda forward. We are proud to recognise different cultures, faith and backgrounds across Tesco.

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BAME Inspirational TESCO – CHAMPION Leaders (ALLY) CLAIRE WILLS | Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP Claire became managing partner of Freshfields London in 2019. She was made partner in the corporate practice group in 2001 and spent five years as co-head of the firm’s financial institutions industry group. She has built enduring relationships with some of the firm’s top clients across sectors. In all of her roles, Claire has pushed to ensure diversity and inclusion is central to Freshfields’ recruitment and strategy for the future. Claire is a member of the Rugby School Development Board and a Trustee of The Royal Foundation.

She is married with two children.

COLETTE COMERFORD | Legal & General Investment Management (LGIM) Colette is responsible for driving the evolution and continuous improvement of LGIM’s culture, as well as LGIM’s diversity and inclusion objectives. Colette works closely with the executive team, LGIM’s diversity and inclusion team (LEGIT), and Legal & General’s Group Diversity and Inclusion team.

FAYE SKINNER | Adobe Faye’s dedication to Diversity & Inclusion resonates across Adobe, being recognised for a multitude of internal awards. Her efforts to champion inclusion spans across many roles – as a leader of the Women’s Network, an influential member of the site council and as an imperative support mechanism to the unique networks within Adobe; ranging across Ethnicity, Gender, Disability and more. During COVID-19, Faye pioneered contingencies to ensure all the voices, of any cause continued to be amplified – despite the adversities of a remote workforce.

JAKE HOBSON | CBRE Jake led on CBRE’s D&I Strategic plan, restructured their ERGs to implement change through task forces, and implemented targets for gender, ethnicity and inclusive culture following a review of their data analysis and progress. He was a driving force in signing the Business in the Communities Race at Work Charter and subsequently being one of the first within the real estate sector to voluntarily publish their ethnicity pay gap. In response to the Black Lives Matters protests, Jake led on a program of events to encourage greater learning of racism and white privilege in partnership with CBRE’s REACH Network.

KATE PRIESTMAN | GlaxoSmithKline Raised in a mixed-race family, Kate was a precocious diversity advocate, appearing in The Times aged 9 with a petition for greater racial tolerance in inner cities. Throughout a 20 year career in industry Kate has pushed boundaries and experimented with new initiatives to drive greater ethnic representation in the workplace, ensure fair pay and promote the career acceleration of diverse talent. An early pioneer of reciprocal mentoring, inclusivity dialogues and unconscious bias training, Kate is currently SVP of Strategy, Portfolio and Operations at GlaxoSmithKline, leading a global organisation that increasingly looks like the communities within which it operates.

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LOUISE EBREY | Network Rail Originally an engineer, I have worked in improvement and change for almost 20 years.

I have worked on a range of construction/infrastructure projects ranging from heritage projects to hospitality, rail and airports in the UK and Macau. I’m a facilitator/coach at heart, so I like to start by creating safe spaces for good conversations about change and build from there. My aim is always to remove barriers and make it easy for people, teams and projects to be brilliant at what they set out to do. I live on a canal boat, drink a lot of tea and make textile/photography-based art.

MATTHEW NEWICK | Clifford Chance Matthew Newick is a partner at global law firm, Clifford Chance and the firm’s Global Head of Litigation and Dispute Resolution (L&DR). Matthew is one of five visible Partner Champion’s aligned to the firm’s REACH network and an advocate of diversity and inclusion in the firm. He has made diversity and inclusion an explicit strategic priority for the global L&DR practice and promoted specific action to support this objective. He is a beneficiary of reverse mentoring and sought actively to engage with peers, ethnic minority, and majority staff about issues of race and privilege.

PAUL FLANAGAN | Allen & Overy LLP Paul is a Partner in Allen & Overy’s London banking practice with a particular specialism in real estate finance and leveraged finance. Paul is also the co-Chair of A&O’s Race & Ethnicity Committee and has been instrumental in the development and execution of the race & ethnicity strategy. Paul provides powerful sponsorship to ethnic minority colleagues in the business and works tirelessly, and with true commitment, to ensure the race agenda has a place at the table. His efforts continue to inspire and galvanise senior leadership into making meaningful change at A&O. PAUL KETT | Department for Education Paul Kett has been a Director General at the Department for Education (DfE) since February 2017. Paul is the Departmental Race Champion and part of the cross government Race Champions Network. In this role, he works closely with the DfE staff BAME network, and with the department’s Project Race team on creating a race-inclusive culture for all employees, regardless of their ethnicity and improving departmental processes to create a level playing field for Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic staff.

RYAN GALVIN | Macquarie Bank Since joining Macquarie in 2017, Ryan has created equitable opportunities for staff to develop new and existing relationships, celebrate diversity, focus on health and wellbeing, and support the local community through the Macquarie Foundation’s partnership with Dallaglio RugbyWorks. Under the partnership, Ryan has played a leading role in organising annual O2 touch rugby tournaments, and annual Career Insight Visits that have benefited 20+ young adults looking to find a route into mainstream education and work. In addition to the health and social impacts of these efforts, he has helped to raise over £20,000 for Dallaglio RugbyWorks.

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OUTSTANDING EMPLOYER How we determine the Outstanding Employer category The winner of the Outstanding Employer category is determined by the scoring system of the Government-backed Maturity Matrix.

Organisations that submit the Maturity Matrix are automatically entered into the Outstanding Employer category.

The Maturity Matrix is a checklist of 66 key actions that employers can undertake to progress the ethnicity agenda, these are broken down in the following areas: 1. Board and Senior Allies 2. Policy and Data 3. Culture and Inclusion 4. ​Employee Life Cycle The Maturity Matrix indicates the level that an organisation is on in their journey, with recommendations scaled from levels one to four.

Companies starting on this agenda can become an Investing in Ethnicity Employer, then progress to Star, Advanced and Exemplary. The Top 10 shortlisted Employers listed within the awards category are the highest ten scoring employers.

The Employer with the most overall points will be awarded as the winner of the Outstanding Employer category.

WHAT IS THE MATRIX? Investing in Ethnicity – celebrating organisations who are investing in ethnicity & race.

• The tool has been developed based on input from Action Group sessions with over 80 organisations and a further surveyed 168 organisations, and is already being used by a number of businesses and organisations within the Private and Public Sector.

• The tool is aligned to recent report recommendations, including the Race at Work Charter, McGregor-Smith, CMI’s Delivering Diversity and CPID’s addressing career progression, and will simplify the process of enabling businesses to work towards positive improvements and narrowing inequalities surrounding race in the workplace.

• The Matrix is designed to be used collaboratively and can be cohesively aligned to an organisation’s strategy, key objectives and values. Most importantly, the Matrix is designed to be weaved into business practice and will embed much-needed change.

• The Investing in Ethnicity initiative will continue to offer guidance through the annual conference, executive breakfasts, employee network workshops, the future leaders’ programme, round tables and action group sessions, and will recognise all organisations that have completed stages of the Matrix.

Please find further information at investinginethncity.com

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OUTSTANDING EMPLOYER ALLEN & OVERY Allen & Overy is an international law firm providing legal services for global business and industry. Diversity is one of our strategic priorities. All of our work is underpinned by a set of guiding principles based on impact, accountability and openness. We want to build a balanced workforce, where everyone feels supported and where the differences between our people create opportunities not barriers. Ensuring that people from different ethnic minority backgrounds are well represented is a priority for us, and is something we tackle at a local level across our network of offices.

FRESHFIELDS Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP is a global law firm with a long-standing track record of successfully supporting the world’s leading national and multinational corporations, financial institutions and governments on ground-breaking and business-critical mandates. Our people make our firm, and we are committed to increasing BAME representation at all levels through our global employee network as well as helping to increase access to the profession through talent initiatives aimed at BAME individuals, including through the Freshfields Stephen Lawrence Scholarship Scheme. Our aim is to be a diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone has the opportunity to achieve their potential.

GEOMETRY UK Geometry is WPP’s end-to-end Creative Commerce agency. We help modern brands grow by delivering meaningful and innovative creative commerce solutions every life intersects with commerce. Our work falls within four core areas which overlap and integrate across many of our ideas and experiences—these are Retail, Experiential, Design and Innovation. Within each is a depth and breadth of specialist capabilities that enable our experts to create new and invaluable experiences across almost all channels and touchpoints— from physical stores to e-commerce, branded experiences to out of home, content to product packaging, social to voice/visual search, and more. Essentially, our ideas come to life anywhere a consumer may have a commerce interaction.

JOHNSON & JOHNSON At Johnson & Johnson, we believe good health is the foundation of vibrant lives, thriving communities and forward progress. That’s why for more than 130 years, we have aimed to keep people well at every age and every stage of life. Today, as the world’s largest and most broadly-based healthcare company, we are committed to using our reach and size for good. We strive to improve access and affordability, create healthier communities, and put a healthy mind, body and environment within reach of everyone, everywhere. We are blending our heart, science and ingenuity to profoundly change the trajectory of health for humanity.

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BAME Inspirational OUTSTANDING EMPLOYER Leaders LLOYDS BANKING GROUP Lloyds Banking Group is committed to ensuring that our workforce reflects the diversity of our customer base and we were proud to be the first FTSE 100 company in February 2018 to set a public goal to increase B.A.M.E representation at senior levels as part of our Helping Britain Prosper Plan. Our ethnicity strategy is led from the top and supported by comprehensive plans to ensure we make sustainable progress, including targeted career development interventions, a robust focus on increasing visibility of B.A.M.E role models and a range of activities to build cultural awareness understanding and advocacy across our workforce.

LEGAL & GENERAL For nearly 200 years we have provided financial services to customers across the UK, and now the US. As the UK’s largest provider of individual life insurance products and the biggest manager of corporate pension schemes we are experts in safeguarding people’s financial futures. Our purpose is to improve the lives of our customers, build a better society for the long term and create value for our shareholders. This shapes how we work and helps us create our vision of ‘inclusive capitalism’.

MACFARLANES LLP Macfarlanes is a distinctive London-based law firm, delivering excellence in the international legal market. We strive to foster an inclusive, forward-thinking culture, the continued development of which is a key priority. For us, the focus is on recruitment, retention and promotion to ensure that our staff have the opportunity to develop and advance their careers. Through our REACH network, we have significantly increased cultural and religious awareness, and our People Commitments which align to three main strands – balance, clarity and development – are an important element in our objective to create a more diverse workforce.

NATIONAL GRID National Grid is one of the world’s largest investor-owned energy companies, committed to delivering electricity and gas safely, reliably and efficiently to the customers and communities we serve.

We play a vital role in connecting millions of people to the energy they use, through our regulated utility businesses in the UK and US; with principal operations in electricity and gas transmission and distribution, as well as National Grid Ventures. Our ambition is to operate and develop our business in a way that results in a more inclusive culture. We are committed to building a workforce that represents the communities we serve and creating an environment where each individual feels respected, fairly treated, valued and able to reach their full potential.

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NATWEST NatWest Group is a banking and financial services company, serving over 19 million customers. The Group provides a wide range of products and services to personal, commercial and large corporate and institutional customers through its well-known brands including The Royal Bank of Scotland, NatWest, Ulster Bank and Coutts. In February 2020, Alison Rose, CEO of the NatWest Group, set out a new purpose for the bank to champion potential, helping people, families and businesses to thrive.

VIACOMCBS NETWORKS INTERNATIONAL ViacomCBS Networks international (VCNI) comprises many of the world’s most iconic entertainment brands, including Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, BET, Paramount Network, Channel 5, Network 10, Telefe, Viacom 18 and Pluto TV. VCNI’s focus on global diversity, equity and inclusion is a movement, not a moment, and it’s important for us to continue to tackle racial representation head-on. To reflect this commitment, we’ve rolled out several key measures whilst strengthening those that we already had in place.

These include the establishment of our VCNI Race & Equity Task Forces, which work across three broad areas – Programming & Audience, Creative & Talent and Employee Inclusion – to develop new initiatives that help drive meaningful change across the business.

We have also been working on an ongoing basis with Caerus Executive. This collaboration has been particularly valuable during 2019/2020 as supporting our black, Asian and minority ethnic employees and making ViacomCBS an inclusive destination for BAME talent, is a business imperative.

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SILVER SUPPORTERS

Our vision for advancing diversity and inclusion is called “Adobe For All”. We believe that everyone deserves respect and equal treatment, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, cultural background or religious beliefs. When people feel appreciated and included, they can be more creative, innovative, and successful.

To advance our vision of Adobe For All, we’re investing strategically in four key areas to drive greater diversity and inclusion at Adobe and beyond.

• Pipeline: Building the pipeline of future technical talent by helping young people of all backgrounds learn and get excited about software coding and careers in tech.

• Candidates: Sourcing and hiring candidates from a variety of backgrounds and ensuring fairness in our interview and hiring processes • Employees: Creating an inclusive workplace through community-building, training and internal awareness, and offering family-friendly benefit policies • Industry: Joining forces with our customers, partner, vendors and peers to drive broad progress We want every Adobe employee to feel they have fair compensation and opportunity. We invest in analysis and transparency to demonstrate that commitment.

Through Adobe For All in Action, we outline how employees can take-action with five ways to be more inclusive.

APPRECIATE THE UNIQUE • AMPLIFY OTHERS • ENHANCE THE TEAM • RETHINK ROUTINE • OPEN UP Our FY19 employee diversity metrics have been published at www.adobe.com/diversity/data.html

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Ashurst continues to expand its range of employee support networks and the reach of its diversity programmes year by year. Each network organises a comprehensive programme of events to raise awareness and educate – highlights in 2020 included a Mardi Gras drag show, hosting Sir Trevor Macdonald to mark Black History Month and a question and answer session with a trans partner who shared his journey with colleagues. Our range of D&I workshops has continued to expand, and we are currently piloting sessions on active Allyship. We continued to implement the Mindful Business Charter and signed the Race Fairness Commitment. We are developing our second global D&I action plan and have continued to support and work with clients in this space.

The Ashurst Black Network has worked closely with senior leaders to help the firm address structural racism and acknowledge the Black Lives Matter movement. Our working group has taken forward ten separate workstreams to improve inclusion for ethnically diverse colleagues.

We are grateful to our senior leadership and to our grass roots activists like Sofia Aslam for all they do to progress our D&I agenda and are delighted this has been acknowledged by the Ethnicity Awards.

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SILVER SUPPORTERS

Since 1931, Capital Group (CG), has been singularly focused on delivering superior results for long-term investors using high-conviction portfolios, rigorous research and individual accountability. Today, with over 8,000 associates around the world CG manages almost $2 trillion in equity and fixed income assets for millions of individual and institutional investors.

Our accountability for diversity, equity and inclusion rests with our Management Committee working through leadership teams within each of our business units and our Investment Group. While we have made good progress in recent years, our work is far from done, and we’re focusing our efforts on four critical areas that we believe will have lasting impact: recruiting, engagement, advancement and leadership (our REAL framework).

Capital supports more than 40 affinity groups (Capital Communities), including CAAD (Capital Associates of African Descent) who hosted “Racism: A European Lens” in June sharing their experiences of racism in Europe to help stem the mythical narrative that racism is a non-issue in Europe. We are a proud member firm for the 100BlackInterns programme and recently joined The Diversity Project, a broad initiative to improve diversity and inclusion within the investment management industry. Our goal is to have greater diversity across CG at all levels.

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At BNP Paribas, our strong commitment to Diversity and Inclusion underpins our long-term business success, enhances our risk management and enables us to deliver better value for our clients, our employees and for wider society. We aim to challenge bias in all its forms and create an equitable workplace where all colleagues feel safe, valued, and able to maintain good health and wellbeing.

Our Diversity and Inclusion strategy engages colleagues at all levels of seniority, with specific initiatives across recruitment, career development, employee engagement and organisational culture. We are committed to strategic partnerships that enhance our commitment to positive change, and are a signatory of the BITC Race at Work Charter and the Women in Finance Charter.

Our action plan is supported by six vibrant employee networks aimed at engaging employees in our D&I journey, and a programme of communications and events, including an annual Diversity and Inclusion Week.

As the bank for a changing world, our activities are closely linked to our social and civic responsibilities as part of our Group CSR strategy, which aims to promote sustainable and inclusive growth. The strategy is aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, including SDG 5, Gender Equality and SDG 10, Reduced Inequalities

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THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

Category sponsors

Silver supporters

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# E T H N I C I T YAWA R D S E T H N I C I T YAWA R D S . C O M

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