Kellanova, Bank of America and E.ON crowned winners in big night for business at the European Diversity Awards 2024 headline sponsored by Optum
Chart-topping icon of British music, Beverley Knight MBE also honoured for her outstanding contribution to diversity and inclusion at star-studded ceremony.
Global organisations, corporate leaders, financial institutions and a UK charity have all been named winners at the 2024 European Diversity Awards.
The event, sponsored by Optum, was hosted by the Sky News presenters Kamali Melbourne and Gillian Joseph, and took place at the five-star InterContinental London Park Lane.
The awards celebrate leading diversity and inclusion champions while recognising achievements across all strands of Diversity: age, disability, gender, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, social mobility and sexual orientation.
Teleperformance Portugal were crowned Sedulo Diversity Team of the Year while elsewhere it was a big night for tech companies at the prestigious ceremony, which saw a performance for legendary disco group Boney M.
It was a big night for Global IT innovation specialist Avanade, with Barry Pettitt taking home the Hero of the Year award whilst NatWest Group’s Blessing Mutamba saw off stiff competition to win the Allianz Commercial Inspirational Role Model of the Year award.
Leading companies including Colgate-Palmolive, Kearney and TJX Europe competed to take home the coveted DHL Group Company of the Year crown which was ultimately won by Kellanova.
Meanwhile Ardonagh Advisory’s DisAbility Colleague Community was awarded the Financial Times partnered Outstanding Disability Network of the Year and Catalina Hernandez of Munich Re won the Haleon backed Head of Diversity of the Year accolade.
Avanade Italy took home the IHG Hotels and Resorts Marketing Campaign of the Year for their Women in STEM campaign, which showcased the accomplishments of women leaders in IT to inspire the next generation of female STEM professionals.
Elsewhere at the EDAs it was a big night for community projects and charities. The PTC Therapeutics Community Team won lululemon sponsored Community Project of the Year whilst disability charity Evenbreak was awarded the prestigious Optum Charity or Not-For-Profit of the Year prize for their work removing barriers to employment for the disabled community; they also took home a generous £5000 donation from Optum.
The most eagerly anticipated award of the night for Outstanding Commitment to Diversity went to singing icon Beverley Knight MBE in recognition of her advocacy for equality and social justice.
Linda Riley, European Diversity Awards founder, said: "These awards are all about recognising the people who’ve gone above and beyond to champion diversity and inclusion, inspiring others to get involved too. The organisations and leaders we’re celebrating tonight show just how much effort is going into making workplaces more inclusive and truly living out those values. Together, we’re making a real difference."
Optum commented: "We are deeply honoured to be included in the European Diversity Awards. Advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is central to our mission of helping people live healthier lives and making the health system work better for everyone. Congratulations, on behalf of UnitedHealth Group, to all our winners!"
FULL LIST OF WINNERS:
lululemon Community Project of the Year
Winner: PTC Therapeutics Community Team, PTC Therapeutics
Highly Commended: Digital Seeds, Capgemini Poland
IHG Hotels & Resorts Marketing Campaign of the Year
Winner: Women in STEM, Avanade Italy
Highly Commended: Pass It On, &Co & European Parliament
Sanofi HR Diversity Champion of the Year
Winner: Zsofia Komaromi, Publicis Groupe Hungary / Publicis Groupe CEE
Highly Commended: Ben Higgins, Societe Generale
EmployAbility Social Mobility Initiative of the Year
Winner: Social Mobility Strategies, TJX Europe
Highly Commended: www.CareLeaverMentoring.co.uk, Goal 17 Ltd
Optum Charity or Not-For-Profit of the Year
Winner: Evenbreak
Sedulo Diversity Team of the Year
Winner: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Team, Teleperformance Portugal
Highly Commended: EDI (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion) Directorate, The University of Manchester
HSBC Europe Outstanding Employee Network of the Year
Winner: Cancer & Work Affinity Group, Sanofi
Highly Commended: Family Matters Network, UBS UK
myGwork Outstanding LGBTQIA Network of the Year
Winner: LGBTQ+ Pride, Bank of America
Highly Commended: Global Pride+ ERG, Sanofi
Financial Times Outstanding Ability Network of the Year
Winner: DisAbility Colleague Community, Ardonagh Advisory
Highly Commended: disABILITY ERG, HSBC Innovation Banking
Toyota Motor Europe Outstanding Ethnicity Network of the Year
Winner: embRace, E.ON
Highly Commended: Fusion, Macquarie
Ruebik Outstanding Women's Network of the Year
Winner: Women's Network, EDF UK
Highly Commended: Business Women's Network, SAP
Hero of the Year
Winner: Barry Pettitt, Avanade
Highly Commended: Rebekah Riddell, Canada Life Asset Management
Allianz Commercial Inspirational Role Model of the Year
Winner: Blessing Mutamba, NatWest Group
Highly Commended: Morgan Bondiek, Johnson Matthey plc
HSBC Innovation Banking Women in Technology
Winner: Emily Hall-Strutt, Next Tech Girls
Highly Commended: Plamena Cherneva, Nordic Women in Tech Awards
Haleon Head of Diversity of the Year
Winner: Catalina Hernandez, Munich Re
Highly Commended: Simone Coultress, Johnson Matthey plc
Diversity in Technology
Winner: WeWALK Smart Cane 2, WeWalk Limited
Highly Commended: ARC / HOK / UWS
Abercombie & Fitch Diversity Champion of the Year
Winner: Piers Linney, Sky UK Ltd
Highly Commended: Colin Kimber, Pareto Facilities Management Ltd
DHL Group Company of the Year
Winner: Kellanova
Highly Commended: Vertex Pharmaceuticals (Europe) Ltd
Outstanding Commitment to Diversity
Winner: Beverley Knight MBE