HSBC, Santander and BNP Paribas crowned winners in big night for banks at 2022 UnitedHealth Group European Diversity Awards

Arsenal and Ukraine star Zinchenko also honoured for incredible work to support his war-torn homeland as FA Women’s Super League Chair Dawn Airey bestowed with top honour at star-studded ceremony.

Global banking giants, corporate leaders, British institutions and a major athletics apparel brand have all been named winners at the 2022 European Diversity Awards.

The event, sponsored by United Health Group, was hosted by the BBC newsreader Jane Hill and took place at London’s five-star InterContinental Hotel on Park Lane.

Iconic delivery service Post Office were crowned 10x Banking Diversity Team of the Year while elsewhere it was a big night for the banks at the star-studded ceremony which saw the likes of Arsenal star Oleksandr Zinchenko, songstress Emeli Sande and Olympic champion Dame Kelly Holmes all attending.

Indeed, Amjad Khan from HSBC won the Ruebik sponsored Inspirational Role Model of the Year award while Santander’s Embrace Network were awarded with the Silicon Valley Bank UK partnered Outstanding Employee Network of the Year and Ama Ocansey from BNP Paribas took home the Haleon backed Head of Diversity of the Year accolade.

Successful sports clothing brand lululemon took home the DeNovo Legal Services Marketing Campaign of the Year for their Blissfeel Shoe launch, which saw the company depict the imperfect and messy experience of running and celebrate the nuances of designing a shoe specifically for female runners: an enterprise which saw lululemon scan 1.2 million women’s feet to develop the optimum shapes for its debut trainer.

The awards celebrate leading diversity and inclusion champions while recognising achievements across race, age, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity and religious belief over the past year.

Gunners defender Zinchenko, meanwhile, won the coveted Media Diversity Champion of the Year for his work to protest against the atrocious campaign being waged by Russia and President Vladimir Putin against his war-torn homeland of Ukraine.

The Ukraine international attended an anti-war vigil earlier this year, following Russia’s invasion, and the 25-year-old, who has 48 caps for his country, has been vocal in support for his homeland, previously declaring he “could not stay back” while his country is attacked.

The left-back has been vocal in speaking out against the war, giving incredibly moving and honest accounts while calling on others in football to condemn the actions of Russia and Putin.

Elsewhere at the EDAs it was a big night for football as Barclay’s FA Women’s Super League Chair Dawn Airey won the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award, sponsored by Collins Aerospace, for her work to advance the women’s game and for being at the top of business for over four decades, including as a non-executive director at Channel 4 and former CEO of Getty Images and Channel 5.

Linda Riley, European Diversity Awards founder, said: “These awards exist to shine a light on those who have worked tirelessly to champion diversity and inclusion during what has been an extremely challenging year, particularly with the cost-of-living crisis and spiralling food and fuel costs.

“Every deserving winner has made real achievements in race, age, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity or religious belief over the past year. The corporations and business leaders who picked up awards are dynamic and reflect the huge efforts corporate organisations are now making to improve diversity and inclusion. We should never forget how far we've come but there is still so much more to do."

FULL LIST OF WINNERS:

lululemon Community Project of the Year

Winner: Warsaw Taskforce - Oliver Wyman

Highly Commended: Happy Smiles Training CIC

10x Banking Diversity Team of the Year

Winner: Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Team - Post Office

Highly Commended: European Employee Resource Groups - AMS

Sanofi HR Champion of the Year

Winner: Vitor Silva - InterContinental Lisbon

Highly Commended: Rebecca Roberts - Kellogg Europe

myGwork Social Mobility Initiative of the Year

Winner: Pathways to Consulting - Oliver Wyman, McKinsey, Bain and BCG