Fifth year of ground-breaking Awards celebrating members of the black British business community, whose drive and success in their industry, sets them above the rest.
The finalists of the 2018 Black British Business Awards (BBBAwards) have today been announced. This list recognises the trailblazers and rising stars who represent the very best of the UK's vibrant business sector.
The BBBAwards are the only premium awards programme to celebrate both the exceptional performance and outstanding achievements of black professionals and entrepreneurs in global, small and medium enterprises operating in Great Britain. The BBBAwards uncover inspirational role models; ambassadors who represent the very best talent across various sectors in the British economy. The BBBAwards are designed to transcend stereotypes and highlight the often-unsung contributions of black people to the British economy.
The winners will be announced during a special awards ceremony and evening gala at The Grange St Paul’s Hotel London on 4th October 2018. Endorsed by the Prime Minister, The Rt Hon Theresa May MP, Mayor of London and Secretary of State, the BBBAwards will celebrate its 5th anniversary with once again a full-house of over 450 senior leaders, industry influencers and high-profile supporters; honouring the enormous success generated over the previous four years.
The BBBAwards is more than just a ceremony. Over the last five years, it has grown into a powerful change agent for the wider BAME talent agenda, creating a hub where businesses share ideas and take away concrete actions to create working environments for all talented individuals to succeed. In addition, the BBBAwards have launched the following highly impactful initiatives:
· The Middle Research Report in collaboration with EMpower and Bloomberg.
· BAME in the Boardroom in collaboration with Deloitte.
· The Talent Accelerator in collaboration with Virgin Money and hosted by Morgan Stanley.
These initiatives have cemented the BBBAwards position as a leader who is at the forefront of the diversity and inclusion conversation in the UK industry.
Melanie Eusebe, Chair and Co-founder of the Black British Business Awards commented:
“We are thrilled to be celebrating not only the breadth of talented business people as finalists for the 2018 awards, but also the Black British Business Awards 5th year anniversary. Over the last 5 years we have uncovered numerous role models, from creative entrepreneurs to seasoned bankers. These individuals are truly breaking down barriers and stereotypes whilst changing the game for the rest of the UK industry.”
The BBBAwards have also announced that The Telegraph will be their media partner. The main sponsors for the 2018 awards include Baker McKenzie, Barclays, Bloomberg, Cisco, Facebook, J.P. Morgan, MDC Group, PwC, Thomson Reuters and Virgin Money.
The BBBAwards and its finalists have been featured in several news publications and networks including the BBC, City A.M., Sky News, The Evening Standard, The Telegraph, The Times and The Voice.
The 2018 awards will distinguish outstanding black business professionals and entrepreneurs at the top of their game into six diverse industry categories, which celebrate both rising stars and senior leaders awards. The finalists for this year’s awards are as follows:
· Sam Ajilore, Founder and Editor, That Grape Juice
· Daniel Kidane, Composer, Rayfield Allied
· Dr Chibundu Onuzo, Writer
Arts & Media Leader of the Year
· Angie Greaves, CEO, Feeling Fab Broadcasting and Radio Presenter, Magic Radio
· Selma Nicholls, Founder and CEO, Looks Like Me
· Jacqueline Simmons, Executive Editor, Global Business, Bloomberg
Consumer & Luxury Rising Star
· Ife Akinwoleola, Dacia Marketing Communications Manager, Groupe Renault
· Mickela Hall-Ramsay, Company Director, HR Sports Academy
· Mark Maciver, Founder, Slidercuts
Consumer & Luxury Leader of the Year
· Wanita Bardouille, Retail Development Director, Ralph Lauren
· Gerard Crichlow, Head of Cultural Strategy, AMV BBDO
· Ibi Meier-Oruitemeka, Founder and Creative Director, The Afro Hair & Skin Co.
· Steven Bartlett, CEO, Social Chain Group
· Carl Konadu, CEO, 2-3 Degrees
· Leanne Pero, Founder and Director, The Movement Factory
Entrepreneur Leader of the Year
· Dawood Gustave, Leader and Imagination Officer, Reluctantly Brave
· Dawid Konotey-Ahulu, Chairman, Redington
· Andrew Wamae, Founder and Director, The Essential School of Painting
Financial Services Rising Star
· Yvonne Bajela, Investment Manager, Mitsui & Co.
· Ovo Gharoro, Head of Hard to Value, Regulatory and Market Data Services, M&G Prudential
· Kofi Oteng, Director, Head of Macro Rate Sales, Royal Bank of Canada
Financial Services Leader of the Year
· Bukola Adisa, Managing Director, Head of RCSA Framework and Design, Barclays
· Syreeta Brown, Managing Director, Global Recruitment Strategy, Citi
· Tangy C. Morgan, Senior Advisor, Bank of England
Professional Services Rising Star
· Jonathan Achampong, Partner, Wedlake Bell
· David Fisayo, Manager, KPMG
· Abimbola Johnson, Barrister, 25 Bedford Row
· Kwaku Osei, Associate, Linklaters
Professional Services Leader of the Year
· Funmi Adegoke, Managing Counsel Transformation & Commercial Development, BP
· Karen Finlayson, Partner, PwC
· Hannah Reid, Regional Head of Human Capital Operations, Oliver Wyman
· Patrick Agese, Project Lead and PhD Researcher, Costain
· Marvin F. Rogers, Senior Solution Consultant, Oracle NetSuite
· Deborah Sehindemi, Business Analyst, National Grid
· Darren Williams, Welding Systems Manager, TWI Ltd
· Jacqueline Clahar, Category Lead, Global Rotating Equipment, EH, BP
· Anne-Marie Headley, Strategic HR Business Partner, Northern & Eastern Europe, Uber
· Roni Savage, Managing Director and CEO, Jomas Associates Ltd
The judging panel is chaired by Sophie Chandauka, COO of Shared Services and Banking Operations at Morgan Stanley. This year’s judges are as follows:
• Jonathan Akwue, Chief Executive, DigitasLBi
• Jo Barnett, Director of Social Enterprise, Virgin Money
• Karen Blackett OBE, Country Manager, WPP UK and Chairwoman, MediaCom UK & Ireland
• Tim Campbell MBE, Head of Client Services and Emerging Talent, Alexander Mann
• Albertha Charles, Financial Services Valuations Partner, PwC
• Sarah Gregory, Inclusion and Diversity Partner, Baker McKenzie
• Donna Herdsman, Business Transformation Executive
• Trevor Johnson, Director, Global Agency Partnerships, Facebook
• Adrian Joseph, Partner, EY Advisory
• Didier Lambert, Managing Director and Lead Portfolio Manager, Emerging Market Debt, J.P. Morgan
• James Mosha, Head of UK Tax, BNP Paribas
• Oba Nsugbe QC, Head of Chambers, Pump Court Chambers
• Sonali Pathirana, Managing Editor, Bloomberg
• David C. Peters, Advisory Board Director, Board Intelligence Ltd
• Dan Roberts, Managing Director, Transaction Banking Products & Services, Barclays
• Ratidzo Starkey, Head of Stakeholder Relations Group, Bank of England
• Daniel Taylor, Managing Director, MDC Group
• Kenneth Tharp CBE, Director, The Africa Centre
• Samantha Tross, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon
• Phil Wolfenden, Vice President, EMEAR, Cisco Technical Services
For information on how to purchase a table for the ceremony, please contact: Lauren Adair at bbbawards@blj.co.uk
BBBAwards Twitter: @theBBBAwards - hashtag #TheBBBAwards
BBBAwards Instagram: instagram.com/thebbbawards
BBBAwards Facebook: www.facebook.com/bbbawards
BBBAwards LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/the-black-british-business-awards
The Black British Business Awards (BBBAwards) are the only premium awards programme to celebrate both the exceptional performance and outstanding achievements of black professionals and entrepreneurs in global, small and medium enterprises operating in Great Britain.
Over the last five years, it has grown into a powerful change agent for the wider BAME talent agenda, creating a hub where businesses share ideas and take away concrete actions to create working environments for all talented individuals to succeed.
The BBBAwards are designed to transcend stereotypes and highlight the often-unsung contributions of black people to the British economy.
For more information, visit https://www.thebbbawards.com/