Member Article

ADIDAS, LLOYDS BANKING GROUP, MINISTRY OF JUSTICE’S ROB NEIL AND DIANE ABBOTT MP WIN BIG AT THE INVESTING IN ETHNICITY AWARDS

Adidas, Lloyds Banking Group, Ministry of Justice’s Rob Neil OBE and Diane Abbott MP all won big at the first Investing in Ethnicity Awards, with official partner HSBC.

The winners were revealed in a star-studded ceremony, presented by Good Morning Britain’s Ranvir Singh and Blue’s Simon Webbe, at London’s Hilton Waldorf.

The Awards recognise ethnic minority personalities and organisations with a track record of promoting inclusivity.

Adidas scooped the Brand award, with the sportswear giant being honoured for its focus on diversity and inclusion within the company, employing staff from over 100 different nationalities.

Ministry of Justice’s Rob Neil OBE, who has served as a civil servant for more than 35 years and who has worked to implement strategies around diversity within the Ministry of Justice, was praised for his commitment to building a more inclusive workforce which represents Britain’s diverse ethnic mix.

He scooped the Workplace Hero award after deciding to dedicate the remainder of his career as a civil servant to improving civic engagement and helping to create a more accessible, accountable and reflective organisation.

Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott MP, who was the first black woman to hold a seat in the House of Commons, took home the Political Figure gong for her efforts to promote diversity. Abbott was also commended for holding the government to account on the Windrush scandal.

Lloyds Banking Group won the Outstanding Employer Award, with the judges applauding the bank’s public goals to introduce representation of colleagues from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnicities this year, with a specific focus on tackling representation at senior management level.

Fiona Cannon, Group Director, Responsible Business & Inclusion at Lloyds Banking Group, said: “We are delighted to be recognised as the Outstanding Employer at the inaugural Investing in Ethnicity Awards. As part of our ongoing commitment to help Britain prosper, we are honoured to receive this accolade which demonstrates our ongoing commitment to championing the diversity of our workforce and providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for everyone.”

Other 2018 Investing in Ethnicity Award winners include Farrah Storr, Editor of Cosmopolitan Magazine, Stormzy, MOBO founder Kanya King CBE and The One Show’s Ore Oduba.

Simon Fillery, former Head of Inclusion at the Bank of England and one of this year’s judges said: “The entries were outstanding so it wasn’t an easy process to whittle them down to the list of winners you see today. It simply highlighted the sheer amount of work that is happening in organisations to embrace cultural differences and help people to perform at their best. Awards like this are one way to celebrate this and recognise how far we’ve come yet being mindful of how far we still have to go”.

Founder of the Awards, Sarah Garrett MBE, said: “We launched the Investing in Ethnicity and Race Programme three years ago and since then have worked with hundreds of organisations to help shift the dial and enable their ethnic minority employees to have fair opportunities to career progress.

“This is the first year we have held the Awards and I’d like to thank everyone who entered. With ethnicity pay gap reporting on the horizon, it’s important companies learn from one another so that we can collectively move the needle in the workplace and in society as a whole.”

Fiona Daniel, Head of Diversity and Inclusion UK at HSBC UK: “We are delighted to be a partner for The Investing in Ethnicity Awards which is an excellent opportunity to highlight the incredible work being done across the UK and more broadly. The calibre of all of nominations has been outstanding and each of the winners are very deserving.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by James Boyce .