This year’s EMpower Ethnic Minority Role Model Lists, published by INvolve, reveal the diversity champions driving equality and creating inclusive environments for ethnic minority talent across the world.
Supported by Yahoo Finance, INvolve has published three lists. They include Ethnic Minority Executives, Ethnic Minority Future Leaders and Advocate Executives highlighting professionals who are driving equality in business and creating workplaces where everyone can succeed.
INvolve said that it received a record number of nominations this year. The lists celebrate businesspeople playing a central role in breaking down barriers at work for Black people and other ethnic minorities; using their positions to keep diversity and inclusion (D&I) at the top of the agenda.
“Celebrating ethnic minority talent is a great way to champion individuals in business who are paving the way forward for inclusion,” stated Suki Sandhu OBE, Founder and CEO of INvolve. “I am thrilled to be able to showcase the achievements of another fantastic group of role models in business who are reaching the top of their fields while ensuring that they send the elevator back down for others.”
TOP 100 ETHNIC MINORITY EXECUTIVES
Ivan Menezes, Chief Executive Officer at Diageo tops this year’s global EMpower Executives Role Model List. Since becoming the CEO of Diageo in 2013, Menezes has been passionate about driving inclusion and diversity at the company. In 2020 he launched a new 10-year sustainability action plan entitled ‘Society 2030: Spirit of Progress’. The plan laid out goals including increasing the representation of ethnic minorities in leadership positions to 45% by 2030, as well as increasing the percentage of Diageo suppliers from female and minority-owned businesses year-on-year. “It takes time to see shifts in representation at all levels in the organisation. It requires the setting of targets, changes in policy, leading the change from the top and having role models within the business,” stated Menezes.
Other high profile executives in the list include Dow’s Chief HR & Chief Inclusion Officer Karen S. Carter; Accenture’s Managing Director – Operations, Andrew Pearce; Morgan Stanely’s Global COO, Shared Services & Banking Operations, Sophie Chandauka (also Co-founder of the Black British Business Awards); Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner’s Partner in Charge (UK) Segun Osuntokun; The Football Association’s International Relations, Corporate Affairs and Co-Partner for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Director, Edleen John; and LinkedIn’s Marketing Director, EMEA & LATAM, Darain Faraz.
The Top 10 Ethnic Minority Executives include:
- Ivan Menezes, Chief Executive Officer at Diageo PLC
- Warren Thompson, President and Chairman of Thompson Hospitality
- Monique D. Jefferson, Chief HR Officer, New York Public Radio
- Debbie Ellison, Global Chief Digital Officer, VMLYR Commerce (VYC)
- Bina Mehta, Chair, KPMG UK
- Moushmi Culver, Vice President, Head of Manufacturing Strategy and Business Development, Merck & Co.
- Tom Shropshire, Partner, Linklaters LLC
- Jai Kotecha, CEO, Ogilvy Netherlands
- Mauro Gregorio, President, Performance Materials & Coatings, DOW
- Jasvinder Deo, Group Audit Director, Tesco
Click here to see the full list.
50 ADVOCATES FOR ETHNIC MINORITY INDIVIDUALS
Carolyn McCall, CEO at ITV has scooped the top spot for Advocate for Ethnic Minority Individuals in the 2021 honours. McCall set up a Diversity & Inclusion Council when she joined ITV in 2018. In 2020, she worked with senior leaders and the Council, particularly the Embrace Network in order to create a Diversity Acceleration Plan.
The plan includes increasing diversity on management board and senior leadership teams, commissioning content to ensure ITV better represents contemporary British life on screen and improving diversity and career progression in TV production. Additionally, it includes educating ITV colleagues so everyone understands racism; and their role in creating an inclusive culture. McCall appointed a ‘Group Director of Diversity and Inclusion’ role, making ITV the first FTSE 100 company with a dedicated diversity director on its board. She has championed on screen initiatives such as the Black Voices campaign, as well as ITV’s biggest ever Black History Month, showcasing Black talent, stories and original commissions.
“For us – committing to increase diversity in our senior leadership team is important, in addition to running focused initiatives on accelerating career progression like our Step Up 60 and Rise programmes,” stated McCall. “Culture is absolutely crucial too, and we are educating and developing ourselves and our people so everybody in the business understands the part they can play in creating an inclusive environment.”
Other senior executives in this list include Tesco’s CEO (UK & ROI) Jason Tarry; HSBC’s CEO (Channel Islands and Isle of Man) Sue Fox; Time Out Group’s CEO Julio Bruno; PwC’s Chairman and Senior Partner Kevin Ellis; Homeserve’s Chariman (CEO) UK David Hynam; Deutsche Bank’s CEO (Americas) and Member of the Management Board Christiana Riley; KPMG UK’s Chief Executive Jon Holt; Diageo’s Chief HR Officer Mairéad Nayager; and Clifford Chance’s UK Regional Managing Partner Michael Bates.
The Top 10 Advocates for Ethnic Minority individuals include:
- Carolyn McCall, CEO at ITV
- Mark Read, CEO, WPP
- Jim Fitterling, Chairman and CEO, DOW
- Anne Richards, Chief Executive Officer, Fidelity International
- Cindy Noble, Chief People Officer, Compass Group USA
- Joe Davis, Managing Director & Senior Partner and Regional Chair, North America, Boston Consulting Group
- Anne Erni, Chief People Officer, Audible
- Keith Barr, CEO, IHG
- David Schwimmer, Chief Executive Officer, London Stock Exchange Group
- Natasha Harrison, Deputy Chair and Managing Partner, Boies Schiller Flexner LLP
Click here to see the full list.
EMPOWER 100 FUTURE LEADERS LIST
Maryse Gordon, Business Development Manager, Data & Analytics at London Stock Exchange Group ranked number one in the EMpower 100 Future Leaders List. When Gordon launched LSEG’s Black Employee Inspired Networking Group in the Americas, she drew on her five years’ experience as Vice Chair of the Women’s Inspired Network New York; replicating the successful framework used to elevate women whilst making the necessary changes for addressing ethnicity challenges.
Alongside the rest of the BEING leadership team, she facilitated numerous initiatives to drive the D&I agenda, working with D&I and HR on areas like unconscious bias training, hiring practices and career development. In just six months, BEING officially signed 100 members and launched 15 events. They also created a platform where colleagues can talk about race; be educated in a safe space; and truly see the challenges facing employees of colour. “Recognising potential and creating a platform that allows people to realise their full potential, both promotes and encourages greater representation in business,” stated Gordon.
The Top 10 Future Leaders include:
- Maryse Gordon, Business Development Manager, Data & Analytics at London Stock Exchange Group
- Teik Tan, Supply Chain Lead, Balfour Beatty PLC
- Ambily Banerjee, Director, Global Regulatory Affairs, GSK
- Reena Chawla, Framework Lead – Public Sector & Co-Chair Cultural Diversity Network, Fujitsu
- Monique Malcolm-Hay, Global Programme Manager, PwC
- Jina Haynes, Vice President, Global Client Services-Client Contracting, Blackrock
- B. Pagels-Minor, Senior Data Product Manager, Netflix
- Derin Bamgbelu, Learning and Development Advisor, GROUPM
- Minal Mehta, Managing Consultant, IBM IX
- Akama Davies, Director, Global Solutions and Innovation at Xaxis, Co-Founder at We Are Stripes, XAXIS
Click here to see the full list.
DISCUSSING RACE AT WORK
A survey to mark the release of INvolve’s annual EMpower Ethnic Minority Role Models Lists, revealed that 65% of professionals are nervous about using the wrong or inappropriate language when discussing race at work. The study also found that 56% of respondents are uncomfortable using the terms ‘Black’, ‘Asian’, ‘BAME’, and ‘Ethnic minority’ in the workplace. Click here to read more.
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