The Black British Business Awards (BBBAwards) have announced 2022’s ‘exceptional’ finalists. These awards have been celebrating the outstanding achievements and contributions of Black professionals and entrepreneurs to the UK economy since 2014.
To date, the BBBAwards have showcased over 350 individuals and 80 organisations who are championing Black excellence in business. The awards, celebrating both rising stars and senior leaders, honours outstanding Black business talent in six industry categories. They include arts and media; consumer and luxury; financial services; start-ups; professional services; and STEM.
Previous winners of the BBBAwards include Co-founder of Social Chain and the latest Dragon on Dragons Den Steven Bartlett, award-winning writer Dorothy Koomson and Sir Trevor McDonald OBE. This year’s shortlisted 36 businesspeople include Kené Umeasiegbu, Campaigns Director at Tesco; Patrice Gordon, Director of Commercial Strategy Development at Virgin Atlantic; John McCalla-Leacy, Partner and UK Head of ESG at KPMG, Sean Alleyne, Chief Operating Officer for Credit Suisse AG London; and many more.
BBBA 2022 FINALISTS REVEALED
The complete list of finalists for the 2022 BBBAwards are as follows:
Arts and Media Rising Star
- Ola Christian, Casting Director & Producer, Levile TV
- Yinka Ilori, Founder and Creative Director, Yinka Ilori Studio
- Natalie Morris, Journalist and Author, Freelance
Arts and Media Senior Leader of the Year
- Suzann McLean, CEO and Artistic Director, Theatre Peckham
- Juanita Rosenior, Managing Director, TGRG
- Trix Worrell, Writer and Co-founder, Distant Voices
Consumer and Luxury Rising Star
- Prince Chakanyuka, E-commerce Customer Supply Chain Manager, P&G
- Tahlia Gray, Founder and Director, Sheer Chemistry International
- Ephraim Onyegbule, Director, Ephthebarber Ltd
Consumer and Luxury Senior Leader of the Year
- Patrice Gordon, Director, Commercial Strategy Development, Virgin Atlantic
- Sharon McBean, Owner, Nia Ballerina
- Kené Umeasiegbu, Campaigns Director, Tesco
Entrepreneur Rising Star
- Jessica Elliott, Talent Agent, Jessica Elliott Management Ltd
- Fabio Ussumane Embaló, Chief Executive Officer, Viaduct Generation
- Troy Johnson, Founder, Juici Jerk Ltd
Entrepreneur Senior Leader of the Year
- Connie Barrett, Owner & Director, Kids in Charge
- Tommie Edwards, Founder and CEO, Tedbree
- Gori Yahaya, Founder & CEO, UpSkill Digital
Financial Services Rising Star
- Simeon Greaves, Associate Director, Wealth Manager, Coutts & Co.
- Tracey Ofori-Kumah, Equities Trading, Wells Fargo
- Natalie Ojevah MBE, Eagle Labs Diversity & Inclusion Lead, Barclays
Financial Services Senior Leader of the Year
- Adesuyi Agbede, Chief Data Officer, Wellington Management
- Sean Alleyne, Chief Operating Officer for Credit Suisse AG London, Credit Suisse AG
- Tobi Rufus, Executive Director, Goldman Sachs
Professional Services Rising Star
- Hanna Afolabi, Managing Director and Founder, Mood and Space
- Samuel Aluko, Manager, Business Risks & Controls – Financial Services, PwC
- Vincent Egunlae, Strategic Leadership Team, Assistant Manager, Grant Thornton UK LLP
Professional Services Senior Leader of the Year
- Raymond Evans, Owner and Managing Director, SRI Forensics Limited
- John McCalla-Leacy, Partner & UK Head of ESG, KPMG (UK)
- Amaechi Nsofor, NED, Institute of Directors, and Partner, Grant Thornton UK LLP
STEM Rising Star
- Becky George-David, Product Head, Business Banking Partnerships, J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.
- Ivan Kayima, CEO, Spiela
- Tolulope Oke, Global ID&E Customer Engagement Leader, Amazon Web Services
STEM Senior Leader of the Year
- Kunle Falodun, VP Distribution & Networks, Africa, Sony Pictures Television
- Edmund Reid, Group Head of Corporate Development, Centrica
- Ike Olowoye, Senior Director, Late Oncology Global Portfolio and Project Management, AstraZeneca
DELIVERING EXTRAORDINARY VALUE
“We are proud to reveal this group of BBBAwards finalists that are recognised by industry leaders as individuals who are delivering extraordinary value, demonstrating relevance and criticality to some of the most systemically important global corporations following the cataclysmic events of 2020,” stated Sophie Chandauka MBE, Head of Americas Risk Management and Intelligence at Meta and Chair and Executive Founder of the BBBAwards.
Black creatives are “redefining advertising, music, cuisine, film, art and architecture. Their works have been featured and celebrated in prestigious venues and festivals internationally including the BAFTAs, Cannes, Guggenheim Museum, Somerset House and The Africa Centre”, added Chandauka. “Our entrepreneurs have ceased this moment to pitch for venture capital, digitise their businesses and compete in marketplaces that were previously impenetrable in the pre-George Floyd era. This ninth year of the BBBAwards is simply breath-taking!”
The BBBAwards ceremony will be held in the City of London on 29th September to announce this year’s winners. The ceremony is a key highlight of Black History month in the UK and the celebration is attended by senior business leaders, government officials and prominent Black influencers from all industries. For the third year running, J.P. Morgan will be the Key Partner of the BBBAwards and will retain this role going into the BBBAwards’ 10-year anniversary next year.
DELIVERING MEANINGFUL CHANGE
“We’re proud to sponsor the Black British Business Awards again. They celebrate a remarkable group of people who have made a real impact and driven meaningful change across the industry. Heartfelt congratulations to the finalists,” stated Cecil Peters, Head of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in EMEA at J.P. Morgan.
Category Sponsors include Baker McKenzie, Barclays, Bloomberg, Credit Suisse, Goldman Sachs, P&G, Tranzfar and Wellington Management. Wells Fargo is the 2022 Judging Day Sponsor and the Daily Telegraph will be the BBBAwards’ official Media Partner.
ADVANCING RACIAL & ETHNIC MINORITY PROFESSIONALS
The BBBAwards also leverage its convening power to collaborate with strategic partners and drive cross-company initiatives that focus on the advancement of racial and ethnic minority professionals and business owners in the UK. Interventions that are delivering transformational impact include the Mid-Career Talent Accelerator, Race in the Boardroom, Employee Resource Group Leader eMBA Programme, Facebook Boost and Weber Shandwick ‘RISE’ strategic PR initiative all of which support Black professionals and their representation within all sectors, from the most senior leaders to rising talent, who all make significant contributions to the UK economy.
You can check out last year’s BBBAward winners here.
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