RECOGNISING the best of ethnic minority talent and thought leadership, the annual GG2 Leadership & Diversity Awards 2023 by Asian Media Group (AMG) in association with Pladis took place at Park Plaza hotel in Central London last night (7).
Now in their 24th year, the GG2 Leadership and Diversity Awards celebrated the achievements of Britain’s minorities & organisations working in the ED&I sector.
In all, 23 awards were presented in the evening.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was presented with the top award – the GG2 Hammer – this is presented to someone who has smashed the proverbial glass ceiling.
Sunak became the first person of colour to lead the country when he took office following Conservative colleague Liz Truss’ dramatic resignation in October, following the economic turmoil, sparked by her proposal to slash taxes at a time of huge economic strain on the UK’s finances. Sunak was elected to the position by his parliamentary colleagues. And in doing so, he embodied the prediction made in 2014, at the same awards, by predecessor David Cameron that there would be a Conservative Asian prime minister in his lifetime.
Sunak sent a video message saying he was privileged and honoured to receive the GG2 Hammer and quipped that his parents had wanted him to become a doctor – but becoming prime minister and winning the GG2 Hammer might finally placate them. Many Asian communities take pride in their offspring, entering the professions and medicine, engineering and law are all regarded as sensible career choices.
Away from the more general awards, like the GG2 Hammer, organisations and individuals were specially recognised for their role in promoting ED&I.
The 2023 GG2 ED&I Initiative Award which is presented to an organisation for an outstanding and impactful ED&I initiative went to JTi (Japan Tobacco International).
JTi, part of the Japan Technology Group and a leading international tobacco and vaping manufacturer, that is spread across 130 countries follows a simple mantra. It is to see and hear people who work for it, and everyone signs up to take part in a 30-minute virtual or face to face chat every month. A staggering 80 per cent of management roles are filled by people who already work for the company. This has accelerated change within the organisation and created a better working environment.
Trailblazing Arsenal CEO Venkatesham was recognised for not only being the youngest ever head of a Premier League football club but also the only one from an ethnic minority background as he collected the GG2 Man of the Year award. He is passionate about equality and his senior executive team will be 50:50 male/female by the end of the season.
Ayesha Vardag, President of Vardags Solicitor bagged the GG2 Woman of the Year. She is known as ‘Britain’s top divorce lawyer’. Vardag has worked on some of the country’s most high-profile divorce cases. It was through her campaigning and sheer determination that led to the ground-breaking 2010 supreme court ruling that ensured pre-nuptial agreements had validity in Britain with eight out of nine supreme court judge’s ruling in her favour.
The 55-year-old has built her firm Vardag’s into one of the most respected family law firms in the country, breaking through in a traditionally male dominated profession.
Anisa Missaghi, Chief Corporate Affairs and Communications Officer, Pladis won this year’s GG2 Diversity Champion of the Year, award, which is presented to an individual for outstanding work in putting diversity at the heart of the organisation’s agenda and for tirelessly championing the values of equality, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace and beyond.
Missaghi has been at the very forefront of changing workplace culture to be more inclusive, supportive, and nurturing – allowing people to be themselves and thrive. Along with CEO Salman Amin – Missaghi has created awareness of Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion, throughout the whole company. She arranged speaking events and helped to foster inclusivity and openness.
Mondelez International won the GG2 Diversity Employer of the Year 2023 award for championing diversity and inclusion in the workplace, making demonstrable progress in diversifying their talent pool and creating an inclusive working environment.
The firm, which is well-known for its brands as Oreo, Riz and LU, as well as Cadbury, Milka and Toblerone to name just a few, this snack company has created “an incredibly enlightening” programme which tackled unconscious bias, has trained more than 500 to be aware of it, and promote diversity in a practical way, by dealing with microaggressions, white privilege and performative activism.
The GG2 ED&I Award for Excellence in Education is awarded to an organisation operating in the education sector for championing diversity and inclusion in their workplace, making demonstrable progress in diversifying their talent pool and creating an inclusive working environment. The Regent Group has been going for a few years and has consistently focused on reaching out to diverse communities and those unfamiliar with higher education. The focus of Regent is on improving people and their skills through education and has always held social mobility and diversity very close to its heart.
Gregory Cohn from the charity Seeds for Growth received the GG2 Blossom Award, which is presented to an individual or organisation for outstanding work in the community promoting wellbeing and community spirit. Their Greening Communities initiative has had a huge impact on well-being for local underprivileged communities.
The Full List of Winners as follows:
The awards are hosted by the Asian Media Group, Britain’s biggest Asian publishing house with a stable of market leading titles which include Garavi Gujarat and Eastern Eye news weeklies, as well as Asian Trader and Pharmacy Business magazines.
The awards were sponsored by the British Army, Daily Mail, Morningside Pharmaceuticals, Royal Air Force, Maniyar Capital, Hearst UK, and Royal Horticultural Society. The gala dinner is the leading event celebrating the success of ethnic communities in Britain.
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