The finalists of the 2021 Black British Business Awards (BBBAwards) have been announced. Shortlisted are 39 remarkable Black professionals from across the United Kingdom who have not only been selected for their outstanding professional achievements, but for the personal work they are doing to defy stereotypes and reshape the business world around them. Winners for each category, as well as the Black British Business Person of the Year, will be revealed at the Black British Business Awards Virtual Ceremony taking place on 7 October 2021.
Ash-Lee James Managing Director at Weystone Financial told Andover Radio, “It’s hard to put into words how it feels to be a Black British Business Awards finalist but it’s a great honour and one of my proud moments. It’s incredible to be an example of how far the Black community has come as a people. Seeing Black people in roles and occupations that twenty, thirty, forty years ago weren’t prevalent is truly empowering. As a child and more importantly in the influential teenage years, I didn’t have those professional role models in my life growing up which is why the BBBAwards provides such a fantastic platform to help inspire the next generation to follow in our footsteps”.
The BBBAwards are also delighted to reveal that the theme of the 2021 Virtual Ceremony is ‘ Amplify’ . After a turbulent eighteen months of the Covid-19 pandemic ; it’s disproportionate impact on Black communities; the revival of the Black Lives Matter movement and the recent racist incidents that surfaced after the Euros football final, it is vital that we stand together to celebrate the economic and cultural contributions Black people make to the UK economy. The BBBAwards will ‘ Amplify ’ Black voices, careers and stories from a range of industries, highlighting their diverse and dynamic work.
Sophie Chandauka, Executive Founder and Chair of the Black British Business Awards said: “After an extraordinarily challenging year, I am thrilled that for the eighth year running we are highlighting the resilience and abundance of brilliant, Black talent in Britain. Our finalists have delivered tremendous commercial value across sectors in volatile markets where entrepreneurs, in particular, have been decimated. They have been strategic advisors to their companies and boards as global corporations are challenged by investors to address systemic racism. Despite the pandemic and social unrest, they are fiercely competitive and remarkably ambitious, creative and commercially savvy, leveraging technology as their differentiator. They are global in their outlook and ambition and represent the very best of being British in a post-pandemic, post-Brexit Europe.”
Once again, J.P. Morgan will be the Key Partner of the Awards. Sponsors also include Barclays, Baker McKenzie, Cisco, Goldman Sachs, The Executive Leadership Council, The Economist Group and Wellington Management. Wells Fargo were the Judging Day sponsor and The Daily Telegraph is the national media partner for this year’s Awards for the fifth year running.
The 2021 BBBAwards will distinguish exceptional business talent into six industry categories, which celebrate both Rising Stars and Senior Leaders.
The finalists for this year’s awards are as follows:
Arts & Media Rising Star
● Ahava-Shaffra Gray-Read, Senior Reputation Manager at KFC UK and Ireland
● Chanelle Harrigan, Data Strategy Associate Director at Essence
● Hannah Chukwu, Assistant Editor at Penguin Random House
Arts & Media Senior Leader of the Year
● Liara Barussi, Artistic Director/Founder at Jukebox Collective
● Miya Knights, Global Content Strategist at Poq Commerce
● Taponeswa Mavunga, Director of Africa at Sony Music UK
Consumer & Luxury Rising Star
● Samantha Newell and Alesha Bailey, Co-Founders at YARD + PARISH
● Simone Sargeant, Commercial Director, EMEA at McCormick
● Vese Aghoghovbia, Founder & Creator-in – Chief at Philly & Friends
Consumer & Luxury Senior Leader of the Year
● Alexandria Dauley, Creative Director at Dauley Designs
● Salome Ahenkora, CEO at Chigwell Tours & Visits and Concept Consulting RMT
● Silika Shellie, Head of Future Brands at Sainsbury’s Entrepreneur Rising Star
● Alessandra Madubunyi , Director at WE are COCO
● Dr Ewoma Ukeleghe, Doctor & Company Director at SKNDOCTOR C/O The Skin GP LTD
● Dr Opemiposi Adegbulu & Taiwo Adegbulu, Co-Founders at Omolola Jewellery
Entrepreneur Senior Leader of the Year
● Claudine Reid MBE, Director at PJs Community Services Ltd
● Edgar Chibaka & Jamal Tahlil, Co-Founder’s and Directors at First Response Group Ltd
● Michael Kouri-Bent, Managing Director at Metropolitan Care Solutions
Financial Services Rising Star
● Ash-Lee James, Managing Director at Weystone Financial
● Janet Onyia, Project & Programme Manager at Accenture
● Jordon Clarke, GCM/Syndicate Global Ops Project Lead at Morgan Stanley
Financial Services Senior Leader of the Year
● Alwin E. Swales, Partner at PwC
● Kyle Williams, Managing Director & Senior Counsel – Legal Department at Goldman Sachs
International
● Lara Oyesanya, General Counsel at World Remit
Professional Services Rising Star
● Jason Raeburn, Partner at Baker McKenzie
● Josh Olomolaiye, Senior Manager, Banking Audit at KPMG LLP
● Samuel Lawrence, Director at CBRE
Professional Services Senior Leader of the Year
● Akima Paul-Lambert, Litigation Partner at Hogan Lovells
● David Frederick, Managing Director and Founder at Marcus Bishop Associates
● Lindsey N. Stewart, Head of Stakeholder Engagement at Financial Reporting Council
STEM Rising Star
● Esther Odekunle, Senior Scientist Antibody Engineer at GlaxoSmithKline
● Nina Nduwayo, Data Scientist at Ravelin Technology
● Nnamdi Emelifeonwu, CEO at Define
STEM Senior Leader of the Year
● Gareth Dauley, Executive Vice President at Pacific Green Technologies
● Gnilane Gueye-Turpin, Executive Director at J.P. Morgan
● Uzoamaka Nwamarah, Adviser, Climate Change at The Commonwealth Secretariat, UK
