Awards ceremony to reveal Britain’s outstanding black business talent

THE BLACK British Business Awards (BBBAwards), which highlights some of the country’s best talent in a range of fields, has revealed the finalists for its 2020 event.

Winners for each category, as well as the Black British Business Person of the Year will be revealed at the Black British Business Awards Digital Ceremony taking place on October 2.

Campaign

In the run up to the event, the finalists will appear in a campaign of digital events that will also highlight companies which have committed to challenging racial injustice in the workplace.

Organisers of the event said that this year’s finalists had been selected not only for their outstanding personal and professional achievements, but against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement and exemplified the Black British community’s ability to prevail and excel despite adversity.

Melanie Eusebe and Sophie Chandauka, Co-Founders of the Black British Business Awards said: “This year’s finalists are some of the most determined and innovative black leaders in the UK.

Variety

“What particularly shines through is the variety of professions; from a founder of a revolutionary equine nutrition system to a book publisher and Managing Directors at top financial corporations.

“These exceptional individuals should be extremely proud of their achievements, they are inspiring the next generation of black talent to challenge convention and follow in their footsteps. We wish them the very best of luck.”

The finalists for the 2020 BBBAwards are as follows:

Arts & Media Rising Star

Magdalene Abraha – Publisher at Jacaranda Books
Malakaï Sargeant – Director of Theatre Peckham
Nnena Nwakodo – Producer at Bartle Bogle Hegarty

Arts & Media Leader of the Year

Anthony Andrews – Co-founder and Creative Director of We Are Parable
Denise Maxwell – Director and Lead Photographer at Lensi Photography
Gail Babb – Lecturer/Deputy Director of BA Performance at Goldsmith University

Consumer & Luxury Rising Star

Ire Hassan-Odukale – Managing Director at Ikoyi
Rachael Corson and Joycelyn Mate – Co-founders of Afrocenchix
Sarah-Jane Bampoe-Addo – Senior Program Manager at Amazon

SUCCESS: Winners from last year’s Black British Business Awards *(Pic: Steve Dunlop)*

Consumer & Luxury Leader of the Year

Brandie Deignan – Managing Director at Marco Pierre White Restaurants and Black and White Hospitality Ltd
Nigel Olusegun Ogunniyi and Victoria I. Ogunniyi – Co-founders of FAVOUR Catering and Events
Sandra Murphy – Founder of Equidiet UK Ltd

Entrepreneur Rising Star

Ayesha Ofori – CEO and Founder of Black Property Network
Izzy Obeng – Founder of Foundervine
Wilfred Fianko, Stephen Boakye and Peter Olowe – Co-founders of Cornerstone Partners

Entrepreneur Leader of the Year

Julia Senah – Clinical Director of Almond Care Limited
Sanmi Adegoke – CEO of Rehoboth Property International
Trevor Robinson OBE – Founder and Executive Creative Director of Quiet Storm

Financial Services Rising Star

Lewis Sinclair Parry – Associate of Rothschild & Co
Mariolla Baffour – Vice President, Securities Division of Goldman Sachs
Zainab Kwaw-Swanzy – Digital Product Manager at Barclays

Financial Services Leader of the Year

Anulika Ajufo – Head of Investments (Africa and Middle East) and Global Head of Investment Consulting, The Sagana Group
Gavin Lewis – Managing Director, Head of UK LGPS at BlackRock
Kene Ejikeme – Managing Director, Securities Division at Goldman Sachs

Professional Services Rising Star

Alex Alleyne – Strategic Sales Lead at Twilio and Growth IQ
Anthony Ojukwu – Associate at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP
Natalie A Carter – Senior Associate at Greenberg Traurig LLP

Professional Services Leader of the Year

Bennard Owusu – Senior Partner BWF Solicitors
Nnenna Ilomechina – Managing Director and Partner, Strategy, Communications, Media, Tech at Accenture
Segun Osuntokun – London Office Managing Partner at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner

Organisers said that this year’s finalists had been selected not only for their personal achievements, but against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement

STEM Rising Star

Frida Nzaba – Advanced Manufacturing Engineer at Rolls-Royce Plc
Georgia Thompson – Design Coordinater at BAM Nuttall Ltd
Ninarita Williams – Project Manager at Transport for London

STEM Leader of the Year

Dr Abdullahi Sheriff – Executive, Solutions Strategy, Strategic Partnerships & Solutions, Europe at GE Healthcare
Cecil Peters – Executive Director, J.P.Morgan
Obum Ekeke – Global Lead, University Relations & Educational Partnerships at DeepMind
Rachael Palmer – Head of VC and Startup Partnerships, EMEA at Google