Some of the most promising rising stars and senior leaders in UK business have made the cut in this year’s Black British Business Awards.

Since 2014 the Black British Business Awards (BBBAwards) has been celebrating the exceptional performance and outstanding achievements of Black professionals and business owners in the UK. In the nine years since the awards were launched, so far, more than 350 individuals and 80 organisations have been honoured as exemplars of UK business in the annual event.

The awards typically take place during the UK’s Black History Month in October, but this year, the ceremony will take place just before on 29 September in the City of London. The celebration is attended by senior business leaders, government officials and prominent Black influencers from all industries.

 

Celebrating the winners of this year’s Black British Business Awards 2020

 

The list of this year’s finalists has just been announced by the Black British Business Awards team. This year’s finalists include Tahlia Gray, Founder and Director, Sheer Chemistry (Consumer and Luxury Star category) Juanita Rosenior, Managing Director, TGRG (Arts and Media Senior Leader of the Year), and Kunle Falodun, VP Distribution & Networks, Africa, Sony Pictures Television (STEM Senior Leader of the Year).

 

Spotlight on Tahlia Gray, founder of Sheer Chemistry

 

The high profile awards, which has seen the likes of Steven Bartlett, the latest Dragon on Dragons DenDorothy Koomson, award-winning writer, and Sir Trevor McDonald OBE as previous winners, will be celebrating its 10-year anniversary next year.

Sophie Chandauka MBE, Head of Americas Risk Management and Intelligence at Meta and Chair and Executive Founder of the BBBAwards said: “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.”

 

“Our 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. Our entrepreneurs have seized 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!”

 

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The full 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
Black British Business Awards
Black British Business Awards 2022 finalists

For more information about the finalists visit the BBBAwards website. 

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