Alex is CEO of Ten Lifestyle Group, the world’s leading lifestyle concierge service. Alex has grown Ten from a bedroom start-up in 1998 to a firm using world-leading tech and with over 1,000 employees globally, which helps financial institutions and other premium brands to attract and retain wealthy and mass affluent customers.
Our 2022 awards – the details
The 2022 awards
On 17th November 2022, the 24th Annual Awards for Achievement celebrated some of the amazing talent in UK financial services, as well as corporate initiatives progressing diversity and inclusion and establishing new industry best practices.
Capably hosted by Kate Thornton, broadcaster and journalist, and Anna Lane, WIBF’s President and CEO, we were also delighted to welcome Amanda Blanc, Group CEO of Aviva and the UK Government’s Women in Finance Champion, as well as Sandy Begbie CBE, Chief Executive of Scottish Financial Enterprise (Scotland’s trade body for financial services). Alison Harding-Jones, Vice Chairman of EMEA Banking, Capital Markets and Advisory and Head of EMEA M&A represented our headline sponsor, Citi, who also sponsored our awards alumni dinner. We would also like to thank all out sponsors, supporters and judges, amongst others.
Our award winners
Award for Achievement
Shortlisted:
- Charlotte Weir, Wells Fargo
- Debbie Walker, Tesco Bank
- Elaine Kealy, TD Securities
- Elvira Keen, Santander
- Manda Vadher, Citi
- Yael Selfin, KPMG
Inclusive Leader Award
Shortlisted:
- Helen Krushave, Tesco Bank
- Lucille Ankrah, EY
- Mary Macpherson, EY
- Mita Dave, KPMG
- Nina Driscoll, EY
- Noeleen Cowley, KPMG
- Richard Hammell, Deloitte
- Rob Ritchie, Wells Fargo
Future Leader Award
Shortlisted:
- Harriet Kuzemko, KPMG
- Hermione Storey-Macintosh, KPMG
- Igne Alisaukaite, KPMG
- Jessie Ofei, KPMG
- Kavita Rai, KPMG
- Meredith Reynolds, Wells Fargo
- Rachel Joe, TD Securities
- Sharniya Ferdinand, NatWest Group
Tech Leader Award
Shortlisted:
- Debra Webster, LSEG
- Felicia Meyerowitz Singh, FNZ
- Karishma Panda, Capgemini
- Louise Brett, Deloitte
- Maria Shevchenco, KPMG (now LSEG)
- Sian Walker, EY
Mentor of the Year Award
Shortlisted:
- Julian Hartley, Tesco Bank (now Secure Trust Bank)
- Maria Dramalioti-Taylor, Beacon Capital
- Martin Fiddaman, Martin Fiddaman Associates
- Mike Eaton, KPMG
- Salim Tharani, KPMG
- Tatiana Lazareva, Wells Fargo
- Yuliya Kryzhanovska, Credit Suisse
Volunteer of the Year Award
Shortlisted
- Samantha Carnley
- Victoria Pringle
- Rachel Harbers
- Ruth Armstrong
- Jennie Koo
- Steph Fishburn
- Rachel Joe
- Rachel Seymour
- Christina Stavrou
- Chloe Hickey-Jones
Best D&I Innovation Award
Shortlisted:
- Barclays
- Capco
- Coutts & Co
- KPMG – SheSan
- Macquarie
- PA Consulting
Positive Impact Award
Shortlisted:
- KPMG
- Natixis Investment Managers
Best Returners Programme Award
Shortlisted
- Capco
- Lloyds Banking Group
Best SME D&I Innovation Award
Shortlisted:
- City Hive
- Wider Thinking
Access our 2022 awards brochure
Read the details behind the 24th Annual Awards for Achievement
Our judges
Andrew is Global Head of Research across the whole Institutional Clients Group (ICG) at Citi and a member of Citi’s ICG management committee with a broad mandate to coordinate and develop original content across the whole of the firm. He has 30 years’ experience in the financial services industry and has been at Citi since 1996.
Anne Marie is Managing Director, Marketable Assets, at University of Cambridge Investment Management Limited, which she joined in 2020. Previously, she was with GIC, a sovereign wealth fund, where she spent 12 years as a senior vice president and global equities portfolio manager.
David is the Chief Transformation Officer at specialist SME lender Cambridge & Counties Bank, responsible for the bank’s change function and the continued evolution of its people, process, technology and data capabilities. Prior to this David has worked at EY and in various senior roles across Lloyds Banking Group.
Dominie established The Return Hub in 2016. She has 20 years’ experience in the financial sector, 16 of which in Executive Search. The Return Hub is a leading financial services executive search and advisory firm designed to fill a significant gap in the recruitment market, which works with FTSE 100 companies to SMEs in the financial sector to help them build diverse teams at the mid and senior level from a hard-to-find talent pool.
Felicia is a growth focused tech innovator, with a specialisation as a fintech and wealthtech leader and entrepreneur. She has extensive experience in launching client centric propositions driven by innovation, market strategies and partnerships, working in global regulated corporate and start-ups.
Grace is the Founding Director of The Inclusion Initiative and an Associate Professor at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Grace is an economist and her research is focused on quantifying the benefits of inclusion within and across firms, as well as designing interventions that level the playing field for under-represented talent within firms.
With a career spanning over 40 years, Heather brings a wealth of experience across corporate and international banking, technology, and most recently in professional services, which positions her to advise leaders on both the challenges and opportunities in building commercially strong and inclusive businesses.
Jina is the Managing Director for Corndel Advance, developing and executing the strategies for Corndel’s bespoke leadership and data training programmes. With significant previous senior executive experience, Jina has an innate understanding of the challenges her clients face, and what it means to lead and run a top-flight business, in a changing marketplace.
Lorna has almost 30 years’ experience within financial services which includes over 15 years in progressively responsible financial leadership roles covering finance, strategy, regulation and technology. A fellow and member across various chartered bodies, she has held NED roles for small organisations utilising her financial, strategic and risk management expertise.
With over 25 years’ experience in financial markets, business transformation and application of new technologies in banking, Sabrina founded Kore in 2017. She has held senior roles at JP Morgan Chase, Barclays, Coutts and RBS and is actively involved in the entrepreneurial and FinTech communities, both as a strategic adviser and as an investor.
Samantha started her teaching career in 1999 as a teacher at Reading Blue Coat School, where she stayed for a number of years. She then joined King’s Canterbury as a housemistress and teacher. Her next post was Deputy Head at Hereford Cathedral School before she became Head of Godolphin in 2010. She moved to Benenden as Head in 2014.
Prior to joining Scottish Financial Enterprise as its chief executive in October 2020, Sandy had led the development of the Scottish Government’s Young Person’s Guarantee, which had followed an 18-month contract at Tesco Bank as the Chief Transformation Officer. Before this Sandy spent almost nine years at Standard Life Aberdeen in a variety of leadership roles.
Sophie Kennedy is the Joint Chief Executive Officer of EQ Investors (EQ). As Joint CEO, Sophie overseas EQ’s investment management operations, including its discretionary fund management business. A diversity champion, Sophie regular supports female inclusion in investment management and is also Co-Head of WIBF's Next Generation Stewardship Hub.
Sue leads EY’s Financial Services Practice in Scotland and is the Managing Partner for the Edinburgh office. She has been with EY for 34 years. Sue is on Scotland’s Financial Services Growth and Development Board (FiSGaD) and is on the board of Scottish Financial Enterprise (SFE), where she was recently appointed Deputy Chair.
Tanya is the CEO at GAIN following a career in investment banking, investor relations and running a diversity and inclusion programme. Passionate about increasing the number of women in investment management, she is a member of the CFA UK Inclusion & Diversity Network committee.
Our hosts & speakers
Kate is a journalist and television and radio presenter, who has hosted some of television’s biggest shows, including the X Factor, The Royal Variety Performance, Loose Women and This Morning. Kate currently hosts the hit podcast White Wine Question Time, which sees her asking famous guests three thought provoking questions, over three glasses of wine.
At 21, Kate became the youngest ever and first female editor of pop magazine Smash Hits, before working as a Contributing Editor at the Sunday Times and Marie Claire magazine. In 1997, Kate began her second career in television on the ITV current affairs’ programme Straight Up, and has also hosted talk shows and documentaries on Radio 2.
Kate is conscious of the need for women to take control of their financial futures and is also involved in The Wisdom Council’s Yes She Can programme.
Anna is CEO and President of Women in Banking & Finance and passionate about gender equality. She is also the founder and CEO of The Wisdom Council (TWC), where she focuses on delivering strategic, innovative and actionable strategies to improve consumer engagement and financial awareness. TWC is a partner with the London School of Economics to support WIBF’s Accelerating Change Together research programme.
Anna recently sat on the Money and Pensions Service – Gender and Financial Wellbeing Challenge, bringing a gender lens to the UK Strategy for Financial Wellbeing. In 2019, Anna launched the cross-industry Yes She Can initiative, focusing on closing the gender gap
in pensions and investments. Prior to launching TWC, Anna ran a specialist consultancy and has worked in the City for over 20 years in senior roles at JPMorgan and Morgan Stanley.
Amanda Blanc is the Group CEO of Aviva, the UK’s leading insurance, wealth and retirement business. Amanda was born and bred in Wales, having grown up in the Rhondda Valley, and many of her family still live there. She started her career as a graduate at one of Aviva’s ancestor companies, Commercial Union. Following success in senior executive roles across the insurance industry, she came back to Aviva as CEO in July 2020. Amanda was formerly Group CEO at AXA UK, PPP & Ireland and CEO Europe, Middle East, Africa & Global Banking at Zurich Insurance Group.
In 2021, Amanda was awarded the Women in Insurance Outstanding Achievement Award. Amanda was recognised in the Forbes list of the World’s 100 Most Powerful Women in 2021 and 2022. In 2022 Amanda was named Insurance Personality of the Year at the British Insurance Awards.
In 2020, Amanda led the Government’s independent review into flood insurance and in 2021, she was appointed by HM Treasury to the role of Women in Finance Charter Champion and has worked with Bain & Company to design an industry-first blueprint.
Alison Harding‐Jones joined Citi in 2017 as Vice Chairman of EMEA BCMA (Banking, Capital Markets and Advisory) and Head of EMEA Mergers & Acquisitions. She is responsible for leading Citi’s M&A activities across the region including strategy, senior client relationships and leading transaction execution. Prior to joining Citi, Alison spent more than 25 years at S.G. Warburg/UBS.
From 2015 to 2017 Alison was Head of UBS M&A Advisory business for the APAC region based in Hong Kong. Alison ran UBS CEEMEA Investment Banking business from 2013 to 2014.
Sandy Begbie CBE was appointed Chief Executive of Scottish Financial Enterprise in October 2020. Prior to joining SFE, Sandy led the development of the Scottish Government’s Young Person’s Guarantee following an 18-month contract at Tesco Bank as the Chief Transformation Officer.
Sandy was responsible for the Global People, Organisation and Culture Integration following the successful merger of Standard Life and Aberdeen Asset Management in 2017. Before the merger Sandy was the Chief People Officer and Lead Executive for China and Hong Kong for Standard Life for eight years and also led the turn-around of Standard Life’s Chinese Joint Venture.
Sandy holds several non-executive positions including Chair of Career Ready, Chair of Place2Be Scotland and a Trustee on the National Place2Be Board, Chair of Young Person Guarantee and Chair of DYW (Developing the Young Workforce).
Sandy was awarded a CBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List in August 2018 for services to business and social inclusion.