The 2018 EMpower ethnic minority executives in the UK and north America were selected on the basis of their seniority and influence. These role models had to be high profile and to have worked to create an environment that brought the best out of black, Asian and minority ethnic employees.

It was important that nominees worked towards this goal above and beyond their day job, which made it hard for judges to consider diversity and inclusions professionals, however deserving.

Ethnic Minority executive

Karen Blackett for Work & Careers

As UK country manager for WPP, Karen Blackett is responsible for the global advertising group’s second-largest market. Faced with the conglomerate’s possible break-up since the April departure of founder Sir Martin Sorrell, she is focused on “business as usual” but inclusion remains a priority: “More diverse companies are more successful and more profitable — fact,” says Ms Blackett. The most senior black woman in UK advertising has set up the UK Inclusion Board to improve diversity at WPP. In her five years as chief executive of MediaCom, the largest UK media agency she now chairs, the percentage of non-white staff rose from 11 to 20 per cent.

EMpower 100 ethnic minority leaders
RankFull NameCompanyJob Title
1Karen Blackett WPP and MediaComCountry manager (WPP), chair (MediaCom)
2Vanessa Kingori Condé NastPublishing director, British Vogue
3Anré Williams American Express Group president, global merchant and network services
4Usha Prashar NationwideNon executive director
5Sanjay Bhandari EYPartner
6Aleida Rios BPHead of upstream engineering
7Michael Sneed Johnson & Johnson Worldwide VP global corporate affairs and chief communications officer
8Tunji Akintokun NSCGlobal vice-president
9Nneka Abulokwe MicroMax Consulting Founder
10Ron Khalifa Worldpay GroupExecutive director
11Sophie Chandauka Morgan Stanley Global chief operating officer, shared services and banking operations
12Leena Nair UnileverChief HR officer
13Naren Patel Primesightchief executive
14Funke Abimbola RocheGeneral counsel and head of financial compliance
15Sandra FederighiStella McCartney Chief financial officer and business services director
16Suzan Kereere VisaHead of Europe merchant sales and solutions
17Jagdeep Rai Barclays Bank Director, head of corporate banking, Heathrow and SW London
18Rupal Karia Fujitsu Fujitsu Head of UK & Ireland, public and private sector
19Piers Linney British Business Bank Non executive director
20Chika Aghadiuno Aviva Group risk strategy and analysis director
21Shirine Khoury Haq Lloyd’s of London Chief operating officer
22Elaine Rogers Northern Trust Senior VP global head of control for operations
23Sarah Lee Slaughter and May Partner
24Suresh Raj Zeno GroupManaging director, global business development
25Renee LaRoche-Morris BNY MellonManaging director and chief operating officer, investment management
26Albertha Charles PwCPartner
27Andrew PearceAccentureManaging director
28Jacqueline Simmons Bloomberg News Executive editor
29Miranda Brawn DaiwaDirector of legal and transaction management
30Dawood Gustave Reluctantly Brave Leader and imagination officer
31Kalpana Shah RiverStoneManaging agency chair
32Mamadou-Abou Sarr Northern Trust SVP director of product development and sustainable investing
33Paris PetgraveWe Love WorkChief executive
34Nazreen Visram Barclays Bank Head of citizenship, corporate banking
35Patrick Vatel BNY Mellon Head of credit management for investment services
36Anit Chandarana Network Rail Finance director, infrastructure projects
37Bridget LeaTelefónica/O2Director of retail, online and omni-channel
38Nathaniel Peat Gennex EliteChief executive
39Tom ShropshireLinklaters Partner, global head of US practice
40Habib Motani Clifford Chance Partner
41Kai Exos Isobar Co-chief executive officer and chief customer officer
42Payal Vasudeva AccentureHuman capital and diversity managing director
43Madhavi ReddyFujitsu MD and head of UK and Ireland presales
44Sarah Nelson Sainsbury’s Group financial controller
45Ajay Khindria IBMStrategic sales leader
46Arlene Isaacs-Lowe Moody’s Global head of corporate social responsibility
47Nilufer von Bismarck Slaughter and May Partner
48Carey Mendes BPRegional business unit leader, global oil
49Gerald Charles, JrUnder Armour VP, Global IT operations and strategy
50 Manroop Singh KhelaSantander UK head of transformation and chief executiveoffice
51Oliemata O'DonoghueHSBCHead of region
52Bansi NagjiMcKesson CorporationExecutive vice-president, corporate strategy & business development
53Amadou DiarraBristol-Myers SquibbVice-president, head of global policy, advocacy and government affairs 
54Christina LiciagaHSBC UKHead of customer service
55Gautam BhattacharyyaReed Smith LLPPartner
56Nimisha PradeepKumarLloyds Banking GroupFinance change director, group finance
57Rocki HowardResource SolutionsClient services director
58Adizah TejaniToken IncDirector of marketing emea
59Segun OsuntokunBryan Cave Leighton PaisnerPartner and board member
60Elizabeth YangLaw & Mediation Offices of Elizabeth YangOwner & founder
61Heather P. Melville OBE CCMIRBSHead of business inclusion initiatives, commercial and private banking
62Pritheeva RasaratnamFinancial Conduct AuthorityHead of pensions, insurance and retail distribution policy
63April CrichlowSAP AribaHead of global customer marketing 
64Jerome HamiltonOpen TherapeuticsCEO
65Geoffrey WilliamsThomson ReutersDirector/Head of D&I Emea
66Alison WaltersFinancial Conduct AuthorityHead of department
67Anbreen KhanDeloitteTax partner
68Tom IlubeCrossword Cybersecurity plcCEO
69Dorothy BurwellFinsburyPartner
70Jatin PatelTSBProducts director
71Quentin RoachMerck & Co., Inc.Chief procurement officer and senior vice-president, GSMG, BD & GWES
72Raoul ShahExposureFounder & Joint chief executive
73Roni SavageJomas AssociatesManaging director
74Rory CampbellJohn Lewis PartnershipPartnership registrar
75Amit SharmaFifth Third BankChief European representative
76Raphael MokadesRare RecruitmentFounder & managing-director
77Sonia SngIntuitDirector, business operations
78Vanessa SmithSAP AmericaRegional vice-president, NA Strategic Customer Program
79Rajesh GuptaSainsbury's bankHead of trading — Argos Financial Services 
80Rob MukherjeeVodafoneHead of north-west regional business
81Raj TulsianiGreen ParkChief executive & co-founder
82Keith BevansBain & CompanyGlobal head of recruiting, partner
83Ukonwa OjoCoty Inc.Senior vice-president, COVERGIRL
84Daniel TaylorMDC GroupFounder/Chief executive
85Ronel LundallMastercardExecutive vice-president Vocalink Delivery
86Raj VermaSodexo Global Corporate ServicesSenior vice-president, Human Resources
87Shawn MilesMastercardExecutive vice-resident, public policy
88Rashik ParmarIBMIBM technical executive — Europe, IBM distinguished engineer
89Yin LuoWolfe Research, LLCVice-chairman
90Emeka OkwuRenaissance Global ConsultingManaging-director/chief executive
91Elsie AkinsanyaCitibankGlobal head of human resources, treasury and trade solutions
92Michelle DelicesSodexo UK & IDirector business improvement and growth & corporate business partner
93Mo HaghbinOppenheimer FundsSVP head of product — Beta Solutions
94Mark MasonCitiCFO, Institutional Clients Group
95Geno LuchmunKaizen ReportingGeneral Counsel
96Sanjeev SharmaM&G Real Estate LimitedChief operating officer
97Colleen WongTechSixtyFourFounder & chief executive
98Mitul ShahDeloittePartner & leader of UK reward consulting business
99Perry JonesDiageo North AmericaSenior vice-president, manufacturing & distillation, supply North America
100Sarah VawdaVawda Associates Managing-director
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2023. All rights reserved.
Reuse this content (opens in new window) CommentsJump to comments section
About this Special Report

Since businesses with more diverse leadership do better than rivals, this report provides a guide on how to employ a more representative workforce. The challenges range from collecting reliable data to providing role models, and eliminating bias in tech used across the economy.

Follow the topics in this article

Comments

Comments have not been enabled for this article.