WeQual: Eight Exceptional Women Executives Honoured in EMEA Diversity Awards
15.12.2020 18:17:00 EET | Business Wire | Press release
Eight businesswomen holding prominent executive roles in leading companies in Europe, the Middle East and Africa have been named as winners in the annual WeQual Awards (www.wequal.com/awards).
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201215005796/en/
WeQual EMEA 2020 - Winners (Photo: Business Wire)
WeQual identifies and recognises world-class women executives, one level below the group C-suite, and is designed to promote diversity and gender equality within the group executive committees of EMEA’s largest companies.
The eight winners were selected from a shortlist of 24 finalists. The successful award holders are employed in Aryzta, Bayer’s Consumer Health Division, Bureau Veritas, Fresenius Medical Care, Ooredoo Qatar, Sodexo, Standard Chartered Bank and Unilever.
Katie Litchfield, Founder and CEO of WeQual, says: “WeQual identifies already successful senior women who are qualified to be appointed to the group C-suite. Our mission is to tackle the slow progress in appointing diverse women to executive roles and highlight successes where they occur.
“The glass-ceiling concept has been an issue for decades, and the drop-off is steepest just below the group C-suite, so it is important to champion gender equality at the top.”
The awards come at an important time for women in business. The global Covid-19 pandemic is in danger of pushing back opportunities for women to be appointed to the most senior positions. “The fact that we are able to celebrate the achievements of these women in major companies at this time sets a shining example to others,” says Katie Litchfield.
The winners are:
− Bola Adesola: Senior Vice-Chairman, Africa, Standard Chartered Bank, Nigeria. Head of Region Category.
− Dr Cora Koppe-Stahrenberg: Executive Vice President, Global Head of Human Resources, Fresenius Medical Care, Germany. People Excellence Category.
− Munera AL-Dosari: Chief Strategy Officer, Ooredoo Qatar. Strategy Development Category.
− Patricia Amaro: Digital Hub and E-commerce Director, Unilever, Spain. Digital Impact Category.
− Patricia Corsi: Global Chief Marketing and Digital Officer, Bayer’s Consumer Health Division, Switzerland. Brand Innovation Category.
− Nathalie Pousin: Chief Financial Officer, France, Africa, GSIT, Bureau Veritas, France. Finance Category.
− Petra Melander: EMEA Account Director, Sodexo, Finland. Commercial Performance Category.
− Rebeca Navarro: Chief Transformation Officer for Europe and Head of Procurement, Aryzta, Switzerland. Transformational Leadership Category.
The 24 finalists were assessed against seven criteria: Leadership, Cognitive Ability, Integrity, Drive and Resilience, Equality, Knowledge of the Business, and Personal Development. All candidates were assessed blind with no name or company revealed in their application.
To choose the winners, eight executive interviewers held 30-minute interviews with the three finalists in each category before each choosing a category winner. The judges were:
− Sir Ian Cheshire, Chairman, Barclays UK
− Viswas Raghavan, CEO EMEA, J.P. Morgan
− Warren East, CEO, Rolls-Royce
− Dame Inga Beale, Chairperson, Mediclinic
− Chris O'Shea, CEO, Centrica
− Ron Kalifa OBE, Chairman, Network International
− Tamara Box, Managing Partner EME, Reed Smith LLP
− Tulsi Naidu, CEO, Zurich Insurance Company UK
All the 24 award finalists have been given access to a range of WeQual support services and networks designed to help them make the step up to the group executive level. A quarter of WeQual award winners in the UK and USA have since been promoted to the global executive committees of FTSE and Fortune 500 companies. There are now 96 senior women involved with WeQual globally.
(Ends)
Notes to editors
About WeQual
WeQual's mission is to make businesses more inclusive by identifying exceptional women executives and address the gender imbalance across the world's Group Executive Committees. Katie Litchfield, founder and CEO of WeQual Awards, devised the new platform which calls for women senior executives to build their case as to why they deserve to be appointed to the Group Executive Committee.
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wequal-awards
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/WeQualGlobal
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBpixTLeUsQVjwrivAP9-KA
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WeQualAwards
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wequalglobal
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201215005796/en/
Contact information
Katie Litchfield
katie@wequal.com
Mobile: + 44 7796 147466
UK office: +44 20 3290 3389
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Tacton Named a Leader in the 2026 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for CPQ Applications for the Fourth Consecutive Year27.1.2026 19:00:00 EET | Press release
Tacton, a global leader in Configure, Price, Quote (CPQ) solutions for manufacturers of complex, configurable products, today announced that it has been named a Leader in the 2026 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for CPQ Applications. This marks the fourth consecutive year Tacton has been recognized as a Leader in the report. Among the 16 vendors evaluated, Tacton placed highest in the quadrant on Completeness of Vision and for the second consecutive year is positioned highest in Ability to Execute. Tacton CPQ is designed to support manufacturers selling highly configurable products by helping them: Ensure accurate configuration so every quote reflects valid options and constraints Quote faster with confidence across high-variance portfolios without relying on manual engineering checks Maintain pricing and margin control through consistent configuration and pricing logic This approach supports manufacturers as they manage complexity while meeting buyer expectations for speed and accuracy. “We
CSG Recognized in Multi-Category Trusted Analyst Reports for CPQ, Monetization, and Digital Partner Management27.1.2026 18:05:00 EET | Press release
Communication service providers (CSPs) are under pressure to simplify complexity, monetize new services, and deliver experiences customers trust with speed and accuracy. To succeed, they need partners who can turn quote-to-cash and digital monetization into a competitive advantage, not just a back-office function. Over the past year, CSG® (NASDAQ: CSGS) has achieved multi-category recognition from leading analyst firms for doing exactly that. To CSG, these recognitions reinforce a role as a go-to partner for CSPs looking to move faster, unlock new revenue streams, and modernize their core with AI-powered, telco-specific platforms built for real-world complexity. CPQ Leadership for Complex B2B and B2B2X Monetization CSG Quote & Order continues to stand out for CSPs that need to configure complex offers, quote with confidence, and move from deal to revenue without friction. With Quote & Order, CSG is named: A Challenger in the 2026 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Configure, Price & Quote Ap
ThetaRay Unveils Ray: An Agentic AI Investigation Suite Delivering Faster, More Consistent AML Investigations27.1.2026 18:00:00 EET | Press release
In the face of rapidly evolving global regulatory standards and rising Anti-Money Laundering (AML) scrutiny, ThetaRay today announced the launch of Ray, an Agentic AI AML investigation suite designed to transform how financial institutions conduct transaction monitoring investigations. Embedded in the ThetaRay Investigation Center, Ray extends Cognitive AI from detection to investigation, combining autonomous investigative execution with on-demand analyst support enabling financial institutions to significantly improve case resolution time and bring greater consistency to the investigation process across teams and jurisdictions. Global regulators are converging on higher expectations for investigative quality and documentation. In the European Union, the new Anti-Money Laundering Regulation (AMLR) and the broader AML Authority framework, created a unified rulebook requiring stronger due diligence, more rigorous monitoring and record-keeping, and consistent compliance controls across ju
State Street, in Collaboration with ADIO, to Create 300+ New Jobs With Launch of New Al Ain Operations Hub27.1.2026 17:15:00 EET | Press release
State Street Corporation (NYSE: STT), one of the world’s leading providers of financial services to institutional investors, has signed a support agreement with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) to establish a new operating center in the Al Ain region, Abu Dhabi. The collaboration marks a significant step in State Street’s long-term expansion strategy in the Middle East and UAE and reinforces its role as a strategic partner within the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) ecosystem. As part of its long-term growth plan in Abu Dhabi and aligning to State Street’s global clients’ increasing presence in Abu Dhabi, the new operating hub will create more than 300 financial services roles over the next four years, providing meaningful career pathways for local Emirati talent. In addition, State Street will collaborate with local universities to create career and internship opportunities for graduates, as well as organize training and seminars to help develop the next generation of local young
Andersen Consulting Strengthens Cybersecurity Capabilities with Addition of RedLegg27.1.2026 16:30:00 EET | Press release
Andersen Consulting deepens its cybersecurity offering through a Collaboration Agreement with RedLegg, a cybersecurity firm known for its managed threat detection and advisory services. Founded in 2008 and headquartered in the U.S., RedLegg delivers tailored cybersecurity solutions with a focus on risk mitigation, managed security services, and penetration testing. Its offerings include managed detection and response (MDR), incident response, policy development, and virtual CISO advisory. Serving mid-market clients across finance, insurance, legal, and healthcare, RedLegg combines automation, threat intelligence, and a dedicated Security Operations Center (SOC) to help organizations streamline cybersecurity operations and build long-term resilience. “Our focus has always been on helping clients cut through the noise and prioritize what truly matters — building defenses that actually perform,” said Lynn Weddle, president of RedLegg. “Collaborating with Andersen Consulting expands our ab
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom