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
bet365 Partners with TestMu AI to Accelerate Global Release Velocity with Agentic AI Quality Engineering31.3.2026 20:01:00 EEST | Press release
TestMu AI (Formerly LambdaTest), the world's first full-stack Agentic AI Quality Engineering platform, today announced that Hillside Technology Limited, the technology powerhouse behind global online gambling leader bet365, has adopted its platform to unify software testing and support hundreds of weekly production releases. The global online gaming industry is currently experiencing a massive shift, with the market projected to exceed $150 billion by 2030. As mobile gaming becomes the primary touchpoint for users, the technical complexity of delivering a seamless, low-latency experience has grown exponentially. For industry giants like bet365, the need to validate software across an infinite matrix of hardware, screen resolutions, and OS versions is a mission-critical requirement. This partnership ensures that, as gaming becomes more mobile-centric, bet365 can lead with technical excellence by testing on real-world configurations that mirror its diverse global user base. Founded in 20
IFF Secures First Heart Health Claim for Soy Protein in Australia and New Zealand31.3.2026 17:00:00 EEST | Press release
IFF (NYSE: IFF), a global leader in flavors, fragrances, food ingredients and health & biosciences announced today that a new heart health claim for isolated soy protein has been accepted by the Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ). The approval enables food and beverage manufacturers in Australia and New Zealand to link soy protein consumption with healthy blood cholesterol levels. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260330523416/en/ First heart health claim approved for soy protein in Australia and New Zealand. “For decades, IFF has invested in the science behind soy protein and its role in supporting cardiovascular health,” said Tony Andrew, vice president of protein solutions for IFF Food Ingredients. “This approved claim validates years of rigorous research and collaboration. With our deep expertise in ingredient science, application and scale, we are well-positioned to help our customers translate th
Andersen Consulting Strengthens Capabilities with Addition of Lukkap31.3.2026 16:30:00 EEST | Press release
Andersen Consulting adds collaborating firm Lukkap, a consultancy focused on experience-driven capabilities aligned with clients’ evolving people, customer, and digital transformation needs. Founded in 2009 and headquartered in Spain, Lukkap delivers integrated solutions that help organizations transform how they serve customers, engage employees, and unlock value through behavioral insights and data analytics. The firm’s multidisciplinary approach spans customer journey redesign, high-impact employee experience programs, talent and leadership development, predictive analytics, and comprehensive outplacement and transition services. Lukkap works across sectors — including healthcare, pharmaceutical, consumer goods, retail, finance, and banking — to build human-centered strategies that drive measurable business results. “By combining our experience-led methodology with Andersen Consulting’s global platform, we can accelerate the way organizations approach customer experience,” said Albe
Sub-Q Bionics Closes $1.5M Pre-Seed Round to Advance Next-Generation Solution for Lymphedema Care31.3.2026 16:26:00 EEST | Press release
Sub-Q Bionics, a medical device company developing next-generation solutions to improve care for patients living with lymphedema, today announced the successful close of its $1.5 million pre-seed funding round. The round includes investment from Mayo Clinic and Yeda, the technology transfer company of the Weizmann Institute of Science, as well as several private investors. The Israel Innovation Authority also provided matching funds. The funding will enable Sub-Q Bionics to continue to develop its novel bionic lymph node technology designed to transform how lymphedema is managed, based on scientific innovations from the Weizmann Institute and Shamir Medical Center. The system aims to provide a solution to manage fluid with a subcutaneous implant that will allow patients freedom of movement, automatic fluid management and reduction of symptoms such as pain and swelling. Lymphedema affects millions of patients worldwide, especially breast cancer survivors, and remains significantly under
HTEC Achieves SOC 2 Type II Attestation, Reinforcing Commitment to Client Trust31.3.2026 16:25:00 EEST | Press release
HTECtoday announced that it has successfully achieved a SOC 2 Type II attestation, audited by Deloitte, demonstrating the company’s commitment to maintaining high standards in security, availability, and confidentiality. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260331132225/en/ HTEC today announced that it has successfully achieved a SOC 2 Type II attestation, audited by Deloitte, demonstrating the company’s commitment to maintaining high standards in security, availability, and confidentiality. For clients, this means working with a technology partner whose practices are standardized, consistently executed, and independently verified over time. It reflects a level of operational maturity where security, reliability, and data protection are built into every engagement. Achieving this standard required coordinated effort across the entire organization. Compliance, engineering, delivery, security, IT, legal, and people t
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