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
EcoOnline Recognised as a Leader in Verdantix Green Quadrant: EHS Software 2026 for Third Time21.9.2026 19:43:00 EEST | Press release
EcoOnline, the global provider of software that transforms how organisations protect people and the planet, has been recognised for the third consecutive time as a Leader in the independent Verdantix Green Quadrant: EHS Software 2026 report, with market-leading strength in Safety Management. The assessment evaluated leading vendors of environmental, health and safety software vendors across a range of capabilities and customer buying signals. Verdantix recognised EcoOnline’s strength in the areas organisations rely on to protect workers every day: Safety Management, Chemicals Management, AI-enabled Training and Contractor Safety. It reflects the changing needs of EHS buyers, who are increasingly looking for integrated platforms that connect everyday safety with broader operational risk and crisis preparedness. EcoOnline achieved the highest score for Safety Management, reflecting the breadth of the platform’s capabilities across the processes organisations use to identify, mitigate, ma
rhode Announces the Return of Limited Edition Favorites and New Exclusives at Sephora Across Europe and the U.K.21.9.2026 16:00:00 EEST | Press release
rhode, the beauty brand founded by Hailey Rhode Bieber and part of e.l.f. Beauty (NYSE: ELF), has announced that two community-favorite Peptide Lip Tints and a new Sephora-exclusive bag will launch at Sephora across Europe and the U.K. to celebrate the brand’s launch into Sephora in Europe on September 30, 2026. These items will join the brand’s assortment of high-performance skincare and hybrid makeup. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260921199856/en/ rhode announces the return of limited edition favorites and new exclusives at Sephora across Europe and the U.K. To mark the occasion with Sephora across Europe and the U.K., rhode is offering early access to purchase fan-favorite, previously limited edition Peptide Lip Tint in Pretzel at Sephora in Europe and the U.K. on the brand’s launch date September 30, before the product joins rhode’s permanent assortment globally on rhodeskin.com on October 1 and at all r
Pierre Le Manh to Step Down as PMI President and CEO21.9.2026 15:45:00 EEST | Press release
Project Management Institute (PMI), the leading authority in project management, today announced that Pierre Le Manh has decided to step down as President and Chief Executive Officer, effective September 30, 2026. Johannes Heinlein, Chief Growth Officer, has been appointed Interim President & Chief Executive Officer of PMI, also effective September 30, 2026. Pierre Le Manh joined PMI in September 2022. During his four-year tenure, he led the development and execution of PMI’s current strategy, strengthened its leadership team, expanded its capabilities through acquisitions and partnerships, and positioned PMI for a profession being rapidly transformed by artificial intelligence and a greater focus on project success. “On behalf of the Board, I want to thank Pierre Le Manh for his leadership and his commitment to PMI,” said Ike Nwankwo, Chair of the PMI Board of Directors. “PMI has a clear strategy, a strong leadership team and significant momentum. Pierre leaves the organization well p
Lenovo and Schneider Electric Partner to Bring Decarbonization Tools and Expertise to IT Channel Partners21.9.2026 15:10:00 EEST | Press release
Lenovo today announced that Schneider Electric, a global energy technology leader, will join Lenovo 360 Circle as a strategic ally to bring decarbonization expertise and management tools directly to IT channel partners. Lenovo 360 Circle is Lenovo’s global sustainability community, bringing together channel partners worldwide to collaborate on shared challenges, accelerate sustainability transformation, and turn sustainability ambitions into business opportunities. Through its Allyship program, Lenovo 360 Circle connects partners with leading technology and industry organizations to enable collaboration and provide access to specialized expertise that helps partners accelerate their sustainability goals. As its newest strategic ally, Schneider Electric will bring its Decarbonization Champion initiative to the community, giving eligible members access to carbon management tools and hands-on support from Schneider Electric Advisory Services specialists to measure their emissions, identif
Serbian Biotech Startup Takes Its Journey from Belgrade to Cambridge with Documentary on Longevity Science21.9.2026 14:02:00 EEST | Press release
BioEridan, a Serbian biotechnology startup backed by Telekom Srbija Group’s TS Ventures Fund, has premiered a new documentary showcasing its development of underwater Aquafarms and its ambition to contribute to the next generation of longevity science. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260921345879/en/ BioEridan Documentary Premiere BioEridan: Science Beneath the Surface premiered in Belgrade on September 15 before being screened the following day at a UK-Serbia Health, Digital Transformation & Innovation roundtable held at Christ’s College, University of Cambridge, as part of Cambridge Tech Week 2026. The roundtable brought together prominent representatives from the UK and Serbia across science, healthcare, technology, academia and business to discuss opportunities for collaboration, innovation and the commercialisation of scientific research. The documentary follows BioEridan’s development from an early scien
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