By Business & Finance 
Now in its third year, the Diversity, Equality & Inclusion Award, in association with Indeed, was established as part of the Business & Finance Awards programme to recognise a company with Irish operations that is at the forefront of improving the lives of its employees, while also enhancing the civic environment in which they operate
Now in its third year, the Diversity, Equality & Inclusion Award, in association with Indeed, was established as part of the Business & Finance Awards programme to recognise a company with Irish operations that is at the forefront of improving the lives of its employees, while also enhancing the civic environment in which they operate.
The Diversity, Equality & Inclusion Award will be awarded to a company that can demonstrate a holistic and long-term commitment to Diversity, Equality & Inclusion (D,E&I) within its culture. The company must be able to highlight its DE&I strategy and how it has positively impacted on its business. Judges will be looking at aspects such as the leadership’s commitment to diversity (e.g. appointing a Chief Diversity / Equality Officer), representation of diversity at all levels of the organisation, equal access to opportunity, fair treatment practices, and diversity education and training.
Bank of Ireland were the inaugural recipients of the Diversity, Equality & Inclusion Award, for publicly committing to equal gender representation, through a comprehensive range of initiatives, establishing a multi-cultural network that actively celebrates the diversity of ethnicities in the group, supporting colleagues with physical or mental health challenges, and for their Pride LGBT+ network which has introduced new policies such as ‘Gender Identity and Transitioning at Work’ and all-gender inclusive language.
Vodafone won the prize at the 2020 awards for the Vodafone Ireland LGBT+ Friends Network, dedicated to celebrating LGBT+ pride in their business, the MARC (Men Advocating Real Change) allies workshop, which aims to give senior men and emerging leaders from Vodafone the tools that they need to be visible, proactive and committed to advocacy of equality and diversity in Vodafone, and the TecSOS initiative that seeks to support victims of domestic abuse.
Gala Awards Ceremony April 2022
On 12th April 2022, the Awards Programme will welcome the executive business community to the Convention Centre Dublin to honour the businesses leaders and corporations that have persevered across an extraordinary 2021. The Gala Awards Ceremony will include contributions from a range of Irish and International business, political and social leaders.
In 2019, Dalata Plc was the recipient of the ‘Company of the Year’ award. Pat McCann, the company’s CEO, in an interview with Business & Finance, said winning ‘Company of the Year’ gave Dalata the “stamp of approval,” and helped them view their business objectively: “The problem is that when you’re in a business, you’re always looking at it from an inside view, but what do people on the outside think of your business? So of course when you get something like this, it does give you a little bit of a pep in your step to continue on and to actually improve what you’re doing.”
Ian Hyland, publisher of Business & Finance, welcomed the launch, saying: ‘The 2021 Business & Finance Awards Programme will embrace and reflect the dynamic global market in which Irish businesses operate, particularly in a post-COVID world. This year’s awards will follow and recognise outstanding entrepreneurs, business leaders and leadership teams on their journey into what is now a new normal for business’ “
Nominations
Nominations for this year’s Awards Programme are now open until 12th November. Nominations are chosen as part of the Business & Finance monthly acknowledgements of Company of the Month, Business Person of the Month and FDI of the Month as well as nominations from our judging panel. If you wish to submit a nomination contact you can find the nomination form on the website
The award ceremony holds an important date for Irish business and political leaders as we recognise those paving the way for business excellence on the Island of Ireland. To attend the gala awards ceremony please contact aideen.buggy@businessandfinance.com.
