Attest sponsors Burberry British Diversity Awards for third year running

We knew that tickets to such an amazing event are in high demand, so we asked Attesters to nominate their Attest DEI champions. Reading through the nominations, it was great to hear what Attesters do every day to make Attest a more inclusive place to work. 

The British Diversity Awards were established three years ago by trailblazer Linda Riley. Linda is a leading LGBTQ+ activist who uses her platform to empower the LGBTQ+ community. Attest has been involved with the British Diversity Awards since the very beginning. The awards align with our company ambitions – we aim for Attest to be a business that acknowledges and learns from our collective differences, and celebrates diversity in all its forms. Our vision is for a truly equitable workplace where every Attester experiences a sense of belonging every day. It is also a great opportunity to learn about, and network with, businesses and charities with similar ambitions. 

This year Attest sponsored the Outstanding Commitment to Diversity Award which recognises the outstanding achievements of an individual who has gone above and beyond to make the world a better place specifically in the field of diversity and inclusion. The award went to Bob Bakish from Paramount Pictures. According to Bob: “We strive to make diversity, equity and inclusion part of who we are – etched into the fabric of our workforce and culture, seen in the content we create and the partners we work with, and always reflecting the audiences and communities we serve.” 

Bob is in great company. In 2023 Phyll Opoku-Gyimah won the same award. Phyll is a political activist known for her work for racial, gender and LGBTQ+ equality. She is also the cofounder of UK Black Pride and it was great to see her on stage this year presenting the Global Diversity Initiative Award to Teens in AI who believe in harnessing technology to create a fair world where everyone has equal opportunity to maximise their potential. 

In 2022 Peter Tatchell was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award sponsored by Attest. Peter is a veteran gay rights activist who has been campaigning for equality for over 50 years. It has been such a privilege to present awards to true DEI champions over the last few years. 

Unfortunately Bob was not available on the day so the award was presented to Marva Smalls, Global Head of Inclusion at Paramount by our very own Sonali Pinder, Senior Sales Development Representative. Marva has also been integral to Paramount’s DEI efforts, but she was mindful that “we know there is more work ahead of us, but we are committed to this shared journey.” Something that we at Attest completely agree with.

Alongside the awards where we got the opportunity to hear some truly inspirational stories and recognise the phenomenal impact organisations are having in the world of DEI. We also enjoyed the entertainment from Duncan James and Simon Webbe from Blue. 

At Attest, DEI is really important to us and we have taken many steps to create an inclusive environment but we know that there is so much more to do. We would love to hear what is working at your organisation and if you have any questions about what we have been doing, please reach out to [email protected].