THE SOMOs™

WINNERS 2026

Judging Panel

The Judging Panel for these prestigious awards is made up of leading figures from business, charity, politics and the public sector. We are pleased to announce that once again the Chair of the Judging Panel will be Sir Kenneth Olisa OBE.

We will be updating this page as more judges are approved, please check it from time to time to see who else will be joining our esteemed panel.

Sir Kenneth Olisa OBE

Sir Kenneth Olisa OBE

Chair of Restoration Partners

Chair of Judging Panel

Jenna Barnes

Jenna Barnes

Director and Head of Recruitment

National Grid

Claire Lund

Claire Lund

Chief Sustainability Officer

National Grid

Hannah Awonuga

Hannah Awonuga

Laura Battley

Laura Battley

Company Secretary & General Counsel PLC

Watches of Switzerland Group

Rukasana Bhaijee

Rukasana Bhaijee

Global Head of DEI

The Financial Times

Nic Budden

Nic Budden

David Carrigan

David Carrigan

Group Director of Diversity, Inclusion & Wellbeing

Sky
Daniel Chan MBE

Daniel Chan MBE

Partner

PwC

Sam Clark

Sam Clark

Customer Affordability & Data Director

Lloyds Banking Group

Steven Cooper CBE

Steven Cooper CBE

CEO

Fairstone Group

John Dickie

John Dickie

CEO

BusinessLDN

Kerry Dryburgh

Kerry Dryburgh

Executive Vice President for People & Culture

bp

Helen Fletcher

Helen Fletcher

UK General Counsel

BNP Paribas

Karen Frizzell

Karen Frizzell

Partner

Hedley May

Joanna Hughes

Joanna Hughes

Founder & Director

Joanna Hughes Solicitor Apprenticeships

Alderman Vincent Keaveny

Alderman Vincent Keaveny

Lord Mayor of the City of London 2021-22

Wendy Lyons

Wendy Lyons

Managing Director

Human Assets

Dimple Mistry

Dimple Mistry

Head, Human Resources (Europe)

GIC

Chris Reeve

Chris Reeve

James Smith

James Smith

Managing Director

Levine Leichtman Capital Partner

Carla Stockton-Jones

Carla Stockton-Jones

Chief Operating Officer

Hometree
Nazreen Visram

Nazreen Visram

Head of Public Sector, Corporate Banking

Barclays

Sarah Whipp

Sarah Whipp

Michael Zdanowski

Michael Zdanowski

Director

Ventures Consulting

The UK Social Mobility Awards is a fundraising initiative for the registered charity, Making The Leap.

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Sir Kenneth Olisa OBE

Chair of Restoration Partners

Chair of the Judging Panel

Ken is Founder and Chairman of Restoration Partners, the boutique technology merchant bank and architects of the Virtual Technology Cluster model Ken’s technology career spans over 30 years commencing with IBM from whom he won a scholarship while at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge University. In 1992, after a twelve years as a senior executive at Wang Labs in the US and Europe, Ken founded Interregnum, the technology merchant bank.

He was elected as a Fellow of the British Computer Society in 2006. He has considerable public company Board-level experience on both sides of the Atlantic. He is currently a director of Thomson Reuter. He is also on the board of The Institute of Directors as a Non-Executive Director. Ken is a Freeman of the City of London; Past Master of the Worshipful Company of Information Technologists; a Director of the Thomson Reuters Foundation; Chairman of Thames Reach (for which he received an OBE in 2010); Chairman of Shaw Trust, was an original member of IPSA (Independent Parliamentary Standard Authority) and Founder and Chairman of the Powerlist Foundation. In 2009, he was named the Sunday Times Not for Profit Non-Executive Director of the year.

Ken was voted number one in the Powerlist’s Top 10 most influential British black people in 2016. In 2015 Her Majesty the Queen, appointed him as her Lord-Lieutenant of Greater London. Ken was knighted for services to Business and Philanthropy in the 2018 New Year’s Honours List.

Claire Lund

Chief Sustainability Officer

National Grid

As our Chief Sustainability Officer, Claire oversees sustainability initiatives across National Grid. She holds over 25 years of experience in sustainability leadership, encompassing energy, facilities, capital, renewables and NGO partnerships.

Before joining National Grid in March 2026, she was Vice President – Sustainability at GSK, where she led the transformation of the company’s global sustainability strategy from design of medicines and vaccines to patient use. Covering >70 countries, 30,000 suppliers and hundreds of locations.

Claire has extensive expertise in sustainability strategy and specifically net zero, nature-positive initiatives, resilient supply chains, large-scale community engagement and non-financial reporting.
Claire frequently led international events and high calibre stakeholder engagements such as COP’s, Climate weeks, investor events and the Sustainable Markets Initiative.

She has been recognised in 2006 by Sustainability Magazines 100 most impactful sustainability leaders, 2025 as the ‘gold’ leader in sustainability by Future/io and Reuters Trailblazing Women in Climate (2024) and named among Sustainability Leadership Magazine’s Top 100 CSOs (2023).

Laura Battley

Company Secretary & General Counsel

Watches of Switzerland Group PLC

Laura Battley is Company Secretary and General Counsel at Watches of Switzerland Group PLC, a FTSE 250 luxury watch and jewellery retailer. Before joining Watches of Switzerland, Laura was Company Secretary and General Counsel at high street retailer New Look, with responsibility for the legal and secretariat teams as well as the wider group compliance functions across the business. Laura was also responsible for ESG at New Look (including diversity and inclusion).

Laura trained and qualified as a corporate lawyer at Magic Circle law firm Slaughter and May and later spent time at Addleshaw Goddard and KPMG, where she was seconded to New Look before joining on a permanent basis.

Rukasana Bhaijee

Global Head of DEI

The Financial Times

Rukasana Bhaijee is a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) leader with over 15 years of experience spanning Media, Technology, Professional Services, and Higher Education. As the Global Head of DEI at the Financial Times, Rukasana spearheads the evolution of the organisation’s DEI strategy, partnering with leaders to turn ambitions into actions.

Prior to her current role, Rukasana drove DEI transformation at Google, where she led the EMEA technology business DEI agenda. Her work was rooted in data-driven strategies, resulting in an increase in women’s representation in tech and enhanced DEI leadership capability in other areas of DEI. Rukasana’s expertise extends to her time as a Management Consultant at EY, where she collaborated with organisations across industries to advance their DEI journeys. Rukasana is driven to empower individuals, build inclusive cultures, and drive systemic change that unlocks the full potential of all talent.

 

Prior to Hometree, Carla had a very successful career at Stagecoach Group, as the UK Managing Director becoming the first woman to lead a UK public transport business. Prior to that she worked at Sky, latterly as Director of Retail and then Director of Home Service – where she transformed the business processes to improve operational performance and deliver sales growth.

Carla was included in the 2021 Role Model for Inclusion Index arranged by Women in Hospitality, Transport and Leisure (WiHTL). The 2022 Inspiring Irish Women in Business review arranged by the Irish Post and recognised on the Northern Power Women 2024 Power List for shifting the dial towards a more gender equal world.
Carla is Chair of the Network of Women of Irish Heritage, A member of the Advisory Board for the UK Social Mobility Awards and Yorkshire Board Member of Maggie’s.

David Carrigan

Group Director of Diversity, Inclusion & Wellbeing

Sky

David joined Sky from Live Nation/Ticketmaster, where as Director of Diversity he worked across 40 international markets.

Previously, he was the Head of Equality Strategy at Citizen’s Advice, headed Legal Affairs at the Commission for Racial Equality, and lead National Policy at the Housing Corporation/Homes and Communities Agency (HCA).

David has also held advisory roles to the College of Policing and served as a Board member for a Human Rights Charity.

David was the first member of his family to complete his secondary education and worked as an apprentice Gas Engineer after leaving school. He was fortunate to be able to study at night school before attending the University of Nottingham. He is an alumni of Druids Health and is a proud Brummie. He is married with two daughters and lives in Surrey.

Sam Clark

Customer Affordability & Data Director

Lloyds Banking Group

Sam has been part of Lloyds Banking Group since 2004; working across our International, Business, Commercial, and Consumer Banking businesses.

Since 2022, Sam has been the Consumer Lending, Customer Affordability and Data Director; helping customers understand what they can safely borrow; transforming how the bank assesses customer affordability for more digital-centric journeys; and helping us serve customers better through data. His team is responsible for developing and building ‘Your Credit Score,’ an online tool that provides over 12m registered customers with information about how they can improve their creditworthiness; and what they can borrow, before having to apply.

Steven Cooper CBE

CEO

Aldermore Bank

An established CEO and Non-Executive Director with extensive experience of leading and growing UK and international banking, payments & wealth businesses; delivering transformational strategic change and large technology & digital programmes. Steven has a reputation as a leader who builds outstanding leadership teams and transforms organisation culture.

Steven is currently CEO of Aldermore Group and Executive Committee member of First Rand Group (Africa’s largest bank). He is leading a strategic repositioning of the UK based mid-sized multi-specialist financial services group. This includes a significant, multi-year investment programme, overhauling the culture, leadership, technology and target market of the organisation including inorganic activity.

Prior to Aldermore, Steven served as CEO of C. Hoare & Co. He led the modernisation of the UK’s oldest private bank. Significant growth was achieved as a result of new digital capabilities, new customers and the introduction of diversified revenue streams.

Steven spent the majority of his career at Barclays PLC; he held several executive roles including CEO Personal Banking UK & Europe. CEO UK Business Banking and CEO Barclaycard Business & global payments. During his time at Barclays, Steven developed a reputation for transforming large scale business through digital technology, cultural change and a relentless focus on customers.

Steven’s current non-executive portfolio include Cashflows (a PE backed payment scale-up business) where he chairs the RemCo, Audit and Risk committee and Chair of Experian UK PLC. He has recently stepped down from the global recruitment company Robert Walters PLC where he served for 6 years.

Steven is an advocate for greater social mobility across society; he is a regular speaker on the challenges faced by disadvantaged groups. He leads by example, creating apprenticeship schemes and opportunities for those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Kerry Dryburgh

Executive vice president for people & culture and chief human resources and communications officer

bp

Kerry is bp’s executive vice president for People & Culture and the company’s chief human resources and communications officer. As a key enabler of business delivery, Kerry and the People & Culture team are discovering, developing, and empowering 80,000 employees across six continents to progress and communicate bp’s strategy and create a culture of purpose, winning, and care that grows the value of bp.

Kerry was appointed to her role in 2020, as bp began its transformation from an international oil company to an integrated energy company. Under her leadership, bp is building and enabling a culture and environment that encourages and supports everyone to perform at their best – and is delivering on its sustainability aims and DE&I framework.

Across internal and external communications, DE&I, talent, reward, wellbeing, and workplace, Kerry’s teams protect and advance bp’s reputation, invest in the communities where we live and work, and develop programs that build the next generation of talent, regardless of background.  

Kerry began her career with an apprenticeship, and then worked across a range of sectors across Europe and Asia before joining bp in 2010.

Helen Fletcher

UK General Counsel

BNP Paribas

Helen is the General Counsel for the UK at BNP Paribas, the international banking group, where she heads a team of 180 lawyers around the UK. During the course of her career with the BNPP group, Helen has held roles within Legal and front office teams. Prior to joining BNPP, Helen started her career with City law firm Herbert Smith Freehills, followed a role at a US investment bank in the front office securitization and real estate finance team.

She is a graduate of the University of Cambridge, a qualified solicitor in England & Wales, and in Ireland, as well as a Certified Bank Director.

A passionate advocate for social mobility, diversity and young people, and has served as a trustee of children’s charity Chance UK since 2021.

Joanna Hughes

Founder & Director

Joanna Hughes Solicitor Apprenticeships

Joanna is the Founder and Director of Joanna Hughes Solicitor Apprenticeships. A driving force in setting up this company was to improve socio-economic diversity in the legal profession. Prior to 2022, Joanna was a solicitor for 25 years in a large international law firm and co-led the introduction of solicitor apprenticeships there. In her role as a Member of the City of London Law Society Training Committee she is working with the Chair of that Committee, as Co-CEOs of 'City Century, to greatly increase the number of solicitor apprenticeship opportunities available in the City of London.

In May 2021 Joanna was appointed to join the Taskforce to boost the socio-economic diversity at senior levels in UK financial and professional services, as a Working Group member, and was nominated by the Mayor of the City of London for the Freedom of the City of London for her work in the Taskforce. She is now a Liveryman of the City of London Solicitors' Company.

Joanna holds a number of judging and advisory roles including with The Sutton Trust and UCAS, and she is one of the Patrons of the Multicultural Apprenticeship Alliance.

She is also the proud recipient of UK Social Mobility Awards 2020 Mentor of the Year Award!

Alderman Vincent Keaveny

Lord Mayor of the City of London
2021-22

Alderman Vincent Keaveny was Lord Mayor of the City of London in 2021/22. He is a Partner in the international law firm, DLA Piper, advising on finance and debt capital markets transactions in the UK and Europe.

In 2014/15 he served as President of the City of London Law Society. He is a graduate of University College Dublin (BCL) and Trinity College, Dublin (MLitt), holds a Doctorate of Science (honoris causa) from City, University of London and is an Honorary Bencher of Gray's Inn.

Vincent’s Mayoral theme - People and Purpose - championed a purpose led and people focused UK FPS sector. He co-chaired the Socio-Economic Diversity Taskforce and currently chairs Progress Together, the financial services membership body promoting greater socio-economic diversity in the industry.

He is the senior independent trustee of the Sir John Soane's Museum, chairs the board of the vocal ensemble, Exaudi, and is a director of Actors Touring Company.

Wendy Lyons

Managing Director

Human Assets

Wendy is an Occupational Psychologist and a chartered member of the British Psychological Society. She runs a talent management consultancy, Human Assets, based in central London. Wendy helps organisations to access, secure and benefit from the full diversity of talent.

Wendy has worked with a wide range of organisations in private, public and not for profit sectors and has led high profile projects in government departments and the private sector where the imperative has been to increase the diversity of applicants and recruits. She has also designed development initiatives to help people from underrepresented groups progress. She has extensive experience designing and delivering bespoke assessment and development initiatives at all levels within the organisation from graduates to Boards of Directors. Wendy co-authored ‘Holding on While Letting Go: A Director’s Guide to Contemporary Talent Management’ and enjoys contributing to public debate on business issues, her comments have featured in The Times, The Observer, Sky News as well as various industry publications.”

Dimple Mistry

Head, Human Resources (Europe)

GIC

Dimple Mistry is the Head of Human Resources for Europe at GIC, with over 20 years' HR experience. In this role, she is responsible for leading the full spectrum of the HR function across GIC’s European region, including talent strategy, leadership development, organisational culture, and employee engagement.

Dimple has played a central role in shaping GIC’s people agenda for the region, overseeing the expansion of the regional talent base and embedding a high-performance, inclusive culture. She is instrumental in aligning HR strategy with GIC’s long-term investment mission, helping to attract, retain, and develop diverse talent in a competitive global market.

In addition to her HR leadership, she co-leads GIC’s regional Social Impact efforts, where she champions initiatives that partner with key charities and initiatives that drive community impact and engagement. Outside of GIC, Dimple is interim Board Chair of the humanitarian charity, Go Dharmic and HR Board member at UKSIF. She also serves on the Diversity Project’s Steering Committee and holds Board Advisory roles at Reboot and City Hive Academy.

Rooted in her British, East African, and Indian heritage - and informed by lived experience - Dimple brings a deeply intersectional lens to her professional and community roles. She is a Chartered Fellow of the CIPD and was awarded the Freedom of the City of London for her contributions to the industry.

Chris Reeve

Chris was formerly the London Regional Chair at PwC working with some of PwC’s priority clients, local organisations and with communities throughout London. Born in Middlesbrough with a background in professional services firms, Chris has been a partner at PwC for 17 years working with Private, Listed and International businesses varying in size from startups to the worlds largest. Recently joined the board of the Community Interest Company supporting Brigade Bar & Kitchen, a Social Enterprise hub offering training opportunities to vulnerable people and those in danger of homelessness.

A sponsor of the Female Executive Mentoring programme which provides 1:1 Executive level mentoring to help women from public, private and third sectors to achieve their aspirations and build future Boards and leadership teams that reflect the diverse communities we live in. Chair of the London leadership Board of Business In The Community (BITC) working with 20 senior leaders in tackling some of the biggest challenges in London such as skills development, levelling up and Climate change.

James Smith

Managing Director

Levine Leichtman Capital Partner

James is a Managing Director at private equity firm, Levine Leichtman Capital Partners (LLCP). He has nearly 20 years of experience helping companies scale; mostly as a private equity investor at LLCP and Advent International. Previously he was a management consultant at Bain & Company and an advertising executive within the WPP group.

Carla Stockton-Jones

 

 

Carla is just back from a year in Africa building The Spark Foundation, a charitable foundation supporting ambitious young entrepreneurs in Nigeria with the funding, guidance, and tools they need to build sustainable and successful businesses.

Prior to that she was Chief Operating Officer at Hometree , where she led the group’s UK operations with responsibility for overseeing daily operations, m&a integrations and growth.

With over 20 years’ experience leading organisations across retail, broadcast media and transport and energy, Carla specialises in operational delivery, leadership, business development and sustainability. She has extensive experience in the development of strategy and delivery of significant change; this includes digital transformation, cross-sector innovation and collaboration.

Prior to Hometree, Carla had a very successful career at Stagecoach Group, as the UK Managing Director becoming the first woman to lead a UK public transport business. Prior to that she worked at Sky, latterly as Director of Retail and then Director of Home Service – where she transformed the business processes to improve operational performance and deliver sales growth.

Carla was included in the 2021 Role Model for Inclusion Index arranged by Women in Hospitality, Transport and Leisure (WiHTL). The 2022 Inspiring Irish Women in Business review arranged by the Irish Post and recognised on the Northern Power Women 2024 Power List for shifting the dial towards a more gender equal world.
Carla is Chair of the Network of Women of Irish Heritage, A member of the Advisory Board for the UK Social Mobility Awards and Yorkshire Board Member of Maggie’s.

Nazreen Visram

Head of Public Sector,
Corporate Banking

Barclays

Nazreen joined Barclays in 2005 and currently leads a national team of industry specialists delivering banking services to the charity, education, and local and central government sectors. She has played a key role in maintaining Barclays' leading position in the charity sector through innovation, thought leadership, and deep industry expertise. Previously, she led Barclays' Citizenship strategy, increasing colleague engagement by 20%, supporting climate-focused product development, and delivering the bank's first Modern Slavery conference for businesses.

Nazreen is an active champion of diversity, inclusion, and sustainability, serving on several internal and external advisory groups. She has been widely recognised for her leadership, including being named among the Financial Times' Top 100 Ethnic Minority Role Models and receiving multiple awards for her contributions to diversity and inclusion. A Chemistry graduate from King's College London, she is passionate about empowering women and advancing socioeconomic inclusion.

Michael Zdanowski

Director

Ventures Consulting

Michael is a strategic advisor to leading global organisations across a range of sectors including energy, industry and technology, and is an expert on coalition building and how to build public advocacy campaigns. Among other roles, he currently acts as Chair of the UK's Fusion Industry Taskforce.

He is passionate about the potential of innovation and technology to decarbonise the economy and has led international campaigns to convince complex stakeholder audiences of the benefit of that change. He is committed to promoting diversity and inclusion in organisations having seen the benefits to businesses of social mobility and diverse thinking.

Michael has worked for several leading international consultancies and has lived, worked and studied across Europe. He has a PhD in European history from the University of Leeds and a Masters' degree from the College of Europe in Warsaw, Poland.