Katarina Fidler (right) with Helena Morrissey CBE, CEO of Newton Investment Management and Chair of Opportunity Now.

22 April 2015

Opportunity Now is the workplace gender equality campaign from Business in the Community.

Over 500 business leaders attended the awards ceremony last night (April 21), hosted by Sky News presenter Dharshini David at the London Hilton Park Lane Hotel. Now in their 20th year, the awards recognise and celebrate public and private sector organisations that are committed to making a difference for women at work.

Katarina won the Champion Award, which recognises a senior level gender/diversity ambassador or champion who has made a significant contribution to advancing, promoting and embedding a diversity culture within their workplace and whose primary job is not in HR or diversity.

Commenting on receiving her award Katarina said: "I was delighted and honoured to accept this prestigious award. Over the years of championing the working mums' agenda as a key enabler to gender diversity I have been surrounded, supported, mentored and sponsored by many Carillion colleagues equally as committed to driving our gender diversity progress.

"I consider this award a true Team Carillion achievement and proof that when we pull together we can make a profound difference to the world around us."

Kathryn Nawrockyi, Opportunity Now Director, Business in the Community, said:"Congratulations to Katarina and Carillion on winning the Opportunity Now Champion Award. The standard of entries this year was incredibly high once again, but Katarina's commitment to developing inclusive cultures made her stand out. Opportunity Now has always stressed that gender equality at work will come from fixing the culture, not the women, and Katarina is making this ethos integral to Carillion's success."

Tony Prestedge, Chief Operating Officer at Nationwide Building Society and Opportunity Now Board member, said: "Katarina and Carillion offer outstanding examples of best practice in supporting women in the workplace, and we would like to congratulate them on her success. At Nationwide, we believe that gender diversity at all levels strengthens teams and improves performance and we are focused on continuing to create an environment in which every employee has the opportunity to thrive in their careers irrespective of their gender. It's great to see so many excellent examples of employers promoting diversity in the workplace."

The evening featured a panel discussion chaired by Dharshini David with Helena Morrissey CBE, CEO, Newton Investment Management and Chair, Opportunity Now and Leonora Saunders, Photographer and Founder of the10% and risingproject. Guests also heard from Kathryn Nawrockyi, Opportunity Now Director, Business in the Community and Stephen Howard, Chief Executive, Business in the Community.

A full list of the winners and finalist organisations is available on the Opportunity Now website.

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