Supported by Yahoo Finance, the list recognises efforts to champion inclusivity of ethnic minorities in business and beyond.
We’re incredibly proud to announce that Debbie Ellison, Chief Digital Officer of our UK agency, has been named an Ethnic Minority Executive in this year’s EMpower Ethnic Minority Role Model List.
Supported by Yahoo Finance, this highly prestigious annual list celebrates 100 business leaders breaking down barriers at work and working to smash the ceiling for ethnic minorities in the UK, Ireland, and people of colour in the US and Canada.
Debbie joins a powerful line-up of people including Ajay Banga, President and CEO, MasterCard; Punit Renjen, CEO, Deloitte Global, and Rachael Palmer, Head of VC and Startup Partnerships, Google.
Debbie has said, “I’m incredibly humbled and proud to stand alongside such inspiring people. I’m passionate about our industry and being able to help uplift its diversity means a lot to me personally. An incredible level of support from agency grass roots through to UK, regional and global leadership means we all have confidence to make positive impact to communities in the business and outside too”.
All 2020 ethnic minority role models were nominated by peers and colleagues.
The nominations were then reviewed by EMpower’s judging panel. Each person was scored on the influence of their role, their impact on ethnic minority inclusion inside and outside the workplace,and, their business achievements.
Judges included Ashok Vaswani, Global Head of Consumer Banking & Payments, Barclays; Dame Vivian Hunt, Managing Partner, McKinsey & Company; Nina Vaca, Chairman & CEO, Pinnacle Group; Paul Polman, Co-founder & Chair, IMAGINE; Linda Yueh, Economist, Author and Broadcaster; Karen Blackett, UK Country Manager, WPP & Chairwoman MediaCom UK & Ireland; Lianna Brinded, Head of Yahoo Finance UK; and Suki Sandhu, Founder & CEO, Involve.
Commenting on the award, Michelle Whelan, CEO of Geometry UK, said: “Thanks to Debbie’s leadership and focus we’ve been ahead of the curve in our journey for equality. We actively monitor over 50 activities across 4 key areas in the business to attract, develop and retain BAME talent. Taking action is important and we’re thrilled Debbie is leading the charge and recognised in this way.”
Named Industry Shaper by the global Women in Marketing Awards 2019, and voted an IPA Woman of the Future in 2016, Debbie is one of a handful of female Chief Digital Officers in the industry. She is pioneering transformational changes through people-first, technology solutions enabling clients to drive growth.
Debbie sits on WPP’s Inclusion Board and on the steering committee of WPP Roots, championing greater ethnic and cultural diversity across WPP operating companies.
Over the past 18 months, Debbie has launched Geometry Roots and The Incubator, an “agency within an agency” experience encouraging students from a BAME background to pursue careers in creativity, technology and advertising.
She is a member of Inspiring the Future, a UK government initiative connecting professionals with students. Debbie has lectured at Condé Nast Design College, Cambridge university and speaks regularly at schools.
Dive into further details and the full list here.