By Ciara Corcoran, Irish Centre for Diversity

Nov 17, 2023- The National Diversity & Inclusion Awards 2024 (www.NDIawards.ie) has announced the finalists for the annual celebration of progress on Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) in Ireland.  From over 150 submissions, six finalists in each of the Awards’ 11 categories have made the shortlist after impressing the judging panel with their outstanding work with D&I. 

Presented by the Irish Centre for Diversity (irishcentrefordiversity.ie), #NDIA2024 will recognise and reward the top people and initiatives making an impact in this vital area at a gala evening on Thursday 8 February 2024 in the Dublin Royal Convention Centre.

Highlighting D&I’s place as a top business priority – the awards are supported by established leaders in D&I – many hold prestigious Investors in Diversity – Ireland’s premier D&I accreditation.  AIB, Aon, Cpl, Laya healthcare, Matheson LLP, Musgrave, National Lottery and PublicJobs.ie have returned for a second year and are joined by An Post, ESB Ireland and IDA Ireland.  To ensure the integrity and impartiality of the awards, the sponsors and the Irish Centre for Diversity team have no involvement in the judging process.

The judging panel once again features leaders and experts in the D&I field.  Margot Slattery, Global Head of Diversity & Inclusion at ISS returns as the Chair and is once again joined by Mamobo Oguro, the multi-award-winning social psychologist and founder of Gorm; Maria Walsh, MEP; Siobhan Sweeney, Senior Director of Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging – Element Materials Technology; Adam Harris, Founder & CEO – As I Am; Gavin Hennessy, Senior Diversity & Inclusion Manager – AXA Ireland; Shane O’Brien, Senior Manager & Regional Senior Lead HR – MongoDB; Simon Myciunka, CEO – Bauer Audio UK; Stephen Cluskey, CEO – Mobility Mojo and they are joined by Siobhán Cafferty, Implementation Manager – Generation Change/Careers After Conviction and Jed Dowling, Festival Director Dublin LGBTQ Pride CLG.

Professor Doyle was nominated by the UCD Smurfit Inclusivity Club, a student-led initiative, for her work in championing gender equality.

“We proudly nominate UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School for the Advancing Gender Equality Award, recognizing their extraordinary efforts to advance gender equality and inclusivity. UCD Smurfit School has embarked on an impressive journey aimed at eradicating obstacles, instituting equitable practices, and championing inclusive programs. Their relentless dedication has ushered in a profound and far-reaching transformation in the sphere of gender equality.

Year 1 EMBA Class: A Milestone Achieved

The 2023 Executive MBA (EMBA) cohort at UCD Smurfit School is carving a significant chapter in its history. A ground-breaking milestone has been reached, as for the very first time, the Year 1 EMBA class boasts a higher female enrollment than males. The 2024 EMBA Class includes 59.5% females in the class cohort. This remarkable shift stands as a momentous achievement in advancing gender balance and equity within the program. 

Full-time MBA: Above International Averages

Not only is the EMBA program experiencing this ground breaking shift, but the Full-time MBA program is also exceeding international averages when it comes to gender representation. At 42% women, the Full-time MBA class showcases the school's commitment to gender diversity, surpassing the global average and setting a remarkable example for business education worldwide.”

NATIONAL DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION AWARDS 2024 FINALISTS

Diversity & Inclusion Leader / Emerging Leader Award kindly sponsored by AIB

• Aoife Flood, PwC Ireland
• Donal O’Shea, Public Participation Network
• Emer O’Donovan, FBD Insurance
• Maria O’Kelly, Vision Ireland,
• Martin Kay, texthelp,
• Gerardine Doyle, University College Dublin

 Advancing Race / Ethnicity Equality Award kindly sponsored by An Post

• Carelon Global Solutions Ireland
• EY
• Medtronic
• Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
• SSE Thermal
• TikTok

 Advancing Disability Equality Award kindly sponsored by Aon

• Allianz Ireland
• Bank of Ireland
• Dalata Hotel Group
• Hays
• Houses of the Oireachtas Service
• South Dublin County Council

 Company of the Year Award kindly sponsored by Cpl

• Grant Thornton Ireland
• Hays
• Mr Price branded Bargains
• MUFG Investor Services
• Nestlé
• Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland

 Advancing Gender Equality Award kindly sponsored by ESB

• Allianz Ireland
• Car Trawler
• Core
• Glenveagh Properties
• KPMG
• PM Group

 Advancing Social Inclusion Award kindly sponsored by IDA Ireland

• Central Bank of Ireland
• Deloitte
• Mr Price Branded Bargains
• Penneys (Primark)
• Solas
• Valeo Foods

 Outstanding Employee Resource Group Award kindly sponsored by Laya healthcare

• A&L Goodbody
• Broadlake
• Eli Lilly
• Health Information and Quality Authority
• PTSB
• Tata Consultancy Services

 Outstanding Diversity Initiative Award kindly sponsored by Matheson LLP

• Abbvie
• Irish Life
• McKesson
• National Treasury Management Agency
• Nestlé
• Provincial Security

 Employee of the Year Award kindly sponsored by Musgrave

• Cara Daly, South East Technological University
• Christina Haney, DBFL Consulting Engineers
• Emilia Ruiz, Irish Rail
• Liz O’Donovan, Bus Éireann
• Marina Alves, Brown Thomas Arnotts
• Natalia Riscovaia, Carelon Global Solutions

LGBTQ+ Inclusion Award kindly sponsored by The National Lottery

• Atlantic Technological University
• Brown Thomas Arnotts
• Bus Éireann
• Core
• EY
• Medtronic

 Public Sector Organisation of the year Award kindly sponsored by PublicJobs.ie

• Central Bank of Ireland
• Department of Foreign Affairs
• Houses of the Oireachtas Service
• Irish Rail
• SEAI
• Solas

Margot Slattery – Global Head of Diversity & Inclusion at ISS and Chair of NDIA2024 judging panel comments: “Enormous strides are being made with D&I in Ireland and – as a life-long advocate for Inclusion – I’m excited to see the initiatives that are being brought to fruition.  I look forward to recognising their achievements and I’m grateful that these awards will give a platform to inspire others to follow their lead.”

Caroline Cummins – Managing Director, Irish Centre for Diversity comments: “Everyone benefits when best practice on D&I is shared.  Thank you to everyone and all the organisations that entered the National Diversity & Inclusion Awards.  The high standard of submissions gave our judges the difficult task of arriving at the shortlist, so very well-deserved congratulations to all the finalists.  We are looking forward to celebrating the best influential, innovative, and inspiring people working in Diversity & Inclusion in Ireland when the winners are announced in the new year.”

Further information and tickets available at www.NDIAwards.ie

 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION AND MEDIA ENQUIRIES, PLEASE CONTACT

Andrew Campbell-Edie, Communications Manager – Irish Centre for Diversity

E: andrew@irishcentrefordiversity.ie  T: 086 127 8701

About Irish Centre for Diversity

The Irish Centre for Diversity works in partnership with organisations across Ireland to help them embed Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) in all they do. We want organisations to do more than just tick boxes; we want them to transform the workplace environment to one, which is equitable and inclusive. Our services include the highly-prestigious Investors in Diversity accreditation, which is Ireland’s premier holistic framework for improving progress across all areas of Inclusion and belonging.

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