The inaugural Inclusion In Awards unveiled this year’s most inspiring and inclusive leaders, teams and organisations in the hospitality, travel, leisure (HTL) and retail industries.
Hosted at London’s iconic Indigo at The O2 and presented by the well-known diversity advocate June Sarpong OBE on 5th November, the event celebrated standout achievements in creating more equitable and inclusive workplaces across these industries. This awards ceremony, powered by WiHTL and Diversity in Retail, marked a significant step forward for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) within HTL and retail. With over 200 entries in its debut year, the Inclusion In Awards highlighted the impressive dedication these sectors are showing in fostering inclusive environments.
“Receiving over 200 entries in our inaugural year is a powerful testament to the dedication and commitment to advancing inclusion across the hospitality, travel, leisure and retail industry,” said Tea Colaianni, Founder and Chair of Inclusion In. “Each winner represents a gold standard of excellence in their category, embodying an unwavering passion and desire to drive real change.”
2024’S INCLUSION IN AWARD WINNERS
Here’s a roundup of the top winners who are setting new standards in DEI within HTL and retail, by category:
Most Impactful Social Mobility Project
- Winner: Pret A Manger with The Pret Foundation
- Highly Commended: The Wave Bristol
Most Inclusive Marketing Campaign
- Winner: Hilton
Best Business-Business EDI Collaboration Award (sponsored by AlixPartners)
- Winner: McDonald’s
Best Business-Charity or Not-for-Profit EDI Collaboration (sponsored by AlixPartners)
- Winner: The Tent UK Collaboration Network
Most Impactful EDI Programme or Initiative (sponsored by Teneo)
- Winner: Grow and Move Talent Strategy, Costa Coffee
Most Impactful Employee Resource Group in HTL (sponsored by AEG Europe)
- Winner: TUI Caribbean and African Network, from TUI UK and Ireland
Most Impactful Employee Resource Group in Retail (sponsored by The MBS Group)
- Winner: Every M;nd Counts group, QVC UK
EDI Maturity Curve Awards
- Employee Journey: Nando’s
- Leadership: Hilton
- Stakeholders: Sodexo
- Most Progress for 2023-2024: Bourne Leisure
Most Inclusive CEO in HTL (sponsored by Redgrave)
- Winner: Ken McMeikan, Moto Hospitality
Most Inclusive CEO in Retail (sponsored by The MBS Group)
- Winner: Simon Roberts, Sainsbury’s
Most Outstanding EDI Professional in HTL (sponsored by Hospitality Jobs UK)
- Winner: Jane Grammer, Dorchester Collection
Most Outstanding EDI Professional in Retail (sponsored by sapia.ai)
- Winner: Ben Jackson, Wickes
Role Models for Inclusion
- HTL (sponsored by Redgrave): Yasmin Mukhida-Olushola, Whitbread
- Retail (sponsored by Q5): Zee Botchway, Wickes
EDI Teams of the Year
- Organisations with under 5,000 colleagues: ODEON Cinemas Group
- Organisations with over 5,000 colleagues: Whitbread (Winner), Sodexo UK & Ireland (Highly Commended)
Most Inclusive Chair
- HTL (sponsored by Russell Reynolds Associates): Deanna Oppenheimer, IHG
- Retail (sponsored by Russell Reynolds Associates): Martin Scicluna, Sainsbury’s
Most Inclusive CPO in HTL (sponsored by Farient)
- Winner: Juliett Cattermole, David Lloyd Clubs
Most Inclusive CPO in Retail (sponsored by Q5)
- Winner: Sarah Dickins, Central Co-op
These awards are more than just trophies – they reflect the exceptional commitment and innovative practices that leaders and teams are championing across HTL and Retail. From impactful social mobility projects to pioneering EDI initiatives, the awardees are setting the gold standard for inclusion and equity in their sectors. For a full list of all shortlisted individuals and organisations, click here.
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