Winners of Black British Business Awards 2022 revealed

Kené Umeasiegbu, campaigns director at Tesco, was named 2022’s Black British Business Person of the Year at an awards ceremony in the heart of London on Thursday evening.

He was recognised for his 20-year career in sustainability across not-for-profit, consultancies and corporations around the world. He joined Tesco in 2013, where he leads public engagement on issues of health, climate change, food waste and plastics.

Mr Umeasiegbu, who is also a trustee of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, had some advice for young black professionals wanting to succeed: “It is 1pc inspiration and 99pc perspiration, that true discipline will help.

“We can always find stories of when things did not work and we had negative experiences, but we can also find stories where we had peers, allies and sponsors supporting us. I think we need to tell more of those stories – that encourages the next generation more.”

The Black British Business Awards, of which The Telegraph is the national media partner, celebrates black talent across the business world, from arts and media to entrepreneurship and financial services.

Judges at Thursday night’s ceremony celebrated the achievements of 36 up-and-comers as well as senior leaders, crowning 15 winners. Those included Natalie Ojevah MBE, who heads up Barclays’ Eagle Labs Diversity & Inclusion programme, and Prince Chakanyuka, P&G’s e-commerce customer supply chain manager.

KPMG’s John McCalla-Leacy was named Professional Services Senior Leader of the Year and Connie Barrett, founder of childcare group Kids in Charge, won Entrepreneur Senior Leader of the Year.

Sophie Chandauka MBE, chair of the Black British Business Awards, said: “This group of finalists is extraordinary because of the pandemic, geopolitical and socioeconomic circumstances surrounding their accomplishments.

“We celebrate this breathtaking group of professionals and entrepreneurs who are competing on the global stage, representing the very best Britain has to offer. They remind us of the importance of self-belief despite the odds; the merit of striving for excellence and the requirement of perseverance.”

“The awards shine a light on a remarkable group of people who are striving to innovate and drive meaningful change,” added Cecil Peters, of key partner JP Morgan. “We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Kené Umeasiegbu and celebrate the success of all this year’s finalists.”

Black British Business Awards 2022 winners

Black British Business Person of the Year

Kené Umeasiegbu, Campaigns Director, Tesco

Arts and Media Rising Star

Yinka Ilori, Founder and Creative Director, YinkaIlori Studio

Arts and Media Senior Leader of the Year

Suzann McLean, CEO and Artistic Director, Theatre Peckham

Consumer and Luxury Rising Star

Prince Chakanyuka, E-commerce Customer Supply Chain Manager, P&G

Consumer and Luxury Senior Leader of the Year

Patrice Gordon,Director, Commercial Strategy Development, Virgin Atlantic

Entrepreneur Rising Star

Troy Johnson, Founder, Juici Jerk Ltd

Entrepreneur Senior Leader of the Year

Connie Barrett, Owner & Director, Kids in Charge

Financial Services Rising Star

Natalie Ojevah MBE, Eagle Labs Diversity & Inclusion Lead, Barclays

Financial Services Senior Leader of the Year

Sean Alleyne, Chief Operating Officer, Credit Suisse International

Professional Services Rising Star

Vincent Egunlae, Strategic Leadership Team, Assistant Manager, Grant Thornton UK LLP

Professional Services Senior Leader of the Year

John McCalla-Leacy, Partner & UK Head of ESG, KPMG UK

STEM Rising Star

Ivan Kayima, CEO, Spiela

STEM Senior Leader of the Year

Ike Olowoye, Senior Director, Late Oncology Global Portfolio and Project Management, AstraZeneca

Influencer of the Year Award

Professor Shirley Thompson OBE, renowned classical composer and musician

Ally of the Year Award

Brian Corr, Head of Market Intervention, Retail Banking Financial Conduct Authority