WEQUAL-GLOBAL
17.11.2020 15:44:08 CET | Business Wire | Press release
Twenty-four female executives of leading EMEA companies have been identified as having the leadership traits for top level C-suite positions. The WeQual Awards (www.wequal.com/awards ) identify already successful senior women who are one level below C-suite, and are aimed at tackling the slow progress in appointing women to executive roles.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201117005907/en/
A quarter of the winners of previous UK and US WeQual Awards have since been promoted to the executive committees of FTSE and Fortune 500 companies.
“The glass-ceiling concept has been an issue for decades, and the drop-off is steepest just below the C-suite, so I launched WeQual to champion gender equality at the top,” says Katie Litchfield , founder and CEO of WeQual.
The EMEA finalists are from a wide range of sectors and companies, including Orange, Unilever, Schneider Electric, Bayer Consumer Health, ENGIE, KCB Group, Sodexo, Enel Group, L'Oréal, Mondi Group, Bureau Veritas, Standard Chartered, Veolia Environnement, Ericsson, Fresenius Medical Care, AkzoNobel, Ooredoo Qatar, Danone, Aryzta.
The 24 finalists were assessed against seven criteria: Leadership, Cognitive Ability, Integrity, Drive & Resilience, Equality, Knowledge of the Business, and Personal Development. All candidates were assessed blind with no name or company revealed in their application.
Eight executive interviewers will hold 30-minute interviews with the three finalists in their category before each choosing a category winner: Brand Innovation, Commercial Performance, Digital Impact, Finance, Head of Region, People Excellence, Strategy Development, and Transformational Leadership.
The finalists will be announced in December 2020.
Among supporters of the awards are Ann Cairns, Executive Chair of Mastercard and Global Chair of the gender equality campaign group ‘30% Club’; Sir Ian Cheshire, Chairman of Barclays; Dame Inga Beale; and Ron Kalifa OBE of Network International. They are part of a roster of well-known C-suite executives who will now choose eight category winners.
Sir Ian Cheshire says: "These awards are among the first to target women at this level. We believe building awareness of these talented people, as well as connecting them to each other, is an important step in improving diversity at top levels of business.”
This senior group of 24 executives will become members of the WeQual Club and join the existing 72 senior FTSE and Fortune 500 female executives.
(Ends)
Notes to editors
Methodology: The eight assessment questions were developed from a research-based meta-analysis of the factors and characteristics that mark leaders as different from non-leaders (Kirkpatrick and Locke, 1991). They were designed to help the women best describe how they deliver on leadership characteristics and how they are seen by others as a leader, and indeed engage people who see them as fit to lead.
About WeQual
WeQual's mission is to make businesses more inclusive by identifying exceptional women executives and address the gender imbalance across the world's Executive Committees. Katie Litchfield, founder and CEO of WeQual Awards, devised the new platform which calls for women senior executives to build their case as to why they are deserving to be appointed to the Executive Committee.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201117005907/en/
About Business Wire
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Regnology Announces Next-Generation Ascend Platform with Agentic AI, Advancing the Future of Regulatory Reporting31.3.2026 08:00:00 CEST | Press release
Enhancements Extend to Regnology Supervisory Hub, accelerating the Straight‑Through‑Reporting (STR) vision Regnology, a global leading provider at the intersection of regulatory, risk, finance and supervisory technology, today announced the evolution of Ascend, the next‑generation Regnology platform. This landmark release introduces a powerful agentic AI layer to the Regnology platform and formally integrates the Regnology Supervisory Hub (RSH) into the Ascend ecosystem. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260330254615/en/ Launched in late 2025, Ascend is the catalyst of Regnology’s Straight-Through-Reporting (STR) vision. The initial rollout empowered financial institutions with RRH Ascend delivering intelligent data governance for proactive quality assurance, predictive insights to anticipate regulatory demands, powerful automation to execute complex workflows, and contextual collaboration for seamless human ove
Lenovo Announces Global Partnership With David Beckham31.3.2026 07:00:00 CEST | Press release
Lenovo today announced a global partnership with David Beckham, bringing together one of the world’s most recognized cultural figures and one of the world’s leading technology companies. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260330443523/en/ Lenovo Announces Global Partnership With David Beckham The collaboration builds on Lenovo’s expanding role in global football, including its position as the Official Technology Partner of FIFA World Cup 2026™ and the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027™. This first of its kind Lenovo partnership will see David Beckham participating in Lenovo’s work on sports-focused AI-driven solutions that are transforming the game for clubs, players, officials, and fans, specifically related to improving performance for teams, creating better experiences for fans, enabling more efficient operations, and driving new revenue streams through AI-driven innovation. As someone who runs his own businesses, D
Union of Kansai Governments: Kansai Deep Tech Ecosystem Gains Global Visibility31.3.2026 02:00:00 CEST | Press release
Platform Update Reflects 20-Place Rise in GSER Ranking The Union of Kansai Governments has refreshed the Kansai Startup Ecosystem portal, strengthening the region’s global communication platform for startups and deep tech. At the same time, the “DeepTech Frontier Kansai” website has also been updated, further enhancing international visibility for Kansai’s rapidly growing deep tech ecosystem. Kansai’s startup ecosystem has demonstrated steady growth in recent years. The ecosystem’s total value expanded from USD 2.68 billion in 2023 to USD 3.23 billion in 2025. In addition, Kansai rose 20 places in the Global Startup Ecosystem Ranking (GSER) published by Startup Genome, climbing from 99th in 2023 to 79th in 2025, and early-stage funding reached USD 124 million. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260330459051/en/ Kansai’s Strength in Deep Tech Kansai represents a rare ecosystem where fundamental research and indust
Merz Aesthetics® Announces EU Approval of Two New Indications for Their Hyaluronic Acid Filler BELOTERO® Balance30.3.2026 22:49:00 CEST | Press release
Merz Aesthetics®, the world’s largest dedicated medical aesthetics business, is pleased to announce that BELOTERO® Balance has received EU approval for two additional indications: the treatment of infraorbital hollow (including the tear trough) and horizontal forehead lines1*. “With these new approvals, BELOTERO® Balance further strengthens its position as a versatile hyaluronic acid dermal filler, with a wide range of approved facial indications1 designed to integrate seamlessly within the skin and deliver predictable, harmonious aesthetic outcomes,” said Dr. Kerstin Olsson, Head of Medical Affairs EMEA. The approval of these two new indications is supported by compelling clinical evidence: In a clinical investigation on infraorbital hollow, 98.9% of subjects demonstrated visible improvement at Week 8, with long-lasting results sustained up to 72 weeks, and no treatment related serious adverse events reported.2 Similarly, in a postmarket investigation on horizontal forehead lines, 82.
Klarna Payments Now Available at B-Parts, Europe's Largest Automotive Parts Website30.3.2026 21:51:00 CEST | Press release
B-Parts is now offering its customers a more personalised and flexible shopping experience, with interest-free payments via "Pay in 3", amongst other Klarna features. Klarna, the global digital bank and flexible payments provider, is joining forces with B-Parts, a leading online retailer of used and original car parts, to offer consumers greater flexibility, convenience, choice and control at the point of payments, with no interest or hidden fees. Through Klarna’s interest-free installment payments, B-Parts customers will benefit from greater flexibility and control over their finances. Klarna also ensures a secure shopping experience thanks to its buyer protection scheme, as well as a range of features such as cashback and deals. "We continue to grow locally, with an increasing number of brands across different sectors recognising the enormous advantage of offering their customers more payment options, those that make for a more convenient and seamless checkout experience," explains I
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom