The owner of Legoland and Alton Towers is now sponsoring the 海角视频 Black Talent Awards.
Poole-headquartered Merlin Entertainments, which is Europe's largest theme park operator, has an inclusivity ethos 'Everyone Matters at Merlin' and is aiming towards creating and sustaining an inclusive environment.
The 海角视频 Black Talent Awards, which took place at Birmingham鈥檚 Edgbaston Stadium on September 28 is now in its second year. The awards spotlight exceptional Black professionals who serve as role models across diverse industries, ranging from marketing to finance, FMCG, and the public sector.
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Among this year's award recipients were Trevor Sterling who made history as the first Black senior partner in a Top 100 海角视频 law firm; Leon Donald who spearheaded sustained efforts to enable Tesco to become the 海角视频's largest private sector employer to drive fair and equitable representation for the Black community in key areas; Christina Brooks who is changing the profile of key decision-makers within some of the world鈥檚 biggest corporates through her work in executive resourcing; and Nik Muchatuta who has worked tirelessly to promote diversity and inclusion within the nuclear energy sector through her initiative, REIN (Racial Equality In Nuclear).
The event saw Merlin's managing director for midway attractions, Rob Smith, make a keynote speech. Over the last two years, Merlin has nearly doubled the number of employees from ethnic minority backgrounds in leadership roles at a team leader level and above.
Mr Smith said: "Merlin Entertainments stand as a proud sponsor of the Black Talent Awards again this year. As we celebrate excellence and innovation, we extend our heartfelt congratulations to all the remarkable winners of the evening; your achievements are a testament to limitless possibilities. We believe that diversity and inclusion are not just principles to uphold, but the vibrant threads that weave the fabric to success. Through this partnership, we celebrate the boundless potential and extraordinary achievements of Black talent, while reaffirming our commitment to fostering a world where every unique voice is heard and celebrated.鈥
Denise Myers, founder of the Black Talent Awards and chief executive of recruitment agency Evenfields and Evenfields Community, added: 鈥淗omogenous narratives of career and entrepreneurial success need diversification. Young Black talent needs to see role models who are relatable and who are succeeding on terms that they can identify with. This year鈥檚 winners include individuals who have gone on to forge lives very different from the one in which they came. These awards celebrate the remarkable feats of those who have triumphed, despite the disadvantages posed by race, gender or social background, to demonstrate what is possible. You cannot be what you cannot see.鈥
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