"The shortlist showcases the incredible contribution that Asian women are making”
Celebrating the talent and positive impact of Asian women in Britain, the Asian Women of Achievement Awards have announced their shortlist for 2016.
In association with NatWest, the Asian Women of Achievement Awards are celebrating their 17th year.
Founded in 1999, the ceremony has been celebrating the incredible contribution and drive of Asian women from all over the UK.
In particular, the often unsung Asian heroines in British life, who make a huge contribution in their chosen industries.
Women of Asian descent will be honoured across all sectors of public life. From business and media, to sport, culture and community, the Awards truly highlights the achievements of Asian women in Britain.
The 2016 shortlist has been compiled through an extremely broad range of women and their talents, ranging from ballerinas to TV stars.
Additionally, this year sees the inclusion of two sisters in the nominees list, which has never been seen before. Hoda and Aslam El Soudani, from Spoken Iris films, promote interfaith understanding and peace.
Other entries to the nominees list include ShaoLan Hsueh, the creator of Chineasy. This online website is revolutionising how the language of Chinese is learnt, breaking down the characters into memorable pictures.
In the Arts and Culture category, nominee Shweta Aggarwal is the creator of the Dev and Ollie children’s books series.
The picture books see numerous multicultural characters, promoting diversity and inclusion for readers at a young age.
Also making the shortlist this year is Tina Ghazimorad in the Media category, who is an established television producer and filmmaker for Iranian TV channel Manoto.
The Sports category includes one of the highest-qualified female football coaches in the UK, Manisha Tailor.
The Humanitarian category includes leading Muslim female voice, Sara Khan, who counters Islamist extremism and champions women’s rights.
Founder, Pinky Lilani, shared what a joy it is to present the awards by saying:
“We were thrilled this year to receive such a broad range of applications, covering not only a broad range of sectors but also coming from all over the UK.
“We are proud to provide a platform to celebrate the talent and positive impact of British-Asian women in the community.”
Chief Executive of RBS and NatWest, Les Matheson, says:
“NatWest is proud to be part of Asian Women of Achievements for the 5th consecutive year. As always, the shortlist this year showcases the incredible contribution that Asian women are making in the UK today.”
Here is the full short-list of all the 2016 nominees:
ARTS & CULTURE
Shweta Aggarwal, creator, Dev and Ollie Books
Anita Anand, author, journalist and BBC broadcaster
Yuhui Choe, first soloist, The Royal Ballet
Hoda and Aslam El Soudani, documentary producers, Spoken Iris Films
Shobu Kapoor, actress and producer, Roman Candle Productions
BUSINESS
Kona Haque, head of research, ED&F Man Holdings
Parisha Kanani, global general counsel, First State Investments
Rashpal Martin, regional head of business development, NatWest
Dipali Patel, head of operations, global services, EMC Computer Systems (UK)
Deepa Shah, chief financial officer, Hall & Partners
Tahira Widlof, general store manager, Asda
ENTREPRENEUR
ShaoLan Hsueh, founder and author, Chineasy
Nancy Johnston, CEO and founder, Tengri
Madhuban Kumar, CEO, Metafused
Shibani Mohindra, director, Celessence International
Meeta Sahni, CEO, The Maine Group
Reshma Sohoni, founding partner, Seedcamp
MEDIA
Tina Ghazimorad, TV producer and film maker, Manoto
Sima Kotecha, Today programme correspondent and presenter, BBC News
Liliane Landor, controller for languages, BBC Global News
Radhika Sanghani, women’s writer, The Daily Telegraph
Sonia Sodha, chief leader writer, The Observer
Farrah Storr, editor-in-chief, Cosmopolitan
PUBLIC SERVICE
Rajinder Aktar, head nurse, St John of God, Sisters of Charity of St Paul the Apostle
Wajeeha Amin, wellbeing expert, Wajeeha Amin
Swati Dhingra, assistant professor, London School of Economics
Tulip Mazumdar, global health reporter, BBC News
Katie Ghose, chief executive, Electoral Reform Society
PROFESSIONS
Kuljit Bhogal, barrister, Cornerstone Barristers
Vivian Chan, director and founder, Studio Verve Architects
Kam Kullar, senior quantity surveyor, Mount Anvil
Amina Memon, professor of psychology, Royal Holloway University of London
Neena Modi, professor of neonatal medicine, Chelsea & Westminster Hospital
May Ng, Consultant Paediatric Endocrinologist, Southport and Ormskirk Hospitals NHS Trust.
SOCIAL & HUMANITARIAN
Santosh Bhanot, founder and chair, The Circle: Asian Circle
Manjit Gill, CEO and founder, Binti
Sara Khan, co-director and co-founder, Inspire
Winnie M Li, co-founder, Clear Lines Festival
SPORT
Harleen Kaur, sixth-form student, Appleton Academy
Bilkis Mahmood, Football Agent, Lawyer & Senior Partner, Blackstone Law Solicitors & Advocated Ltd
Saba Nasim, cricket coach, Chance to Shine – Essex Cricket Board
Eden Silva, professional tennis player, Team Eden
Manisha Tailor, company director, Swaggarlicious
YOUNG ACHIEVER
Sheena Amin, head of content strategy and business development, Virgin Media
Shun Yu (Bonnie) Chiu, co-founder and CEO, Lensational
Catherine Cranston, senior consultant, Accenture
Najwa Jawahar, senior structural engineer, WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff
Resham Kotecha, adviser, Women2Win
Safeerah Mughal, sixth-form student, Feversham College
Shiura Rasheed, programme manager, Thomson Reuters Foundation
A fantastic awards ceremony to celebrate the very best of Asian talent, the winners of the Asian Women of Achievement Awards will be announced on May 12, 2016 in London.
Good luck to all the nominees!
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