WATC Content Team

Last year, through our Rising Star awards WeAreTheCity highlighted the achievements of 100 future leaders and role models across 20 different industries and professions. We are proud to announce that our previous winners have gone on to achieve phenomenal success. You can read about some of their achievements here.

“Since winning the Rising Star award in Diversity award in 2016, I have been promoted from UK Diversity and Inclusion Manager to Head of Diversity and Inclusion. This award has been instrumental in raising my profile and credibility both inside Zurich and externally.” – Julie Thomas, Zurich

(function($){
function bsaProResize() {
var sid = "3";
var object = $(".bsaProContainer-" + sid + " .bsaProItemInner__img");
var animateThumb = $(".bsaProContainer-" + sid + " .bsaProAnimateThumb");
var innerThumb = $(".bsaProContainer-" + sid + " .bsaProItemInner__thumb");
var parentWidth = "728";
var parentHeight = "90";
var objectWidth = object.width();
if ( objectWidth 0 && objectWidth != 100 && scale > 0 ) {
animateThumb.height(parentHeight * scale);
innerThumb.height(parentHeight * scale);
object.height(parentHeight * scale);
} else {
animateThumb.height(parentHeight);
innerThumb.height(parentHeight);
object.height(parentHeight);
}
} else {
animateThumb.height(parentHeight);
innerThumb.height(parentHeight);
object.height(parentHeight);
}
}
$(document).ready(function(){
bsaProResize();
$(window).resize(function(){
bsaProResize();
});
});
})(jQuery);

(function ($) {
var bsaProContainer = $('.bsaProContainer-3');
var number_show_ads = "0";
var number_hide_ads = "0";
if ( number_show_ads > 0 ) {
setTimeout(function () { bsaProContainer.fadeIn(); }, number_show_ads * 1000);
}
if ( number_hide_ads > 0 ) {
setTimeout(function () { bsaProContainer.fadeOut(); }, number_hide_ads * 1000);
}
})(jQuery);

Due to the success of these awards, WeAreTheCity are now seeking to recognise the achievements of a further 100 role models and future female leaders in 2017, however we cannot do this without your nominations!

The Rising Star awards recognise the achievements of women who are below Senior Management or Director level and therefore represent the female talent pipeline and the next generation of future leaders.

NOMINATE NOW

“It has been great being involved with WeAreTheCity. Since winning the Rising Star in Law award in 2016, I have been promoted to a senior associate.” – Danielle Ayres, Gorvins Solicitors

In previous years, the awards have been supported by an array of FTSE sponsors and this year is no different. We are proud to announce that this year’s award headline sponsors are The Times and The Sunday Times.

The Rising Star awards are also supported by Aon, Barclays, Bloomberg, Citi, CRUK, EY, Keir, Lloyd’s, Morgan Stanley, Northern Trust, Oliver Wyman, Societe Generale, Streets Consulting, Worldpay and 3M. Additional sponsors and categories will be announced throughout January.

Alongside our Rising Star categories and Rising Star Champion award, we are also pleased to announce a new award for 2017 – Company of the Year. This award recognises the achievements of a company who can clearly demonstrate that they are actively supporting its female talent pipeline through their initiatives, training, development programmes and internal employee relations and diversity network groups.

Nominations will take place online via the Rising Stars website. For details of the criteria to enter the awards, click here.

Categories included in the 2017 Rising Star awards are as follows:

• Rising Stars in Banking, sponsored by Societe Generale
• Rising Stars in Charity, sponsored by CRUK
• Rising Stars in Construction, sponsor TBA
• Rising Stars in Consulting, sponsored by EY
• Rising Stars in Defence, sponsor Royal Navy
• Rising Stars in Diversity, sponsored by Aon
• Rising Stars in Education & Academia, sponsored by EDIT Development
• Rising Stars in Entrepreneurs, sponsored by Citi
• Rising Stars in Fintech, sponsored by Streets Consulting
• Rising Stars in HR & Recruitment, sponsored by LinkedIn
• Rising Stars in Insurance, sponsored by Lloyd’s
• Rising Stars in Investment Management, sponsored by Northern Trust
• Rising Stars in Law (The Lynne Freeman Award), sponsored by Reed Smith
• Rising Stars PAs and EAs, sponsor TBA
• Rising Stars in Property and Facilities Management, sponsored by Kier
• Rising Stars in Science and Engineering, sponsored by 3M
• Rising Stars in Sales, sponsored by Worldpay
• Rising Stars in Sport, sponsored by PedalSure
• Rising Stars in Technology, sponsored by Morgan Stanley
• Rising Stars Champions, sponsored by Oliver Wyman
• Rising Stars Company of the Year Award sponsored by Barclays

The awards are also supported by Bloomberg who will host our shortlist winners celebrations in June 2017.

Awards Timeline

• Nominations open: 01 Feb 17
• Nominations close: 24 Mar 17
• First round Judging period: 03 – 28 Apr 17
• Shortlist announced and public vote*: 15 May 17
• Finalist judging period: 15 May – 09 Jun 17
• Shortlist celebration event: 08 Jun 17
• Public voting closes: 09 Jun 17
• Winners announced: 19 Jun 17
• Winners event: w/c 12 Jul 17

If you have any additional questions about the awards, please contact Info@wearethecity.com. For details of entry criteria, please visit here

* There is no public vote of support for the Champion of the year or Company of the year award

NOMINATE NOW

WeAreTheCity hosted an evening of celebration for over 200 women who were shortlisted for the 2017 Rising Star Awards.

Held at Bloomberg, London, the event brought together those shortlisted across 22 categories, judges, previous winners and speakers including founder and director of Streets Consulting, Julie Streets and CEO of Company Shortcuts, Serial Entrepreneur and Investor, Lara Morgan.

Pamela Hutchinson, Head of Diversity and Inclusion at Bloomberg welcomed the guests and said, “We are thrilled to be hosting the Rising Star shortlist event for the third year running.”

“We were there at the beginning and we will continue to be with you.”

(function($){
function bsaProResize() {
var sid = "3";
var object = $(".bsaProContainer-" + sid + " .bsaProItemInner__img");
var animateThumb = $(".bsaProContainer-" + sid + " .bsaProAnimateThumb");
var innerThumb = $(".bsaProContainer-" + sid + " .bsaProItemInner__thumb");
var parentWidth = "728";
var parentHeight = "90";
var objectWidth = object.width();
if ( objectWidth 0 && objectWidth != 100 && scale > 0 ) {
animateThumb.height(parentHeight * scale);
innerThumb.height(parentHeight * scale);
object.height(parentHeight * scale);
} else {
animateThumb.height(parentHeight);
innerThumb.height(parentHeight);
object.height(parentHeight);
}
} else {
animateThumb.height(parentHeight);
innerThumb.height(parentHeight);
object.height(parentHeight);
}
}
$(document).ready(function(){
bsaProResize();
$(window).resize(function(){
bsaProResize();
});
});
})(jQuery);

(function ($) {
var bsaProContainer = $('.bsaProContainer-3');
var number_show_ads = "0";
var number_hide_ads = "0";
if ( number_show_ads > 0 ) {
setTimeout(function () { bsaProContainer.fadeIn(); }, number_show_ads * 1000);
}
if ( number_hide_ads > 0 ) {
setTimeout(function () { bsaProContainer.fadeOut(); }, number_hide_ads * 1000);
}
})(jQuery);

“As you rise remember to bring someone with you, because in numbers there is strength.”

Opening the night, Streets got the audience laughing with her comedic stories but also spoke of the need for more women.

She said, “There is an appetite for change but it comes down to those that sit on boards.”

“It’s about leaving the organisation better than when you began.”

She reminded the shortlist that they could become those leaders, saying, “You’re all here because people nominated you – they saw something in you.”

“It’s all about taking the initiative. It’s all about you.”

Picking up from Street’s inspiring message, Lara Morgan gave her advice on rising to the top.

She said, “If a buffoon like this can be this lucky, then maybe you can make your own luck to.”

“You have in your hands whatever you want to do in life.”

“The world is a very small place and it truly is your oyster.”

“Have you got a plan? Not just for your career, but for your life, your health, your wellbeing, spirituality.”

“Share your knowledge. Take someone with you – in fact take a sodding army with you.”

“Work hard on yourself, then work hard for someone else.”

“I want you to have loads of energy. Become so passionate that you become infectious.”

“Pick wisely those that you surround yourselves with.”

“Blag it like the boys.”

“Life is short but there is an awful lot to get out of it.”

“Think very hard about where you want to go and what you want to do and just start doing radical, cool stuff.”

Taking to the stage, Vanessa Vallely, Managing Director of WeAreTheCity said,

“It’s absolutely wonderful to be back at Bloomberg.”

“We have been long talking about women on boards and don’t get me wrong, we need them – but if we don’t invest in you guys then we are never going to solve this problem.”

“My call to action for you is to be visible.”

“You are as much a part of our family as everyone else.”

A panellist of last year’s winners, including Hannah Cotton, Cheryl-Anne Sanderson, Lorraine Eyers, Claudine Adeyemi, Manisha Taylor, Lauren Garey and Elisha St Hilaire, were interviewed by Julia Streets and they spoke of winning the award, career advice and what had happened since.

When asked how the award had helped them, Eyers said, “The awards were the best thing that ever happened to me.”

“I came back with some fresh views and new opinions.”

Sanderson continued saying, “The awards give you the confidence to go out there.”

Cotton also spoke of the confidence that the awards had given her. She said, “When I won I had no idea of the scale and force that these awards have.”

“It wasn’t until I started attending Careers Club events that I realised I am a powerful human being.”

Moving on to career tips, Garey advised, “Really push yourselves to do something you’re not necessarily very good at.”

Cotton said, “No doors will open for you, you have to make it happen.”

“You’ve got 200 opportunities here tonight. As Vanessa said we are all a family.”

Inspired by the speakers, the audience were encouraged to network and make new connections.

Now in its third year, the Rising Star Awards are the first to focus on the UK’s female talent pipeline below management level. Through these awards, WeAreTheCity will celebrate 100 individual female contributors that represent the leaders and role models of tomorrow. The Rising Star Champions category also recognises the efforts of senior leaders, male and female, who are actively supporting the female pipeline outside of their corporate responsibilities.

This year, WeAreTheCity are also pleased to announce a new category to our awards, Company of the Year, which recognises the achievements of a company who can clearly demonstrate that they are actively supporting and developing their female talent pipeline through their initiatives, training, development programmes and/or internal employee relations groups.

For more information about the Rising Star Awards and to cast your vote, click here.

Have you cast your vote for WeAreTheCity’s 2017 Rising Star Awards shortlist? Voting closes at midnight on Friday 9 June 2017.

The public vote of support is now open for all shortlisted nominees. The public vote only determines one winner out of the five winners of each category, the other four winners are decided by our judges. Votes can be cast here. Please note there is no public vote for either the champions or the company categories.

Over an eight week period, we received 1,250 nominations from across the UK and Northern Ireland. The calibre of entries for this years awards was exceptional. All of the judges stated how difficult it was to arrive at the shortlist due to the amazing achievements of our nominees. To everyone who was nominated, congratulations, you should be exceptionally proud.

On behalf of The Times & The Sunday Times and our supporting sponsors, it gives us great pleasure to announce the 2017 Rising Star awards shortlist and to congratulate all of the shortlisted individuals. We are very much looking forward to celebrating your achievements at an event kindly sponsored by Bloomberg on the 8 June 2017.

(function($){
function bsaProResize() {
var sid = "3";
var object = $(".bsaProContainer-" + sid + " .bsaProItemInner__img");
var animateThumb = $(".bsaProContainer-" + sid + " .bsaProAnimateThumb");
var innerThumb = $(".bsaProContainer-" + sid + " .bsaProItemInner__thumb");
var parentWidth = "728";
var parentHeight = "90";
var objectWidth = object.width();
if ( objectWidth 0 && objectWidth != 100 && scale > 0 ) {
animateThumb.height(parentHeight * scale);
innerThumb.height(parentHeight * scale);
object.height(parentHeight * scale);
} else {
animateThumb.height(parentHeight);
innerThumb.height(parentHeight);
object.height(parentHeight);
}
} else {
animateThumb.height(parentHeight);
innerThumb.height(parentHeight);
object.height(parentHeight);
}
}
$(document).ready(function(){
bsaProResize();
$(window).resize(function(){
bsaProResize();
});
});
})(jQuery);

(function ($) {
var bsaProContainer = $('.bsaProContainer-3');
var number_show_ads = "0";
var number_hide_ads = "0";
if ( number_show_ads > 0 ) {
setTimeout(function () { bsaProContainer.fadeIn(); }, number_show_ads * 1000);
}
if ( number_hide_ads > 0 ) {
setTimeout(function () { bsaProContainer.fadeOut(); }, number_hide_ads * 1000);
}
})(jQuery);

The shortlist will now be judged by an additional set of expert judges, and the winners announced on 19 June. All winners will also be invited to celebrate their awards at a celebratory event at News UK on 12 July.

We would like to thank our shortlist judges for giving up their time to support this years awards:

Paul Sesay, Simone Roche, Mairi McHaffie, Baroness Mary Goudie, Dr Yvonne Thompson CBE, Funke Abimbola, Eleanor Mills, Stig Abell, Jane Hill and Helene Reardon-Bond OBE.

We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all of the shortlisted individuals and wish them the very best of luck in the final round of judging.

VOTE NOW