The Annual Asian Business Connexions Awards Dinner is due to take place on 14 October at the prestigious Grand Hotel, Gosforth Park. Now in its twelfth year, the event will be recognising the outstanding achievements and celebrating the contributions of the North East’s South Asian community over the past year.
After months of campaigns, a surge of nominations, and months of deliberations the ABC team have now found their finalists and here they are.
Aman Sehgal- Aman Sehgal has collected more than 15 years of experience working on high profile corporate and insolvency cases, as well as assisting hundreds of directors inlight of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Veena Soni – Veena is an independent consultant working with a number of public and private organisations to help to improve the conditions and delivery of services to meet the everchanging needs of the BAME community.
Ponchi Kantt-Neaz – Ponchi is Commercial Director at FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies (FDB), collaborating internationally on the clinical and commercial development of life-changing biologics and vaccine innovation.
Malasree Home – Malasree is the Race Equality and Accreditations Advisor at Newcastle University covering the project management of the University’s Race Equality Charter application, as well as linking the Race Equity and Inclusion team within People Services. Malasree was part of a Faculty EDI team, where she delivered on a successful Faculty Silver level Athena Swan award (A first within the University)
Ranjana Bell – Ranjana has nearly 40 years of experience in the field of Equality and Diversity, working within the public, private and voluntary sectors. As Chair of the Road to Recovery Trust, Ranjana aims to transform the North East from a place with one of the highest rates of alcohol, drug and other addictions, to a region with one of the highest rates of abstinence-based recovery
Imran Khaliq – Imran joined Gainford Group head office in 2008 as an ambitious 21-year-old, shortly after graduating from Northumbria University with a degree in Business Management. Since joining Gainford, Imran has broadened the company’s horizons and they now own multiple award-winning Hotels, Restaurants, Bars & Nightclubs taking Gainford’s employment to over 2500.
Wajid Ayaz – Wajid created Acumen Accounting in 2018 as part of his aim to give something back to the community. By 2020 they had over 300 clients and have supported struggling businesses through COVID-19 with free services.
Doc Anand – Since arriving at Heathrow Airport in 1978 with £3.50 in his wallet, Dr A Anand has had a huge impact in roles within the NHS, Elmfield Health Group and tutoring at Newcastle Medical School. Dr Anand’s areas of expertise include stress, yoga and complementary therapies.
Kamran Ali – After developing a passion and genuine interest in the field of health, Kamran made a career change and opened his own Hijama/Cupping clinic. He now runs 7 clinics around the UK and teaches other people how to become practitioners.
The winners will be announced at the glitzy dinner, which will also shine a spotlight on the PIE project.
The PIE Project – standing for ‘Primary Inspiration through Enterprise’ – is a charity founded by Ammar Mirza, CBE in 2013 with the aim to connect education to the world of work and enterprise.
PIE originally came together when four schools in Walker began to work together to set up a shop. Since then, over 50 schools and 3000 pupils have taken part in PIE initiatives, helping the North East to lead the way in developing future career and life skills for pupils of all ages. PIE is also the first UK initiative that awards accredited Enterprise vocational qualifications to participants.
