Congratulations to the ECITB’s Maria Papadopoulou who has been named Executive Leader of the Year at the Engineering Talent Awards 2022.
Maria, the ECITB’s Board Secretary & Data Protection Officer, picked up the accolade for her vital leadership skills and championing of diversity and inclusion throughout the industry.
Organised by EqualEngineers, the Engineering Talent Awards 2022 (ETAs) celebrate engineering and technology professionals across the UK. The awards, which took place earlier this month at Leonardo Royal Hotel Tower Bridge, showcase inspiring role models and celebrate the diversity of organisations and engineers.
Maria, who was also a finalist for the overall Excellence in Engineering award, was nominated for her work as an advocate for change both inside the ECITB and in wider industry, and as a supportive, driven and engaging role model.
Reflecting on her win Maria said: “I am delighted and honoured to have received this award. It is a real privilege to be recognised in this way. I am committed to supporting the creation of diverse and inclusive environments for our organisation and the industry.
“This cannot be achieved without the drive and enthusiasm of individuals, and I want to congratulate each one of the ETA finalists and winners for their commitment and hard work.
“I also want to thank my colleagues involved in the ECITB’s IDEA Taskforce for helping transform initiatives into meaningful, actionable plans,” Maria added.
As 2022 sponsors of the Inclusion Programme of the Year at the ETAs, the ECITB was proud to present Rolls Royce with the award for their Talent Acquisition Programme.
CEO Chris Claydon felt that this category held particular resonance for the ECITB and its ongoing efforts to support cultural change within industry.
“All the finalists in this category were inspiring examples of organisations and individuals dedicated to fostering a culture of inclusivity. And each will play a central role in delivering the solutions to the technological and industrial challenges on the ever-approaching horizon,” said Chris.
“Championing diversity and inclusion is a central objective of the ECITB’s new strategy and we wholeheartedly support and recognise the importance of embedding well established programmes, initiatives, and networks such as these to drive action and progress.”
As part of the new strategy, the ECITB will work with industry to strengthen its reporting metrics on D&I and with a wide range of partners to widen the diversity of participation on ECITB new entrant schemes. We will publish our detailed D&I action plan later this year.