About The Awards

 The Break the ceiling touch the sky® 2019 – The Leonie Awards (The global gender diversity and leadership excellence awards) are an annual awards designed to recognize organizations and individuals from around the world that are making significant contributions to the progress of women in leadership and are testimonial to the increasing positive impact of gender diversity.  The awards provide inspiration to the world on best practices in gender diversity and leadership. The awards were founded by Anthony. A. Rose, best-selling author and Founder of Break the ceiling touch the sky® – the success and leadership summit for women® (started by Anthony to honor his late mother Leonie) which enables women from around the world to learn, network and achieve. Unlike other single country award programs, this award program is an International one, with entries accepted from around the world.

AWARD WINNERS

BEST COMPANIES FOR
GENDER DIVERSITY

Best Companies for gender diversity and women leaders. Highlights the top Companies who walk the talk on leading gender diversity and are best in class in making gender diversity fundamental to the company’s success.

BEST CEO’S/PRESIDENTS LEADING ON
GENDER DIVERSITY

Listing of Best CEOs/Presidents for gender diversity and the advancement of women in leadership. Highlights the top CEOs/Presidents who have best integrated and leveraged gender diversity as a competitive advantage for their organization.
Christina Ruggiero
CEO
Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Pvt Ltd		 Suresh Narayanan
Chairman & MD
Nestle India Ltd.
Natalia Shuman
EVP and CEO
Bureau Veritas
— TIED with —
John Roth
President and MD
General Motors Middle East		 Kash Shaikh
Founder & CEO
Group International
James Michael Lafferty
CEO
Fine Hygienic Holding 		Shahzeb Mahmood
President of RB Middle East
RB MENAP
Amit Banati
President Asia Pacific
Kellogg Company		 James Quincey
Chairman and CEO
The Coca-Cola Company
Colleen Lindholz
President
Kroger Health

HUMAN RESOURCES
DIVERSITY & INCLUSION LEADER CHAMPIONS

Listing of Best HR gender diversity champions – Highlights the outstanding achievements of the Head of Diversity & inclusion/ HR leader in an organization that has demonstrated outstanding leadership and commitment to leadingand executing the gender diversity agenda through the organization and beyond.
Katja Razinger
Country Head Slovenia and D&I Council Member
Sandoz International		 Judith Trujillo
Head of Human Resources
General Motors Africa and Middle East
Alejandra Mendez
Senior People & Organization Business Partner
Sandoz Spain

INSPIRATIONAL WOMAN
LEADER OF THE YEAR

The most inspirational woman leader of the year award recognises the significant contributions a female leader has made not just to her business, but also as an inspirational role model for other professional women and in her community.
Yukari Inoue
Managing Director
Kellogg Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd		 Christina Ruggiero
CEO
Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Pvt. Ltd
Alizeh Iqbal Haider
Chief Legal and Compliance Officer
Fine Hygienic Holding		 Anuranjita Kumar
MD and Head, HR – International Hubs, RBS
Sherman Yu
Greater China Commercial Operations Head
Sandoz Greater China		 Natalia Shuman
EVP and CEO
Bureau Veritas
Xun Liu
Medical Head
Sandoz China		 Dalina Suriel
Supply Chain Warehouse and Logistics Manager
General Motors Middle East
Weiwei Yao
GM APAC BU
PepsiCo
 Jennifer Man
SVP and President Global Ventures 
The Coca-Cola Company
— TIED with —
Lana Popovic
President, Central and Eastern Europe Business Unit
The Coca-Cola Company

MALE CHAMPION FOR
GENDER DIVERSITY

Listing of Best Male Champions who support gender diversity and the advancement of women. Celebrates a male leader who has demonstrated outstanding commitment to the advancement of women in leadership and overall progress of gender diversity.
Bander Albader
Senior Director, Human Resources
PepsiCo Saudi Arabia		 Francois Joubert
Vice President Supply Chain
Kellogg Company
Parag Pande
Global Human Resources Services Delivery Lead
Accenture

MENTOR OF THE
YEAR

To recognize the contributions of a leader who has given of her/his time and effort in a truly selfless manner to mentoring young leaders, way beyond the call of duty.
Kash Shaikh
CEO
BSB Group International		 James Michael Lafferty
CEO
Fine Hygienic Holding
— TIED with —
Umran Beba
Chief Global Diversity & Engagement Officer
PepsiCo
Leslie Pott
Vice President Communications
Sandoz North America

HUMAN RESOURCES TEAM
DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

Recognises the entire D&I team of a Company versus an individual for inspirational D&I leadership within their own Company and within the broader industry. Recognizes the teams contribution to collaborating for greater impact with multiple companies.
Sandoz Australia New Zealand PepsiCo China
Sandoz International

BEST COMPANIES FOR
DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

The most inspirational overall Diversity & Inclusion strategy/ program that encompasses all forms of diversity – gender, nationality, race, disability, style, etc. Could be national/regional/ global. Clear track record of the intervention having measurable success.
Sandoz Thailand PepsiCo ANZ
Walmart India

“WALK THE TALK”
CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR

Gender Diversity Marketing and activation Campaign of the year Award. This award recognizes a marketing effort that has played a major role in supporting gender diversity or the advancement of women in the workplace both in talk and in “walk”.

Diet Coke
The Coca-Cola Company		 Sandoz
Slovenia

AWARD GALLERY

more photographs to come …