ORC Announces Winner of Prestigious Diversity Champion Award for 2010

New York and London: ORC Worldwide today announced that Stephen Frost, Head of Diversity & Inclusion for the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games, will be the third recipient of the annual ORC Peter Robertson Award for Equality and Diversity Champions. Stephen will be honoured for his significant contributions to diversity and inclusion at two special receptions later this year, in Washington, DC and London.

"The ORC Peter Robertson Award was created to recognise those 'unsung heroes' who - like Peter - demonstrate profound personal and professional commitment to the value that diversity and equality bring to their organisations and to their communities," said Patrice Hall, Vice President, of ORC Worldwide’s Global Equality, Diversity and Inclusion practice.

Candidates for the award were nominated by peers and co-workers in private and public sector organisations that belong to ORC’s Global Equality, Diversity, & Inclusion Networks, and nominations from around the world reflected the global nature of ORC’s Networks. The winner and finalists were selected by a panel of equality and diversity thought-leaders based on demonstrated overall success in their professional work over a substantial period of time, innovation in the field, dedication to the principles of diversity and inclusion, and leadership. Announcing the panel’s decision to award the honour to Stephen, Patrice Hall noted his longstanding work in the areas of disability, age, and gay and lesbian rights, his strong collaboration with community and industry groups for the benefit of the economically disadvantaged, and his “entrepreneurial style that breaks down boundaries and enables real change, even in unreceptive environments.”

The selection panel also recognised four other finalists who stood out among all the “stellar nominations received” as outstanding individuals who have made exceptional contributions to the field:

• Craig Jones, MBE, Global Head of Diversity, Barclays Wealth: an internationally recognised emissary for diversity and inclusion whose work for LGBT rights, especially in the military, and courage of conviction sets him apart. After working for gay rights in the British Royal Navy, he became a special advisor to the Equality and Human Rights Commission working on the Gender Pay Gap. More recently, he testified before the US Congress on the repeal of the US military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy.
• Loraine Martins, Head of Equality, Inclusion, Employment and Skills, The Olympic Delivery Authority: having dedicated her career to public and voluntary service, promoting social justice and championing women’s issues, in her current role as Head of Equality, Inclusion, Employment and Skills at the ODA, she is working to deliver on the ODA’s promise of diversity and inclusion for the Olympics, to create lasting change in the East End of London, and to maximise training and employment opportunities for minorities, an especially challenging task in the construction industry.
• Louise Sheppard, Vice President Equal Opportunity, Prudential Financial: renowned for her commitment to equal opportunity and diversity among her peers, Louise’s unparalleled expertise in the EEO field and outstanding leadership in the profession has enabled her to facilitate collaboration between US federal agencies and large employers seeking to advance equality in the workplace.
• Nora Vele, Director of Affirmative Action, Merck & Company: a quiet force of nature, Nora’s staunch and unwavering dedication to fundamental fairness and equal opportunity extends beyond regulations and rhetoric. In spite of her humility, her contributions to the advancement of equality and diversity at Merck and in the wider community have gained her notoriety among everyone who has had the pleasure to work with her. She is recognised for her courage and perseverance “on the front lines.”

The award selection panel was made up of Anne Watts, CBE, Chair of NHS Appointments Commission, UK; Frank Quevedo, retired Vice President of Equal Opportunity for Southern California Edison, US, and recipient of the first ORC Peter Robertson Award; Rory Mullett, retired Vice President of ORC Worldwide’s Equal Opportunities Practice, US, and a longtime colleague of Peter Robertson; Surinder Sharma, National Director for Equality and Human Rights, The Department of Health, UK; and Patrice Hall, Vice President, ORC Worldwide’s Global Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Practice.

The ORC Peter Robertson Award is named in honour of the late Peter C. Robertson, who dedicated his life to furthering diversity in organisations and championing the rights of all employees to contribute fully. He chaired ORC’s Equal Opportunity Group and, during his 12-year tenure with the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, played a key role in preparing the Uniform Selection Guidelines that regulate how US employers might test and select employees, as well as guidelines on affirmative action, sex/pregnancy discrimination, religious discrimination, and national origin discrimination. Robertson was a trusted advisor to equality officials in the Canadian government and was instrumental in starting networks for equality and diversity professionals in Canada and the UK. ORC Worldwide is an international management consulting firm whose global equality, diversity, and inclusion practice is headquartered in New York and London. Since 1962, ORC’s global diversity networks have brought together corporate and public sector leaders to share best practices and learn from peers to advance workforce diversity in organisations and society.

2009 Peter Robertson Award - winners: Bari Evans and Fiona Bartels-Ellis

2008 Peter Robertson Award - winner: Frank J. Quevedo