Lord Bilimoria awarded the Diversity Champion Award 2022
Lord Karan Bilimoria CBE, DL was awarded the Diversity Champion Award on 6 July 2022 at the Diversity Tech Summit in London. Presented jointly by Ramesh Vala CBE, Deputy Chair, Diversity UK, Lord Bilimoria was cited for his unwavering support for equality and inclusion initiatives such as the CBI’s ‘Change the Race Ratio’ programme and for his backing of Diversity UK initiatives on public appointments, entrepreneurialism and support of under-represented founders. Reading his citation, Gurpreet Manku, Trustee at Diversity UK, said that ‘Lord Bilimoria is being recognised for his enduring commitment and vocal championing of business, young founders and ethnic minority representation in the political sphere’.
In his thank you speech, Lord Bilimoria said that “it was such a pleasure to be at the Diversity Tech Summit today celebrating the success of the Asian community in tech”. He added “I am so proud that the Asian community is going from strength to strength, helping the UK become one of the leaders in the world in entrepreneurship and tech. The UK is one of the top 5 countries in the world for tech unicorns with only 1% of the global population.”
“When I came to the UK in the 1980s, I was told that you will never get to the top because there is a glass ceiling as a foreigner, but that ceiling is being shattered by people like those at the Summit today. Whether it's in politics, or industry, sports or tech, the UK gives you the ability to aspire. And if you aspire, then you can achieve and if you achieve then you inspire and you create a virtuous cycle and I see that every day. We have a long way to go but I am very optimistic about the future with organisations such as yours lighting up the path for future generations.”
About Lord Karan Bilimoria CBE, DL
Karan Bilimoria is the founder of Cobra Beer, Chairman of the Cobra Beer Partnership Limited, a Joint Venture with Molson Coors, and Chairman of Molson Coors Cobra India. In the Monde Selection, one of the most prestigious quality awards in the world for beer, the Cobra range has collectively been awarded a total of 128 Gold and Grand Gold medals since 2001, making it one of the most awarded beers in the world.
Lord Bilimoria is the Founding Chairman of the UK India Business Council, a Deputy Lieutenant of Greater London, a former Chancellor of Thames Valley University (now the University of West London); he was the youngest University Chancellor in the UK when appointed. Karan was a former Senior Non-Executive Director of the Booker Group now TESCO PLC (2007-2016); he is one of the first two visiting entrepreneurs at the University of Cambridge; he is a founding member of the Prime Minister of India’s Global Advisory Council.
In 2006, Karan Bilimoria was appointed the Lord Bilimoria of Chelsea, making him the first ever Zoroastrian Parsi to sit in the House of Lords. In 2008 he was awarded the Pravasi Bharti Samman by the President of India.
He is an Honorary Fellow of Sidney Sussex College Cambridge and was Chair of the Advisory Board of the Judge Business School, Cambridge University from 2015-2020 and subsequently appointed as an Honorary Ambassador. He qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Ernst & Young and graduated in law from the University of Cambridge. He is also an alumnus through executive education of the Cranfield School of Management, the London Business School and the Harvard Business School.
In July 2014, he was installed as the seventh Chancellor of the University of Birmingham, making him the first Indian-born Chancellor of a Russell Group University in Great Britain, and he is the President of the UK Council for International Students Affairs (UKCISA). Since 2017 Lord Bilimoria has been a Bynum Tudor Fellow at Kellogg College, University of Oxford. Lord Bilimoria is an Honorary Group Captain in 601 Squadron Royal Air Force.
In June 2020, he was appointed President of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). In September 2020, he was appointed as a Visiting Fellow at the University of Oxford based at the Centre for Corporate Reputation.
Karan has been awarded Honorary Doctorates from University of East Anglia, University of Birmingham, Brunel University, Cranfield University, University of Exeter, Heriot-Watt University, London Metropolitan University, Staffordshire University, York St John University, University of West London (previously Thames Valley University), and University of Westminster. Karan is also President of The UK Council on International Student Affairs (UKCISA) and Co-chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for International Students.
