We’re thrilled to announce our next incredible judge!
Please join us in welcoming Renee Sterling, CPA as one of the esteemed judges for the inaugural Global Queens Community Awards!
Renee is currently the EMEA Regulatory Controller at Wells Fargo, and prior to joining the team at Wells Fargo, she spent 12 years at Goldman Sachs in Regulatory Reporting. With a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Accounting from the University of Florida’s Fisher School of Accounting, Renee is a certified public accountant and maintains her license in Florida.
Beyond her professional achievements, Renee is deeply passionate about mental health, diversity, equity, and inclusion. She actively shares her thoughts through her blog, www.reneeasterling.com, and co-hosts the impactful podcast Race2Rise. In 2023 and 2024, Renee was recognized on the Empower Role Model Future Leader List, championing trailblazers across industries who are driving positive change for people of color in business. She was also shortlisted for the 2024 Women in Banking and Finance – UK Inclusive Leader Award.
In addition to her professional and advocacy work, Renee is the Co-Chair of The Arts Facet and a charter member of the London (UK) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated, and is also a member of the Royal Pearl Society. We are incredibly excited to have Renee on board as part of our judging panel and look forward to her invaluable insights in recognizing the outstanding talent and achievements of the Global Queens Community.
We are thrilled to announce that Debbie Forster MBE will be joining us as one of the esteemed judges for the inaugural Global Queens Community Awards!
Debbie is a trailblazer in diversity, tech, and education. As the co-founder and former CEO of the Tech Talent Charter, she has been at the forefront of driving inclusion and diversity within the UK tech workforce. Her accolades include being named Woman of the Year by Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) in 2016, receiving an MBE for Services to Digital Technology in 2017, and earning recognition as Diversity Leader of the Year in 2018 by WomeninIT . ComputerWeekly.com also named her the Most Influential Woman in UK IT in 2019, and she continues to be recognized as one of the top 50 Most Influential People in IT since 2022.
Debbie’s passion extends beyond the boardroom, as she actively supports social entrepreneurs, hosts the XTech podcast for Fox Agency, and contributes to several boards and advisory positions, including the UK Lending Standards Board and the Institute of Coding. We are incredibly excited to have Debbie as part of our judging panel and look forward to her insights in celebrating the incredible talent and achievements within the Global Queens Community
We are thrilled to welcome Lee Chambers as a judge for the Global Queens Community Inaugural Awards!
As the Founder and CEO of Male Allies UK , Lee is at the forefront of driving inclusion and effective allyship. His journey, from corporate finance to building and exiting a tech company, showcases his ability to create meaningful change in a variety of sectors.
Lee’s impressive accolades, including being featured on the Startups 100 Index, receiving the Great British Entrepreneur Award, and being honored with the Freedom of the City of London, reflect his commitment to advancing equality in business. As the first Black British scientist awarded a Kavli Fellowship for his work on health inequalities, Lee’s leadership transcends industries.
A 2023 UN Women Changemaker of the Year and ambassador for the Lilac Review for Disabled Entrepreneurship, Lee speaks globally on allyship and intersectionality—essential values that align perfectly with our mission to celebrate and support groundbreaking women.
Lee’s personal story as a Black autistic man, stay-at-home dad, and someone who is overcoming a chronic illness demonstrates incredible resilience and determination. His ability to break down barriers, both professionally and personally, makes him an inspiring judge who will bring invaluable perspective to the awards.
We are honored to have Lee as part of our panel, where his expertise, passion for inclusion, and commitment to positive change will help us recognize the extraordinary women who are shaping the future!
We are thrilled to welcome Vince Pizzoni as one of our esteemed judges for the
Global Queens Community Inaugural Awards!
Vince brings a wealth of experience across academia, business, and mentoring, and we couldn’t be more excited to have him join our panel. As a Professor in Chemical and Environmental Engineering at the University of Nottingham, he has inspired countless students and professionals in their careers. Vince’s dedication to supporting gender balance, promoting diverse talent, and mentoring the leaders of tomorrow aligns perfectly with the values of our awards.
Not only has Vince been recognized as the IChemE Davidson Medal 2024 winner for global mentor of the year and a TechWomen100 honoree, but he’s also an advocate for WES Men as Allies 2024 and a proud hashtag#POWERful Women Ambassador. His remarkable career includes executive and board positions with global corporations like ExxonMobil, P&G, Suez, and Nalco. Vince has travelled the world, mentoring thousands across sectors like FMCG, Renewables, Oil and Gas, and Consultancy, while also leading high-performance teams in complex international business environments.
When he’s not supporting the next generation of leaders, you’ll find Vince in the gym, lifting weights or studying Ancient History—especially the Greek and Roman Empires. 🏋♂️ 📚
Vince’s passion for mentorship, sponsorship and servant leadership is evident in
everything he does, from career coaching at Cambridge, London Business School and Imperial College to his voluntary roles at MyBigCareer and the Women’s Engineering Society. He is driven by one goal: to inspire and motivate others to reach their full potential.
We are honored to have him join us in celebrating outstanding women and their incredible achievements!
We’re Honored to Welcome Elinor Doubell as a Judge for the Global Queens Community Awards
We are beyond excited to announce Elinor as one of the distinguished judges for the Global Queens Community Awards!
A visionary leader and trailblazer in emerging technologies, Elinor has a remarkable track record of transforming bold ideas into impactful solutions. During her impressive career at BP Ltd, she led teams to deliver groundbreaking projects—from pioneering hydrogen sensing and autonomous inspection technologies to launching an AI-powered global enterprise search engine and a B2B pricing model that delivered $110 million in global benefits within just two years.
Elinor’s influence stretches beyond industry innovation. She has served as an executive sponsor for multi-million-dollar autonomy investments, advised the technology start-ups, and contributed to Oxford University’s robotics and AI research as a steering committee member.
Passionate about human-centered innovation, Elinor is widely respected for her ability to empower individuals, organizations, and society at large. Beyond her professional accomplishments, she shares her creativity as a clarinetist in a London-based quartet performing for local charities and finds joy in designing and growing gardens.
Elinor’s dedication to driving progress and creating meaningful impact makes her an inspiring addition to this year’s awards. We can’t wait to see the insight and vision she brings to the judging panel!
We are beyond excited to announce Abena Akuffo-Kelly as one of the distinguished judges for the inaugural Global Queens Community Awards!
A dynamic leader and passionate advocate, Abena has dedicated her career to empowering others through consultancy, activism, mentorship, and coaching. Through her work with LeaderPlus, she equips executive leaders with evidence-based strategies for success and delivers impactful leadership training. As a Lead Facilitator with the National Centre for Computing Education and an Enthuse Partnership Coach, Abena is deeply committed to inspiring the next generation in STEM education.
Abena’s commitment to advocacy is equally inspiring. As a member of the Labour Women’s Network, she champions women’s political engagement and leads a community-focused CIC promoting sustainability and social cohesion. Her leadership extends to public service as a local government councillor and the current Mayor of Folkestone, where she passionately drives progress in diversity, inclusion, and intersectionality across leadership, politics, and education.
Abena’s unwavering dedication to empowering communities and fostering inclusive leadership makes her an inspiring force on this year’s judging panel. We are honored to have her insight guiding the Global Queens Community Awards.
Join us in celebrating her incredible journey and the impact she continues to make!