Northern Asian Powerlist 2020 winners – Syima Aslam
Syima Aslam, managing director and artistic director of the Bradford Literature Festival, won the Inspiring Professionals category of the inaugural Northern Asian Powerlist 2020.
The full list of winners, along with all those shortlisted, was announced on Friday 2 October.
Outlining why they had chosen Aslam, the judges’ report explained: “Syima builds confidence through the power of her work and her exemplary leadership.
“She exemplifies new and unique ways for arts and culture to stay influential and impactful among other businesses and organisations and be able to have an even stronger impact on society.
“Throughout history, people have used the arts to promote understanding and inspire change when faced with challenges that divide us.
“Syima’s effective and influential programming within arts and culture has demonstrated the power to convey and inspire societal change, reflecting a contemporary Britain.”
Aslam said: “Being named Inspiring Professional in the Northern Asian Powerlist 2020 is a huge honour, for which I thank the judges sincerely.
“Inspiration is what drives me, in my professional and personal life; when I founded Bradford Literature Festival in 2014, inspiring children, young people and diverse, socioeconomically disadvantaged communities through the written and spoken word was, and remains, my ultimate ambition.
“As a mother, showing my teenage daughter that Asian women are in professional leadership roles, influencing and having a positive impact on our communities and in our region, has been one of the great motivators of my life for the last 17 years.
“I am proud to be included in a list that includes so many exceptional and, themselves, inspirational peers who offer such a strong collective proof – particularly to young people like my daughter – of our community’s power, influence and achievements.”
Shortlisted for the Inspiring Professionals category were:
North East – Anu Kaura, head of legal and Group in-house lawyer at Malhotra Group PLC; Ben Banerjee DL, vascular surgeon at Sunderland Hospital; Kossar Kitching, Barrister at Trinity Chambers in Teesside and Newcastle.
North West – Dr Kondal Reddy Kandadi, deputy vice chancellor at The University of Bolton; Rizwan Ahmed, director, Rings Homecare Services; Shelina Begum, business editor, Manchester Evening News.
Yorkshire & the Humber – Amir Hussain, founder, Yeme Architects, and Leeds City Region LEP Board member; Luxmy Gopal, presenter, reporter, video journalist at BBC Look North.
