ODA Award Man 2023 Finalists
Each year ODA-Nettverk awards dedicated work supporting the promotion of gender equality and diversity in the tech industry. The ODA Award Man award will be presented for the 6th time this year. The winner will be announced at the Inspiration Day on the 4th of May. The finalists are:
Candidate 1: Arbab Dar | EY Norway
Arbab Dar truly believes that organizations that do not focus on diversity in all parts of the organizations will fail. He believes that companies need to reflect the market they operate in. Arbab has held several leaderships positions and is now the Nordic Head of CFO Advisory within Financial Services at EY Norway.
He happily shares his thoughts and perspectives on diversity, equity, and inclusion. He believes that leaders have an extra responsibility to create an environment where people feel safe and can share their thoughts and thrive. He now wishes to use his position to create awareness through interviews in mainstream media and through webcasts.
Arbab recently led an EY fasting Challenge in the Nordics to create awareness around Ramadan.
Candidate 2: Christian Pedersen | Tietoevry Create
Christian Pedersen, Managing Director of Tietoevry Create, is a champion of gender diversity and inclusion. He has made DEI a priority at the company, overseeing 9,200 employees globally, including 1,000 in Norway.
Christian has been driving this agenda for years in different roles. He is currently focusing on the specific targets he has set for the organization for this year, to increase the share of women in senior leadership and technical roles, and men in support functions. To achieve this, he has introduced initiatives like diverse role models, reverse mentoring program and gender balanced succession planning for global leadership.
Christian believes better understanding is a vital step to achieve equality. Last year, Christian made unconscious bias training mandatory for all managers, and he organize DEI workshops with his leadership team among other things.
He also sponsors and supports programs outside of the company, such as AFF FiftyFifty and NHO Female Future leadership development programs, sending Tietoevry candidates each year.
Candidate 3: Jonas Helmikstøl | Easee
Jonas Helmikstøl is the CEO of Easee. In his role, Jonas has been instrumental in creating a culture of diversity and inclusion at the company. His efforts have resulted in a more diverse workforce.
Jonas has also implemented several initiatives to promote diversity and inclusion within the workplace, such as mentorship programs and unconscious bias training.
Under Jonas’s leadership, Easee has received recognition for its commitment to diversity and inclusion. The company was named one of Norway’s most diverse workplaces in 2020 and was awarded the «Inclusive Workplace» certification by the Norwegian organization, Mosaic. Jonas has also been recognized for his contributions, receiving the «Diversity and Inclusion Leader» award at the 2021 Nordic Diversity Awards.
See the other category finalists:
Register for ODA Inspiration Day 2023
