London, 9 May 2007
INTERNATIONAL JUDGING PANEL ANNOUNCED FOR DIAGEO AFRICA BUSINESS REPORTING AWARDS 2007
* Stephen King, Director, BBC World Service Trust, joins panel
* Awards open for entries until 18 May 2007
Diageo, the world's leading premium drinks business, today announced the panel of judges for the Diageo Africa Business Reporting Awards; the annual international journalism awards that recognise and celebrate excellence in reporting on business and investment in Africa.
This year sees the return of several esteemed judges whose continued interest in improving perceptions of the continent's investment climate has long been an asset to the Awards. These include: Peter Woicke (former Executive Vice President, International Finance Corporation); Zeinab Badawi (Broadcaster); Professor Wiseman Nkuhlu (former CEO, New Partnership for Africa's Development); Dr Alhaji Bamanga Tukur (Executive President, African Business Roundtable) and Louis Michel (European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Development).
Diageo is pleased to announce a new member to the panel, one with a keen understanding of the media's role in Africa's economic development. Stephen King is Director at the BBC World Service Trust, which works with people in developing and transitional countries to improve the quality of their lives through the innovative use of media.
Diageo's Chief Executive, Paul Walsh, will chair the panel to select winners for the seven awards - Best Journalist, Best Published Feature, Best Television Feature, Best Radio Feature, Best Website, Best Published Photograph and Best Publication - which will be presented on 5 July 2007 at a gala ceremony at The Royal College of Physicians, London.
Commenting on this year's panel of judges, Mr Walsh said, 'We have assembled a truly outstanding panel of judges from a cross section of media, development and business representatives. We all share a vision of improved perceptions of Africa's business environment, a fundamental step towards increasing investment flows to the continent.
'Business is booming in Africa, and we are looking forward to celebrating those journalists who bring the best insight, analysis and balance to reporting the continent's stories.'
First presented in 2004, the Awards are a practical contribution to promoting more balanced reporting on the business environment in Africa. The seven categories are open to all journalists, editors and photographers covering business in Africa. The closing date for entries is 18 May 2007.
For more information, including further information on this year's judges and full details of how to enter, please visit www.diageoafricabusinessreportingawards.com.
- ENDS-
For more information and full details of how to enter, visit www.diageoafricabusinessreportingawards.com
Or contact:
Yuki Finch, Awards Secretary, africapractice, 67-69 Whitfield Street, London W1T 4HF, UK
yfinch@africapractice.com, +44 (0) 20 7462 7599
Bev Burnham, Corporate Relations Manager, Diageo Africa, Lakeside Drive, Park Royal, London, NW10 7HQ, UK
bev.burnham@diageo.com, +44 (0) 20 8978 6587
NOTES TO EDITORS
Diageo plc
Diageo is the world's leading premium drinks business. With its global vision, and local marketing focus, Diageo brings to consumers an outstanding collection of beverage alcohol brands across the spirits, wine and beer categories including Smirnoff, Guinness, Johnnie Walker, Baileys, J&B, Cuervo, Captain Morgan and Tanqueray, and Beaulieu Vineyard and Sterling Vineyards wines.
Diageo trades in some 180 countries around the world and is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (DGE). For more information about Diageo, its people, brands and performance, visit us at www.diageo.com.
Diageo Africa
Diageo Africa is active, particularly in brewing, but also in distilling, in the majority of the sub-Saharan African countries. For Guinness, in particular, the connection with Africa is a long one; the first recorded exports of Guinness to Africa were to Sierra Leone in 1827. Now Guinness is brewed in over 20 countries throughout Africa and is exported to many others. The popularity of the brand is going from strength to strength in Africa - Nigeria is the third largest Guinness market in the world. Diageo brands are enjoyed in more than 40 African countries.
Diageo Africa is the second largest Diageo market by volume (after North America), and with 4,000 employees, accounts for around 20% of Diageo workforce worldwide. Our contribution to the continent is significant, with £230 million paid in tax to African governments in the last year.
Several of the larger Diageo companies in Africa are quoted on local stock exchanges. Guinness Nigeria, for example, has over 60,000 shareholders. All of these companies have active corporate social responsibility programmes, covering initiatives in water, health, education and other areas of value to the communities in which we operate. |
