Winner
Allyson Ingrid Williams MBE
Healthcare Management BA, 1996
Allyson was born in Trinidad and Tobago and came to England in 1969 to help rebuild and develop the NHS. She overcame hostile verbal abuse during her nursing career. Allyson then enjoyed a varied and enlightening forty-year career in the NHS, specialising in midwifery care, as she felt it was a privilege to bring life into the world.
Allyson studied up to master's degree level. She has written extensively and lectured across the country, representing women and midwives in different forums. Allyson was awarded an MBE by Queen Elizabeth II for "her outstanding contribution to the development of midwifery in London".
On retiring, she embarked on charity work. Allyson is currently a Trustee for the Mothers' Union London Diocese, Notting Hill Carnival Limited, Antillean Creatives Limited, and the Church Council for All Saints, Notting Hill.
Allyson lectures on her role as a Windrush veteran and a pioneer of the Notting Hill Carnival for the last 44 years, and she has just published her autobiography.
Finalists
Mustafa El Rafey
Science BSc, 1986
Mustafa El Rafey has had a successful 35-year international career in business leadership and Human Capital Management (HCM). He has served in pivotal roles with world-class organisations, including Chief Human Resources Officer for Carrefour MENA (Middle East and North Africa), and Senior Vice President of Talent Management for Mars and Starbucks.
Mustafa has helped to reshape organisational cultures, foster high-performing teams, develop leaders, and innovate talent management programmes, leaving an indelible mark and underscoring his commitment to excellence and innovation.
Today, as the Founder of TransformHCM, an HR advisory practice, Mustafa applies his multi-industry expertise and experience to help client companies drive organisational transformations that enhance workplace culture, engagement, and productivity.
Roger Beeden
Science (Life Science) BSc, 1992
Roger is the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority’s (GBRMPA) Chief Scientist, having held senior roles since 2008. His role culminates more than 20 years working to protect the reef, building science collaborations with national and international researchers to protect the reef for future generations.
In 2022, Roger led and secured $162m in long-term funding for the Banksia Award-winning Crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) control programme. Since 2012, the programme has protected more than 700,000 hectares of reef. Beyond the coral, biodiversity and $6bn tourism protection benefits, COTS control protects corals that survive bleaching thereby driving recovery from and adaptation to climate change impacts.
Roger’s 2014 PhD built on his GBRMPA work to empower citizens, traditional owners, tourism staff and rangers to assess reef health. The resulting system has collected over 70,000 surveys spanning more than 1,000 reefs, providing guidance for resilience-based management of the world’s most iconic coral ecosystem to climate change.
Dr Victoria Harmer
MBA, 2004
Dr Victoria Harmer is Consultant Nurse and lead nurse for breast screening and symptomatic services for Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. She leads the nursing team and works clinically with those diagnosed with breast cancer.
Victoria has published widely in medical press including editing a book, which includes a foreword by King Charles III from when he was the Prince of Wales.
She is a tireless ambassador for breast cancer awareness. Activities include being a medical adviser for radio and television, working with Marks & Spencer to design swimwear for those post-mastectomy, and being the nurse representative for International clinical research trials.
Victoria has a proven record for teaching globally, and volunteering in India and Kenya. She has crafted breast cancer awareness events for over two decades for businesses, a prison and vulnerable groups. Victoria works extensively with charities, sharing her expertise, and she has won awards including Nursing Times Cancer Nurse of the Year and King’s College Global Health Award, a distinguished alumni award.