Waqar Azmi
Waqar Azmi OBE is the current chairman & managing partner of Waterhouse Consulting Group, an equality and diversity focused management consultancy firm based in Birmingham, and EU Ambassador of Intercultural Dialogue (EYID).
Life and career
Waqar Azmi grew up with his family in Uttar Pradesh, India, and moved to the UK at the age of 13, speaking no English when he arrived. He attended the University of Central Lancashire and graduated in 1993 with a degree in Politics and Social Policy. During his time as an undergraduate, Waqar helped to set up and teach on the University’s elective course in Urdu Language, while still studying for his degree.
Prior to this, he was the UK Government’s Chief Diversity Adviser at the Cabinet Office with responsibility for driving forward Government priorities[1]. He is also listed in the Asian Power 100 list of the most influential Asians in the UK. Before that he was managing director at TMP/Monster Worldwide.
He was appointed by the Home Secretary to sit on the judicial public inquiry into the murder of Zahid Mubarek. Prior to that he served as a member of the Oldham Riots Inquiry, which was set up to investigate the riots that occurred in May 2001. He became the Vice-Chairman of the National Rural Race Equality Trust and Chair of the British Federation of Racial Equality Councils, which represents 100 councils in the UK.
Awards and honorary degrees
In 2006 the Southampton Solent University conferred on him[2] the award of Doctor of Letters (Honoris Causa) in recognition of his major contributions and in the same year, the University of Central Lancashire conferred on him an honorary fellowship[3].
In 2004 the Royal Society of Arts conferred an honorary FRSA on him and in 2003 he was awarded Britain’s Young Asian Achievers Award[4]. He received his OBE at the age of 32 by Her Majesty the Queen in recognition of his major contributions and, in 2001 the University of Worcester awarded him an Honorary Masters Degree[5].
- ^ http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/public_sector/article711590.ece
- ^ http://www.uclan.ac.uk/information/alumni/keep_in_touch/meet_our_alumni/waqar_azmi.php
- ^ http://www.uclan.ac.uk/information/uclan/honorary_graduates/index.php
- ^ http://www.meco.org.uk/panel.htm
- ^ http://www.power100.co.uk/assets/pdf/MUSLIM_100_PUBLICATION.pdf