MBA graduates Dr Kush Kanodia and Darren Evans were highly commended runners-up in the latest AMBA & BGA Excellence Awards, held in London, with Dr Kanodia coming a close second to the winner in his category.
The Awards and Gala Dinner celebrates the quality and achievements of post-graduate business education at the forefront of leadership excellence, recognising the talents and contributions made by AMBA and BGA business schools, their students, and graduates.
Dr Kush Kanodia, who was recently awarded an honorary doctorate at the University for his commitment to social entrepreneurship and disability rights, received a nomination for the AMBA Leadership Award, which honours alumni from AMBA-accredited Business Schools who have been making an impact in the business world following their graduation.
Kush said: “My congratulations to all the AMBA & BGA Excellence Award winners for 2022/2023. I am grateful to be recognised with a highly commended for the MBA Leadership Award. Last year, I transformed the largest health system in the world – NHS England, by abolishing all disabled car parking charges and next year the whole of London, with reasonable adjustments for disabled people from the ULEZ. True systems leadership, for two of the largest and most significant systems in the world, supporting approximately 3 million disabled people in a pandemic & cost of living crisis. Thank You.”
Darren Evans, a campaigner for mental health provisions within the construction industry, was nominated for the Student of the Year Award, an award offered in recognition of students who have shown exceptional career potential and who AMBA believes can act as ambassadors for the high quality of accredited MBAs.
Darren said: “It was an honour and privilege to be nominated and to make it through as a finalist for the MBA student of the year award 2022. In an extremely competitive field, it is a huge achievement to make it this far and I am immensely proud of what I have managed to achieve with the support and guidance of Kent Business School. Congratulations to Fardod O’Kelly for winning the Student of the year award.”
Programme director for the MBA, Debbie Kemp, said: ‘Darren and Kush were thoroughly deserving of their nominations, as both have been outstanding graduates of the MBA Programme, who are continuing to work above and beyond their professional capacity to make exciting changes in society as a whole. We had a wonderful time at the event and it was fantastic that two of our students were nominated. I wish Kush and Darren all the best of luck in their future, which started with our MBA!’
Read about Kush Kanodia’s incredible journey as a disability rights champion.
Read about Darren’s push for change in the construction industry.