AFROGLOBAL TELEVISION ANNOUNCES RECIPIENTS OF THE EXCELLENCE AWARDS

November 2, 2023

Mark Beckles is the Vice President of Social Impact & Innovation at Royal Bank of Canada (RBC). His responsibility for RBC’s Community Investment Programs includes RBC Future Launch, RBC Tech for Nature and RBC Emerging Artists. Through RBC Future Launch, the bank has invested over $390M to impact over 5.5M youth, working with over 500 charitable organizations. He is the National Co-Chair of RBC Mosaic, an Employee Resource Group focused on advancing diversity and inclusion at RBC. He had served as Head of RBC Insurance Advice Centre and as Regional Vice President, Retail Banking.

Beckles sits on the Board of William Osler Health System and Metro Toronto Convention Centre. His accolades include the City of Toronto Bob Marley Award, Harry Jerome Awards, and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. In 2016, Mark was named as an RBC Global Citizen, and in 2022 as one of the Most Influential Black Canadians by Afroglobal Television. He holds an MBA from the University of Bradford, UK; had executive studies at the Richard Ivey School of Business, and holds the Institute of Corporate Directors designation (ICD.D) from Rotman School of Business. He receives the prestigious 2023 Martin Luther King Legacy Award from the Afroglobal Television Excellence Awards program.

Ginelle Skerritt is the Chief Executive Officer of York Region Children’s Aid Society. She has over 30 years of distinguished leadership experience in the non-profit sector. Her previous roles include Regional Director of UNICEF Ontario. Skerritt’s leadership roles at The Neighbourhood Group, Warden Woods, United Way of Greater Toronto, and Tropicana Community Services, have been remarkable. She prioritizes equity and community engagement to create a supportive environment, especially for the success of children.

Skerritt has served on several boards and committees, including United Way/BMO Inclusive Economic Leadership Table, Toronto District School Board Equity Planning Task Force, CAMH Constituency Council, Black Health Coalition, Toronto Black Food Sovereignty Initiative and more. Co-owner of Adinkra Farm, Skerritt is also a published author on traditional savings and credit associations. She receives the prestigious 2023 Leadership Award from the Afroglobal Television Excellence Awards program

GLOBAL IMPACT AWARD RAHEL ASSEFA
Vice President of Marketing Ethiopian Airlines

Rahel Assefa is the Vice President of Marketing at Ethiopian Airlines worldwide. Her extraordinary leadership in marketing has played a pivotal role in driving the airline’s highly celebrated success. Ethiopian Airlines is the fastest-growing global airline brand and the largest on the African continent. It has been named Best Airline in Africa by Skytrax for an impressive six times, and boasts a vast network of 131 international passenger and cargo destinations, solidifying its status as a notable global aviation leader.

Assefa’s journey with the airline includes roles in sales, commercial planning, and revenue management. She joined Ethiopian Airlines as a college trainee in 1998, following graduation in Management & Public Administration from Addis Ababa University. She was named one of the World’s 30 Most Compelling Women in Travel by Premier Travel Magazine, USA. She is a trailblazer and role model, who inspires women and girls worldwide. She receives the prestigious 2023 Global Impact Award from the Afroglobal Televison Excellence Awards program.

Surjit Babra has partnered and built SkyLink Aviation, SkyLink Travel Group, and SkyLink Express, a Canadian domestic cargo aviation company with 22 aircraft, as well as Highbury Canco, a food manufacturing enterprise. Highbury Canco acquired the Heinz Leamington plant in Ontario, saving 250 jobs and employing over 550 today. A serial entrepreneur and philanthropist, his businesses have included master franchise rights for Dollar Rent-A-Car, airport security, and software development. His Skylink Charity supports children and other causes worldwide. He is on the Advisory Board of the Transformation Institute.

Babra’s charity has supported Right to Play, Trillium Hospital, Sick Kids Hospital, the Crossover Mentorship Program for youth, schools, Drip Irrigation Farming in India, the Uganda COVID-19 Oxygen Relief, and ambulance programs. In 2019, he donated 230,500 cans of beans weighing 271,000 lbs in London, Waterloo, Burlington, Hamilton and Toronto. He received the Mother Teresa Humanitarian Award, B’nai Brith Award, Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, Transformation Institute’s Enterprise Award, the World Travel Mart Award, UK and more. He receives the prestigious 2023 Nelson Mandela Humanitarian Award from the Afroglobal Television Excellence Awards program.

ENTERPRISE AWARD TOYIN CRANDELL
Founder, Money Mindset Shift& Host, Millionaire Money Podcast

Toyin Crandell is the founder of Money Mindset Shift and host of the Millionaire Money Podcast. With a robust portfolio of clients, Toyin has contributed to scaling client revenues by millions of dollars. From being gravely in debt to having eleven streams of income, multiple real estate properties and running a multimillion-dollar organization in the span of four years, her remarkable journey demonstrates what is possible when your mind gets in line with your financial goals. She is a millennial success story, inspiring children, youth and adults alike.

Crandell has been on over 73 media platforms to share the power of the human brain in creating behaviour that increases high-performance, accelerating revenue and profits. A best-selling author, Crandell is a sought-after speaker, consultant, and coach. She has worked with entrepreneurs, executives, marketing and sales teams to optimize sales and growth. Named one of the Top 100 Black Women to Watch In Canada, she has ran as a Progressive Conservative candidate for Member of Parliament. She receives the prestigious 2023 Enterprise Award from the Afroglobal Television Excellence Awards program.

Louis-Edgar Jean-François, CPA, CA, PDG, is the architect and strategist behind the implementation of the vision of Groupe 3737, whose impact has grown exponentially under his leadership. Based in Montreal, Quebec, it is a non-profit organization offering support, mentoring and tools to entrepreneurs. It now has 12 offices across Canada. G3737 has supported more than 2,200 entrepreneurs, helped create more than 1,300 jobs, contributed to the development of more than 114 companies, and participated in the collective generation of more than 200 million dollars by the supported companies.

G3737 secured federal investments to support Black communities in Quebec, with a fund that stands at $200M. Jean-François contributed to Canada’s provision of $272 million for Black entrepreneurs across Canada. He is the Chairman and Co-Founder of the Federation of African Canadian Economics (FACE) Coalition, which manages the Black entrepreneurship loan fund. With previous experience at Deloitte, Bombardier, and RDS, he established accounting, legal and other service firms. He receives the prestigious 2023 Renaissance Award from the Afroglobal Television Excellence Awards program.

Clement Virgo is one of Canada’s foremost directors. His television directing credits include Empire (Fox), The Wire (HBO), The Madness (Netflix), on which he is also an executive producer, and Greenleaf (OWN), where alongside Oprah Winfrey, he was an Executive Producer as well. Virgo wrote and directed the feature film Brother, based on the award-winning novel by David Chariandy, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2022. The film won 12 Canadian Screen Awards, including Achievement in Direction and Best Motion Picture, as well as the WGC Award for Best Feature Film.

In 2015, Virgo directed and co-wrote The Book of Negroes, which debuted to record-breaking numbers on CBC in Canada and BET in the USA. It was nominated for two U.S. Critics Choice Awards, including Best Limited Series and four 2015 NAACP Image Award Nominations, including Best Miniseries and Best Writing. His first feature film, RUDE, premiered at Cannes in 1995 and played at Sundance. His films Poor Boy’s Game, and Lie With Me played at top tier festivals including Berlinale and TIFF, selling in over 40 countries. Virgo also sits on the Canadian Film Centre’s Board of Directors. He receives the prestigious 2023 Media Award from the Afroglobal Television Excellence Awards program.

Ms. Fae Ellington is a certified BBC communications consultant, media personality and lecturer, best known for hosting Morning Time on JBC, Jamaica. She is a trainer, voice artist and coach. Ellington holds a Master of Arts degree in Communication Studies from the University of the West Indies, Mona. Ellington taught in the Journalism programme at the Caribbean School of Media and Communication for thirty-three years. She is the chair of the National Integrity Action and as a member of the Access to Information Appeal Tribunal. Ellington was a dialect and voice coach for the Bob Marley film, ‘One Love’. Her recognitions include an Honorary Doctor of Liberal Arts (Honoris Causa) Northern Caribbean University; National Honour of Jamaica as Officer of the Order of Distinction, Commander Class; a Musgrave Medal; Outstanding Contribution to Media and Communication Award in 2019 from the University of the West Indies; Culture Icon by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information. She is a sought-after Master of Ceremonies, Host and Orator. She receives the prestigious 2023 Professional Achievement Award from the Afroglobal Television Excellence Awards program.