AFROGLOBAL TELEVISION ANNOUNCES RECIPIENTS OF THE EXCELLENCE AWARDS

MARTIN LUTHER KINGLEGACY AWARD MARK BECKLES Vice President Social Impact & Innovation Royal Bank of Canada

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.

LEADERSHIP AWARD GINELLE SKERRITT Chief Executive Officer Children’s Aid Society of York Region

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
 

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. 
 

NELSON MANDELAHUMANITARIAN AWARD SURJIT BABRA Chairman, Skylink Group Founder, Skylink Charity

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.
 

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.
 

RENAISSANCE AWARD LOUIS-EDGAR JEAN-FRANÇOIS Co-Founder, Groupe 3737Co-Founder & Chairman, FACE

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.
 

MEDIA AWARD CLEMENT VIRGO Film and Television Writer Producer and Director

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.
 

PROFESSIONALACHIEVEMENT AWARD FAE A. ELLINGTON Communications Consultant& Media Personality

SCIENCE ANDTECHNOLOGY AWARD TAMARA SEALES President, Seaford Pharmaceuticals

Tamara Seales is the President of Seaford Pharmaceuticals. Her unwavering commitment to Seaford spans more than two decades. She earned a Bachelor of Commerce degree from York University and an MBA from the Schulich School of Business. She supports Seaford Pharmaceuticals’ charitable initiatives, including the establishment of a pediatric clinic in Jamaica and substantial contributions to disaster relief efforts. Under her stewardship, Seaford Pharmaceuticals has flourished with and an expanded global footprint through partnerships. Seales has championed initiatives aimed at uplifting the Black community within the pharmaceutical sector, collaborating with organizations such as the Black Opportunity Fund, Black North Initiative, Black Physicians of Canada, and Advancing Black Talent in Pharma. She is also actively engaged in fundraising activities dedicated to women’s health, cancer research, and brain health. She receives the prestigious 2023 Science & Technology Award from the Afroglobal Television Excellence Awards program.     MARCUS GARVEY AWARD JOSEPH BODUN MACAULAY Financial Services Consultant& Community Advocate A financial services consultant who retired from Royal Bank of Canada, Joseph Bodun Macaulay has dedicated much of his life to advocate for children with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD). In 1997, he volunteered at Camp Jumoke. Passion made him become Fundraising Director in 1998, and in 2002, President, serving for about a decade. He also served as President of the Eglinton Sickle Cell Alliance. In 2006, Macaulay played a key role in lobbying the Ontario government for universal new born screening for SCD. This led to passage of Bill 165 at the Ontario legislature, championed by MPP Mike Colle. Macaulay and others established the Sickle Cell Disease Association of Canada. He was the first board chair from 2012 to 2015. Beyond SCD advocacy, he has been a devoted pastoral care volunteer at Castleview Wychwood Towers, a home for the aged, for over 40 years. His selflessness has earned him many awards. Macaulay holds a BSc from the University of Toronto and a Computer Application Technology degree from Ryerson University in Toronto. He receives the prestigious 2023 Marcus Garvey Award from the Afroglobal Television Excellence Awards program.