Sector toasts to bigger, brighter future at 2023 Scottish Financial Services Awards

Spoils were shared by firms and individuals from across the industry as new growth strategy was launched

The 2023 Scottish Financial Services Awards, sponsored by EY, took place in Edinburgh yesterday evening, celebrating the contribution of firms and individuals to Scotland’s world class finance industry over the past year.

The occasion was also marked by the launch of our sector growth strategy, Scotland’s new vision for financial services, which aims to boost the contribution of financial services to Scotland’s economy and society.

The awards broke down into six categories, with winners reflecting the sector’s ambitions for sustainable, inclusive growth and to have a positive impact on society.

2023 winners

Rising Star

The winner of this year’s Rising Star award is Rachel Coleman, Senior Associate at Pinsent Masons. Rachel demonstrated exceptional leadership, capability and innovation, as well as a strong commitment to development of others as well as herself. Her achievements include successful firm-wide ‘low code hackathon’, launching a radical new technology platform, and delivering a number of outstanding client solutions.

Skills and Inclusion

PA Consulting took home this year’s Skills and Inclusion Award for their highly targeted approach to helping improve gender diversity in STEM roles Through their Women in Tech Network, they’ve trained 360 women and non-binary trained in coding; hosted 60 people hosted on their mentoring scheme; and created a community of over 900 STEM professionals from within and outside their organisation.

Net Zero

abrdn were crowned the winner in this year’s net zero award for their work in building a new framework to evaluate the credibility of companies’ climate transition plans. The framework was credited with improving on the default standards used across the industry, influencing credibility of corporate climate goals and enhancing transparency globally.

Changing Customer Needs

TSB were victorious in the Changing Customer Needs category, taking home the award for its 'emergency flee fund', which has been supporting victims of domestic abuse with payments of £50 to £500 during the cost-of-living crisis, demonstrating compassion, purpose and innovation in responding to a pervasive societal challenge.

Growth and Recovery Award

Social Investment Scotland took home the Growth and Recovery Award for the second consecutive year, demonstrating their outstanding track-record of providing investment and business assistance to social enterprises, charities, and communities, and, through their partnership with Scottish Government and Zero Waste Scotland, facilitating the allocation of funds to support a just transition towards net zero.

Chair’s Award

Royal Bank of Scotland pivotal role in Scotland’s response to the Ukrainian refugee crisis, turning their Edinburgh headquarters into a ‘Welcome Hub’ for over 24,000 people to recover from their journeys and prepare for life in Scotland - and has continued its support, creating longer term opportunities for Ukrainians seeking refuge in Scotland.