Kamel Hothi, Niche Markets Director, Lloyds Bank Corporate Markets, has been recognised by the World Sikh University London, with an Honorary Doctorate. The Graduation Ceremony took place on Monday 14th November at Portman Hotel, London, during the British Sikh Association Dinner.
Kamel has over 32 years’ banking experience and is recognised for being the architect behind the Asian Strategy across Lloyds Banking Group. Her remits have included product development, cultural training, strategy and marketing, resulting in some very high profile sponsorships of over 30 national Asian events including sponsoring The Asian Jewel Awards and The Asian Women of Achievement Awards for seven years and more recently The Asian Awards, which Lloyds Banking Group sponsored again this year. It is through the sponsorship of such events that Kamel has paved the way in demonstrating the bank’s commitment to supporting the UK’s diverse Ethnic communities and acknowledging their invaluable contribution to UK society and the economy.
Lloyds Banking Group was one of the first to introduce Shariah compliant accounts for business customers as well as a portfolio of other Islamic products. For the Indian community the bank also introduced services to allow money transfers and Rupee mortgages, all championed by Kamel.
Kamel is passionate about having a level playing field and is a regular key note speaker on the subject. She helped found the bank’s Ethnic Minority Network and the mentoring programme which has been going strong for ten years to help the Group understand the benefits of diversity in the workplace and with its customers from the top of the organisation down to front-line colleagues. Kamel designed and delivered her own cultural training courses to over 500 senior colleagues to help them understand the Asian community and how they like to do business.
Her drive and enthusiasm to improve cultural understanding has resulted in Kamel supporting the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Report on Community Cohesion as well as chairing initiatives such as the Government’s Procurement Working Group, producing a report advising ministers on how they can use procurement to leverage race equality and help Small Minority Ethnic businesses grow.
After leading a delegation to India during Gordon Brown’s visit in 2008, and acting as an ambassador for the group in the UK, Kamel has received several awards from various sectors in recognition of her support for diversity and community cohesion across the years, including Who’s Who Award, 2010 Gordon Brown Diversity Award, NRI Professional Award and Asian Achievers Woman of the Year Award to name a few. All this Kamel balances whilst living in a traditional extended family system, married to entrepreneur Sawaron Hothi, and mother to two children, Inderveer aged 25 and Charanveer aged 20.
In speaking about the recognition, Kamel Hothi says, “I am truly humbled to be honoured in such a profound way by The World Sikh University. It means so much to me to be recognised by the very community that has helped me become the person I am today, both professionally and personally. I am extremely proud that I have played a role in helping Lloyds Banking Group recognise the contribution made by the Asian Community to the UK economy and in return thank them for trusting me to lead this initiative so we can demonstrate our commitment to diversity and support through difficult economic times”
