EBU Executive Board Member Cilla Benkö has been awarded this year’s Pontus Schultz prize for creating a gender equal managerial structure at Swedish Radio (SR).

This prestigious prize recognises and rewards individuals that contribute to a more humane business environment. It is the first time the award has been given to someone not working for a major commercial company.

The Jury said: “"Where other people merely talk, this year's prize winner has acted, largely unheralded, creating an entirely gender equal management team. Cilla Benkö has shown that gender equality is not a soft issue but a business-critical one. An issue that requires focus and active choices.”

SR’s management is entirely gender equal with 4 women and 4 men on the management group.  Their diversity policy affects both the voices heard on the radio and those who work within the company.

Benkö said: “We all feel that is important for different voices to be heard in our programming range and for entrenched opinions to be questioned. Today there is also a broadly consistent view that, if we are to succeed in being relevant to the majority of people who live in Sweden, then it’s important that the people working here at Swedish Radio shouldn’t all be too similar.”