Network Rail’s Sharon Salmon has been made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to the railway and diversity and inclusion.
In her 18 years at Network Rail, Sharon has devoted much of her time volunteering to help make Network Rail and the industry a more diverse, open & inclusive place for everyone, committed to removing barriers for people and helping Network Rail become increasingly representative of modern Britain.
Sharon was a founding member of Network Rail’s Cultural Fusion Network (CFN) in 2014 – an employee network for black, Asian and minority ethnic employees & their allies, and became chair in 2019. Before leading the network, she volunteered as the network’s communications, marketing, external liaisons lead and deputy chair all on top of her busy day job as a commercial analyst for Network Rail’s Route Services function.
Membership of the CFN grew from 565 to 1162 within a year of her leadership and the CFN has been recognised for taking initiative to make positive change in the business.
Sharon has also coordinated events for Black History Month, organising inspiring speakers such as Ansel Wong CBE, Board Director for Nottingham Hill Carnival and founder of Black History Month in the UK, and award winning actor Naomi Ackie, who gave a candid interview on the importance of representation and how she navigates remaining authentic in the industry.
The award includes Sharon’s collaborative work with the charity Anthony Nolan, where the CFN supported events to highlight the lack of black, Asian and minority ethnic stem cell donors. The network also worked with the Sickle Cell Society, organising a 10k charity run and raising money.
The result of her hard work saw an increase in people joining the stem cell register and raising awareness on the debilitating disease for sufferers of Sickle Cell disease which is prominent in Ethnic minorities. Sharon has since stepped down as the lead of the CFN but continues her commitment to diversity and inclusion as a trustee of Women in Rail.
She was awarded HR, Diversity & Inclusion Award at the 2022 RailStaff Awards.
Andrew Haines, Network Rail’s chief executive, said: “Huge congratulations to Sharon on this well-deserved recognition. She has shown true leadership in making Network Rail a more inclusive workplace, in particular in being a founding member of our Cultural Fusion Network. She is an inspiration to many across our industry and a real credit to Network Rail.”
Image credit: Network Rail
