The Financial Services Compensation Scheme was named Employer of the Year at the Financial Adviser Diversity in Finance Awards yesterday.

The inaugural award ceremony was held at Financial Times headquarters in the City of London on Wednesday (July 3) and was hosted by comedian Francesca Martinez.

Nine awards were handed out – five to individuals and four to companies – to recognise their work to support, promote and inspire those who are under-represented in financial services.

Speaking at the awards ceremony, Damian Fantato, deputy editor of Financial Adviser, said: "Today our society is rich and diverse but financial services doesn’t always reflect this.

"These awards were launched because diversity is not only good for financial services companies - leading to more inclusion and increased innovation - but also for their clients who rightly expect to see their diversity reflected in the financial services."

The judges – who included Treasury committee chairman Nicky Morgan, Baroness Altmann, and Investment Association chief executive Chris Cummings – awarded the FSCS because it had the broadest range of diversity projects.

Meanwhile Aviva Investors won Trailblazing Company of the Year, Zurich won Diversity and Inclusion Initiative of the Year and Investment 20/20 won Diversity Marketing & Recruitment Campaign of the Year.

In the individual awards, David Blackburn of the FSCS won Diversity Champion of the Year while Andy Nibloe of Metlife won the Championing Disability Inclusion Award.

Lisa Winnard of Sesame Bankhall Group won the Championing Gender Equality Award and Stephen Jenkins of Hargreaves Lansdown won the Championing LGBT Inclusion Award.

Celeste Jones of Hargreaves Lansdown won the Championing Race Equality Award.