Telefónica UK corporate affairs director Nicola Green will be honoured with the Individual Achievement SABRE Award in London on 22 May, at the 15th edition of the EMEA SABRE Awards.

Green was appointed to her current role in 2016, after previously serving for four years as director of communications and reputation. She has emerged as one of Telefónica's key executives, working directly with the CEO to provide daily strategic counsel and guidance to the company's executive leadership team.

“Nicola is passionate about the role [that] communications, and the media in general, plays in shaping society, the O2 brand and the people behind it," Telefónica UK CEO Mark Evans told the Holmes Report. "Her creativity and focus on innovation results in someone who is hugely admired and respected across our organisation. Beyond her technical competence she possesses boundless energy, is highly collaborative and a delight to work with.

"I can’t speak highly enough of the contribution Nicola makes to the O2 business and our culture," added Evans. "Each year she excels in setting new highs and I’m absolutely thrilled she is being recognised in this way."

Green joined O2 UK (acquired by Telefonica in 2007) in 2003 as head of media and communications and, since then, has led her team to win PRWeek’s In House Team of the Year on two separate occasions. She directed the re-positioning project of The Millennium Dome to ‘The O2’ and introduced the iPhone to the UK. Under Green's leadership, O2 has regularly bested rivals in terms of a range of corporate reputation and brand metrics.

"Nicola's contribution to the PR world extends far beyond reputation management and the industry has a lot to thank her for," said Missive co-founder Emma Ross, who headed PR at O2 under Green and has worked with her for 12 years. "She pioneered internal and external comms team integration and was one of the first comms directors to prove that PR deserves a seat at the board table; something we take for granted today.

"At O2, her work has changed the course of business operations and strategy for the better, which has meant she is relied upon to consult on and influence nearly every significant organisational decision," added Ross. "She has dedicated her career to revolutionising the telecoms industry and improving the lives of O2 employees and customers through communications, often leading to personal sacrifice."

Prior to joining O2, Nicola worked for a number of major blue chip brands including Dr Pepper and Orange, where she helped build the brand and manage its flagship partnerships with BAFTA and the Glastonbury Festival. During her tenure, Nicola also launched the prestigious Orange Prize for Fiction.

"It is immediately apparent when an individual has talent," said former Orange corporate affairs director Denise Lewis, who initially hired Green. "Nicola was one of those people. Tenacious, driven, a strategic thinker and a deliverer — this is what Nicola consistently demonstrated then as now. This is what inspirational leadership and impressive performance looks like and as I have watched Nicola’s career go from strength to strength over the years, this is what continues to distinguish her in all her endeavours."

Green began her career at Burson-Marsteller, where she worked for a number of FMCG clients. She has a degree from the University of Leeds and in May 2018 graduated with a Non-Executive Director Diploma from The Financial Times.

"There are countless people who consider themselves incredibly fortunate to have been mentored in some way by Nicola Green, many of them women who are climbing through the ranks as a result of her encouragement," added Ross.