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The OUTstanding Top 100 Future Leaders 2021

Top 10 future leaders. Photo: Involve
Top 10 future leaders. Photo: INvolve

The 2021 OUTstanding LGBT+ Role Model Lists, supported by Yahoo Finance, are a powerful reflection of the incredible achievements of LGBT+ people and their allies in the business community.

The lists, prepared by diversity and inclusion membership organisation INvolve, highlight role models for others to follow when it comes to being out and proud at work, driving positive change in the office, or supporting your LGBT+ colleagues. Executives on the allies list work within at least three levels from the chief executive at large companies or lead small organisations themselves. All of the allies on the list — who are not LGBT+ themselves but support LGBT+ inclusion — were nominated by peers and colleagues, or put themselves forward.

Read more: The OUTstanding Top 100 Executives 2021

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Nominations were then reviewed by the OUTstanding judging panel, who scored each person on the influence of their role, their impact on staff inside and outside the workplace, and their business achievements.

1) Lex Shu Chan, general counsel, The Business of Fashion

Lex Shu Chan, general counsel, The Business of Fashion
Lex Shu Chan, general counsel, The Business of Fashion

Lex Shu Chan is the co-head of The Business of Fashion's Diversity, Inclusion, Community & Equity (DICE) Council. Over the last two years, they have been involved in leading various initiatives from establishing and managing the activities of employee networks (comprising of BAME, families, female empowerment, Pride, people & planet and mental health) to working with the editorial team on the foundation of a fellowship programme for up-and-coming Black journalists.

They have also created a gender identity and expression guide policy for current and prospective transgender and gender non-conforming employees. Chan is also a writer, and has contributed opinion pieces on topics such as visibility for the trans+ and Asian communities and coming out narratives for publications such as i-D.

They are also co-founder of Sachiko & Shu, and released Recipes Against Racism, a charity cookbook in support of End The Virus of Racism and Stop Hate UK, in April 2021.

2) Satish Kumar, accounts analyst III, Swiss Re Global Business Solutions India Private Limited

Satish Kumar, accounts analyst III, Swiss Re Global Business Solutions India Private Limited
Satish Kumar, accounts analyst III, Swiss Re Global Business Solutions India Private Limited

Satish Kumar is a founding member of the Bangalore Chapter of Together with Pride network, which aims to promote LGBT+ inclusion. To create awareness within the organisation, he has launched an allyship reward programme which is a unique concept of rewarding allies who actively contribute towards inclusion in the workplace.

Kumar has been actively involved in organising multiple initiatives to create an impact and sensitise people on LGBT+ topics such as a session on being queer and facing mental health issues intersectionality faced by the LGBT+ community, a theatrical play titled "The Fight Continues" and a panel discussion during Pride week.

In a short period of time, these events created an impact and increased the number of allies within the organisation. In November 2019 and 2020, Kumar also received the highest nominations for the Asia D&I Award for outstanding work in the LGBT+ space in the Bangalore office.

3) Delia Deng, enterprise account executive, SAP

Delia Deng, enterprise account executive, SAP
Delia Deng, enterprise account executive, SAP

As the co-lead of Pride@SAP Australia & New Zealand, Delia Deng worked on establishing a Culture of Pride and Inclusivity, which resulted in SAP being awarded Bronze status for the first time in 2021’s Australian Workplace Equality Index.

During her role at within Pride@SAP, she championed awareness of LGBT+ days of significance, promoted SAP’s LGBT+ policies and resources internally, as well as secured funding for diversity and inclusion (D&I) initiatives.

In 2021, she was involved as a facilitator and panellist in multiple internal and external events, and organised a regional Wear it Purple Day event, resulting in an increase in SAP’s employee donations over previous years. In addition to being an active advocate and visible leader in the promotion of D&I, Deng also featured on Out for Australia’s 30 Under 30 Role Models and was the inaugural category winner of Success in Career.

4) Val Walls, director, sales effectiveness, Scotiabank

Val Walls, director, sales effectiveness, Scotiabank
Val Walls, director, sales effectiveness, Scotiabank

Beyond their job role, Val Walls is the global council of chairs and member of the LGBT+ Pride group at Scotiabank. In their role, they have led global LGBT+ meetings, developed the D&I strategy for the automotive line of business and is an active sponsor for the LGBT+ sponsorship programme.

Walls has developed and facilitated various trainings for up to 1,200 team members, as well as delivered ‘The Power of A Pronoun' and collaborated in developing a training for 450 employees of Tangerine, a Scotiabank subsidiary.

Their work had a huge impact on increasing awareness to be an ally, improving leaders coaching and mentoring and supporting team members to create a more inclusive environment within the organisation.

Over the last three years, Walls was also board of director of Pride at Work Canada and in 2020 they were the Individual Leadership winner for the Above & Beyond Award Diversity Best Practices, which raised awareness on the importance of leaning in with your passion to drive change.

5) Bruna Gil, channel partner lead, LinkedIn

Bruna Gil, Channel Partner Lead, LinkedIn
Bruna Gil, channel partner lead, LinkedIn

Since 2021, Bruna Gil is the global co-chair for Out@In, LinkedIn's LGBTQ+ Network, and she leads a global team of 50+ leaders with presence across 23 offices and four regions.

Out@In aims to engage, educate, and empower LinkedIn's LGBT+ community by fostering an inclusive and supportive environment across the globe.

As global co-chair, she is responsible for setting and executing the mission and vision, overseeing annual strategic plan and she serves as the primary partner to the D&I team and executive sponsors. As part of her role, she is also a visible lesbian leader and have featured in employee videos centered around Pride month and LGBT+ topics.

During her tenure as global invest lead, she has spearheaded the creation and launch of a global leadership development program called Out@Leadership, targeting LGBT+ employees who were looking to move into leadership.

6) Jenn Renoe, associate media director, Publicis Health Media

Jenn Renoe, associate media director, Publicis Health Mediaz
Jenn Renoe, associate media director, Publicis Health Media

Jenn Renoe is global co-lead of the Égalité business resource group (BRG) at Publicis Health Media. During the last three years, her work focused on establishing transition guidelines to ensure a safe, respectful, and supportive workplace for transgender transition.

Renoe created numerous initiatives within the organisation, including the execution of a recurring programming event during Trans Awareness Week, which aims to offer education to cisgender employees and spotlight their transgender talents.

She was also involved in the development of an International Trans Day of Visibility panel to support transgender children by educating parents on the truths of gender. In addition to this, Renoe also participated to multiple external panels and conferences to speak about the importance of gender diversity in the workplace and for affirming trans rights.

Currently, she is working to champion a new student organisation which creates a pipeline of LGBT+ students’ talent for agencies to hire and offer internships.

7) Jules Buet, quantitative analyst, Citi

Jules Buet, quantitative analyist, Citi
Jules Buet, quantitative analyst, Citi

In addition to their role as trans representative of OUT in Markets and Citi London Pride, Jules Buet was also the first person to come out as transgender at Citi’s (C) London Office. Since then, they have been actively involved in helping other individuals across Europe, Middle East and Afrrica (EMEA) in coming out.

Amongst multiple initiatives and events, they have helped explore the intersection of LGBT+ and neurodivergence and made sure that intersex day of visibility was celebrated. Buet has been an LGBT+ mentor in a reverse mentorship programme to help foster LGBT+ awareness among senior members of the company, while also being a role model for young graduates who wanted to be out as LGBT+ at work and get involved in LGBT+ activism.

They are currently working with Citi in the renovation of the building to guarantee better trans inclusion in bathrooms, changing rooms as well as in the gym.

8) Chris Mossiah, vice president, JP Morgan Chase

Chris Mossiah, vice president, JP Morgan Chase
Chris Mossiah, vice president, JP Morgan Chase

Chris Mossiah, a software engineer, serves as the co-chair of the Global Gender Identity and Expression Council in JP Morgan Chase (JPM) where they create space for awareness, visibility, and support within the firm for transgender and gender expansive employees.

They are also co-lead of the Global Technology LGBT+ Community talent acquisition team, where they help to bring diverse LGBT+ talent to the technology sector across the globe. Mossiah has been dedicated to help promote, retain, and recruit transgender and gender non-conforming individuals to and within the firm, and has also created cross-department trainings on the importance of pronouns as well as resources such as a non-binary toolkit within JP Morgan Chase.

Mossiah is often found to be a panellist, creator, and guest speaker of many inter-company events and conference summits such as Lesbians Who Tech and Out & Equal that focus on LGBT+ advocacy and building an inclusive workplace.

9) Rachael Stein, project leader, Boston Consulting Group

Rachael Stein, project leader, Boston Consulting Group
Rachael Stein, project leader, Boston Consulting Group

Rachael Stein is the leader and founder of Pride@BCG North America Intersectional Diversity Taskforce, which elevates the voices and needs of women, people of colour, and transgender people in Boston Consulting Group's (BCG) LGBT+ employee network.

In this role, they work with Pride@BCG board members to identify areas for improvement and support the execution of intersectional empowerment initiatives. As the Pride@BCG North America communications director, Stein spearheads the development and documentation of annual goals by functional topic and co-leads all national communications.

Since 2018, they have also been on the leadership team of Out for Undergrad Business, a nonprofit organisation which support the careers of LGBT+ undergraduates. In this role, they were responsible for executing a conference which dramatically increased student access to professional opportunities in the business world.

While in their most recent programming director role, Stein worked to create specific mentorship and professional development tracks for LGBT+ students.

10) B Pagels-Minor, board of directors, secretary, Howard Brown Health

B.Pagels-Minor, board of directors, secretary, Howard Brown Health
B Pagels-Minor, board of directors, secretary, Howard Brown Health

As the former global lead for trans*, the transgender ERG at Netflix, B. Pagels-Minor worked with internal teams to upgrade the technology used and hold partners accountable to evolve their systems to be more inclusive.

They have also worked to upgrade benefits to better reflect the needs of trans employees including no longer requiring additional paperwork to make legal changes. Pagels-Minor led numerous initiatives to make the content more trans-inclusive, including setting up trainings for production teams. Pagels-Minor also courageously led the walk out at Netflix. In addition, they are a board member of Howard Brown Health (HBH), one of the largest LGBT+ health care organisations in the world.

HBH is breaking ground as world-class care facilities for the LGBT+ community on the North and South sides of Chicago. In 2021, B. was also named for the 40 under 40 by the Silicon Valley Business Journal.

11) Saiganesh Krishnamoorthy, scrum master, ABN AMRO Bank

Saiganesh Krishnamoorthy, scrum master, ABN AMRO Bank
Saiganesh Krishnamoorthy, scrum master, ABN AMRO Bank

Saiganesh Krishnamoorthy, an ex-member-of-board for Equal Asia Foundation (Stichting EqualA Foundation) and Pride+ Network at ABN AMRO (ABN.AS), is an active voice for queer POC within the organisation/The Netherlands.

After becoming a runner-up of Mr Gay World India and featuring on the top 100 World's Young LGBTI leadership Talent (RAHM) in 2017, Krishnamoorthy focused on enhancing the openness of exchange across diverse countries on the oft unspoken topics such as the significance of mental health in the LGBT community and the intersectionality between faith and sexuality. Mentored by the founders of the Pride Circle (India), Krishnamoorthy has co-created courses on unconscious biases and intercultural communication, and is often visible as a guest speaker, panellist, or organiser at various D&I events inter-company and across the globe.

His current endeavour is to create more visibility for queer POC in the Netherlands and an eclectic, inclusive space that transcends borders and boundaries.

12) Leigh Capule, migrations manager, HSBC

Leigh Capule, migrations manager, HSBC
Leigh Capule, migrations manager, HSBC

From being the HSBC (HSBA.L) Pride + Ally Lead in 2020, Leigh Capule has broadened her scope of influence as 2021's GSC Philippines Pride Sponsor and Inter-GSC Pride co-lead.

Given her new role, she shifted her focus into disparities brought by different culture-and country-specific laws across the GSCs and is helping to drive changes in terms of benefits and policies. This year, she has been involved in communications campaigns to increase awareness of LGBT+ events, as well as a 24-hour Pride session to create sensitivity around lesbian experience in a male dominated corporate world and allyship.

In 2019, In addition to playing a critical role in the establishment of Pride ERGs in other GSCs, Capule has also established an Annual PAN GSC SOGIE Awareness session across India, Sri Lanka and the Philippines. Pushed by her passion in driving change through education, she has also been involved in multiple external panel discussions and interviews.

13) Gatonga Theuri, dynamic demand sensing senior programme manager, Diageo

Gatonga Theuri, Dynamic Demand Sensing senior programme manager, Diageo
Gatonga Theuri, dynamic demand sensing senior programme manager, Diageo

Gatonga Theuri is dedicated to inclusivity and ensuring that everyone can be their true selves at work. As a member of Diageo’s (DEO) employee Rainbow Network UK, Theuri works to ensure that all Diageo’s LGBTQIA+ employees are respected, valued and embraced.

Most recently, he has driven awareness and self-declaration of gender identity, sexual orientation and pronouns internally; hosted mentoring sessions with an LGBT+ focus, and led on the creation of ‘Confronting Queer Bias’ training resources.

Theuri is also a member of the Race, Ethnicity and Cultural Heritage employee network and ally to the Spirited Women’s Network. This has seen him lead discussions called ‘Surviving Hate Crime’ which highlighted incidences of UK hate crime and ‘Then and Now: History of Queer Women in the UK and Africa’ to educate colleagues about the community’s history in the UK.

Committed to driving inclusion around the world, Theuri helped to create Diageo’s global #MyNameIs campaign to raise awareness about the importance of pronouncing someone’s name correctly.

14) Belton Flournoy, director, Protiviti

Belton Flournoy, director, Protiviti
Belton Flournoy, director, Protiviti

Belton Flournoy is the co-founder of Protiviti UK's LGBT+ employee networking group, which won Best D&I Initiative at the Inclusive Tech Alliance Awards), and he recently co-hosted global Protiviti/RHI Pride webinars, and is a co-founding member of Protiviti UK.’s ProCulture group which aims to recognise people's cultural differences by providing a safe space for discussion/education.

In 2020, Flournoy was shortlisted by the British LGBT+ awards for co-founding Pride in the City with Pride in London, a mayor-backed initiative dedicated to amplifying the voices of LGBT+ and their allies. In January 2021, he joined the advisory board for the London School of Economics Inclusion Initiative (TII), an innovative programme that aims to provide behavioural science insights to help firms achieve their diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) goals.

He was also one of the hosts of MyGwork’s WorkPride 2021, a global five-day virtual conference. Flournoy is a TLC Lion whose story has been shared with more than 10,000+ employees worldwide and translated into over nine different languages.

15) Kimmah Dozier, programme manager, AI&D, Verizon

Kimmah Dozier, programme manager, AI&D, Verizon
Kimmah Dozier, programme manager, AI&D, Verizon

As a programme manager for the artificial intelligence (AI) and data enablement team at Verizon (VZ), Kimmah Dozier helps business units solve key challenges using AI and data solutions.

Along with her job responsibilities, Dozier creates programming within Verizon to amplify the voices of LGBT+ colleagues by providing space to share and highlight lived experiences. As global chair for programs and events for Verizon PRISM, the LGBTQ ERG, Dozier has developed intersectional series to celebrate diversity and create inclusion and belonging.

A champion for DE&I, she partners with cross-functional teams and creates engagement and training opportunities to provide visibility and education. Outside of Verizon, Dozier is the board president for the Harriet Hancock Center Foundation in Columbia, South Carolina, where she supports, empowers, and educates the LGBTQ+ community. She serves as director of diversity for STEM Without Boundaries, a student-led non-profit that provides opportunities for STEM in grade schools, where she helps shape the future generation of leaders.

16) Antonio Vega, EMEA, mobile apps partner manager, Google

Antonio Vega, EMEA, mobile apps partner manager, Google
Antonio Vega, EMEA, mobile apps partner manager, Google

Antonio Vega is a former member of the steering committee for Pride@Google (GOOGL) in Ireland. Over the last two years, he has been acting as the DEI ambassador for his team across Europe, developing education activities around DEI and leading the analysis, strategy and execution of the D&I pillars in the organisation’s annual survey for his team.

In his role, Vega consistently creates new opportunities for education and facilitation such as supporting programmes for inclusion and deploying trainings around the understanding of race, LGBT+ conversations and bias. In 2020, he co-led the virtual Pride celebrations and was nominated to the prestigious Spirit of Google Ireland Award for his contributions on making the Dublin site an inclusive environment.

Vega also co-led the Project Lambda to help LGBT+ and ally owned and operated businesses grow their online presence with Google products. After the pilot, the event was also launched in Paris, Milan, Madrid and Amsterdam, impacting more than 500 LGBT+ owned businesses.

17) Jeanette 'JT' Tubil, technology solution planning manager, Accenture

Jeanette 'JT' Tubil, Accenture Technology Solution Planning Manager, Accenture
Jeanette 'JT' Tubil, technology solution planning manager, Accenture

Jeanette 'JT' Tubil is credited as the first female lead of Accenture (ACN) in the Philippines’ LGBT+ ERG. Under her leadership, she substantially increased the number of Pride allies, helped enhance sexual orientation, gender identity and expression (SOGIE) learning materials and hosted podcasts on a wide range of LGBT+ topics.

She supported major events on SOGIE, the transgender community and the LGBT+ journey. Her unwavering commitment to LGBT+ inclusion, and strong collaboration with leaders and the LGBT+ community, helped increased SOGIE awareness in and out of the organisation.

In 2019, she represented Accenture Philippines in the Accenture Global LGBT+ Leaders Master Class Training, where she authored the vision statement of Accenture Philippines’ Pride community, "to be known as an authentic, inclusive community which makes a difference inside and outside Accenture, with a commitment to change the world".

Tubil held the role of Pride community lead for Accenture operations in the Philippines until her recent transfer to a new role.

18) Max Evans, strategy manager, Virgin Media O2

Max	Evans, strategy manager, Virgin Media O2
Max Evans, strategy manager, Virgin Media O2

As co-chair of the LGBT+ Network at Virgin Media O2 (‘Proudly’), Max Evans is responsible for the LGBT+ inclusion strategy, leading the 30-strong steering group, advising the business and ultimately representing and maximising impact for VMO2’s LGBT+ people.

Navigating a joint venture and a COVID-impacted environment, Evans ensured the team focused on creating a safe space and active virtual community, which has seen membership grow from several hundred to 1000+ since 2020.

The team have delivered a hyper-inclusive programme of virtual events including for LGBT History Month, Trans Day of Visibility and Pride Month 2021, focused on priority themes including intersectionality, storytelling and allyship, and partnering with Terrence Higgins Trust.

Before VMO2, Evans worked for Accenture, where he was involved in leading LGBT+ inclusion as part of the steering committee and as chair for the technology, media, and telecom business. Evans was subsequently invited to attend the Pink News Pride Parliamentary Reception in Westminster 2019 in recognition of his contribution to LGBT+ inclusion.

19) Bandile Mndebele, research analyst, IHS Markit

Bandile Mndebele, research analyst, IHS Markit
Bandile Mndebele, research analyst, IHS Markit

Bandile Mndebele is the representative of Pride@IHSMarkit as well as the founder and chairperson of Ubuntu@IHSMarkit. For the past two years, they have been promoting discussion around intersectionality in the LGBT+ community. In 2021, their focus was to facilitate critical discussions on the discourse of gender identity and media representation, and they have piloted a series of action points on LGBT+ inclusion through policy initiatives.

Mndebele is also the founder of Ubuntu, the first ever affinity network in South Africa to custody intersections of race, gender, gender identity and sexual orientation in the workplace and to spotlight South Africa as a meaningful contributor towards DEI and LGBT+ Inclusion. They were the first to contribute towards trans inclusion in a university setting through the roll out of the Mx title and gender-neutral facility access advocacy.

20) André F Macedo, senior consultant, Deloitte Portugal

André F Macedo, senior consultant, Deloitte Portugal
André F Macedo, senior consultant, Deloitte Portugal

André F Macedo leads international consulting projects and teams, while being an active member of Deloitte Portugal's internal Consulting Advisory Group, in which he contributes and develops new ideas to support the future of the consulting practice, both internally and externally.

In his role, he works closely with the people and marketing teams on cross-firm initiatives that aim to foster diversity and inclusion, namely LGBT+ values. Taking his international experience working in different projects, with diverse teams and clients, Macedo regularly supports the implementation of new ideas and best practices from different countries, namely on how to support LGBT+ employees.

Through the sharing of his personal life experience and journey either with his community and in his work environment, or in talks and in interviews, he raises awareness and encourages others to be their own role models by embracing their authentic self, unique background and personal journey, increasing the engagement within LGBT+ community.

Gurchaten Sandhu, programme officer, International Labour Organization

Gurchaten Sandhu, programme officer, International Labour Organization
Gurchaten Sandhu, programme officer, International Labour Organization

Gurchaten Sandhu is the president of UN-GLOBE. In their role, they have championed in advocating an internal and external wide system strategy on LGBT+ rights as well as participated in the secretary general's task force to represent LGBT+ personnel and highlight the intersections of race and sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics. Sandhu has also conceptualised and implemented various campaigns for key LGBT+ days and delivered webinars on the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of LGTBIQ+ employees.

In August 2021, they won the British LGBT Award for Exceptional Inclusion. To honour Sandhu's win, the UK ambassador to the UN Mission in Geneva will be hosting a reception that will bring together heads of UN entities and UN senior leadership, government ambassadors and representatives of the Equal Rights Coalition (ERC), and an intergovernmental body of 42 member states dedicated to the protection of the LGBT+ rights.

Yeshua Delgado, senior financial planner, MSD

Yeshua Delgado, senior financial planner, MSD
Yeshua Delgado, senior financial planner, MSD

Yeshua Delgado is the Latin America lead of the ERG Rainbow Alliance and the D&I representative of the executive leadership council.

In his role, he has worked with HR and senior leadership on expanding the ERG across the region, and he and his team successfully added new ERGs in Mexico, all Central America & Caribbean countries and Chile.

Delgado was also the lead of an allyship programme designed to educate, train and certificate allies within the organisation.

As the lead of the Self-ID project in Latin America, he developed the idea of the importance of visibility and be part of change, being now very close to achieve a successful launch in all the countries in Latin America. In addition to this, he is part of Pride Connection and has participated to numerous country-wide initiatives such as "Declaración de San José", a declaration that includes principles against gender and sexual orientation discrimination.

Victoria Jackson, associate solicitor, BLM

Victoria Jackson, associate solicitor, BLM
Victoria Jackson, associate solicitor, BLM

Victoria Jackson is the co-founder and lead of BLM LGBTQ+Allies Network. In her role, she has organised various panel discussions, educational pieces, learning seminars and activities within the organisation and across other companies.

The aim was to create a better understanding of LGBT+ issues and embedding inclusion across the insurance/legal industry. Her work for LGBT+ comprises also assisting the HR department in updating their internal policies to ensure inclusivity.

Jackson has campaigned to add the optional use of pronouns to signatures across the entire firm, helped to set up other affinity networks in BLM and worked with them to collaborate on best practices and to address intersectionality issues.

She is also a founding member of the Liverpool Law Society Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) Committee, where she helps other law firms on their EDI journeys, and she featured as a Top 10 Future Leader in the British LGBT awards 2021. She is also an area co-ordinator for Link-Up North LGBT Insurance Network.

Christian Tooley, senior innovation & strategy consultant, Capgemini Invent

Christian Tooley, senior innovation & strategy consultant, Capgemini Invent
Christian Tooley, senior innovation & strategy consultant, Capgemini Invent

Christian Tooley is a queer entrepreneur, innovation and strategy consultant, founder & CEO, startup advisor, venture scout and builder, working and hustling at the beautiful (yet underserved) interlock of innovation, intersectionality, and investments.

His work founding i³ investing helps LGBTQ+ founders and consciousness investors connect. His eclectic leadership and expertise across London and Hong Kong has enabled him to push for advancement across corporate, entrepreneurial, political and social spheres.

From setting up a Fortune 500 company’s 1st Pride Network in Asia, and driving awareness for BAME and mental health communities, to supporting policy submissions on progressive LGBTQ+ legislation.

As a global shaper at the World Economic Forum and inaugural member of The Alliance by McKinsey & Company, Tooley will continue to shape future LGBTQ+ progress. As an innovation and new ventures leader, he offers unique perspectives on bridging social impact with the business world. His philosophy on ‘Intersectional Incredibles’ will continue facilitating inclusive and sustainable growth for all those he empowers.

Frederico Bastos Pinheiro Martins, litigation and arbitration senior lawyer, Mattos Filho Veiga Filho Marrey Jr e Quiroga Advogados

Frederico	Bastos Pinheiro Martins, litigation and arbitration senior lawyer, Mattos Filho Veiga Filho Marrey Jr. e Quiroga Advogados
Frederico Bastos Pinheiro Martins, litigation and arbitration senior lawyer, Mattos Filho Veiga Filho Marrey Jr e Quiroga Advogados

Frederico Martins is one of the founders of Mfriendly, an employee resource group at Mattos Filho that aims to create a more inclusive work environment for LGBT+ people within the organisation. As part of Mfriendly’s executive committee, he has overseen the creation of gender-neutral restrooms at the firm and sensitivity training for teams working with trans professionals.

He has also been involved in producing infographics on trans visibility, creating guidelines for hiring transgender professionals and developing two publications concerning the impact of COVID-19 on LGBT+ people. His work with Mfriendly impacts LGBT+ professionals' both at Mattos Filho and at law firms all throughout Brazil.

Since 2018, Martins has also been part of the organisation committee for the Out&Equal Brazil Forum and Workplace Summit, major events that bring an outstanding array of multinational companies together, providing education and networking opportunities for advancing LGBT+ inclusion in Brazilian workplaces. More recently, Martins has also been engaged in Mattos Filho’s pro-bono work towards defending the rights of vulnerable LGBT+ people.

Steven Lewis, senior legal counsel, Capital One

Steven Lewis, senior legal counsel, Capital One
Steven Lewis, senior legal counsel, Capital One

Steven Lewis is the co-Lead of Out Front Canada, the LGBT+ BRG for Canada operations. At Capital One, he has improved internal policies for family leave and gender transition in the workplace and created a partnership with an LGBT+ high school that includes unique annual Dragon's Den style entrepreneur competition.

As part of international efforts, this year Lewis's team secured donations to LGBT+ charities and tripled the engagement of Pride activities and intersectional discussions. They were able, for the first time, to bring together associates across the world for networking, mentoring, and events. Locally he kept a focus on unique issues in Canada with tailored programming and advocacy around the conversion therapy ban.

Lewis also led education work in the community through many boards he sits on and contributed to significant improvements in the community, particularly with his work advocating for the trans and non-binary community in the Ontario cancer screening programmes.

Deon Pillay, head of marketing operations, Legal and General Investments

Deon Pillay, head of marketing operations, legal and general investments
Deon Pillay, head of marketing operations, legal and general investments

Deon Pillay is the co-chair of the organisation’s LGBT+ Network and Steerco member of the LGBT+ ethnic minorities network. Through his work on reverse mentoring and coaching, Pillay has increased the support and visibility of LGBT and senior leadership within the organisation.

In 2021, he has developed a LGBT terminology guide and an employee allyship training to raise awareness of the network, resulted in a substantial increase of engagement. Moreover, his work focused on the development of a trans and non-binary inclusion policy and a broader review of the organisation HR policies to ensure LGBT+ inclusion.

His initiatives also led to the development of a global D&I council in 2021, which aimed to increase senior leadership commitment to drive change. Pillay is also the founder and co-chair of InterInvest, which aims to drive LGBT+ inclusion in the asset management industry and featured on the British LGBT Awards Top 10 Diversity Hero's 2020 and the winner of the award in 2021.

Caroline Tutakiewicz, director, strategic programmes lead, RBC Ventures

Caroline Tutakiewicz, director, strategic programmes lead, RBC
Caroline Tutakiewicz, director, strategic programmes lead, RBC Ventures

Caroline Tutakiewicz is co-chair of the largest Pride ERG nationally. In her role she has led and supported numerous inclusion initiatives including over 50 events focused on important LGBT+ topics, changed all digital backgrounds for Pride month, pronoun inclusion, organised the largest contingent to engage in a Pride event and created the speak up series, amplifying LGBT+ voices in corporate Canada.

Tutakiewicz is a sought after speaker and thought leader on intersectionality, women in leadership, LGBT+, and coming out at work. She serves on the board of directors for Start Proud, an organisation that facilitates the professional development of 2SLGBTQ+ individuals. Tutakiewicz is also a board director for Sherbourne Health, a hospital committed to helping people who may have been under-served by conventional health serves (LGBT+, homeless, and under-housed individuals).

Since 2011, Tutakiewicz has also been involved in facilitating youth diversion programmes drawing on Indigenous restorative justice practices diverting young people from formal incarceration.

Manuel Schlothauer, consultant, therapist & coach at HeyManuel.com; business partner, people & culture, and lead, allyship activation at Google

Manuel Schlothauer, consultant, therapist & coach at HeyManuel.com; business partner, people & culture, and lead, allyship activation at Google
Manuel Schlothauer, consultant, therapist & coach at HeyManuel.com; business partner, people & culture, and lead, allyship activation at Google

Manuel Schlothauer is the founder of HeyManuel.com, an award-winning private practice for inclusive therapy and coaching with the mission of transforming mental health for underrepresented groups.

His unique programmes use psychotherapy, clinical hypnotherapy, neuroscience, neuro-linguistic programming, cognitive behavioural therapy, parts therapy and Gestalt psychology, in combination with exponential coaching, to sustainably elevate the LGBTQ+ and Black+ experience.

At Google, Schlothauer functions as an internal consultant and coach for employees of all levels, departments and geographies by “creating a culture that helps Googlers thrive, be authentically themselves and, by that, accomplish extraordinary things together".

He advises on the entire employee lifecycle but is the go-to person for mental health, coming out, transitioning and anti-racist capabilities. Schlothauer ensures diversity, inclusion, equity and belonging across all policies and processes. He also co-leads Allyship Activation for the Google EMEA Headquarters, where his cross-functional team gamifies how we become better allies.

Melwyn Lobo, HR business partner for Global Cloud First Business Teams, Accenture

Melwyn Lobo, HR business partner for Global Cloud First Business Teams, Accenture
Melwyn Lobo, HR business partner for Global Cloud First Business Teams, Accenture

Melwyn Lobo is the LGBT+ lead of the Pride programme at Accenture Advanced Technology Centers in India. Committed to fostering a truly human and inclusive workplace, Lobo has driven large-scale Pride sensitisation workshops across Accenture and organised an experiential workshop for the leadership team.

He has led several interventions and initiatives to bring in a cultural shift and burst myths about the LGBT+ community. Lobo has played a key role in launching Pride High, a special series of curated events to discuss and celebrate Pride. His relentless efforts to create a safe and open workplace, where everyone feels comfortable, has helped Accenture amplify allyship.

Lobo also started the High Heel Hotties project, an advocacy tool to reach out to the mainstream and LGBT+ population and talk about gender and sexuality through the medium of dance and entertainment.

Magda Markowska, senior client analytics executive, NielsenIQ

Magda Markowska, senior client analytics executive, NielsenIQ
Magda Markowska, senior client analytics executive, NielsenIQ

Magda Markowska leads the Pride (LGBT+ & allies) ERG at NielsenIQ since 2016 and helped with expanding the network across Europe. In her role, she developed various regional activities such as webinars for Trans Awareness Week, a panel discussion featuring European NGOs sharing their experience on local LGBT+ activism and she moderated the Pride kick-off call with senior leaders.

At NielsenIQ, Markowska championed for driving change for more LGBT+ inclusive policies and benefits, including the creation and launch of the global trans guidelines and the policies & benefits tracker across Europe to monitor the progress. On this matter, she also designed and supervised annual surveys among NielsenIQ associates which aims to monitor the well-being of LGBT+ employees and awareness of the workforce on LGBT+ related topics.

In addition to her work at NielsenIQ, in June 2021 she participated as a speaker during African Diversity & Inclusion Center webinar on LGBT+ inclusion.

Athena Lam, content lead, Passbase

Athena Lam, content lead, Passbase GmbH
Athena Lam, content lead, Passbase

In her current role, Athena Lam has worked with head of people to create a series of cultural blog posts outlining initiatives around diversity, creating a more inclusive recruitment process for LGBT+, BIPOC and neurodiverse individuals as well as influencing product UI changes to be more inclusive.

Previously, Lam worked at Dalia Research, where she initiated LGBT+ D&I inclusion in the office space, through pronoun usage, and an event code of conduct. Amongst numerous initiatives, she won The Economist's #WorkWithPride competition by creating a crowdsourced LGBT+ workplace directory for Hong Kong professionals and associated social media campaigns to raise awareness on workplace inclusion amongst Cantonese locals.

Since 2018, Lam is a board member for Planet Ally, a global LGBTQ rights organisation, and an AsiaBerlin ambassador, where she initiated the AsiaBerlin Summit's first LGBTQ spotlight programming in 2021.

Jon Tilli, director, Deutsche Bank

Jon Tilli, director, Deutsche Bank
Jon Tilli, director, Deutsche Bank

Jon Tilli is the global co-chair of dbPride, Deutsche Bank's (DBK.DE) LGBT+ and ally ERG. At Deutsche Bank, he developed an intersectional programming for LGBT+ Pride month, which featured the first openly gay Black and Latin members of the US House of Representatives in conversation with MSNBC's Jonathan Capehart.

Tilli also organised and secured funding for the first in-person Pride event since the pandemic, which took place at The Q, New York, the first queer event space designed to help make nightlife more inclusive.

In addition to his role at Deutsche Bank, Tilli is co-chair of OPEN Finance which brings together 48 financial services firms and have engaged thousands of people in the New York area to drive forward LGBT+ inclusion using the power of the financial services sector. This marquee event has engaged senior leaders from across the industry in dialogue on how companies can achieve positive change for LGBT+.

Sophie Kershaw, internal audit senior associate, PwC UK

Sophie Kershaw, internal audit senior associate, PwC UK
Sophie Kershaw, internal audit senior associate, PwC UK

Sophie Kershaw is the UK co-chair of Shine, PwC’s LGBT+ network. In this role she leads a national committee of 24 people based across the UK. At PwC, she champions inclusive behaviour, proactively engaging employees and supporting recruitment initiatives to promote visibility of Shine.

Kershaw focuses her work on underrepresented minorities within the LGBT+ community. In April 2021, she led a Lesbian Visibility day panel to celebrate the profile and successes of LGBT+ women in her wider professional network. In May 2021, she facilitated an internal event with panelists sharing their experiences of pansexuality, non-binary and asexuality.

More recently, she mobilised a panel that shone a spotlight on coming out in the Black community. In addition to her work at PwC, Kershaw sits on the steering committee for the East Midlands Alliance network, a professional network that she helped to establish in 2020 and has represented at three Prides in 2021 to drive positive change in her wider community.

Aoife Martin, bizOps manager, Mastercard

Aoife Martin, bizOps manager, Mastercard
Aoife Martin, bizOps manager, Mastercard

As the co-lead of Mastercard (MA) Dublin's PRIDE BRG, Aoife Martin is responsible for the creation of regular company-wide comms to mark events in the LGBT+ calendar. This included events such as the World AIDS Day, International Trans Day of Visibility and IDAHOBIT.

Since 2018, she is a board member of the Transgender Equality Network in Ireland (TENI). Outside of her work at Mastercard, Martin participated in multiple initiatives such as the Abbey Theatre in Dublin, where she appeared on stage, and at the National Concert Hall. She also appeared on Irish Times Women's Podcast for International Women's Day and was interviewed for the Irish Government's Citizens' Assembly on Women in Leadership. In 2021, Martin was awarded the Trinity Women in Law's Praeses Elit Award.

Weena Ekid, vice president, JPMorgan Chase

Weena Ekid, vice president,	JPMorgan Chase
Weena Ekid, vice president, JPMorgan Chase

Weena Ekid is the co-chair of JP Morgan Chase (JPMC) Global Gender Identity & Expression Council and PRIDE Philippines BRG co-chair emeritus. In his role, he is one of the pioneers who worked for the Enhancement of Transgender Medical Benefits in the Philippines. At JPMC, he is part of the resource who conducted employee sensitivity trainings on sexual orientation, gender Identity and expression promoting awareness on how to be inclusive, Trans101 sessions, being an ally and how to provide self-identifying opportunities to LGBT+ employees.

Being an out and proud transgender male, he supports the business's DE&I strategy of the firm locally and co-leading the gender inclusivity programmes of the Office of the LGBT+ Affairs at JPMC.

Ekid is currently the chair and board of trustee of the Philippines’ Financial & Inter-Industry Pride (PFIP) and he aims to lead equal representation of the board, member organisation and strengthen the JPMC’s commitment to a more LGBT+ inclusive workplace in the the country. PFIP is one of the leading voices and champions of LGBT+ workplace inclusion, providing safe spaces and inclusive opportunities for LGBT+ professionals among private organisations in the Philippines.

Michelle Mariana Severino Vallejos, cybersecurity, privacy & forensics manager, PwC México

Michelle Mariana Severino Vallejos, cybersecurity, privacy & forensics manager, PwC México
Michelle Mariana Severino Vallejos, cybersecurity, privacy & forensics manager, PwC México

Michelle Vallejos is a core member and spokesperson of Shine Mexico, the LGBT+ ERG of PwC. In her role, she supported students to develop their inclusive leadership skills, including LGBT+ inclusion. She coached other women through her experience as a lesbian, and led five volunteers to aid the director of Cinema Queer Mexico. She is now a member of PwC's Staff Council of Diversity & Inclusion, in charge of the 'Inclusion of People with Disabilities' workstream.

She also appeared as the image of PwC PRIDE 2020 and was awarded PwC’s Wonderful Women of Cybersecurity, Privacy & Forensics for her accomplishments in Mexico and in the US. In 2019, she represented Mexico at the LGBT+ Summit in New York and in 2021, Vallejos was the spokesperson at an event for PwC Colombia in which she shared her experience, professional challenges, and expectations for the future for the LGBT+ community.

Rafhael Romero Bentos, tax lawyer, Mattos Filho Veiga Filho Marrey Jr e Quiroga Advogados

Rafhael Romero Bentos, tax lawyer, Mattos Filho Veiga Filho Marrey Jr. e Quiroga Advogados
Rafhael Romero Bentos, tax lawyer, Mattos Filho Veiga Filho Marrey Jr. e Quiroga Advogados

Rafhael Bentos is a founder and co-leader of Mattos Filho's pioneering ERG for LGBT+ rights – Mfriendly. This award-winning initiative plays a significant influence across Latin America, shedding lights to the LGBTQIAP+ inclusion within the legal sector and beyond. Through pro bono assistance, promoting the inclusion of transgender people, and others, Mattos Filho has seen a significant rise in the number of self-declared LGBTQIAP+ professionals.

More recently, Bentos has been leading a new project aiming at gathering law firms around the topic. At the International Bar Association, he is responsible for engaging young lawyers around the globe in favour of LGBTQIAP+ rights. His recent initiatives have covered topics such as the inclusion in the workplace, mental health issues, and challenges faced by the LGBTQIAP+ community during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Seamus Kearney, vice president, Northern Trust

Seamus Kearney, vice president, Northern Trust
Seamus Kearney, vice president, Northern Trust

Seamus Kearney represents Northern Trust‘s Pride Ireland Network. At Northern Trust, he has open conversations on issues faced by the LGBT+ community. In 2021, he spoke at LGBT+ Role Model fireside discussions where he shared his story, highlighted the impact of language & advised colleagues how they can raise their own awareness. He assisted in implementing a new trans policy. Kearney is part of Northern Trust’s Multi-Cultural ERG to ensure an intersectional balance across advocacy groups is maintained.

Kearney is co-chair of FuSIoN Ireland, growing the network by almost 50%, while also driving key initiatives, including network best practices and community engagement. He is volunteer coordinator and awareness team member of Equality For Children, a not-for-profit that raises awareness of and provides information on the inequalities for LGBT+ parents. He is a steering committee member of an Assisted Human Reproduction Coalition, which is made up of a number of groups with a shared goal – equal parental rights for all.

Jonathan Andrews, associate, Reed Smith

Jonathan	Andrews, associate, Reed Smith
Jonathan Andrews, associate, Reed Smith

Jonathan Andrews is an associate in Reed Smith’s entertainment and media team and a champion of LGBT+ (and particularly bi) inclusion firm-wide. He has spoken at numerous internal events with RS’s LGBT+ network PRISM, including RS's first-ever bi-focused event in 2019, ensuring intersectionality was front and centre.

Named the UK’s fourth most influential disabled person in 2020, Andrews also ensured LGBT+/disability intersectionality at RS’s 2020 Disability Inclusion Summit. Having co-founded Bauer Media's diversity forum, he has spoken across Bauer offices nationwide, featured in videos/articles championing the importance of openness and trained senior management in LGBT+/intersectional inclusion. Andrews is also a trustee of the Miranda Brawn Diversity Leadership Foundation (and a judge of the charity’s LGBT+ and disability scholarships in 2021) and serves on International Trademark Association's 2021 Presidential Task Force for DEI, championing inclusion across the intellectual property sector.

From 2019-21 he was the first LGBT+ (and first-ever) chair of the Commonwealth Children and Youth Disability Network, and in 2020 was named a Franco-British local leader.

Samantha Nelson, offshore installation manager, Shell

Samantha Nelson, offshore installation manager, Shell
Samantha Nelson, offshore installation manager, Shellam

Shell Since joining Shell (RDSB.L), Samantha Nelson has led the way regarding transgender awareness, intersectionality and allyship across many business areas. She has worked to eliminate misconceptions and perceived barriers within the STEM arena and to open career paths to all elements of diversity through inclusion techniques, empathy and development of a safe space.

By openly and honestly sharing the story of her journey in transitioning in a male-dominated workplace, she is passionately committed to helping people understand the value of authenticity, inclusivity, and the impact of allies. At Shell, she has introduced multiple initiatives including trans-inclusive healthcare discussions and the development of an allies guide. Nelson was awarded the Diversity Champion title at the British LGBT awards in 2017 and at the European Diversity Awards in 2018. As regular speaker at events, she is an advocate not just for trans inclusion, but she champions of all elements of diversity.

Evett Van Beek, field people officer, McDonald's

Evett Van Beek, field people officer, McDonald's
Evett Van Beek, field people officer, McDonald's

During her four years at McDonald’s (MCD), Evett Van Beek was the national vice chair of the McDonald's PRIDE Network, which connects LGBT+ employees, and a strategic member of the US Diversity Strategy Council. With her involvement in these groups, Van Beek worked to drive change within the organisation.

While working alongside the HR team, she ensured more inclusive benefits at McDonald's with policies that offer reimbursements for gender reassignment surgery and coverage for HIV medication. She also worked on expanding the firm’s parental leave.

The other part of her work with the brand included the education of employees around LGBT+ issues. For example, she was interviewed during Pride month featuring a conversation that aimed to educate viewers about LGBT+ labels and pronouns. In 2019, Van Beek also received the Women Rise Together Award from the Global Women's Leadership Network.

James D'Rozario, software engineer, Vodafone

James D'Rozario, software engineer, Vodafone
James D'Rozario, software engineer, Vodafone

James D'Rozario is the London chair of the LGBT+ Friends Network at Vodafone (VOD.L). As the first openly LGBT+ employee to travel to Kenya, he worked with the CEO and HR director to shape global LGBT+ policies within the organisation. His work on LGBT+ visibility included the organisation of a series of panel events on the intersection of LGBT+ with faith, gender and race giving a voice to marginalised groups, and the delivery of trainings on LGBT+ topics to provide skills around language and inclusive conversations.

D'Rozario was also an organiser and keynote speaker at Vodafone's LGBT+ inclusion training and spoke at a global and UK supplier event to share the LGBT+ youth & BAME perspective with senior leaders. Outside of Vodafone, D'Rozario is working in partnership with Stonewall to create a mobile application for LGBT+ people worldwide to report hate crimes to a trusted source, receive wellbeing information and get support.

David Baboolall, associate partner, McKinsey & Company

David Baboolall, associate partner,	McKinsey & Company
David Baboolall, associate partner, McKinsey & Company

David Baboolall is a leader of GLAM, McKinsey & Company’s LGBT+ affinity group, and global director of The Alliance, a platform for convening a global network of LGBT+ senior leaders from prominent public, private, and social sector institutions who are committed to driving progress on issues facing the LGBT+ community.

At the start of the racial reckoning in 2020, they co-founded and led McKinsey's Global Anti-Racism & Inclusion efforts, which has had enormous impact for LGBT+ D&I, including an immense focus on intersectional populations.

Baboolall helped launch the first E&I learning programme to establish an understanding of topics around equity, bias, privilege and allyship. In addition to this, they helped launch anti-bias trainings for evaluators and provided tips for mitigating bias in interviews with the target of identifying and removing potential biases in the firm's processes by early 2021.

Baboolall is also leading McKinsey’s thinking on transgender inclusion in the USA workplace and intersectionality in the global workplace.

Daniel Clark-Bland, PMO lead, Aviva

Daniel Clark-Bland, PMO lead, Aviva
Daniel Clark-Bland, PMO lead, Aviva

Daniel Clark-Bland is an inclusive leader and a passionate trans, non-binary and bi ally. He is one of the co-chairs of Aviva (AV.L) PRIDE, Aviva's LGBTQ+ steering group. In this role, Clark-Bland leads the community to make Aviva a place where people can be their authentic selves.

In particular he coaches and mentors community members with a keen eye on the next generation of leaders. He's empowered colleagues to hold accessible and intersectional workshops and developed a relationship with BI PRIDE UK, making Aviva sponsors in 2021/22. He's featured in national media promoting Aviva's equal parental leave policy having led a collaborative study to assess LGBTQ+ usage of parental policies at Aviva, identifying opportunities for development.

Clark-Bland leads a gender, non-binary and trans working group, which is committed to achieving system and process representation for all at Aviva. Out of work, Clark-Bland also leads a campaign calling for improved screening for cancer patients in memory of his best friend.

Kirsty Mulholland, client relationship manager, Bank of Ireland

Kirsty Mulholland, client relationship manager, Bank of Ireland
Kirsty Mulholland, client relationship manager, Bank of Ireland

Kirsty Mulholland is the co-chair of Bank of Ireland employee network With Pride. In her role, she has conceived and co-hosted an ongoing series of LGBT+ coffee mornings, focused on discussion around LGBT+ inclusion and featuring representatives from TENI, BeLonGTo and Belfast Pride. During these events, the rainbow and trans pride flags were raised over the bank's flagship office. Mulholland also led the development of 'Trans 101' training for the frontline staff and delivered it to all firm’s branches during trans awareness week. This training pack has now been passed to other organisations including Indeed and Permanent TSB.

Outside of Bank of Ireland, Mulholland has also collaborated with Dublin Technical University and Peabody in assisting them formulate their own policies on trans inclusion and gender identity and she is a member of the team that founded the FuSIoN Network Match programme, an online networking program for LGBT+ finance professionals throughout Ireland.

Eleni Demetriou, content strategy manager, Pearson

Eleni Demetriou, content strategy manager, Pearson
Eleni Demetriou, content strategy manager, Pearson

As the content strategy manager at Pearson, Eleni Demetriou seeks to educate and bring representation to the table by working in an industry and in an organisation whose content is taught and shared around the globe.

Developing, implementing, and executing an inclusive content strategy is at the core of her work, as well as recruiting a diverse set of talents. In her role, she provided editorial feedback to ensure inclusion is taken into consideration following an accessible and inclusive content strategy and she has created content for Pearson’s intranet on Pride 2021, increasing awareness about the LGBT+ experience.

Demetriou also published creative non-fiction on literary magazines around same-sex relationships, reaching readers around the world and ensuring they see themselves in the literary world.

Cameron Keast, operations senior team leader, BGIS

Cameron	Keast, operations senior team leader, BGIS
Cameron Keast, operations senior team leader, BGIS

Cameron Keast is the SA Representative of BGIS CSR Diversity & Inclusion Committee and Pride ambassador of the LGBT+ and Allies Group. In this role, Keast has partnered with Minus18 to present workshops to BGIS on the Introduction of gender and sexuality 101 and supporting the trans and gender diverse community. Within the organisation, he has organised multi-channel communications to the wider business about key days for LGBT+, ensured that the LGBT+ community was included in the BGIS D&I policy and he is currently working on creating the first BGIS gender affirmation policy.

These activities have resulted in an increase of engagement and the creation of a more progressive and welcoming environment. Keast has been determined to drive change by inducing ongoing conversations within BGIS and his personal life, as well as exposing everyone to different perspectives.

Kushal Khandhar, global Pride@BCG manager, Boston Consulting Group

Kushal Khandhar, global Pride@BCG Manager, Boston Consulting Group
Kushal Khandhar, global Pride@BCG Manager, Boston Consulting Group

As former leader and subsequent advisor to Pride@BCG India, Kushal Khandhar launched the network, making the LGBT+ topic a central theme for leadership in India and growing the numbers of members and allies. Kushal played a key role in BCG India sponsoring RISE-2021, the largest LGBT+ job fair in Asia.

Khandhar helped in setting up a recruitment process for confidential LGBT+ candidates, played a key role in extending same-sex partner benefits including access to BCG’s mental well-being program and helped introduce BCG India's first all-gender toilet. He co-designed and spoke at the 'Friday Café', which aimed to familiarise allies with LGBT+ concepts. He has co-authored and contributed to the reports, 'Why the First Year Matters for LGBTQ+ Employees' and 'Fostering Pride in Higher Education'.

He has spoken about LGBT+ DE&I in all-staff townhalls alongside eminent speakers at BCG offices across the world. In recognition of his contribution, he was awarded BCG’s Giving Back to Society Award and went on to become BCG's first global Pride@BCG manager.

Eddy van Hattum, regional portfolio owner UK & Russia, BP

Eddy van Hattum, regional portfolio owner UK & Russia, bp
Eddy van Hattum, regional portfolio owner UK & Russia, bp

Eddy van Hattum is the co-chair of BP (BP) Pride. In this role, he has improved BP's Stonewall UK Workplace Equality Index and massively changed how BP tells external stories on LGBT+ inclusion, including an interview of the CEO on transgender and multiple social media campaigns over the years.

He has also created virtual LGBT+ training sessions for employees in Malaysia and which also connect top level leadership. In 2019, he was chosen to represent BP at the Global Workplace Equality Awards.

Van Hattum is the co-founder of BP’s Trans Working Group, for which he has created official transgender guidelines both in UK and globally as well as organised Trans-in-the-City events, including the biggest UK trans event in history and implemented BP's first bi-visibility week. When still in the Netherlands, he was director of COC-Amsterdam, the oldest LGBT+ rights movement.

Hannah Collins, trainee solicitor, Browne Jacobson

Hannah Collins, trainee solicitor, Browne Jacobson
Hannah Collins, trainee solicitor, Browne Jacobson

Whilst working at Browne Jacobson, Hannah Collins contributed to the formation of the first D&I steering group in the firm, where she led on LGBT+ matters like pronoun policies, while also writing blogs on LGBT+ issues for the firm’s intranet. For the past three years, Collins has promoted pride events within the organisation, such as liaising with other companies to attend Pride marches and organising virtual Pride initiatives during lockdown restrictions in 2020.

Additionally, she has been part of a steering group in the East Midlands, which has bought The Alliance Network, a network of LGBT+ professionals and staff networks, to the region. She was also featured in the Queer Bulletin and other publications.

Noval Auliady, programme manager, Perkumpulan Lintas Feminis Jakarta

Noval Auliady, programme manager, Perkumpulan Lintas Feminis Jakarta
Noval Auliady, programme manager, Perkumpulan Lintas Feminis Jakarta

Noval Auliady is always making sure that the Perkumpulan Lintas Feminis Jakarta (Jakarta Feminist) team represents marginal and minority groups, and specifically invites representatives of LGBT+ people to join the community and the team.

In college, Auliady initiated a student organisation called SPACE UNJ to protect and advocate for all, including LGBT+ students and staff. The organisation is now part of a network of 10 other SOGIESC student organisations at different universities across Indonesia.

Auliady is a great advocate for D&I, having worked as a sexual and reproductive health and rights coordinator in a youth organiscolation and served as the Head of Women's March Jakarta, an annual march where 7,000 people join to speak out about the issues facing women and marginalised communities.

Mayur Gupta, CEO, Career Accelerator

Mayur Gupta, CEO, Career Accelerator
Mayur Gupta, CEO, Career Accelerator

In 2020, Mayur Gupta spearheaded an LGBT+ youth business mentoring programme connecting 18 to 25-year-old LGBT+ young people with LGBT+ business mentors and allies at top companies such as Snapchat (SNAP), Microsoft (MSFT), Pearson (PSO), Vodafone and GoCardless.

So far Gupta has worked with 30 young people from Stonewall Housing and PinkNews Futures and connected them with 30 business mentors. Gupta also led a partnership between Career Accelerator and Spark Inclusion, an LGBT+ consultancy, to integrate LGBT+ inclusion to the business' career education assemblies, workshops, and mentoring sessions in order to provide relatable LGBT+ role models and support to students at state schools. Outside of his organisation, Gupta has spoken at PinkNews Futures on two occasions about the importance of LGBT+ inclusion and working in the tech world to 100 young people in person and virtually, while also writing about the importance of LGBT+ inclusive career support in schools for DiversityEd.

Christie-Lee Malek, practice support coordinator (L&DR) and co-lead of the Arcus Australia Network, Clifford Chance

Christie-Lee Malek, practice support coordinator (L&DR) and co-lead of the Arcus Australia Network, Clifford Chance
Christie-Lee Malek, practice support coordinator (L&DR) and co-lead of the Arcus Australia Network, Clifford Chance

Christie-Lee Malek is a passionate and driven champion of diversity and inclusion at Clifford Chance. In addition to her role as practice support coordinator within the litigation and dispute resolution team, Malek co-founded and co-leads the Arcus Australia Network, Clifford Chance's inclusive employee network focused on issues relating to gender equality and LGBT+ inclusion and diversity.

As a co-founder, Malek's dedication and leadership has helped grow the Arcus Australia Network to over 60 active participants. She has also advised the firm's Australia leadership team on introducing more LGBT+ inclusive initiatives, which have helped the firm in Australia achieve Gold status at the Australian Workplace Equality Index for the past two years.

Malek also actively organises, promotes and participates in events aimed at LGBT+ equality, including a panel event for Wear It Purple Day in partnership with Out For Australia and a panel event for International Lesbian Day in partnership with the Pride in Diversity Sapphire Network. Malek's overall contribution has had a meaningful impact on the firm's culture and people.

Nathan Eastwood, legal officer, International Seabed Authority

Before joining the International Seabed Authority, Nathan Eastwood co-founded and co-led Arcus Australia, which is Clifford Chance's LGBT+ network, with Christie-Lee Malek. He has also successfully campaigned for trans inclusion and achieved gold status in Australia's LGBT+ benchmarking index, Australian Workplace Equality Index. Eastwood successfully drafted and implemented Australia's first ever gender affirmation policy and led Clifford Chance to be the principal partner for Out for Australia.

Eastwood is an active advocate for LGBT+ diversity and inclusion outside his organisation with appointments to LGBT+ law reform committees and as legal counsel for not-for-profit LGBT+ organisations. He mentors several junior LGBT+ lawyers and students and is regularly featured as a speaker at LGBT+ student events. Most recently, he was a panellist on Australia's first ever careers event focused on LGBT+ students in the legal profession and was named Asia-Pacific Future Leader: LGBT Lawyer of the Year.

Luke Adebiyi, client engagement lead, Capital International Group

Luke Adebiyi, client engagement lead, Capital International Group
Luke Adebiyi, client engagement lead, Capital International Group

Within Luke Adebiyi's role as group diversity & inclusion lead, he has been making strides to implement new policies in relation to D&I. In the last 6 months, Adebiyi has been working on Capital International Group's five-year diversity plan which sets out long-term goals for board representation and talent acquisition. Representing his company in January 2020, he spoke at a sponsored event attended by over 100 local businesspeople.

The topic of his talk was 'Creating an Inclusive & Diverse Organisation'. Adebiyi has presented and took part in panel sessions dealing with mental health and diversity for Institute of Directors in February 2020. He is also a company director of Isle of Pride, who, together with the committee, was responsible for organising the first ever Isle of Man Pride in history, promoting equality on the island.

Tolu Osinubi, senior manager, consulting, Deloitte

Tolu	Osinubi, senior manager, consulting, Deloitte
Tolu Osinubi, senior manager, consulting, Deloitte

Tolu Osinubi sits on the leadership team for GLOBE Deloitte's LGBT+ diversity network, driving their initiatives and strategy around intersectionality. She has coordinated several cross-network inclusion initiatives and collaborations with the company’s Black and multicultural diversity networks. As part of Deloitte’s Pride Month celebrations, she organised a virtual event, co-hosting a panel session with guest speaker Lady Phyll, the Executive Director of UK Black Pride, where they discussed topics such as role models, intersectionality and allyship.

Osinubi also represented the firm externally as a guest speaker at other firms to discuss the intersectional experiences of LGBT+ people and how society can apply an intersectional framework into the workplace. Tolu was also named DIVA Magazine Diversity Champion of the Year 2021 which recognises individuals for championing diversity and inclusion in their workplace and beyond.

Jarrod Trusler, product manager, Dow

Jarrod Trusler, product manager, Dow
Jarrod Trusler, product manager, Dow

Jarrod Trusler is deeply engaged with Dow's global LGBT+ and ally employee resource group, GLAD, serving on the global steering team and focusing on external engagement and internal policy projects. In 2020, he completed his tenure as leader of GLAD in Asia Pacific; his final project completed there was a formal upgrade to the region's HR definition of "family", ensuring that LGBT+ families would be recognised for benefits in the absence of country-level recognition of same-sex partnerships.

Upon relocating to the Netherlands in 2020, Trusler has launched multiple policy related projects such as a review of Dow's insurance coverage for trans and intersex individuals and expanded pronoun usage across the region. Trusler is a regular speaker at internal events and education seminars, examples include hosting GLAD's Pride Month Launch Event with Suki Sandhu and Louis A Vega, seminars on Switzerland's successful same-sex marriage vote, and discussions for multiple ERG chapters on addressing challenges faced by LGBT+ families.

Marv Echipare, consultant, lecturer, Ateneo De Manila University

Marv Echipare, consultant, lecturer, Ateneo De Manila University
Marv Echipare, consultant, lecturer, Ateneo De Manila University

While working at Google, Marv Echipare established Google Philippines Pride, increasing visibility both internally and externally, leading to participation in Manila's biggest Pride March. Echipare also leveraged Google's privilege to build an external community called Pride@Tech, partnering with tech companies in the Philippines to improve accessibility and safe spaces in the country.

This led to the growth of Pride@Google APAC with the introduction of chapters in key locations such as Taiwan, Thailand, and Korea where there were no chapters previously existing, and resulted in creating a Google APAC Pride event.

Outside of work, Echipare has taken part in a Facebook Live webinar with Mind Nation in 2020 on 'Being Queer in the Workplace' and its impact on mental health, a Pride digital summit for LGBT+-owned small businesses in the Philippines, and was a panelist at Phil Financial Inter-Industry Pride on Using Technology to improve digital diversity.

Mark Fanagan, senior manager – operation service & implementation delivery, Fidelity International

Mark Fanagan, senior manager - operation service & implementation delivery, Fidelity International
Mark Fanagan, senior manager - operation service & implementation delivery, Fidelity International

During his time at Fidelity International, Mark Fanagan has been actively involved in promoting LGBT+ diversity and inclusion as Dublin LGBT+ lead and Global LGBT+ Network, where he supports initiatives and organises LGBT+ events locally and globally. With Pride as a key D&I global celebration, Fanagan coordinated Dublin's celebrations including fundraising for LGBT+ inclusion charities since 2019.

Currently, Fanagan is the LGBT+ global programme lead and has created a new global events strategy to expand and increase the inclusivity of Fidelity’s event planning to incorporate the wider LGBT+ community and to empower local and regional leads to drive and celebrate LGBT+ events in a global coordinated effort. Between 2019 and 2020, Fanagan was a community engagement lead and Fidelity representative for FuSIoN, Ireland's Financial Services Inclusion Network, where he created, set up, and organised FuSIoN's first 5km virtual run to raise money for Basis.Point's COVID-19 emergency relief fund.

Vihaan Peethambar, associate – diversity and inclusion, Goldman Sachs

Vihaan Peethambar, associate - Diversity and Inclusion, Goldman Sachs
Vihaan Peethambar, associate – diversity and inclusion, Goldman Sachs

From designing and launching an LGBT+ reverse mentoring programme for managing directors where he also mentors two MDs to be impactful allies, to leading the firm’s hiring efforts for LGBT+ professionals at RISE 2021, Vihaan Peethambar has been successful in employing multi-pronged approaches to engage allies and sharing best practices to hire and integrate LGBT+ professionals in Goldman Sachs. Externally, Peethambar has amassed an impressive advocacy record serving on the boards of multiple LGBT+ organisations and committees including India’s first National Council for Transgender Persons.

From publications to talk-shows and photo exhibitions, Peethambar engages in multiple public forums to create SOGIE awareness. He has been advocating against conversion therapy working with the Indian Psychiatric Society, Kerala Chapter to inform mental health professionals and managing litigation seeking a ban on conversion therapy in the Kerala High Court. Peethambar was awarded the Diversity & Inclusion Champion of Change Award by Community Business in 2020 and IVLP Fellowship by the US State Department in 2019, among others.

Simon Hague, director, tea, coffee, cocoa, functional and beverage systems – APMEA, Kerry Group

Simon Hague, director, tea, coffee, cocoa, Functional and Beverage Systems - APMEA, Kerry Group
Simon Hague, director, tea, coffee, cocoa, functional and beverage systems - APMEA, Kerry Group

Over the last 12 to 18 months, Simon Hague created PRYSM, an LGBT+ global people network at Kerry Group which provides a safe space to people in difficult geographies that need a network, and creates, develops, and launches a number of key initiatives, such as educational videos to support learning and understanding, that have moved the business forward to be a safer space for the community and allies that work there.

As part of Hague's work with PRYSM, he was asked to represent the business on the Partnership for Global LGBTI Equality as one of its youngest members on the steering committee. Hague has also worked with Global Mobility to support policies and procedures to make Kerry Group better not just for the LGBT+ communities, but for other minorities as well.

José Martín Quesada, CEO, Krew.live

Jose Martin Quesada, CEO, Krew.live
Jose Martin Quesada, CEO, Krew.live

At Krew.live, José Quesada leads the internal LGBT+ group, organising Pride Awareness Month events, and coming up with hiring and content strategies to increase LGBT+ representation. Quesada was a VP at the EurOut conference for two years in a row, and he currently mentors LGBT+ students at London Business School.

While he worked at Google, Quesada organised World Pride and sponsored LGBT+ at Work conference, and at McKinsey he led LGBT+ alumni engagement.

Helen Newburn, senior credit analyst, Lloyds Banking Group

Helen Newburn, senior credit analyst, Lloyds Banking Group
Helen Newburn, senior credit analyst, Lloyds Banking Group

In 2021, Helen Newburn created the 'Introduction to Allyship' workshop for colleagues at Lloyds (LLOY.L) Banking Group, where she is working on making it a mandatory training for all employees.

Newburn also supports the company's trans working groups to help colleagues and customer journey, which has led to internal IT changes being made, and created a local Pride in Halifax in August 2019, which was attended by over 2,000 people.

For her work in D&I, Newburn was featured in Gay Times magazine, has been a regular on BBC Leeds LGBT+ radio show The Scene, and spoken on a D&I panel for Huddersfield University students.

Allison Kahn, vice president, communications (DEI), Mastercard

Allison Kahn, vice president, communications (DEI), Mastercard
Allison Kahn, vice president, communications (DEI), Mastercard

Allison Kahn is the global co-lead of the PRIDE BRG employee resource group at Mastercard (MA), where she leads efforts to drive LGBT+ employee engagement activities across the continents. Kahn also works to connect colleagues across affinity groups and has created sub-committees focused on distinct and critical issues in partnership with Mastercard, including driving LGBT+ inclusive policies and benefits for employees, designing inclusive products and solutions, and being a strong partner to their external stakeholders and communities.

She also leads Mastercard’s DEI communications globally and is a member of other affinity groups, whilst also sitting on a number of DEI-focused workstreams globally. In addition to her work at Mastercard, Allison is a writer with clips in the New Yorker, New York Times, Washington Post, CNN, NBC, Slate, among many other outlets. She is also an LGBT+ advocate who has led communications for LGBT+ groups at non-profit organisations including the Pride Agenda and the ACLU.

Abhishek Ghosh, consultant, McKinsey & Co Alumnus

Abhishek	Ghosh, consultant, McKinsey & Co. Alumnus
Abhishek Ghosh, consultant, McKinsey & Co Alumnus

Abhishek Ghosh previously led the India Chapter of GLAM, McKinsey & Company’s network of LGBTQ+ colleagues, and helped organise its first-ever participation in Pride marches in Bangalore, Delhi, and Mumbai, India. He spearheaded a firm-wide 'Ally Engagement Campaign' showcasing personal change stories.

The campaign led the India office to have one of the fastest-growing ally communities in Asia. In his role, he enabled external partnerships, for example with India’s first-ever LGBTQ+ job fair. Ghosh curated a town hall of senior 'out' business leaders virtually for 500+ participants.

Ghosh has also co-founded Qonnect, a mentorship and networking platform for queer professionals in India. He co-founded one of India’s first LGBTQ+ campus groups, QUEst at IIM Bangalore. He continues to be actively involved via podcasts, published reports, and fundraisers and is working on playbooks to help DE&I initiatives for the LGBTQ+ community in India to scale and sustain.

Mike Jackson, assistant general counsel/senior director, workplace investigations team & CELA D&I lead, Microsoft

Mike Jackson, assistant general counsel/senior director, workplace investigations team & CELA D&I Lead, Microsoft
Mike Jackson, assistant general counsel/senior director, workplace investigations team & CELA D&I lead, Microsoft

Mike Jackson is the global D&I chair and Microsoft's Corporate, Legal External Affairs (CELA) department, responsible for setting their global fiscal year strategy as it relates to workplace diversity and inclusion. He also leads a cross functional team which manages all the department's D&I activities and aims, including the activities of the LGBT+ employee network.

Jackson currently serves on the board of directors for the National LGBT+ Bar Association where he is a member of the finance and justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion committees. As a board member of the Bar, he is focused on driving visibility and support of issues impacting the LGBT+ community across the US. Additionally, he was recently named as a member of the MCCA Next Gen-Advisory Board which also focuses on driving diversity and inclusion of underrepresented groups in the legal profession, including LGBT+ persons.

Christina Papadimitriou, principle machine learning engineer, Palo Alto Networks

Christina	Papadimitriou, principle machine learning engineer, Palo Alto Networks
Christina Papadimitriou, principle machine learning engineer, Palo Alto Networks

Christina Papadimitriou is a member of the LGBTQIA+ employee network group at Palo Alto Networks. Prior to joining Palo Alto Networks, she was the co-chair of the PRIDE business resource group for JPMorgan Chase in the NY metro area, engaging 3,500 chapter members, helping organise more than 30 events across North America, and launching two subcommittees for women and transgender, gender non-conforming and non-binary people.

Papadimitriou was also a leadership team member of JPMorgan's Global Technology LGBT+ Community and organised an LGBT+ recruiting event in partnership with HR tech diversity recruiting that resulted in multiple LGBT+ hires this year.

Papadimitriou also helped organise the JPMC Manhattan Tech Center 'Inclusion Day', an all-day event with over 300 attendees. Outside of work, Christina is a board member of WiML, a non-profit that supports women, non-binary and gender non-conforming people in the machine learning field and is on the leadership team of Out in Tech, a non-profit group that unites the LGBTQ+ community in technology.

Robert Murphy, customer strategy & proposition delivery manager, Permanent TSB

Robert Murphy, customer strategy & proposition delivery manager, Permanent TSB
Robert Murphy, customer strategy & proposition delivery manager, Permanent TSB

Robert Murphy’s role as a founding member and former 2020 co-chair of Permanent TSB's (PTSB) LGBTQ+ employee network, PRISM, and current stakeholder engagement lead enables him to take responsibility for championing the network’s values with the employee population, aiming to generate greater visibility of and corporate support for LGBT+ employees and allies, by promoting and driving positive change.

This change has included implementing PTSB's first gender neutral bathroom, adoptive leave for same-sex parents, and driving the education of pronouns within the organisation. Murphy also holds the position of operations officer for Fusion Ireland, the Financial Services Inclusion Network, serving as a key influencer in the network's boarder strategy and currently leading the committee's Network Best Practice Pillar. In this role over the last 18 months, he has been working hard with the committee to build-out a robust 2021 strategy in order to raise the standard of their collective networks. Most recently, Murphy has also completed INvolve’s Emerging Leaders Programme.

Nikki Symmons, global communications content studio planner and head of programmes and events for STRIPES Global (ERG), Philip Morris International

Nikki Symmons, global communications content studio planner and head of programmes and events for STRIPES Global (ERG),	Philip Morris International
Nikki Symmons, global communications content studio planner and head of programmes and events for STRIPES Global (ERG), Philip Morris International

Last year Nikki Symmons was one of the key founders of STRIPES Global ERG at Philip Morris International (PMI), helping to change the company’s narrative regarding D&I. She has developed and produced an LGBT+ and inclusive language toolkit which will be rolled out via intimate global sessions and through all of affiliates, providing a range of digital assets to help them raise awareness of their activities.

Symmons is a consultant and sounding board to multiple functions and senior leaders within PMI, currently developing a D&I roadmap for the consumer group to measure their practices and help them develop into a fully inclusive department. Symmons has also actively helped the Yes campaign for marriage equality Switzerland and managed a partnership with Mission Winnow for Geneva Pride.

Jason Chinchilla, Central America senior sales finance manager, Procter and Gamble

Jason Chinchilla, Central America senior sales finance manager, Procter and Gamble
Jason Chinchilla, Central America senior sales finance manager, Procter and Gamble

Jason Chinchilla is the LGBTQ+ ERG leader at Procter and Gamble Latin America, leading the expansion of Prideskill, an initiative developed in LA to bring new work opportunities to LGBTQ+ population, and regional campaigns for Pride activities, including communication and sensitisation strategies.

In 2020, Chinchilla developed support system for LGBTQ+ employees during the pandemic. Outside Procter and Gamble, Chinchilla leads the 'Declaration of Panama', a public compromise of 14 multinational companies based in Panama to support inclusion for LGBTQ+ persons in the workplace, and is an active member of several boards of Pride Connection regional and local networks.

Jeana Hooker, senior project manager, Sage Software

Jeana Hooker, senior project manager, Sage Software
Jeana Hooker, senior project manager, Sage Software

At Sage, Jeana Hooker is the global LGBTQ+ ERG lead and regional DEI champion co-lead, advising, mentoring, and supporting groups in the UK, Ireland, Germany, Austria, Canada and the US, resulting in an increased sense of belonging among LGBTQ+ colleagues across the globe. In June 2021, Hooker facilitated a panel discussion with two prominent transgender and non-binary community leaders and activists that had more than 100 Sage attendees from North America.

Hooker has also written several internal articles around her queer identity, resulting in greater connection, understanding, and empathy among Sage colleagues. Hooker is currently the acting board secretary and Equity and Inclusion Committee board chair for Oregon Pride in Business, and has worked with three Georgetown University DEI Certificate graduates to provide 'The Continuum of Gender Identity' training to Georgetown University cohorts and other organisations.

TJ Richards, construction PMO & stakeholder outreach manager, Santander UK

TJ Richards, construction PMO & stakeholder outreach manager, Santander UK
TJ Richards, construction PMO & stakeholder outreach manager, Santander UK

As the national co-chair of Santander UK’s Embrace LGBT+ network, TJ Richards worked with US colleagues to help map trans customer journey and identify ways to improve their experience. Richards also launched "safe spaces" to provide an online space for colleagues to come together and share/support each other, as well as a new platform, Evolving Minds, where colleagues can learn more about different strands of diversity within the rainbow family, how to be better allies.

Richards partnered with Stonewall to launch an initiative to support LGBT+ refugees with workplace skills mentoring across a three-year period, the first initiative of its kind in Santander. In 2021, Richards updated Santander’s Global Engagement Survey to include questions around gender identity and sexual orientation for the first time ever and used the company’s network to put on events and raise funds for charities such as UK Black Pride and Albert Kennedy Trust.

Eugenia Linares Traiman, global field compensation controlling CoE, SAP SE

Eugenia Linares Traiman, Global Field Compensation Controlling CoE, SAP SE
Eugenia Linares Traiman, global field compensation controlling CoE, SAP SE

Eugenia Linares Traiman is the Global Diversity & Inclusion Office ENG Lead for Pride@SAP Budget and Finance Workgroup and local lead for Pride@SAP (SAP) Argentina network. She’s been involved in the Out and Equal Summit 2020 and the Virtual Equality Lounge @ Cannes Lions 2021, raising awareness with colleagues while supporting the LGBT+ community. In partnership with Tent.org, Traiman is the project manager of a three-year programme for both the North America/Canada and Mexico City mentor/mentee engagement for 50 LGBT+ refugees, with mentors being employees of SAP.

Since 2019 she has been the project lead for Casa Trans, a local government-funded organisation that provides support to the transgender community in Buenos Aires, coordinating a team of SAP and Pride Connection Argentina volunteers to deliver on site and virtual English and computing lessons. Traiman also collaborates with big companies to help them develop an employment insertion programme for the transgender community.

Paul McConnell, technology services group (TSG), embedded control management, The Bank of New York Mellon

Paul McConnell, technology services group (TSG), embedded control management, The Bank of New York Mellon
Paul McConnell, technology services group (TSG), embedded control management, The Bank of New York Mellon

As the global finance lead and member of the Global PRISM leadership team, Paul McConnell has been instrumental in driving the Bank of New York Mellon’s (BK) vision to ensure LGBT+ individuals are welcome, valued and can reach their full potential. He has been actively involved in numerous initiatives and activities promoting geographical diversity and increased focus in areas where LGBT+ is seen as a disadvantage.

In 2020, because of their work and allyship, BNY Mellon signed the amicus brief to support the 28th Amendment to the US Constitution guaranteeing equal rights for all Americans, regardless of sex. In 2019, McConnell helped introduce the handbook for managers and employees: Transgender Guidelines: Gender Transition, Identity and Expression. Outside of BNY Mellon, McConnell was the secretary for FuSIoN in 2019 and 2020, helping future colleagues realise how financial services in Ireland is an inclusive and welcoming industry for all.

Jaspreet Singh, onboard products, inflight entertainment – marketing/loyalty, United Airlines

Jaspreet Singh, onboard products, inflight entertainment - marketing/loyalty, United Airlines
Jaspreet Singh, onboard products, inflight entertainment – marketing/loyalty, United Airlines

Jaspreet Singh serves as an active voice for DEI inside and outside of his work at United Airlines (UAL), helping to create United’s six-time award-winning 'Entertainment for All' product, which is recognised as the world’s most accessible inflight entertainment system with an extensive suite of features that cater to all visual, mobility and hearing abilities.

Singh is an active member of United’s multicultural and LGBT resource groups, participating in a variety of volunteer events, including cooking meals for homeless LGBT youth. He recently participated in a global panel for AAPI month, discussing the intersectionality of LGBT/South Asian culture.

Singh helped showcase United’s 2021 Pride theme to the world during the debut of a new airplane delivery in June, which showcased United's new Signature Interior featuring Bluetooth pairing capabilities on inflight entertainment screens. He has also published a children’s book about travel named Aya and Avi’s Airplane Adventure highlighting underrepresented minority and LGBT characters with a percentage of profits going to LGBT charities.

Marta Lima, innovation manager, Vodafone

Marta Lima, innovation manager, Vodafone
Marta Lima, innovation manager, Vodafone

Marta Lima has established a mentoring programme in the UK to match Vodafone employees with young people from disadvantaged and diverse backgrounds to coach them into STEM careers. The programme is a partnership with Career Accelerator and the Vodafone Youth team, sponsored by senior executives. She is also the development lead for a programme to develop a mobile application that will support the safety and wellbeing of LGBT+ people, leading the technology and product development.

She led the Design Thinking process through focus groups with LGBT+ people across Vodafone global footprint to develop the concept. Since May 2019, Lima has chaired the LGBT+ Friends Network in Vodafone's corporate head office in London, and she was also a keynote speaker at a Pride event 2021 for FutureGov, speaking about the importance of considering the unique experiences of LGBT+ people when building digital solutions.

Iris Rivera, software quality assurance manager, Wayfair

Iris Rivera, software quality assurance manager, Wayfair
Iris Rivera, software quality assurance manager, Wayfair

Iris Rivera has introduced many D&I solutions in her career so far, such as adding unconscious bias training to senior and lead team member training curriculum, held open lunch and learn sessions with team members on topics centered around diversity and inclusivity in tech, and revised team approach to recruiting, hiring, and retention to enhance DEI.

This included efforts at removing biased language from job postings and interviews, removing bias from CV and resume review, standardising onboarding processes, practicing radical candor, and held intentionally inclusive team-building events. Rivera has also volunteered as city director at Lesbians Who Tech, where she helped bring inclusivity and visibility to the organisation's overall efforts to change the face of technology. Through event planning, representation, and mentorship, they were able to build community in the largely underrepresented LGBT+ tech.

Lynne Nicholls, vice chair of WATMOS, WATMOS Community Homes

Lynne Nicholls, vice chair of WATMOS, WATMOS Community Homes
Lynne Nicholls, vice chair of WATMOS, WATMOS Community Homes

Lynne Nicholls co-chaired Clarion Housing Group LGBT+ staff network, spearheading the work on trans and non-binary inclusion with the Transitioning at Work policy, launched in 2020, providing guidance for staff and managers.

Moving the activities online, she organised virtual prides activities across the group in 2020 and 2021. She designed the 'Listen, Learn, Challenge & Celebrate' campaign, encouraging allyship, resulting in participation from all levels of the company, board, partners, residents and other companies’ LGBT+ groups. She hosted intersectional webinars on inclusive education, LGBT+ in construction, LGBT+ youth homelessness and LGBT+ faith. Championing LGBT+ visibility and inclusion throughout the social housing sector, for HouseProud organised the sector's participation at Pride (London, UK Black Pride, Bi Pride & Norwich Pride), and supported the formation and development of diversity networks.

As vice chair of WATMOS, Nicholls promotes diversity on boards. Passionate about inclusive education as chair of trustees for Schools OUT UK she speaks at international conferences and in schools for Diversity Role Models.

Louis Ng, senior manager, early careers talent acquisition, Fidelity International

Louis Ng, senior manager, early careers talent acquisition, Fidelity International
Louis Ng, senior manager, early careers talent acquisition, Fidelity International

Through Louis Ng's’ efforts in D&I, he led Fidelity International’s submission of Community Business's Hong Kong LGBT+ Inclusion Index for 2019 and 2021, achieving gold and silver standard respectively. He achieved this by refreshing the diversity monitoring questions in Fidelity’s early careers recruitment and selection systems to better understand the company’s LGBT+ potential candidates, partnered with Human Resources Magazine to launch ShOUT conference in Asia as platinum sponsor to drive the LGBT+ dialogue, promoted and recruited new allies in Asia through different campaigns, to mention a few.

Ng also participated as a panellist in EUROUT conference in November 2020 on Change Makers: Innovating and Breaking New Ground and piloted the first ever student LGBT+ webinar in Hong Kong with GradConnection and Encompass to help students plan their career journey.

Carlos Leighton, change and experience lead, BP

Carlos Leighton, change and experience lead, bp
Carlos Leighton, change and experience lead, BP

In addition to Carlos Leighton's role as change and experience lead at BP, he also undertakes the role of co-chair of BP Pride UK , where he has created a Pride 2030 vision to strengthen BP’s D&I LGBT+ inclusion and strategies. He has facilitated five D&I global leadership teams moments, including the Russian and the Middle Eastern vice presidents, on the regional challenges LGBT+ people face and promoting how to be a better ally, and created the bpPride bisexual working group to drive inclusion for the company’s bisexual/pansexual community. He also looks for opportunities for intersectional events, he led and facilitated an event for the LGBT+ Latinx community “The Hispanic Perspective: LGBT+ Acceptance and Support”.

His passion for DE&I goes beyond bp, launching the first not-for-profit volunteer mentoring programmes for LGBT+ people in Peru in partnership with LGBT Mentoring; so far Leighton has recruited 11 mentors and over 15 mentees with over 40 hours of mentoring sessions for the programme.

Elizabeth 'Ging' Hoyumpa, manager, business planning & strategy, American Express

Elizabeth 'Ging' Hoyumpa, manager, business planning & strategy, American Express
Elizabeth 'Ging' Hoyumpa, manager, business planning & strategy, American Express

Elizabeth 'Ging' Hoyumpa instituted a Pride+ chapter in American Express (AXP) Manila, which she consequently led for two years. By her third year, she was invited to the company’s global Pride committee. The Pride+ Manila chapter leveraged data in the company’s employee satisfaction survey to baseline the LGBTQ+ experiences, identify focus areas, and implement strategies to improve the LGBTQ+ employees’ experiences.

Hoyumpa, along with the Pride+ Manila Chapter, organised learning sessions for the country executives and people leaders on unconscious bias, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and allyship.

These captured the hearts of members and allies alike by elevating LGBTQ+ narratives in podcasts and webinars. Hoyumpa with the rest of Pride+ Manila extended the company’s LGBTQ+ activities to neighbouring markets in Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Malaysia and assisted in creating allyship networks and a safe space in these markets.

Joanne Gilmoran, regional head EMEA & APAC, global custody & agency services, Bank of America – (Ireland)

joanne
Joanne Gilmoran, regional head EMEA & APAC, global custody & agency services, Bank of America – (Ireland)

As an LGBTQ+ champion for Prime Services, Joanne proactively engages Bank of America’s (BAC) footprint across the UK & Ireland via small group meetings to highlight the work of the LGBTQ+ Network & Ally Program. Gilmoran also formed a company-wide strategy for 2021 focusing on intersectionality and ensuring proactive collaboration with clients and communities, and kickstarted a new talent acquisition strategy in March 2021 after observing the lack of transgender representation at BofA’s Europe offices. Joanne Gilmoran is an active member of and drives collaboration between the LGBTQ+ Pride Network and Parents & Carers Network, while also initiating collaboration with the Multi-Cultural Leadership Network (MLN) in EMEA.

She was also invited as a panel speaker for Bank of America at an InterInvest event, an LGBTQ+ network in the UK set up for the investment industry community to discuss how Bank of America runs its LGBTQ+ Network & Ally Program.

Deanna Hallett, director, government relations, Bloomberg

Deanna Hallett, director, government relations, Bloomberg
Deanna Hallett, director, government relations, Bloomberg

Deanna Hallett has led Bloomberg's LGBT+ and Ally Community (BPROUD) London chapter for two years. During this time, she improved Black, ethnic minority, and women’s representation on the community's leadership committee, set up the company's first LGBT+ mentorship scheme, and launched Bloomberg's first trans+ allyship training sessions, which was attended by almost 200 employees including senior leadership.

Hallet also participated in several events as a speaker, including last year's 'Bloody Difficult Women' event, which discussed getting more LGBT+ women into politics. The event, which built relationships between women from various parties, later helped in the launch of cross-party campaigns.

Donald Darais, senior marketing manager – US Continence Care, ConvaTec

Donald Darais, senior marketing manager - US Continence Care	ConvaTec Inc.
Donald Darais, senior marketing manager - US Continence Care ConvaTec Inc.

Donald Darais has been championing LGBT+ efforts at ConvaTec by being a part of ConvaTec's ERG Roundtable, which focuses on raising policy changes and addressing the unique needs of the LGBT+ employees, and being a part of talent/acquisition working group to hire LGBT+ employees.

Darais helped create a global community involvement programme and advocated for ConvaTec's first ever involvement/sponsorship in local community Pride events. In addition to his professional work, Donald volunteers with a local LGBT+ affirming, low-barrier, youth homeless shelter Sisu Youth Services.

Bunn Yang, CCSS team manager, HSBC

Bunn Yang, CCSS team manager, HSBC
Bunn Yang, CCSS team manager, HSBC

Bunn Yang joined HSBC Diversity and Inclusion in 2019, when the first PRIDE ERG was established in China. He has been working actively to promote and cultivate equality awareness through different kinds of activities with his PRIDE team. After three years of hard work he has formed an LGBT+ friendly culture in the Global Service Center in China.

In 2020, his PRIDE team successfully made huge evolutionarily changes on the internal gender neutral facilities and LGBT+ company policies for every employee, including benefiting LGBT+ employees and their spouses.

Yang also volunteers at Zhi Tong, an NGO, to offer guidance and help to the local LGBT+ community.

Danni Davies, associate, real estate practice, Latham & Watkins

Danni Davies, associate, real estate practice, Latham & Watkins
Danni Davies, associate, real estate practice, Latham & Watkins

As leader of both the Global LGBTQ+ Lawyers Group and the London office chapter, Danni Davies plays a high-impact role in Latham's strategic goal of advancing recruitment, retention, and promotion of LGBT+ lawyers.

Davies spearheads strategy and programmes that foster intersectional community-building, promotes Latham's broader DEI goals, and identifies pro bono opportunities to aid LGBT+-focused organisations. They also played an instrumental role in producing Latham's Global 2021 Pride video, which features LGBT+ colleagues sharing personal experiences and firm leaders discussing the importance of allyship to true equality and belonging.

Davies works closely with firm leaders to influence policies and benefits to better support LGBT+ colleagues, such as parental leave and adoption benefits, inclusive gender identification in HR systems, formal gender transition guidelines, and a gender-neutral parental leave policy. A cornerstone of their leadership approach has been to further develop pro bono support for LGBT+ charities, particularly during the pandemic.

Flo McCubbin, data engineer, Lloyds Banking Group

Flo McCubbin, data engineer,	Lloyds Banking Group
Flo McCubbin, data engineer, Lloyds Banking Group

Flo McCubbin strives to promote intersectionality in everything they do, whether it is in their study of data ethics or in educating their colleagues. They regularly run LGBT+ and mental well-being events, including during LGBT+ history month – their most recent events focus specifically on the history of LGBT+ people of colour and their contributions to the community.

Within their team and beyond, McCubbin provides training on intersectionality and the impact of racism and xenophobia in the LGBT+ community, runs pronouns and trans inclusion training and furthers inclusive hiring by drawing attention to the intersections between gender, sexuality, disability, race, age, class, and adaptations that can be made to the hiring process to encourage diversity in teams. Outside of their organisation, McCubbin encourages young people to join apprenticeships, highlighting the accessibility and fiscal merits of non-university higher education.

Jake Potter, head of social media, Colt Technology Services

Jake Potter, head of social media, Colt Technology Services
Jake Potter, head of social media, Colt Technology Services

In 2019, Jake Potter launched the Pride Network working with Colt’s Head of D&I and executive sponsor, which runs awareness events in person and remotely. This resulted in the launch of the LGBT+ ally training which is run quarterly as workshops. Through working with partners and suppliers, Potter has held speaker sessions and panel events on LinkedIn and at Baker McKenzie. This has led Colt to partner with charity Mermaids to run trans awareness sessions. Potter has also partnered with HR to launch a transition at work policy and ensure the company’s other policies were inclusive.

Outside of work, Potter is the head of social media for Pride in London, a volunteer role that promotes Pride London events and activities, and has taken part in a My Gwork panel event called 'How can LGBTQ+ Employees Spot Pride Within the Workplace in 2021' in June 2021.

Pedro Kuijt Rumayor, senior finance advisor, Shell

Pedro Kuijt Rumayo, senior finance advisor, Shell
Pedro Kuijt Rumayor, senior finance advisor, Shell

As global LGBT+ inclusion lead, Pedro Rumayor launched the Global LGBT+ Forum in 2020 with the purpose of bringing together local LGBT+ employee networks, further strengthening efforts to advance LGBT+ inclusion within the company. He has recently developed a multi-year strategy and framework for LGBT+ inclusion, endorsed by the executive committee, which sets a clear ambition and targets to empower the lives of LGBT+ people within Shell and the societies in which it operates.

Since joining Shell in 2014, Rumayor has been instrumental in driving the LGBT+ agenda, advocating for LGBT+ equality at all levels of the organisation, ultimately securing support from Shell’s CFO, Jessica Uhl. He has led various external initiatives, including an award-winning campaign for Pride Amsterdam in 2018, and has helped several organisations in the Netherlands in strengthening their employee resource groups and developing a robust LGBT+ inclusion strategy.

Shraban Dutta, senior manager – talent development, global diversity champion – LGBTQ+, PwD, Gender, Tata Consultancy Services

Shraban Dutta, senior manager - talent development, global diversity champion - LGBTQ+, PwD, Gender, Tata Consultancy Services
Shraban Dutta, senior manager – talent development, global diversity champion – LGBTQ+, PwD, Gender, Tata Consultancy Services

Shraban Dutta established QOLORS, a global employee resource group (ERG) for LGBTQ+ and allies, in 2018, created to drive inclusion. He mentors members by holding periodic meetings, discussing agenda and issues, talks about how the inclusion journey can be sustained. He facilitated the first ever PRIDE Month celebration in Tata Consulting Services (TCS).

Dutta has also planned educational and sensitisation sessions for LGBTQ+ awareness for all managers, support staffs, HR leaders and admin, across the organisation.

Outside the workplace, Dutta has been a listener and counsellor to many friends and colleagues, and helped them in their coming out journey, speaking to their parents and family members to create an environment of acceptance. He has worked with training organisations conducting sessions on unconscious bias. He has hosted multiple events as a diversity champion, incluiding panel discussions, human diversity library, allyship stories and leader presentations, and represented the TCS DE&I network during various client interactions, seeking collaborative support towards the cause.

Michael Newton, manager, international account management, Cvent

Michael Newton, manager, international account management, Cvent
Michael Newton, manager, international account management, Cvent

As a founding member of the LGBT+ network at Cvent, Michael Newton and the network have been responsible for organising the company’s virtual month-long Pride series for the last three summers, as well as supporting the women’s network, hosting sessions on diverse families and the importance of allyship. Newton has also presented as Cvent’s keynote speaker in February 2020, sharing his story of growing up in a domestic abuse household, discovering he has HIV and his mental health struggles.

Newton has continued to challenge the company’s leadership on internal policy to promote positive change with the organisation for all. He is also the CEO of The P3 Network, an LGBT+ charity that focuses on helping LGBT+ individuals start their families and with issues at school or in the workplace through education and advisory work.

Alexander Dmitrenko, head of Asia sanctions, counsel, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

Alexander Dmitrenko, head of Asia Sanctions, Counsel	Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
Alexander Dmitrenko, head of Asia sanctions, counsel, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

As one of the most active members of the Halo network at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in Asia and an LGBT+ rights activist, Alexander Dmitrenko has organised events for colleagues and clients, such as a special panel discussion with Larry Bates, general counsel and chief legal officer at Panasonic.

'He also secured leadership support for Freshfields to endorse the Viewpoint on Marriage Equality', one of his major initiatives in the last two years that encourages corporates to support marriage equality in Japan. Dmitrenko is a co-founder and co-chair of LLAN (Lawyers for LGBT & Allies Network), one of the most prominent LGBT+ NPOs in Japan.

Among many LLAN projects, Dmitrenko originated and leads the Annual Equality Gala and the Viewpoint on Marriage Equality, focusing on the business case for marriage equality.

Kirstin Early, research scientist, Yahoo

Kirstin Early, research scientist, Yahoo
Kirstin Early, research scientist, Yahoo

Since 2017, Kirstin Early has been one of the key drivers on creating an internal community and improving policies for LGBTQ+ colleagues at Yahoo. Part of her work as an ERG chapter lead includes organising monthly events with a mix of social, educational, and volunteer topics; advising executives on making their organisations more welcoming to LGBTQ+ employees; and partnering with local nonprofits to support external communities, such as Outlet, Asian Americans for Community Involvement, and the Billy DeFrank Center (San Jose's LGBTQ+ community centre).

Early also represents Yahoo in the Silicon Valley LGBTQ+ ERG Alliance, across 50 companies in the Bay Area to share strategies for LGBTQ+ inclusion and work together to transform companies and communities.

Jake Furby, communications manager, Friends Provident Foundation

Jake Furby, communications manager, Friends Provident Foundation
Jake Furby, communications manager, Friends Provident Foundation

Although Jake Furby has recently joined Friends Provident Foundation, they have been heavily involved in changing the way that funding is distributed across the charitable sector. Since 2010, Furby has helped establish three LGBT+ charities in York and has supported more than 1,000 individual LGBT+ people over the years from giving support at asylum seeker hearings, helping people report hate crime and creating community groups for people to attend. Jake’s work is also global, supporting LGBT+ people in Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria and Poland.

Furby has also delivered LGBTQ+ training as part of Diversity Enterprises to numerous organisations including the Prince's Trust, various county and borough councils, as well as the Chartered Institute of Personal Development.

Oli Shakir-Khalil, investment director, Fidelity International

Oli Shakir-Khalil, investment director, Fidelity International
Oli Shakir-Khalil, investment director, Fidelity International

Alongside his role as investment director at Fidelity International, Oli Shakir-Khalil is also part of the company’s global LGBT+ Working Group, where he was the first employee to blog about LGBT+ issues on the global intranet, resulting in supporting people seeking advice on being out and being a good ally.

Oli Shakir-Khalil has expanded his inclusion work beyond the UK to deliver LGBT+ ally training for 200+ people across Dublin, Luxembourg, Frankfurt and Sydney, and drafted Fidelity's first UK 'Gender Identity, Expression & Transitioning at Work' policy. For his work supporting LGBT+ people in and out of his organisation, Shakir-Khalil has volunteered and fundraised for AKT through internal events and redecoration of a safe house, attended InterInvest events to help push forward the LGBT+ inclusion agenda for the asset management industry, and attended an LGBT+ specific recruiting event at Imperial to promote LGBT+ inclusion in Financial Services.

Christian Laya, FP&A lead analyst, Diageo

Christian Laya, FP&A Lead Analyst, Diageo
Christian Laya, FP&A lead analyst, Diageo

Christian Laya is a true advocate for celebrating diversity and furthering the inclusion agenda at Diageo. He was appointed leader of Diageo’s 2021 Global Inclusivity Week, an employee-led week encouraging colleagues around the world to have open conversations about a range of important and challenging topics. Leading a team of 30+ people, he helped to arrange over 25 virtual panels, discussions and networks about topics including inclusivity, gender identity, hate crime, religion, and disability which were attended by employees globally.

In Hungary, his dedication has seen him create several employee campaigns to raise awareness of the need for more professional counselling and mental health support for LGBT+ colleagues following recent legislation changes in Hungary which have negatively impacted the community. Despite the current political environment, as leader of our Budapest employee Rainbow Network, Laya demonstrated that Diageo is committed to inclusion by marching under the company’s flag at Budapest Pride 2021 with over 60 colleagues.

Aaron Chan, pro bono associate, Asia, DLA Piper

Aaron Chan, pro bono associate, Asia, DLA Piper
Aaron Chan, pro bono associate, Asia, DLA Piper

Aaron Chan advises and represents clients who have experienced discrimination due to their gender identities and/or sexual orientation. Some of the cases that Aaron has worked on have brought about systemic changes to Hong Kong's legal and social systems. Chan is one of the leaders of Iris Represents at DLA Piper. This employee-led pro bono initiative formalises its pro bono offering in the LGBT+ space, creating a visible presence specifically aligned to LGBT+ inclusion.

In this role, Chan works with DLA Piper's LGBT+ and Allied lawyers across the globe to provide legal services to the global LGBT+ community. Due to his insights and experience, he has been invited to speak at internal and external conferences on LGBT+ refugees and how businesses can promote LGBT+ inclusion. Chan regularly engages with the business sector, third sector and diplomats on LGBT+ issues as part of his work. In 2020, he was awarded the Hong Kong LGBT+ Inclusion Awards – LGBT+ Youth Champion Award.

Andrés López Castaño, director, clinical data management, MSD

Andrés López Castaño, director, clinical data management, MSD
Andrés López Castaño, director, clinical data management, MSD

In 2019, Andrés López Castaño launched the Argentina ERG Chapter for LGBT+ people. As a result, MSD Argentina joined Pride Connection Argentina network, built gender neutral bathrooms and launched three internal campaigns on LGBT+ topics. Also, MSD allied and volunteered with 'Ciervos Pampas', the first LGBT+ rugby club in Argentina. From 2021, as the Europe regional lead, Castaño supported the expansion of new and upcoming ERG chapters across Europe in Italy, France, Turkey, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Romania and Bulgaria, and actively supports existing chapters in Netherlands, the UK, Ireland, Spain, Switzerland, Germany and Czech Republic.

This resulted in an increased regional footprint and allowed MSD to have a more inclusive workplace globally. As a D&I champion, he also led both the D&I framework for new MSD office in Zurich and a D&I initiative across Global Data Operations in four global locations focusing on training, awareness and visibility, and internal process.

Xavier White, CSR & innovation marketing manager, Verizon

Xavier White, CSR & Innovation Marketing Manager, Verizon
Xavier White, CSR & innovation marketing manager, Verizon

Xavier White is an active member of Prism, Verizon’s LGBT+ ERG, and has created #ChamberBreakers, a podcast series produced by Verizon and Yahoo! around key societal and business issues, ensuring that LGBT+, particularly trans rights, are a part of each season. Xavier also speaks on internal and external Pride panels, discussing trans and intersex rights, and has recently secured internal funding to use Verizon's technology to tell innovative CSR stories, including one around a young trans adult and their experience entering the workplace. Xavier is a Youth Advisor to The Youth Group, focusing on increasing minority reach, particularly LGBT+.

He speaks as part of LGBT+ History month to school students about his record of activism, including founding a charitable organisation focusing on LGBT+ rights in education.