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In alphabetical order
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This category is judged based on evidence provided according to the British LGBT Awards criteria.
This category is for an LGBT+ individual who has pushed the boundaries when it comes to LGBT+ inclusion within their company and beyond, going over and above their day job to have LGBT+ inclusion and wider diversity initiatives at the core of everything they do.
Ari Humirang
Havas
Arian Humirang, more commonly known as Ari, is a Filipino non-binary individual who uses the pronouns, she/he/they/them, “whichever one rolls off your tongue first”. They are the Reception and Concierge Manager at Havas and the Co-Chairman and Trans & Non-Binary Representative for Havas Pride. They are also a winner of the British LGBT Award 2020 Top 10 Network Award, as well as being a DE&I Ambassador for Havas on a global scale. In 2022 they were listed as one of the top 30 diversity champions for the 2022 IPA iList and became a Positive East and MAC Viva Glam Ambassador. Humirang’s mantra is to “Live a life showing your authentic self and never hide away your beauty because the world deserves to see it!” They put representation and visibility at the forefront as a champion for DE&I.
Harry Walton
Macquarie
Walton is a Client Solutions Manager for Futures Clearing at Macquarie. He has been with Macquarie for five years, starting in the group’s Specialised Asset Finance division before moving to Futures in February 2020. Harry has been Co-Chair of Macquarie’s LGBT+ Employee Network Group, Macquarie Pride, in EMEA since March 2020, leading on the network’s strategic initiatives and culminating in Macquarie being named No. 1 on Stonewall WEI in 2022 and the ENG being awarded ‘Highly Commended Network Group’ for a fourth time. Walton was also listed as a Top 100 Gamechanger by LGBT Great in 2022.
Jaipal Sachdev
3M
Sachdev leads production planning teams at science-based technology company 3M. As Chair of 3MPride, he leads its overall strategic direction and has expanded 3MPride globally, tripling the number of countries represented. He delivered 3M’s first LGBT+ awareness training and advocated for employees who faced challenges accessing insurance-covered HIV medication. He featured in the ‘Smashing Stereotypes’ campaign, run by the British Science Association and 3M, to highlight diversity in STEM to students and teachers and challenge stereotypes that young people may face, enabling a focus on LGBT+ STEM representation. As a member of Diversity Role Models, he visits schools to talk about his experiences of growing up queer. Sachdev was featured as a 2022 OUTstanding Future Leader.
Jason Summers
Mace
Summers was the first person to openly transition at Mace in 2014 and since then he has used this lived experience to help inform and improve the experience of other trans individuals in the business. He is an ambassador for trans people, choosing to be a visible role model, public speaker and active champion for his LGBT+ siblings. As one of the founding members of Mace’s first employee network in 2017, he has been involved since its inception, most recently as co-chair. He has focused his efforts on platforming LGBT+ voices and improving the wellbeing of the whole network.
Kabir Alam
HSBC UK
Winner of HSBC’s D&I Spotlight award 2022, Kabir is a Business Manager who advocates supporting colleagues by openly sharing his personal challenges and leading the way for Black Pride by organising events that highlight intersectionality and allyship. He drives initiatives, including HSBC’s flagship Birmingham Pride March, delivering LGBT+ inclusion training and events focused on eliminating stigma and providing education on sexual and mental health and inclusive language. Recently he arranged Trans Awareness Week event, promoting the bank’s gender dysphoria benefit for colleagues. All of these are contributing factors towards HSBC’s climb to 12 in the Stonewall Rankings. Externally, Kabir supports LGBT+ charities in various ways including fundraising.
Katie Birchall
Whitbread
Birchall has been at Whitbread PLC for six years and is currently working as an HR business partner for the support centre, having previously specialised in employee relations. As a vocal member of the LGBTQ+ community, she has been working for the past three years as the co-lead for Whitbread’s LGBTQ+ network, GLOW, and more recently joined as a steer-co member of their Gender Equality Network, which drives the company’s diversity and inclusion strategy.
Kirsty Leith
Global Media
Leith is responsible for Public Affairs at Global, the media and entertainment group. Across radio, both in its player and outdoor campaigns, Global entertains and reaches nearly 52 million people every week. In 2019, Kirsty helped established Pride@Global as co-chair, which boasts a quarter of staff as members and active allies. A passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion, she is also a member of Global’s overarching D&I and accessibility committees. Leith is a proud trustee of Coppafeel!, the breast cancer awareness charity. She sings with the award-winning a capella choir The Noteables and plays for the Women’s Parliamentary Football team.
Lilly Connors
Network Rail
A fabulous bisexual woman working in the rail industry, Connors uses her voice to empower and educate her colleagues. She juggles her full-time role as an analyst alongside a leadership role in Network Rail’s LGBT+ network (Archway) and a D&I champion within NR. Connors has spearheaded video campaigns highlighting LGBT+ employees and encouraging their stories to be told, has held awareness panels to engage the business on lesser-known sexualities and even transformed her office into an LGBT+ educational installation during Pride month. Her drive to end bi erasure and her dedication to diversity makes her a force to be reckoned with.
Luiz Peixoto
BNP Paribas
Born in Florianopolis, Southern Brazil, Peixoto moved to Sao Paulo at 18 and graduated in economics (USP) and chemistry (IFSC). Now a senior economist at BNP Paribas, Peixoto helped launch BNPP’s Brazil Pride network and has been the co-chair of the UK network since 2020. He lived in Guatemala City working for an individual empowerment NGO then at AIESEC and is now helping with the processing of LGBTQ+ refugees in the UK. His hobbies include the cinema, cycling, swimming, rowing, dancing and reading.
Ross McKellar
Shell
Ross McKellar is an E-Mobility Network Developer at Shell where he co-chairs the Proud@Shell UK network, over and above his day job. Passionate about LGBT+ inclusion and diversity, he was instrumental in establishing a new committee and refreshed strategy. Ross organises events to raise LGBTQ+ awareness, recognising the importance of effective allies and has created an online team’s safe space. He also campaigned successfully to ‘Pride-wrap’ eight retail service station canopies. Away from work, Ross is also a Diversity Role Model, where he uses his coming out journey to educate and inspire students, teachers, parents/carers and governors.
