In alphabetical order
You cannot vote in this category.
This category is judged based on evidence provided according to the British LGBT Awards criteria.
ADAM SHOOMAN
State Street
Adam is a Business Risk Manager and has co-chaired State Street’s Pride Network since 2019. Adam has been fundamental to the Network’s development – appointing the steering committee’s first ever Bi-Officer and Gender Officer to reflect the broad LGBTQ+ spectrum. As a proud ticker of various diversity boxes, Adam is focused on intersectionality and working with other groups including the Mental Health and Race & Ethnicity Networks to create shared resources and organise events for all employees. Adam acts as a mentor to support the development of networks in some more challenging locations and champions our charity partners and community engagement
AFONSO VARATOJO JANUÁRIO
Schroders
Afonso is a quant researcher at Schroders, and a co-founder of its LGBT+ network SchOUT. He has overseen SchOUT’s growth into one of the most successful employee resource groups at Schroders globally, with a significant expression in the U.S., Europe and Asia-Pacific. Afonso has put SchOUT at the centre of employee development at Schroders, supporting mentoring programs, allies training, recruitment, and reviewing HR policies and benefits globally.
Afonso is outspoken about the importance of LGBT+ diversity and inclusion within the finance industry, supporting role models’ campaigns including the Project 1000 Role Models by LGBT Great. Afonso has mentored colleagues and friends in their journey to come out at work, and he is a sponsor of the first LGBT+ student group at his alma mater, the NOVA School of Business and Economics in Lisbon, Portugal.
ELLIOT BRIERY
Oliver Wyman
As leader of the Oliver Wyman LGBTQ+ network at its largest office globally, Elliot amplifies the network’s impact across the UK & Ireland, organising workshops on trans inclusion for leadership and speaking publicly on LGBTQ+ issues to the firm.
When Oliver Wyman’s volunteering efforts were interrupted due to the pandemic, Elliot created a series of fundraisers, to ensure the firm’s support continued. His team raised ~£7,500 for LGBTQ+ charities such as Opening Doors London and the National AIDS Trust.
His passion for LGBTQ+ inclusion started at university, where he launched and DJ’d a regular queer-inclusive dance party.
HARRY LEVEY
Network Rail
Harry Levey, 25, is an Internal Communications Manager at Network Rail, who consistently uses his position to support LGBT+ inclusion and ensure LGBT+ voices have a platform.
Harry is also an active member of Archway’s leadership team, the company’s LGBT+ employee network, and over the last three years, he has led the company’s presence at multiple Pride marches throughout Great Britain. He has played a significant role in improving the visibility of Pride across the business and in Britain’s biggest and busiest stations.
In 2020, he organised the first annual industry-wide virtual Pride festival which brought together 17 companies and over 500 colleagues.
JENNIFER SPILLING
Moody’s
Jennifer is a Senior Recruiter at Moody’s and Co-Chair of the LGBT & Allies Business Resource Group (BRG) for Moody’s EMEA.
In the last 2 years Jennifer has digitised the BRG newsletter making it more engaging for a diverse audience, widened the reach of LGBT+ educational communications to all EMEA employees, led the 2020 Pride initiative for Moody’s globally, championed LGBT+ talent acquisition and scheduled intersectional events on niche LGBT+ topics with guest speakers from across the UK.
Jennifer is passionate about supporting and promoting the LGBT+ community, as well as gaining new allies through awareness and education.
JUNG WEI TOH
HSBC UK
Born and raised in Malaysia, Wei left to the USA to pursue his higher education. It was in the USA that Wei began his formative years as a gay man and learned about the importance of activism for the LGBTQ+ community. His adventurous streak has since brought him across the world to Singapore, Hong Kong and now, in London. Realising the less than conducive environment that Malaysia presents for the LGBTQ+ community, Wei seeks out opportunities abroad where the grass is greener for a gay man like himself to develop personally and professionally. His activism continues in Hong Kong where he served as Chairs for the Pride Network in EY and HSBC.
He recently completed his two-year tenure as the Co-Chair of HSBC London Pride, which included a year during lockdown. Wei was conscious it is important to drive even more engagement for the LGBTQ+ community during the pandemic, and brought to live a series of initiatives and digital events, with focus on increasing inclusion and education on LGBTQ+ women, the BAME community, and HIV/AIDS.
JUSTIN FARRANCE
Allen & Overy
Justin is part of Allen & Overy’s global LGBTQ+ network committee and speaks at internal and external panel events to foster greater industry wide inclusion. In 2020, Justin founded ‘GROW’, a mentoring initiative in the legal profession that supports over 1300 aspiring lawyers/barristers from underrepresented communities in the UK/USA.
In November, Justin launched GROW’s Law Summit for 750 attendees, who were able to hear from LGBTQ+ senior leaders around the world. Justin understands the value of intersectionality and supports The Law Society as a Social Mobility Ambassador and recently wrote an article for LGBT+ History Month to encourage industry wide inclusion. Beyond the legal profession, Justin is a Role Model with LGBTQ+ charity Diversity Role Models and actively raises money to support their classroom based workshops.
NOÉMIE LEFORT
Warner Music Group
French-born Global marketing coordinator at Warner Music, Noémie Lefort is one of the founding members and co-chairs of Warner Music’s LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group: People of Pride (PoP).
They are one of the most vocal and visible figures of the company pushing the Diversity and Inclusion agenda forward, advocating for intersectionality and accountability from senior leaders. They have been instrumental in making PoP one of the most visible ERGs at Warner Music, with many successes including fundraisers, panels, artist performances, policy changes, a partnership with Stonewall, and more.
Having come out as non-binary within the last year, they have been spearheading PoP’s focus towards trans issues, pushing for a more inclusive workplace for trans and non-binary people.
TYLER LEE
Unilever
Tyler is a graduate at Unilever within the organisation’s Customer Development function and co-chair of the UK & Ireland proUd network.
Tyler has played a pivotal role in the expansion of the proUd network by executing campaigns and events as well as supporting Unilever stakeholders and brands on LGBTQ+ inclusiveness. Tyler has organised vital fundraisers in the last year for the Switchboard LGBT+ Helpline and National AIDS Trust.
Tyler is an openly gay role model to many within Unilever, often speaking publicly about his own experiences and personal challenges with his sexual orientation. Tyler is driven by his personal purpose to ensure that everyone at Unilever can bring their true authentic selves to the workplace.
VICTORIA JACKSON
BLM Law
Victoria Jackson is an Associate Solicitor and EDI Ambassador at BLM. In 2020 she launched BLM’s LGBT+ Allies Network. Since inception, she has grown the member numbers across various offices, engaging in a variety of initiatives to promote LGBT+ inclusion within the workplace and beyond. She was nominated for Insurance Lawyer of the Year at the Women in Insurance Awards 2020 and featured in the Top 100 OUTStanding Future Leaders List 2020. She is a founding member of the Liverpool Law Society EDI Committee and a member and Area Coordinator of the Link Up North LGBT+ Insurance Network.
