Emma Brice

Commercial Analyst for General Electric (GE)

Emma Brice is a Chartered Management Accountant who works as a commercial analyst for General Electric (GE), an international industrial conglomerate. In addition to her day job, she has been championing to bring awareness of challenges facing bi and transgender staff in the workplace and so engaged with GE’s LGBT employee network (GE GLBTA) both at a national level in the UK as well as taking a role with their global committee to expand into Europe by gathering management and HR support. Emma’s leadership has helped bring personal and professional development training to employees and raise awareness of LGBT issues to senior management. She has helped promote cross-functional networking and engagement activities for both employees and GE customers, and her ongoing efforts promoting diversity and inclusiveness help employees feel empowered to bring their whole self to work and grow their careers.

Erika Hempel

Bloomberg

Erika founded Bloomberg’s LGBT and Ally Community in London in 2012 and has been an influential leader, promoting awareness, networking and external engagement for the Community. In three years, the Community has grown from an informal social network to a business community of more than 200. Erika has led several events for the Community, including speakers Martina Navratilova and Liz Bingham, and an event showcasing the economic value of diversity with other Bloomberg diversity communities. She has also been instrumental in establishing partnerships with charity organizations such as Stonewall and The Albert Kennedy Trust. Erika is determined to create an inclusive environment for all people at Bloomberg and in the larger LGBT community; motivated by the knowledge that the LGBT and Ally Community helps people both at work and in the communities they support. Her goal for 2015 is to concentrate on the Lesbian, Bi and Trans members so that everyone feels represented.

Amir Kabel

Vodafone Group (previous)

Amir is the Global Diversity and Inclusion Manager at Vodafone Group, where he has overall responsibility for inclusion in over 30 countries and 40 partner countries.
He hosted an Equality and Diversity Summit highlighting LGBT rights and set up LGBT networks for 3 organisations, and produced written guides for employers on how to support transgender employees at work. Recently he organised a global conference to recognise International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHOT), broadcasted in fourteen countries. The event hosted external speakers, including the United Nations Free and Equal Director. Recently Amir has travelled to Africa, Egypt and US to promote inclusion in the workplace. Amir has volunteered as a Mentor at the Terence Higgins Trust on their ‘Back to Work’ programme, providing practical guidance and support. Amir has also championed women, pioneering the creation of a global maternity policy that improves the working lives of pregnant women and new mothers across 30 countries. He suggested hosting the first-ever International Women’s Week; a great way to showcase the achievements of women. Recently Amir received the honour of a place on the Telegraph’s Out at Work Top 50 LGBT Executives in Business List, and hopes to continue to help people reach their full potential. Amir wants to show that LGBT individuals don’t need to hide their sexuality to become successful and it will not become a barrier for him to become a successful leader in a global business and will continue to champion LGBT rights.

Kim Sgarlata

Partner at Capco

Kim Sgarlata is a Partner at Capco and has over 13 years of financial industry and management consulting experience across the UK and US. Her focus is on encouraging and driving disruptive change in the capital markets and wealth domains. Along with her passion for her work, her interest and activism in LGBT awareness is very close to her heart. Diversity and inclusion in the workplace is a top priority in Capco’s culture, and Kim ensures Capco’s doors are open to everyone. Kim leads the charge for LGBT awareness in the workplace. Her recent efforts involve the creation of the #BeYourselfAtWork campaign at Capco, which went viral in 2014. The mission was to empower Capco and the wider community to be proud of their uniqueness. Additionally, she drove numerous LGBT awareness events. Engaging the broader London community, the #ComeOutToPlay event succeeded in harnessing the wisdom of the crowd to promote positive change in the youth, transgender, elderly, and international LGBT communities. She credits Capco as being a ‘think differently’ company, which has undoubtedly helped in her mission to encourage Capco employees and the greater community to never be afraid to be who they truly are.

Hannah Mackenzie

Societe Generale (previous)

Hannah Mackenzie is passionate about all aspects of diversity and inclusion and is heavily involved with LGBT initiatives both within her civilian employment at Societe Generale and within the Royal Navy. She is the Deputy Chair of SG’s LGBT network and in 2014 spearheaded the successful project to launch their “Friends of the LGBT Network” initiative. Hannah works closely with SG’s CSR team and has established the foundations of a community outreach programme for the LGBT network. To date, members of the network have visited Project Indigo in Hackney to meet with LGBT young people and discuss the experience of being LGBT and out at work. Hannah is also currently developing a program of internal events to raise the general awareness of LGBT issues and to support the growing list of “Friends” in their crucial role. Hannah speaks regularly on SG’s internal training courses and draws on her experiences of being LGBT and out at work when talking about her approach to management.

Sarah Fennell

HSBC (previous)

Sarah is Diversity and Inclusion manager and the co-chair of HSBC’s LGBT network Pride, leading the charge to improve HSBC’s culture for its diverse work force and helping HSBC to move up the Stonewall Index of leading employers. Sarah has worked tirelessly to rebuild and re-energise HSBC’s LGBT committee. Membership has increased by over 55% and the proportion of female members has doubled during this time. She has organised events on topics such as mental health in the LGBT community, bullying in the workplace, a transgender panel event, and provided support to colleagues who are transitioning. Sarah has also given her own time to support other Employee Resource Groups, both in the UK and abroad, and input into global campaigns to highlight diversity within HSBC. She will spend 2015 engaged in a wide variety of projects and key goals for the Pride network are to create a virtual community and support group for trans employees and to support the development of the regional chapters to ensure that all LGBT colleagues are supported, not just those in the big cities.

Squadron Leader Sherry Conway

Royal Air Force / RAF

Squadron Leader Conway is the RAF LGBT Forum Deputy Chair. In this voluntary role she is passionate and focused on improving the lived experience for the RAF LGBT community and educating the wider RAF about these challenges. She balances LGBT work with her primary role as the RAF Critical Care Deputy Specialist Nurse Advisor, specialising in global repatriation of seriously injured patients. She recently completed 4 months in Afghanistan responsible for the transfer of all patients across Helmand province. She conceptualised the RAF Alternative Families network and Global Representatives initiative, ensuring all personnel have a local point of contact for LGBT and family related enquiries. Conway’s personable style enables her to provide highly regarded direction, guidance, mentoring and reverse mentoring across the Transgender, Lesbian, Alternative Families and Career progression areas.

Tim Jarman

EY

Tim leads EY’s strategy for LGBT issues across the UK and Ireland. In this role he has been a strong and vocal champion of LGBT equality both in the workplace and in the wider community and is an advocate for improving the experiences of LGBT people in all regions of the UK and Ireland. In 2014 Tim led a global project to better unify all of EY’s LGBT networks around the world. He was recently named one of the UK’s Top 50 LGBT Executives by Out at Work and The Telegraph and is a member of the National Student Pride steering committee, having spearheaded EY’s sponsorship of that event since 2011. In wider community work, Tim is also a Director and Trustee of the United Nations Association, where he has volunteered since he was 16.