Meet the DIVERSE CXO role models
Role Models & Mentors
Job Title: Director, DCM (Debt Capital Markets) Investment Bank Partnerships
Company: London Stock Exchange Group [LSEG]
Industry: Finance, Primary Capital Market, Debt
Over 20 years of experience of working in Investment Banking. Pippa came out whilst working for one of the French banks and wanted to transfer to Hong Kong, taking her partner, so traveling to parts of the world as an openly queer woman where freedoms are more restricted is interesting. Pippa founded LBTQWomen in 2018 to encourage queer women to be confidently out, has presented LBTQWomen and its findings to the Houses of Parliament, East and West Coast of the States and believe there is still a lot of work to be done in building equality for all. Pippa has appeared on the OUTStanding Executive Role Models List for 4 consecutive years from 2018-2021
Job Title: Head of Social Impact
Company: Lucky Generals
Industry: Creative, TV Film & Media, Charity & Social Enterprises
Chloe Davies is a proud Black bisexual woman, mother of two, a creative, global inclusion & belonging consultant, chef and entrepreneur. Her work sees her campaigning for inclusion and equality in social spaces, corporate organisations and the wider community. She spent over 15 years working in retail, artist management and PR before starting her own catering company in 2015.
In September 2021 she took on the role of Head of Social Impact for Lucky Generals – the creative company for people on a mission. Where she is responsible, in conjunction with management, for setting the company’s social impact (ESG) goals and ensuring that they are met in the most effective and creative ways possible.
Job Title: Founder / Director
Company: Moonlight Experiences
Industry: Travel, Events, Charity and Social Enterprise
Aisha Shaibu-Lenoir is an LGBTQ+ activist, cultural producer, and is listed as one of the ‘Top 100 LGBTQ+ Trailblazers’ changing the world. She is the founder of Moonlight Experiences, an award-winning experiences company dedicated to the celebration of diverse queer culture and travel. Through harnessing the economic power of tourism and nightlife; Moonlight Experiences is decolonizing travel and tackling the lack of spaces for queer women, non-binary, and Black/POC members. Since launching in London, the organization has expanded to other cities in Europe, Africa, and USA. Aisha’s activism and community contribution also extend to the work she does as Head of Community Engagement for UK Black Pride and as a Trustee for GiveOut.
Job Title: Head of Production/Executive Producer
Company: Factory Studios
Industry: Creative, Music, TV, Film and Media
Deborah is Head of Production/Executive Producer at Factory Studios.
She initially joined Factory as a Senior Producer and was subsequently promoted to Head of Production/Executive Producer to manage the Production team. She takes responsibility for nurturing
and developing the department and is extremely proud to lead such a talented team. In addition to this, Deborah has produced a multitude of award-winning campaigns recognized by the British Arrows, BAFTA and Cannes Lions to name a few. She also works across Longform for Factory, and has produced both broadcast TV programmes including the multi BAFTA winning ‘Stath Lets
Flats’ as well as Feature Films.
Job Title: Director, FRTB IMA Project Lead
Company: Barclays Bank
Industry: Finance, Tech, Charity
Eloise is a Director at Barclays in RFT Tech and is the Project Lead for the implementation and delivery of the FRTB Internal Model Approach at Barclays. “FRTB” is the Fundamental Review of the Trading Book which is the new set of regulations for calculating capital requirements for banks for market risk. She joined Barclays in December 2022 and immediately prior to that was a Director at Deutsche Bank managing a portfolio of strategic cross bank regulatory change programmes. With over 30 years of experience working in financial markets directly for top tier banks and leading consultancy firms Eloise has extensive subject matter expertise and practical implementation experience which enables her to successfully deliver tangible change across the full project and development lifecycle. Her career has focussed on Credit and Market Risk from Business, IT and Consultancy viewpoints. Eloise is passionate about D+I and at Deutsche Bank was Co-Chair of dbPride UKI, DB’s employee resource group for LGBT+ staff, colleagues and allies. Last November she was recognised in INvolve’s list of 2022 Top 100 Outstanding LGBT+ Future Leaders, reflecting her achievements with the dbPride team. Eloise has a BSc in Mathematics, Statistics and Computing and an MSc in Computing, both from Birkbeck College at the University of London. She has two children, both of whom are at university. Eloise is currently hosting a Ukrainian family under the UK Homes for Ukraine Scheme, and in her spare time is gradually doing up a 1969 Commer Campervan which she uses to escape from the hubbub of daily life.
Job Title: Personal Trainer and World Class Athlete
Company: Founder and Owner of Claire Spurway Fitness & Five Star Athletics UK
Industry: Health, Well-Being, Fitness & Sport
Claire is a world-class masters LBGTQ athlete and is the current World Masters Indoor Champion for the 60m and joint British record holder.
Born in Stafford in the Midlands, Claire started athletics at the age of twelve, A successful junior athletics career and progression to the Olympic Trials followed but was marred by various injuries, which made it hard for her to compete at top level.
Claire started to compete in Master athletics in 2016, at which she won international gold medals. She is coached by top Olympic coach Tom McNab. In March 2019, she became World Masters 60m champion. In that same year, she held the British, European, and World 60m titles all at the same time. Her next goal is the World Indoor Championships in Poland this coming March, 2023. Alongside her professional athletics career, Claire is also a qualified UKA Athletics coach and a PE & Sport Science graduate from Loughborough University, representing the World famous sports university in many athletic events. Claire is the owner of Claire Spurway Fitness, a world-class personal training company that provides six-week lifestyle packages delivered in person and online. Also, founder of Five Star Athletics, a world-class athletics program for children.
Job Title: Performance Coach
Company: Marcela Aguirre Coaching
Industry: Career Transition & Transformation Coaching including Technology, Finance and other industries
Additional: Business & Personal Finance Coaching
Doctor and performance coach who specialises in career transition and transformation coaching. She is passionate about business and personal finance and enjoys delivering coaching to those who want to find more fulfilment in their career, take charge of their finances, and feel empowered to start living more meaningful and enjoyable lives. Marcela was born in Colombia and moved to the UK as an asylum seeker aged 12. She had to adapt to a whole new country, lifestyle, weather and language, whilst coming to terms with being a refugee. Later on, Marcela came out to her family, who were strict Catholics and did not approve of her identity as gay. She studied medicine as has worked as a doctor for 14 years. She entered the world of entrepreneurship around 10 years ago and now runs her own coaching business, alongside her medical work. Marcela loves working with high-flying professionals and driven individuals that want to take their life to the next level, in a way that is aligned with their values, so that they can achieve great work-life balance whilst achieving goals they didn’t even know they had. Marcela is unconventional, spontaneous, authentic and charismatic in her approach to work and life. She has accepted her sexuality despite her strict cultural and religious upbringing. She now aims to use her medical and coaching work to reach out to others, uplift and inspire, and ultimate do her part in improving equality for all.
Job Title: Director of Business Inclusion at Trans in the City and VP Strategic Change at RS Group
Company: Trans in the City and RS Group
Industry: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Emily Hamilton is a director of the business inclusion organisation Trans in the City, and is Vice President of Strategic Change at RS Group PLC, folllowing a 23 year career in Project, Programme and Portfolio Management. She is an award winning speaker and advocate for mental health and wellbeing in the LGBTQ+ community, has advised and supported many hundreds of individuals and organisations in developing a more inclusive environment for Trans and Non Binary staff, suppliers and customers. Emily also co-founded and chairs the world’s first LGBTQ+ Supporters’ association in world professional rugby, QuinsPride – as part of which she speaks up for inclusion in sport for trans, non binary and intersex athletes at all levels. She is a volunteer with Diversity Role Models and was named in the top 20 of the 2022 Involve people Outstanding executive role models list, a top ten finalist in the
2022 British LGBT Awards and nominee in the 2023 British Diversity Awards.
Job Title: Head of Inclusion and Equity at Impact Culture
Company: Impact Culture
Industry: Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, Non-for-profit and Commercial
Emma is an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion professional with experience in commercial and not for profit organisations. She has a particular focus on LGBTQ+ inclusion, race equity and intersectionality. Emma has worked with several businesses throughout the U.K promoting inclusive workplace cultures through speaking, workshops, training and consultancy. Emma began her career as a police officer in the Metropolitan Police Service in London and did this for 8 years before moving into the EDI space. As an accomplished, compassionate and purposeful leader with 10+ years experience serving systemically excluded communities in both EDI and policing, Emma applies
an intersectional lens to her work and has an excellent track record of achievement as a strategist and cultural creator within organisations such as the NHS, where she supported to embed their new strategy across all areas of Cancer Services and Chance to Shine where she began writing their first ever EDI strategy. Emma also spent two and a half years at Stonewall, Europe’s largest Human Rights organisation, and it was here that she had the opportunity to work with The Equality
Project at their first ever Better Together Conference back in 2018. Emma went to Australia and joined the Better Together team where she delivered Stonewall’s flaglish LGBTQ+ Role Models programme in Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra and Sydney. Emma’s unique background within the emergency services dovetailing with her EDI specialisms, experience, and insight, means she is well-placed to support clients
shape consciously inclusive cultures within their organisational structures. As a mixed-heritage gay woman, Emma uses her own lived experience and strategic insight to drive social change and support people to understand equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging at all levels. She is also on the Board of Trustee at LGBTQ+ Young Persons’ Trust, Mosaic, where she helps to advise on the strategic aims of the organisation so that the most effective services can be delivered to LGBTQ+ young people across London.
Job Title: Vice President, Talent Aquisition
Company: Citi
Industry: Banking, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Jacqui is Senior Vice President at Citi and works as part of their Talent
Acquisition team, leading apprenticeships and other diversity programmes. She was co-chair of their LGBTQ+ network, Pride, for over 4 years. Before joining Citi, Jacqui was the Early in Career Programme Manager at Microsoft and also helped to design and set up their award-winning Apprenticeship Programme. She was also responsible for the Intern and Graduate programmes; and achieved number 1 in the ‘Rate My Placement’ rankings. Jacqui was at Microsoft for nearly 4 years, joining originally to work within the Talent Acquisition team, focussing specifically on Diversity and Inclusion. Prior to working at Microsoft, she worked primarily in education, teaching at the University of Sheffield and also working for over 9 years as an Ofsted Early Years Inspector.
Jacqui is proud to have been recognised and celebrated for the work she does in relation to LGBTQ+ equality, having been shortlisted for a Diva Award as Diversity Champion of the Year and featured in #Visible100 List for Lesbian Visibility Week, The Pride Power List and the OUTstanding Role Models List. Jacqui has also created a video training course called ‘Out and Proud – Approaching LGBTQ issues in the workplace which is available via LinkedIn Learning.
Job Title: Director of Operations & Event Planning at Pride in London & Events Directors at Jamming Events
Company: Pride in London & Jamming Events
Industry: Hospitality, Events Management, Start-Up and Entrepreneurship
Director of Operations and Event Planning for Pride In London. Rebecca brings a wealth of ops and event management experience; she has led Pride in London’s event programming and production and its women’s space. Rebecca started her career in 2002 by operating and running the UK’s largest LGBT+ alternative night and venue, Ghetto and Popstarza; in 2006, she launched MINT with Nikki, helped take Lesbian and Bi nights out of hidden basement clubs and raised the visibility of the communities. Rebecca is also the Event Director at Jamming Events, an established events company that delivers memorable events and brand experiences across the UK. Rebecca continuously works with other Prides nationally, guiding them through their event planning. She has worked with UK Black Pride, Southampton Pride, and Reading Pride and has also created queer events – Winter Pride in 2014 and Pink Oktoberfest in 2018.
Job Title: Chair of Trustees for LGBTQ+ Centre, Entrepreneur, Author, TedX Speaker, Screenplay writer, Host and Moderator of The Views Room, Producer and Host of ‘Coming Out Stories from India’.
Company: Raga D'silva
Industry: Events, Media and Entertainment, Charity, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Raga D’silva (she/her) is an award-winning entrepreneur, author, TedX Speaker, screenplay writer, Host and Moderator of The Views Room, Producer and Host of ‘Coming Out Stories from India’. Born and raised in India, Raga lived in New Zealand for several years before moving to London, a city she now calls home.
Raga decided to publicly ‘come out’ as a lesbian at the age of 50 through her debut book, ‘Untold Lies’ which made headlines, particularly in India. Since then, she has been vocal in her support for the LGBTQ+ community along with creating and producing positive LGBTQ+ content. A story she wrote during lockdown is being made into an international feature film.
As a media, events and entertainment industry specialist for over thirty years, Raga has worked in many countries including India, the Middle East, Southeast Asia as well as New Zealand and the UK, receiving various prestigious awards during her journey.
Raga is currently a Trustee on the Board of one of India’s largest charities – Child Rights & You (CRY UK), the D&I Board of Aristocrat Technologies India & Sony Pictures India and on the Management Team of the Gay India Network (GIN) London UK. Raga was recently appointed as the Chair of Board/Trustees for the London LGBTQ+ Centre.
Raga’s personal coming out journey was featured across various media channels internationally including BBC India in 2022 in several Indian regional languages. Raga was shortlisted as the ‘Woman of the Year’ by Asian Achievers Awards in 2022 and was the recipient of the Woman of Courage award at the UK Houses of Parliament.
Job Title: Head of investment Banking Technology Strategic Platforms
Company: Credit Suisse
Industry: Technology, Finance, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Pips Bunce is Head of Investment Banking Technology Strategic Platforms at Credit Suisse, where she is responsible for driving a range of the firm’s strategic initiatives from regulatory priorities through to the execution of strategic messaging and IT platforms. Prior to joining the bank, she acted as Executive Director at Goldman Sachs and before that was at UBS. She started her career at British Telecom Research. Along with her role as Director and head of Investment Banking Technology Strategic Programs, Pips is co-chair of the firm’s LGBT & Ally Network which drives to encourage an inclusive work culture where all are encouraged to bring their whole self to work and to promote authenticity in the workplace regardless of gender identity, gender expression or sexuality. Pips is a proud and out member of the Trans community, identifying as gender-fluid and non-binary and is a champion progressing LGBTQI+ inclusion and equality on a global scale. Pips was awarded a prestigious position in the OUTStanding and Yahoo Finance executive LGBT+ Leader list, shortlisted for the European Diversity Awards, the British Diversity Awards and won the Inspirational Leader category as part of the British LGBT Awards in recognition for her work and commitment. She drives LGBT+ inclusion as a priority, ensures senior and exec board members are engaged, mentors and coaches C-Suite senior leaders on LGBT+ inclusion and is proud of each and every one of the firm’s 7000+ active and engaged LGBTQI+ Allies Pips’ regularly presents to large audiences and is a prolific public speaker, partnering with many organizations, a regular panelist, presenter and media contributor raising awareness of LGBT+, Trans and non-binary inclusion, carrying out work with hundreds of organizations and official bodies
Job Title: Regional Sales Manager
Company: Moet Hennessy UK
Industry: Hospitality
Maya began her career within Moet Hennessy over 13 years ago and is an integral part of Moet Hennessy LGBTIQ+ movement.
In 2019 Maya was at the centre point of the company’s Pride campaign and where for the first time, she shared with the business and her colleagues her journey and who she truly is.
Maya’s coming out story ‘lifted 30 years of suppression’ and has been a D&I advocate and LGBTQ+ ally ever since.
Maya’s inspiring story highlights the importance of being able to bring your true self to work each and every day, authentically celebrating the uniqueness of all to drive for positive change.
Job Title: Chair of the Board of Innovate Finance
Company: Innovate Finance
Industry: Technology, Digital Trading, Finance
Passionate about how financial services becomes more open, more accessible and more inclusive for customers and talent. Louise has undertaken a number of roles in leading UK Banks and more recently the London Insurance market. Louise was at the heart of preparing the Royal Bank of Scotland (including NatWest) for the future, during the organisation’s significant turnaround to profit. Leading and implementing the Retail Bank’s ‘Digital First’ strategy. Appointed as the first Chief Digital Officer in the history of Lloyd’s of London, Louise co-wrote Lloyd’s Blueprint Two Strategy and product roadmap, one of the most ambitious digital and data transformations in the industry. Now leading the WTW digital and data trading strategy for commercial lines. Louise is also Chair of Innovate Finance, supporting the advancement of the FinTech Community and next generation of Financial Services innovators and Chair of Stripe UK Board.
Job Title: Model, Writer, Researcher and Asexual Activist
Company: Private company
Industry: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Activism and Modelling
Yasmin Benoit is a British model, multi-award-winning asexual activist, writer, researcher, and speaker. Described as the “unlikely face of asexuality” by Cosmopolitan Magazine, she quickly became a leading voice for the community after publicly coming out in 2017. She started the #ThisIsWhatAsexualLooksLike movement for diverse asexual visibility and representation and co-founded International Asexuality Day (April 6). This year, she launched the UK’s first asexual rights initiative – the Stonewall x Yasmin Benoit Ace Project – in partnership with Stonewall, which is producing a report into asexual discrimination in the UK. This year, she won ‘Campaigner of the Year’ at the Rainbow Honours Awards 2022.
Job Title: Managing Director & Founder
Company: Kube Management: Architecture & Real Estate, heading a Family Office Reawaken Retreat: Wellness
Industry: Finance, Tech, Charity, Entrepreneur, Wellness
Tala is the Founder of award winning Riviera Reawaken Retreat, a wellness space in the French Riviera. She’s an artist, an architect and developer, with 20 years of experience as a Real Estate investor. She also manages a varied investment portfolio for a Family Office with a current focus on Tech investments and startups. Tala has a Diploma & Master of Architecture from The Bartlett, UCL and after some years with renowned Scottish architectural practise John Mcaslan, founded Kube Mgt in 2011. Kube’s portfolio includes design & build projects in Europe and the Middle East, as well as consultancy services to source & procure deals, and property management. Leading Kube Mgt has lent experience to managing teams as well as collaboration with others across the globe. Tala is a strong supporter of female empowerment initiatives and a social impact advocate. She has trained with MHFA and an accredited Mental Health First Aider. Tala holds an active speaker role with Diversity Role Model – a charity seeking to embed inclusion and empathy in the next generation. DRM hold student workshops featuring LGBT+ or ally role models who speak openly about their lived experiences, as well as training school governors, staff, and parents/carers.
Job Title: CEO and Founder of Investing in Ethnicity, British LGBT+ awards, Ethnicity awards and SPM Group
Company: British LGBT+ Awards and SPM Group
Industry: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Hospitality, Start-up and Entrepreneurship
Sarah began running businesses after university by launching a Kent-based magazine, called Uncover, which soon was distributed throughout the Southeast, and later sold. In 2001 she launched g3 magazine with a friend after they both met working for the Pink Paper, where Sarah was Deputy Editor. g3 started as a pioneering free publication for lesbian and bi women. In 2006, Out in the City magazine was launched for gay men in London. Both g3 and Outrun until 2013. Several years later, SPM Group has grown and has diversified the products on offer to match the changes in the diversity space, moving from magazines into events. In 2015, the British LGBT Awards was launched and has grown into one of the biggest LGBT events of its kind. Sarah is always keeping a strong eye on diversity in the workplace and looking at areas where there is room for improvement and where her knowledge and strengths can make a real impact. 2017 sees the launch of a new conference focusing on ethnicity in the workplace and the globalization of the initiative which helps women reach senior positions within the workplace, Opportunities4Women. In 2017 she was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s New Year Honours List for her services in the diversity and inclusion. Sarah continues her fondness for journalism and is a regular writer for Huffington Post, Independent, and Metro as well as publishing articles in other mainstream press. Sarah has twin girls, she was bought up by her single mother, who came over to England from Malaysia to become a nurse. Sarah went to Kent University and studied Business Maths
Job Title: CEO & Founder
Company: Addonova Ltd & DevelopHer UK
Industry: Corporate Media Communications, Music Industry Communications, International Speaker, International Mentor, Success Influencer, Podcaster
Sally is the Managing Director of Addonova, a digital innovation consultancy and of Love Live Music UK – encouraging emerging musical talent. For over 15 years she has specialised in creating global digital strategies for live events, brands, organisations, musicians and emerging artists. Managing Press & Digital for Glastonbury’s Dance Field, career highlight includes managing the press and digital for the first ever Grime Day with Stormzy and over 2,000 Dance Music Artists and DJ’s including Fat Boy Slim, Craig David, Jamie Callum, Dua Lipa, Leftfield, Kojey Radical, Joy Crookes, Inner City, Geggy Gou amongst others. Sally is currently the Green Initiatives Co-ordinatorGreen managing the Worthy Warriors for Glastonbury Festival. Managing Director of Love Live Music UK, supporting and mentoring emerging artists, connecting their music to global audiences. Sally recently devised and managed live digital events and campaigns for leading brands including: Oxjam, Café Nerro, The West London Music Festival, Boomtown, award winning Hotel Brand La Reserve. For the past 10 years, Sally has lectured on a Music Masters course and Degree course and Mentors women in their music careers. Her goal is to encourage women to have sustainable successful careers in their chosen field. Sally was the Press and Digital Manager for the Live Pride show in Trafalgar Square, London managing communications for the global media outlets – TV, radio and online.
Sally is one of the Founder’s and Partnership Director DevelopHer UK inspiring over 20K women in London in their technology careers. Sally is a proud honouree of the Music Industry Alternative Power List 2019.
Job Title: Clinical Neuroscientist and Roche UK's Digital and Data Science Innovation Lead and Co-Lead of Roche UK's Out, Proud & Equal Network (OPEN)
Company: Roche
Industry: Healthcare, Technology, Biotech, AI, Data and Digital, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Dr. Rebecca Pope is a clinical neuroscientist, Roche UK’s Digital & Data Science Innovation Lead and co-lead of Roche UK’s Out, Proud & Equal Network (OPEN). Rebecca’s focus is working with the NHS, governments, regulators, clinicians, and patients on how we can bring the advanced technologies that we’re used to using in our everyday lives, like artificial intelligence, into healthcare. She is also an honorary Senior Research Fellow and Ph.D. supervisor in AI at UCL, TEDx speaker and has been voted as one of ‘The Most Influential Women in the UK
Tech’. Rebecca is deeply passionate about equality, diversity and inclusion in STEM & society and is part of several initiatives & networks that encourage an inclusive environment where everyone feels empowered.
Job Title: Chief Information Officer at Ministry of Defence (MoD)
Company: Ministry of Defence (MoD)
Industry: Technology, Security, Public Sector
Sarah joined the Ministry of Defence as CIO Functions in early 2020. Previously she was Chief Information Officer for the British Transport Police, leading the delivering of IT services supporting 3,500 police officers across Great Britain. In 2020 she was #6 in the UKCIO100, improving her 2019 position, when she was also listed as one of the 50 Most Influential Women in UK Tech. A past Chair of Charity IT Leaders, her career has seen her work at some of the UK’s most iconic visitor attractions including the V&A Museum, Royal Albert Hall, Royal Academy of Arts, Hampton Court Palace, and HM Tower of London, as well as University College London. In the mid-1990s she served part-time in the Royal Signals, Territorial Army. Sarah is a Chartered Fellow of BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT, and a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of the Information Technologists. She is passionate about working in tech and the creative opportunities a tech career offers all, particularly those from areas of society currently under-represented in the industry.
Job Title: SVP of Sales and Innovation
Company: DataArt
Industry: Technology, Start-Up and Entrepreneurship
Founder of three businesses and advisor to start-ups. A proven track record in leadership, delivery, and consulting work with many high-profile companies and clients. My 25+ year career in business has been varied. I love people and am passionate about building relationships and adding value as a strategic approach to business development. I’m a confident ideas person, and I’m known for being really good at making things happen quickly! My sweet spot is go-to-market revenue generation, and I enjoy being able to use my deep understanding of the industry and experiences as both a business founder and consultant to support others. I’m constantly learning, which is a key driver for me when I get out of bed every morning. When I’m not trying to sell something, you will find me reading submissions on behalf of Innovate UK, or working out in the gym (I’m also a qualified personal trainer!). I am currently SVP of Sales and Innovation for global technology consultancy, DataArt, running a global team of sales professionals in the US and UK.