Global Award Winners 2023

Rafael Marchiori Goncalves, GSK

Rafael Marchiori Gonçalves received this recognition for work at his previous employer, GSK Brazil, where he was HR Manager for one of the company's former manufacturing sites, Champion of DEI, and Co-Leader of the Brazil LGBTQ+ employee resource group, Spectrum.

While LGBTQ+ people in Brazil are at an exceptionally high risk of violence, Rafael is a proud and visible role model and his work on LGBTQ+ inclusivity is an inspiration to colleagues in the region. His work has been acknowledged and celebrated for making GSK one of the safest and most rewarding workplaces in Brazil, with LGBTQ+ colleagues declaring that they feel safe inside GSK walls, where the environment allows them to be their authentic selves.

Stonewall is especially proud to celebrate Rafael’s work on trans inclusion initiatives, partnering with TransEmpregos, the largest and most active employability project in Brazil, and the creation of an exclusive vacancy for trans professionals, as well as his strategic implementation of change initiatives to build a more diverse leadership through awareness, education, communication, and leadership.

Adam Mycyk, Dentons

Stonewall is proud to announce Adam Mycyk, Chair of the Europe Region’s GLOW LGBT+ Network at Dentons as one of our Changemaker award winners for 2023. After relocation to Warsaw, Poland from Kyiv, Ukraine, Adam has achieved incredible outcomes driving LGBTQ+ inclusion and human rights within in Dentons and out in the community in partnership with local NGOs.

In his role leading the European network, Adam has led a Europe-wide group of LGBTQ+ allies in implementing an allyship programme and supporting on a variety of Pride month initiatives including a globally-broadcast webinar highlighting the important work of ERGs in driving inclusion and highlighting the importance of business’ support for local initiatives in creating social change.

His work with Safebow, a grassroots organisation aiding evacuation from Ukraine, has provided vital assistance to the Ukrainian LGBTQ+ community and others impacted by the war. In providing pro bono work for Safebow and other NGOs, such as Equaversity in Poland, Adam has helped to ensure access to live-saving medical supplies for trans and HIV-positive Ukrainians, and assisted trans Ukrainians without the correct gender on their passports to seek help leaving the country. His work in this challenging region continues, assisting Ukrainian LGBTQ+ NGOs in their ongoing efforts to ensure the passage of a civil partnership framework in Ukraine.

Claire Prendergast, Fidelity International

Claire Prendergast, Global LGBT Network Co-Lead at Fidelity International, is one of our Changmakers of the Year for 2023 for her incredible work championing the network and embedding LGBTQ+ inclusive practices globally.

Claire has significantly built up the global LGBT+ network at Fidelity to its strongest position to date. Today, Fidelity’s global Network has 50+ active members across 15 locations and boasts 700+ Allies.  Through marking key events in the global LGBTQ+ calendar, collaborating with leaders to implementing impactful policies for trans colleagues, and engagement with internal and external events, Claire has helped to embedded LGBTQ+ inclusivity across the organisation, with a particular emphasis on recruiting allies to the cause.

Her work also extends into the community, hosting events with LGBT Great and partnering on LGBTQ+ asylum seeker support with Spirasi in Dublin. Colleagues highlight her tenacious and resourceful work securing funding support to support amplify network initiatives and events.

Steph Sands, Capgemini

With leadership positions at the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, establishing Women Say Something, and as co-founder of OUTfront Australia, Senior Director and Head of CSR, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging at Capgemini Australia/NZ Steph Sands is a well-acknowledged and influential leader in global LGBTQ+ inclusivity.

Internally at Capgemini, Steph has transformed the workplace through community establishment, allyship, review of HR policy, communications, and the physical environment. As executive sponsor for the Relaunch at Capgemini programme, they have ensured that 20% of all spots are open to women of a trans experience, and they have introduced and championed an important Digital Inclusion Strategy acknowledged by World Pride. Their work providing personalized care, mentorship, and support for transitioning colleagues has been especially celebrated and valued. Their external advocacy work includes important uplifting of community groups Wear It Purple, Pride in Diversity, and the Centre for Inclusive Design through pro bono salesforce implementation, and regular engagement in public advocacy initiatives.

In advocating for employee networks and formal recognition of Value Work within Capgemini and more widely across Australia, Steph has brought particular attention to the often unseen and unrecognized work that people in ERGs do to bring about workplace change.

Can Sozer

Since taking a leading role in establishing a Diversity and Inclusion Committee in Esin Attorney Partnership, member firm of Baker & McKenzie International, a Swiss Verein, in 2014, Inclusion & Diversity Champion for the EMEA region Can Sozer has been an enthusiastic and active advocate. His work has been recognized with a Chambers Europe award, and across global networks as Co-chair in AmCham Turkey’s LGBT+ Committee.

Can’s work in Turkey has been a fantastic example of bold and unflinching advocacy. He has been a consistent champion through regular contribution to awareness raising and educational events internally, as well as pro bono projects for communities, and public initiatives. A particular series of initiatives for Pronoun Day celebrations, including guidance on gender neutral language, and going on to feature and model gender neutral language in external legal alert, have marked Esin Attorney Partnership as leaders in demonstrating inclusive language use in the region. Flying the flag, in this case literally, Esin Attorney Partnership displays a multi-story rainbow flag in celebration of the LGBTQ+ community.

Given the conservative context in his region of remit, Can (and the wider team in Esin Attorney Partnership) have demonstrated that they are fearless and passionate about progressing LGBT+ inclusion. With other local organizations and regional offices establishing their own I&D initiatives inspired by these accomplishments, Stonewall is proud to acknowledge this work as a beacon for inclusivity in an often challenging environment.

Capgemini

Stonewall is proud to celebrate the achievements of Capgemini’s OUTfront Germany with an award for Network Group of the Year for an international in-market ERG.

With regular events and engaged network members, Capgemini have fostered a positive culture for LGBTQ+ staff and engagement with allies. Through quarterly LGBTQIA+ awareness trainings, OUTfront Germany educates countrywide in extensive, comprehensive sessions addressing the importance of allyship, getting involved, and taking action for the LGBTQIA+ community. Through policy and practice review, the network has played an active role in ensuring a safe and inclusive workplace.

One particular area of strength for OUTfront Germany has been in external engagement and inter-organisational partnerships. They have demonstrated their commitment to inclusive recruitment practices with the Sticks & Stones career fair, and formed a productive and mutually beneficial cooperation with PrOUT at work to support LGBTQ+ people in the workplace, share news and events, and build a collaborative platform for positive change.

Amazon

At Stonewall, we are delighted to acknowledge the incredible work of Amazon’s global LGBTQIA+ employee network, Glamazon with a Network Group of the Year award.

With over 200 chapters with 70,000+ members globally, the Glamazon network is a true model of best practice, featuring social/networking opportunities, community driven events, Global Pride events, fundraisers for LGBTQIA+ focused charities and professional leadership development opportunities including internal networking, leadership speaker opportunities, recruiting and mentoring. From leading World Pride and sponsoring Midsumma Festival in Australia, fostering award winning inclusive workplaces in Mexico, pioneering transitioning support in Costa Rica, and phenomenal expansion of network chapters in India, the work this year has been truly global in nature. That is also not to mention the incredible work being done in the UK.

Beginning with the UK, and now expanding across LGBTQ+ network chapters and other ERGs worldwide, Glamazon has championed a truly inclusive and innovative initiative – ensuring that no employees are left out of network activity, no matter where they work. Every single Amazon UK employee can access the resources, support, and community provided by Glamazon from anywhere in the organisation, from smaller sites to night shift workers and warehouse staff.

We also want to highlight the incredible work done by three specific network members.

Ceysa McKechnie, was a DEI Leader at Amazon UK, and made it her mission to transform the way organisations see the role and value of ERGs. As Chair of Glamazon UK, Ceysa has implemented a series of programmatic tools to ensure that the network chapter could continue to operate at scale without the reliance on any single volunteer, and embedded network ambassadorship across all locations to bridge the divide between operations and corporate employees.

Luis Manuel Cascante Quesada, was the regional lead of LATAM for the Glamazon Affinity Group, and made it his goal as a long-serving member of the global board to ensure Amazon supports marginalized and underrepresented segments of the LGBTQIA+ community. His work has resulted in significant growth in the LATAM network chapters, and has played a vital role in securing transitioning benefits for trans staff in Costa Rica.

Katie Daly, Senior People, Experience and Technology Business Partner - Amazon Exports and Expansions, and Global Stores and co-lead of Glamazon Australia and New Zealand (ANZ), has used her position on the global board to accelerate awareness of needs, allyship, and inclusion for the LGBTQ+ community through expanded benefits, inclusive policy language, and allyship training with senior leadership. Addressing LGBTQ+ human rights, allyship, and intersectionality with the rights of First Nations people at World Pride, representing Amazon at the Human Rights Conference for World Pride, and launching an impressive and wide-reaching campaign video and series of global events, she has been a staunch advocate in her wide regional remit of ANZ, Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa.

Baker McKenzie

Baker McKenzie are winners of a Special Recognition award for their incredible commitment to LGBTQ+ youth advocacy in pro bono work in the USA.

In partnering with Lambda Legal, they have developed resources for a publicly available map categorizing states by level of non-discrimination protection for youth experiencing homelessness with focused information available about LGBTQ-specific community resources. They have worked to ensure LGBTQ+ young people have access to affirming identification, filed an emergency amicus brief to the Texas Supreme Court in response to the criminalization of gender-affirming services for children, and are active in the fight against Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law.

In collaboration with Lambda Legal, they support the Xchange for Change – an organisation led by, and advocating for the equality of, LGBTQ+ youth on a national scale. This support has included connecting the Xchange for Change team with corporate contacts, supporting broader programming, and helping to advance opportunities for LGBTQ+ young people across the country.

These vital legal interventions and civil society support initiatives have demonstrated the power and potential of law firms to use their resources and expertise to challenge discriminatory legislation, uplift local and national LGBTQ+ organisations, and stand up for the community.

Senior Leadership at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

Thanks to incredible work in LGBTQ+ inclusion with a truly global impact, Stonewall is delighted to announce a Special Recognition award to senior leadership at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer.

This year we are highlighting the impactful work of Senior Partner Georgia Dawson and Partner of People & Reward Raquel Flórez, whose workplace initiatives have transformed LGBTQ+ inclusion across workplaces globally.

As co-Head of the Latin America Group and Senior Executive Sponsor of LGBTQ+ inclusion, Raquel Flórez has been a vital part of promoting diversity from the Madrid office and across the world. As a founding member of REDI (Asociación Red Empresarial por la Diversidad e Inclusión LGBTI), an LGBTQ+ diversity and inclusion professional network of over 150 companies and 500,000+ professionals, Raquel has facilitated external and internal initiatives at Freshfields to further inclusion. She has been instrumental in expanding D&I training to include the perspectives of trans colleagues, and assisted in the creation of both Stonewall materials for Spain and several countries in Latin America, and good practice guides with Fundación SERES. With a strong public platform, through external coverage such as Cinco Días and on her own active LinkedIn network, Raquel is a proud advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and a champion for workplace equality.

Through embedding LGBTQ+ inclusion in the firm’s D&I strategy, Georgia has ensured that there is a target of 5% LGBTQ+ representation at partner level globally by 2026, instigated specific reference to non-binary in global gender targets, and enabled the firm to track LGBTQ+ representation amongst partners, which currently sits at 5%, having met the target ahead of schedule. D&I related work is now embedded into all appraisals regardless of seniority, and reviewed firm benefits now include gender-inclusive menopause policy and fully inclusive fertility benefits across multiple jurisdictions. Whether she is providing pro-bono work to defend persecuted refugees in Hong Kong, supporting the development of Stonewall materials, or promoting inclusion and allyship at town halls and public events, Georgia’s advocacy and championing of inclusion and equality has been transformational for LGBTQ+ people within and beyond Freshfields.

Coca-Cola

Stonewall is pleased to award Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) with a Special Recognition award for their outstanding and innovative inclusion initiatives.

In Spain and Portugal, during Pride and Trans Awareness Week, CCEP designed and launched their Virtual Reality Immersive Experience – an awareness initiative to demonstrate and allow colleagues experience first-hand the bias, discrimination, and exclusion that LGBTQ+ people can face in the workplace.

Using 360 degree video technology, the project put participants in the shoes of their LGBTQ+ colleagues for seven minutes of navigating everyday office scenarios from water cooler moments to team meetings and workplace parties, to better understand the complexities of being LGBTQ+ at work. In-person virtual reality participation was available to around a quarter of the local work force across office locations and manufacturing sites, with further opportunity to participate online.

With incredible, emotional feedback from participants and a plan to roll out the experience globally, this initiative by the LGBTQ+ & Allies Network, Public Affairs & Communications team, and People & Culture team shows the potential of innovative, evocative advocacy and the importance of workplace inclusion.