2020 Hong Kong LGBT+ Inclusion Awards - Judging Panel

To maintain the credibility of our 2020 Hong Kong LGBT+ Inclusion Awards, we work hard to ensure a robust and objective judging process. This includes the formation of a Judging Panel with representation from senior members of the Community Business team as well as external stakeholders. 

Each Judging Panel comprised of:

• At least one external expert in the relevant field;
• One senior executive from the award sponsor, where applicable; and
• Two senior representatives from Community Business

All judges listed in alphabetical order by first name

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Andrea de Vincentiis 
Regional Head of B2B Marketing, Asia-Pacific
HSBC (Sponsor of LGBT+ Newcomer Award)

Andrea de Vincentiis is Regional Head of B2B Marketing, Asia-Pacific for HSBC and has been with the HSBC Group in various marketing leadership Country, Regional and Global roles for the last 17 years.  

Andrea’s 20-year career has been focused on B2B Marketing and Communications in Financial Services spanning a number of disciplines, including Marketing Strategy, Marketing Communications, Internal Engagement, Media Relations and Brand Partnerships. Working with his team and partner agencies, Andrea is currently focused on transforming the Asia-Pacific B2B team into one that balances genuine human insight, digital/data analytics and brand building activity to help drive growth. 

Andrea is an active member of the Marketing Society (UK and now HK) as well as being a Sustainability Leader for the HSBC Group and before moving to HK was School Governor at his local Primary School in the UK. In his spare time, Andrea loves Sport (particularly Cycling and Tennis), new Food experiences and spending time with his family. 

 

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Isabel Lam
Chief People and Corporate Management Officer
AXA (Sponsor of LGBT+ Ally Award)

Isabel Lam is currently the Chief People and Corporate Management Officer for AXA Hong Kong and Macau. She joined AXA for over 10 years taking up various roles in operations, distribution management and strategic planning. Before joining AXA, she looks after the business development and marketing function for a swiss insurer Winterthur. Isabel is also an actuary by education, and she graduated from Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia. 

 

Nikki Davies
Head of Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) for Asia Pacific 
Credit Suisse (Sponsor of LGBT+ Network Award)

Nikki Davies is Head of Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) for Asia Pacific with Credit Suisse. A seasoned Human Resources professional who has subject matter expertise in training and development, recruitment as well as D&I, Nikki also has extensive experience in founding and leading employee networks and resource groups. At Credit Suisse, Nikki was a founding member of both the Hong Kong LGBT Open Network and Women’s Network, and was Network Chair of the Women’s Network from 2015 to 2017. The Hong Kong LGBT Open Network was recognized as the LGBT+ Network of 2019 at the Community Business Inclusion Awards and Nikki is honoured to be part of the panel to judge this year’s finalists. 

 

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Rob Head
Director, Proposition, Core Law, Asia and Emerging Markets
Thomson Reuters (Sponsor of LGBT+ Inclusion Champion Award)

Rob Head is the Director, Proposition, Core Law at Thomson Reuters Asia & Emerging Markets Business.  He is commercially responsible for Westlaw services from Africa, Russia and Middle East through to Asia, and Australasia and manages diverse teams across Asia and Australia.  Rob is passionate about Diversity & Inclusion in all its forms, and is the Executive Sponsor for Pride at Work in the region.  Rob is also a male-ally to Women@TR and in the wider legal community.  Rob is the 2019 Hong Kong LGBT+ Inclusion Champion, and led Thomson Reuters efforts to achieve the 5th place ranking and Gold Standard in the LGBT+ Inclusion Index.

 

 

Sean Navin
Managing Director
Goldman Sachs (Sponsor of LGBT+ Communnity Impact Award)

Sean is a Managing Director at Goldman Sachs and is the Head of Hong Kong and Northbound Connect sales trading where he manages execution strategy with top client relationships. In addition, Sean serves as a co-head of the firm’s Hong Kong LGBT+ employee network. Sean has a long-term commitment to LGBT+ inclusion and is the creator of Pink Friday, a now cross-industry event participated by 60 organizations in Hong Kong. He actively leverages his influence within Goldman Sachs and his client relationships to drive LGBT+ inclusion in the workplace and beyond in Hong Kong. He leads, participates and volunteers at various LGBT+ events to share best practices and raise awareness with industry peers, and to pay it forward to the community. 

 

Sören Seitz 
Deputy Global Compliance Chief
Manulife (Sponsor of LGBT+ Advocacy Award)

Sören Seitz is the Deputy Global Compliance Chief for Manulife and is based in Hong Kong. Prior to joining Manulife, Sören worked at Goldman Sachs for 14 years in Private Wealth Management, Asset Management, Regulatory and Financial Crimes Compliance roles in New York, Hong Kong, Bangalore, Zurich and Frankfurt.  

A recipient of the Goldman Sachs George E. Doty scholarship, Sören holds graduate degrees in business administration from Helsinki School of Economics, Tsinghua University and INSEAD, where he became a member of the prestigious Dean's list. 

Sören is passionate about diversity and inclusion and recently joined Manulife’s global diversity and inclusion council and co-leads the PROUD Hong Kong chapter. He is a member of the Women’s Foundation Male Allies leadership council and was named as an OUTstanding Top 50 LGBT+ Ally Executive in 2019. 

Originally from Germany, Sören, his wife Mei-Kee and two young children live in Hong Kong. 

 

All judges listed in alphabetical order by first name

Dr. Ben Capell
Founder and Principal
BeCap Management Consultancy

Ben Capell is the founder and managing director of BeCap Management Consultancy and a senior consultant in organizational development. He partners closely with business and HR executives to help them improve their business results through the development and implementation of outstanding people management strategies and practices. Ben's main areas of expertise include post merger integration, international collaboration, leadership development and diversity & inclusion (D&I). 

Ben brings close to 20 years of consultancy experience. Over the years, Ben has designed and implemented large-scale people management initiatives in a variety of global organizations. He brings unique in-house expertise from his experience at Hewlett-Packard, where he headed regional and global roles in the areas of global leadership, D&I, talent management, and employee engagement. His consultancy track record comprises a wide portfolio of successful projects with a diverse range of organizations, such as Marriott, Danone, Shangri-La, Air Products, Nike, Danfoss, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Cathay Pacific, Merck, ExxonMobil, Gensler, AIG, Roche, Electrolux, Hollister, Emerson, Tesco, Wells Fargo, UBS, W. L. Gore, and Unilever. 

Ben's has lived in Hong Kong, the U.S., Japan, Israel, Spain, and Turkey, and he's managed multinational teams in a wide range of locations. He speaks various languages, including English, Hebrew, Spanish, Catalan, and Japanese. 

Ben is licensed psychologist and has a Ph.D. in management sciences from ESADE Business School in Barcelona (Spain). He also holds a master's degree in management sciences from ESADE, a master's degree in clinical psychology from the University of Hartford (U.S.A), and an honor B.A. in human resources management from Tel Aviv College of Management (Israel). In addition, Ben collaborates with various academic institutions, including the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Grenoble School of Management, and the Open University of Hong Kong. 

 

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David Hall 
Director of Communications
Pink Alliance

David left HSBC in November 2010 having served for more than 12 years as Head of Corporate Communications in Asia.  

Subsequently, he was an adviser to the Chief Executive of Hang Seng Bank, 2012-2013, a Visiting Fellow in the Department of Bilingual Studies at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and a member of the International Advisory Council of APCO, a Washington DC based lobbying and corporate communications consultancy, from 2011-2012. 

Prior to joining HSBC, he was Head of Corporate Communications, North Asia, at Standard Chartered Bank, based in Hong Kong, 1994-1997. 

Before moving to Hong Kong, he had been a partner in and director of Grayling, a corporate communications consultancy, where he had also been joint managing director of Westminster Strategy, its public affairs subsidiary. 

He is a Fellow of Civic Exchange and Director of Communications for Pink Alliance. 

 

Fern Ngai
Former Chief Executive Officer
Community Business

Fern Ngai is a seasoned leader and changemaker with solid experience in both the non-profit and private sectors in Asia.  Over her career, Fern has successfully led major change initiatives, and is sought after for her expertise and experience in responsible and strategic leadership, diversity and inclusion, talent development and cultural change.   

Fern is the former Chief Executive Officer of Community Business, a Hong Kong based not-for-profit organisation dedicated to advancing responsible and inclusive business practices in Asia. With almost two decades of experience in harnessing the power of business to drive social change, Community Business has an established reputation as a thought leader and trusted partner.  Through its pioneering research, networks, campaigns and events, Community Business works to inspire leaders at all levels, increasing their understanding of key issues and motivating them to take action while providing them with practical tools and skillsets to instill positive change.  

Over 7.5 years as Community Business’ CEO, Fern oversaw the expansion of its products and services, establishment of its Indian subsidiary, and development of the ground-breaking LGBT+ Inclusion Index and annual Awards.  The organisation’s work in the area of LGBT+ inclusion over the last decade has helped to raise awareness of the importance of equality, acceptance, and allyship for the LGBT+ community, enabling companies to create more inclusive workplaces and to enhance their brands.  In 2019, Fern was recognised by the Hong Kong LGBT+ Attorneys Network (HKGALA) with an award for ‘Excellence in Diversity, Inclusion & Equality’.  Fern has been both an author of and contributor to Community Business’ leading research and opinion pieces, and has been its spokesperson on diverse topics such as gender, disability, employee wellbeing, mental health, racism, ageing, and work/life balance.  She also served on the Steering Committee of the 30% Club Hong Kong which believes in collaborative, concerted business-led efforts to help accelerate progress towards gender parity on Hong Kong corporate boards.   

Originally from Canada, Fern has over 40 years of broad experience in financial services, technology, change management, and in workplace diversity and community programmes. She held executive roles in the human resources, technology and operations, governance, strategy, and corporate affairs functions at Standard Chartered Bank and was the bank’s first diversity and inclusion champion for Hong Kong.  Fern volunteers as chair of the board of KELY Support Group, a Hong Kong charity dedicated to supporting young people, and is an advisor to several NGO’s which work on causes related to diversity and inclusion. 

 

Peter Reading
Legal Counsel
Equal Opportunities Commission

Peter Reading is an international human rights lawyer who has working in the field of human law and advocacy for 19 years in Australia, the United Kingdom, Europe, Commonwealth countries, and most recently in Hong Kong China.    

Since November 2012, Peter has been working as Legal Counsel at the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) in Hong Kong. In his role he has been leading the EOC’s Discrimination Law Review project to modernise all the existing discrimination legislation in Hong Kong relating to sex, disability, race and family status. He has also been instrumental in the EOC’s legal work relating to promoting equality for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) groups.  This has included for example, advocacy work relating to the introduction of LGBTI anti-discrimination legislation, the rights of cohabiting same sex couples, as well as introducing gender recognition legislation for transgender people.   

Peter has also held a number of other positions recently. Since 2009, Peter has been a regular speaker at the European Academy of Law in Germany where he lectures on European Union anti-discrimination and human rights law. Since June 2015, Peter has been a Member of the Executive Committee of Amnesty International Hong Kong with responsibility for overseeing the organisation’s human rights work. In December 2017 Peter worked for Hagar International in Cambodia, doing policy work to further their assistance to victims of trafficking, sexual and other violence against women and children.   

Previously for 11 years Peter worked in London United Kingdom in a number of human rights roles including at Amnesty International UK; the Commission for Racial Equality as Principal Litigation Officer and Head of European and International Legal Policy from 2005 to 2008; the Equality and Human Rights Commission as a Senior Lawyer and Director of Legal Policy from 2008 to 2012; and at the Commonwealth Secretariat in 2012 as a human rights consultant on Commonwealth projects.   

 

Prof. Suen Yiu-tung
Assistant Professor of the Gender Studies Programme
The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Yiu-tung SUEN is Assistant Professor of the Gender Studies Programme and Founding Director of the Sexualities Research Programme, at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. His studies inform and are informed by critical current debates on sexual orientation and gender identity laws and policies, particularly with a view to provide empirical evidence which has been largely absent in Asia. His research is multi-disciplinary in nature. 

He is currently the Principal Investigator of two projects (2018-2020, 2019-2021) funded by the General Research Fund (GRF) of the University Grants Committee in Hong Kong. He is also the Hong Kong Lead of a 1.9 million USD grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. Throughout the years he has received prestigious funding from the Economic and Social Research Council in the UK, the Public Policy Research Fund, AIDS Trust Fund, and the Equal Opportunities Commission in Hong Kong, as well as numerous community organizations such as the Boys’ and Girls’ Club Association of Hong Kong and the Transgender Resource Centre recently. He has also attracted donation from the legal and business sectors for his research. In a latest round of fundraising for research, he has received funding from organizations such as HSBC, KPMG, among many others. 

Throughout his academic career, Prof Suen has combined academic research with external professional commitments. Locally, he serves as the Vice-chairperson of the Board of Directors of AIDS Concern Hong Kong. Internationally, he served as a consultant and data analyst for the United Nations Development Programme Being LGBTI in Asia programme, working closely with their Bangkok and Beijing offices. He sits on the research advisory board of Open for Business. He is a member of the APCOM’s Finance Inc. Advisory Group. He was a global advisor for the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex Association for its Global Social Attitudes Survey. 

Prof Suen’s research is highly impactful and has a strong component of knowledge exchange. His research has been cited in a good number of judicial review cases in the Hong Kong court and has been presented at the Hong Kong Legislative Council. Throughout the years, he has been interviewed by international media outlets such as the BBC, Bloomberg and Financial Times and his research has been covered by New York Times and Reuters. He is frequently asked to comment on gender and sexuality issues by Hong Kong media and has frequently spoken on live-broadcast radio and TV programmes. He was a regular contributor to the South China Morning Post Letter of the Law column. His op-eds have also been published in the Guardian, China Daily, Hong Kong Economic Journal and Ming Pao among other diverse outlets. 

He has been frequently invited to speak on LGBTI issues to a wide range of audiences including policy makers, business leaders, lawyers, health care professionals, service providers, parents, church fellowships, secondary school and university students, and social activists. He has delivered numerous training to government officers as well as the private sector. 

 

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Tracy Wong Harris
Deputy Secretary General
Hong Kong Green Finance Association (HKGFA)

Tracy Wong Harris is the Deputy Secretary General of Hong Kong Green Finance Association (HKGFA), which is an independent non-profit organisation with its goal to position Hong Kong as a leading global green and sustainable finance centre.  

Prior to joining HKGFA, Tracy had over 16 years of financial markets experiences across various fixed income and complex structured products in JPMorgan, Mizuho International, Barclays Capital and BNP Paribas based in London and Hong Kong.  

Current Board member of AIDS Concern, previously served as Board member of the Hong Kong LGBT+ Interbank, founder of the JPM PRIDE HK network and received JPMorgan Employee Appreciation Award in 2015.   

Tracy received her MSc and BA in International Finance and Capital Markets in the United Kingdom, graduated from the Oxford Said Business School in Social Finance and a certified member of Hong Kong Treasury Markets Association (HKTMA).  

 

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Dr. Travis SK Kong
Associate Professor of Sociology and Programme Director of Media, Culture and Creative Cities
The University of Hong Kong 

Dr. Travis Kong is Associate Professor of Sociology and Programme Director of Media, Culture and Creative Cities at the University of Hong Kong. Kong is a leading sociologist of Chinese sexuality with a specialization in masculinity, homosexuality, prostitution, and transnational Chinese intimacy. He is the co-editor of Sexualities: Studies in Culture and Society and the sole author of Chinese Male Homosexualities: Memba, Tongzhi and Golden Boy (Routledge, 2011) [Later translated as  華人男同志跨地域研究 (香港中文大學出版社 , 2018)]  and Oral History of Older Gay Men in Hong Kong 男男正傳：香港年長男同志口述史 (Stepforward Multimedia, 2014) [Later translated as Oral Histories of Older Gay Men in Hong Kong: Unpoken but Unforgotten (HKUP, 2019)]. He publishes widely in books, encyclopedias and journals such as Gender, Work and Organization, British Journal of Criminology, The Sociological Review, Lancet and AIDS Care. He was the recipient of Prism Award of Hong Kong Lesbian and Gay Film Festival (2014) and is now a board member of Hong Kong Advisory Council on AIDS and AIDS Concern.  

 

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Wayne Porritt
Director/ Committee Member/ Advisor  
 

Wayne Porritt has been an avid supporter of the LGBT+ community, through mentoring and leadership advocate positions. He previously chaired Standard Chartered Bank’s Diversity & Inclusion Network and co-founded the Bank’s LGBT Affinity Network. He is currently Queensland Committee Chair of The Pinnacle Foundation in Australia; an organization which is committed to helping LGBT+ young adults to reach their full potential through scholarships and mentoring across Australia. 

Wayne is currently a member of the Finance, Risk & Audit Committee of Oxfam Hong Kong.  

Most recently, Wayne has been an Independent Non-Executive Director of Noble Group Limited. He previously worked for Standard Chartered Bank holding the position of Regional Chief Risk Officer for the Greater China and North Asia region and a Non-Executive Director on the boards of the Bank’s South Korea and Taiwan subsidiaries.

Wayne has held senior risk roles within Bank of America and Standard Chartered Bank in Hong Kong, Thailand, United States, United Kingdom, Japan and South Korea. Wayne’s banking & finance career commenced in Australia where he worked for Société Générale and Ernst & Young.

All judges listed in alphabetical order by first name ​

Adrienne Davis
Programme Manager, LGBT+
Community Business

Adrienne is Programme Manager, LGBT+  Campaign, based in Hong Kong.  She provides support for the development of strategy and the execution of Community Business’ LGBT+ campaigns.

Adrienne was a member of LGBT+ oriented clubs and volunteered for a disabled sporting NGO whilst at university in the USA. She relocated to Hong Kong in 2016. Prior to joining Community Business, she worked as a Project Assistant at an NGO in Hong Kong, which provides legal assistance to domestic workers in need. She worked on special projects, including the integration of a new customer relationship management system, and the development of an interactive educational programme for secondary school students.  Her university experience and work in Hong Kong strengthened her drive to work for social justice and inclusion.

A graduate of the University of Mary Washington, Adrienne holds a Bachelor degree of Arts in Religious Studies. She is native in English and fluent in German.

 

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Andrew Mcgregor
Director, Organisation Capability
Community Business

Andrew is an executive team member and the Director, Organisation Capability. Based in Australia he regularly commutes to Hong Kong to work with the team supporting consulting & training, and developing internal capabilities and processes, including internal HR practices and staff coaching.  

Andrew brings the skills and experience of over 25 years as a human resources practitioner.  Concurrently a diversity and inclusion (D&I) consultant and HR advisor in his own right, he previously held roles in multinational corporations addressing talent, D&I, and capability agenda across Africa, the Middle East and Asia.    

Andrew was a founding member of the Diversity and Inclusion Asia Network (DIAN), along with contributing to Community Business in a variety of pro-bono roles such as conference speaker / moderator, establishing the Community Builders network and chairing the DIAN Leadership Council.    

A graduate of the University of Tasmania, Andrew holds a Bachelor degree in Arts and Master degree in Social Science. He is native in English.  

 

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Janet Ledger
Chief Operating Officer
Community Business

The Chief Operating Officer as a member of the Executive Leadership team, contributes to the overall strategic direction and sustainability of Community Business as a not-for-profit organisation. Responsibilities include executive leadership of all operational functions including Change Management and HR, Finance, Legal and Compliance, Technology and Infrastructure.

Prior to joining Community Business Janet has built a successful career as a senior leader most recently with Telstra International in Hong Kong, covering a broad range of disciplines and functions including strategic business planning and performance, programme management and delivery, corporate governance, change management, organisational effectiveness and talent development. She also has experience in the Travel, Tourism, Training and Hospitality sectors. Originally from Brisbane, Australia, Janet and her husband now call Hong Kong home.

Janet believes organisation is only as strong as its people. She has helped teams get where they want to be by working with people, opening channels of communication, developing and retaining the right talent and ensuring an inclusive environment where creativity and collaboration can thrive.

With over 35 years work experience Janet is continuing her learning by undergoing study towards a Bachelor of Psychological Sciences through Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia, is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a mentor with The Women’s Foundation Mentoring Program.

 

 

Peter Sargant
Chief Executive Officer
Community Business

Peter joins Community Business following a short career break, prior to which he was an Executive Director of Standard Chartered Bank. Throughout his career, Peter has been a dedicated diversity and inclusion (D&I) advocate and a champion for minority groups. As a founding member of Standard Chartered Bank’s D&I Council in Hong Kong, Peter was instrumental in establishing the Hong Kong LGBT+ Interbank Forum. Peter has had a long association with Community Business, participating in the Community Business Leadership Team (later known as the Responsible Business Network), the Diversity and Inclusion in Asia Network (DIAN) and the Hong Kong LGBT+ Inclusion Index and Awards, since their inception, and has become a recognised speaker and advisor on D&I issues within the workforce.