2019 Hong Kong LGBT+ Inclusion Awards - Judging Panel

To maintain the credibility of our 2019 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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Rachael Shek
Litigation Partner
Eversheds Sutherland (Sponsor of LGBT+ Inclusion Champion Award)

Rachael Shek is a litigation partner of Eversheds Sutherland. Her practice covers the spectrum of disputes from complex commercial litigation, joint–venture/shareholder disputes, cybercrime, corporate loan recovery, to employment disputes and insolvency. Rachael is the firm’s Graduate Recruitment Partner and chairs its Diversity and Inclusion Committee, which organises events to promote gender diversity, sexual orientation diversity, family and cultural diversity.

Richard Seeley
Head of Global Markets Operations, ASP 
HSBC (Sponsor of LGBT+ Network Award)

Richard Seeley is a Managing Director and Global Head of Equities Operations and APAC Head of Markets Operations. He joined HSBC in June 2017. Richard has over 24 years’ experience in banking and has lived and worked London, Tokyo, New York and Hong Kong. Richard has been active as an LGBT ally for over a decade and was a founding member of the Asia Pacific LGBT employee networks at both Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Barclays, wherein 2012 he was the key sponsor for the Inaugural Community Business Hong Kong LGBT Climate Study. Richard has spoken at numerous LGBT events, including Stonewall’s Workplace Conference in the UK. Richard is married with 3 children and lives in Pokfulam in Hong Kong.

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Sharon Foretia
Executive Director
Goldman Sachs (Sponsor of LGBT+ Community Impact Award)

Sharon Foretia is an Executive Director in the Diversity and Inclusion team at Goldman Sachs overseeing efforts across Asia Pacific. Prior to this role, she was on the Goldman Sachs University team focused on the global learning strategy for diversity inclusion, leadership and new hire integration topics. She joined Goldman Sachs in 2011. Sharon has a B.S. in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University.

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Su-Ling Voon
Managing Director, Legal & Compliance Division
Morgan Stanley (Sponsor of LGBT+ Ally Award)

Su-Ling is an active and passionate LGBT+ ally and has a long track record of driving internal and external LGBT+ initiatives for Morgan Stanley and its Asia Pacific Legal and Compliance Division. Su-Ling focuses her inclusion activities on providing senior strategic leadership and employee mentoring within the Firm, and externally on issue advocacy, with a focus on LGBT+ inclusion. As chair of the Asia Legal and Compliance Diversity and Inclusion Committee for more than six years, she has supported LGBT+ inclusion as a core mission. She has also acted as a consistent senior advocate for the Firm’s Pride and Allies Group since inception and IDAHOT, through the “Wear It Purple” campaign. A regular speaker on inclusion and allyship, she sponsored a series of presentations on LGBT+ rights across seven countries in Asia and has provided training on these themes at internal conferences. She has sponsored a diverse summer intern scheme partnering with a local University and the Queer Straight Alliance. Externally, Su-Ling had key roles in the Firm’s communications and outreach work stream for 2017 and 2018 Pink Dot Event, through active personal engagement with Firm leadership and internal networks. She also played a leading role in Morgan Stanley’s participation in an initiative by a group of 30+ financial institutions and law firms to submit an intervention petition to Hong Kong’s Court of Final Appeal in support of immigration rights for same-sex partners in the QT case.

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Wanda Tung
Managing Director, General Counsel, Asia ex-Japan
Nomura (Sponsor of LGBT+ Executive Sponsor Award)

Wanda has spent over a decade actively participating in diversity and inclusion initiatives at the workplace, and although she was already the executive sponsor for the bank’s women's network, she volunteered to take on the same role for the firm’s LGBT Network in Asia ex-Japan. Wanda has devoted a significant amount of time to providing invaluable senior-level guidance to the network leaders and council, providing unsolicited and proactive feedback to the regional D&I office, and serving as an important channel of communication with senior management on LGBT+ related issues. She has also provided strategic advice to building specific cross-regional and cross-network collaboration which has noticeably increased both exposure and membership for the LGBT Network. As evidenced by her participation in the Pride Parade in 2017, Wanda does not simply repeat diversity aphorisms, she literally walks the talk. She was also the co-winner of last year’s LGBT+ Executive Sponsor Award.

All judges listed in alphabetical order by first name

Dr. Ben Capell
Founder and Principle
BeCap Management Consultancy

Ben Capell is the founder and principle of BeCap Management Consultancy. His main areas of expertise include Post Merger Integration, International Collaboration, Leadership Development and diversity & inclusion. Ben's consultancy track record comprises a wide portfolio of successful projects with a diverse range of organizations, such as HP, Marriott, Danone, Nike, Danfoss, PricewaterhouseCoopers, ExxonMobil, Gensler, AIG, Roche, Electrolux, Hollister, Emerson, Tesco and Unilever. Ben's international experience includes living in Hong-Kong, the U.S., Japan, Israel, Spain and Turkey. He speaks various languages, including English, Hebrew, Spanish, Catalan, and Japanese. Ben has a PhD in Management Sciences from ESADE Business School in Barcelona (Spain). In addition, he holds a Masters degree in Management Sciences from ESADE, a Masters degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Hartford (U.S.A). Ben collaborates with various academic institutions including the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the Open University of Hong Kong.

Dr. Brenda R. Alegre
Assistant Lecturer
Faculty of Arts
The University of Hong Kong

Brenda is an active advocate for LGBT+ and women in the Philippines and Hong Kong. She has been using her experiences and learnings to help promote transgender and LGBT+ visibility. She believes presence and identity becomes crucial ingredients for educating the Hong Kong society where transgender awareness and visibility is low. Brenda has been an Assistant Lecturer at the University of Hong Kong for nearly 7 years. She teaches Sexuality and Gender to about 300 students per semester and is a sought-after guest lecturer on transgender history and experiences. Besides teaching, she has creatively collaborated with students to bring about class activities to promote LGBT+ inclusion within the campus. Brenda is also a member of the university’s Gender and Diversity Committee and Women's Research Center, where she strives to ensure transgender and queer visibility remains a priority. Outside work, Brenda has also proactively engaged the LGBT+ community in Hong Kong by supporting the English-speaking channel of Transgender Resource Center. She is also a soprano in The Harmonics, one of the only LGBTQ plus choir in Hong Kong Brenda has appeared in various online and media interviews on women, sexuality and gender as an out and vocal transgender woman. She was also a guest speaker on RTHK and DB Radio Fuse on gender and transgender issues. Beyond Hong Kong, Brenda is currently a board member of the Society of Transsexual Women of the Philippines (STRAP), and a Transgender Secretariat in the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA). She bravely chooses to be vocal and lives a challenging journey as a transgender public figure. She was the Community Business LGBT+ Public Champion last year. 

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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.

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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 a non-profit organisation to help position Hong Kong as a leading global green 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. Tracy established the Liquidity Risk Management and Chief Investment Office Independent Valuation functions across 14 countries in the Asia Pacific, risk managed the legacy Bear Stearns most illiquid securitised portfolio globally during her JPMorgan tenure. Tracy received a JP Morgan Employee Appreciation Award in 2015, served as Board member of the Hong Kong LGBT+ Interbank and founder of the JPM PRIDE HK network. 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 certified by Hong Kong Treasury Markets Association (HKTMA).

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Dr. Travis SK Kong
Associate Professor
Sociology and Programme Director of Media, Culture and Creative Cities
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 specialisation 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) 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) [In Chinese]. 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
Independent Non-Executive Director 
Noble Group 

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 and is currently an advisor. 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. He is a graduate member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

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Prof. Suen Yiu-tung
Assistant Professor and Graduate Division Head Gender Studies Programme
The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Yiu-tung SUEN (D.Phil. in Sociology, University of Oxford) is Assistant Professor and Graduate Division Head of the Gender Studies Programme, and Associate Director of the Gender Research Centre, at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Prof. Suen is the Founding Director of the Sexualities Research Programme, the first research programme in Hong Kong dedicated to conducting rigorous, independent research on sexuality issues, with a focus on sexual orientation, gender identity, law and social policy. Internationally, he serves 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 is also a global advisor for the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex Association for its Global Social Attitudes Survey. He has received funding from the General Research Fund of the University Grants Committee in Hong Kong, and the Economic and Social Research Council in the UK, among other prestigious sources. His academic writings can be found published or forthcoming in such journals as Journal of Homosexuality, Hong Kong Law Journal, Sociological Research Online, Sexual and Relationship Therapy, Higher Education Research and Development, Social Theory and Health, and others. His co-edited book on LGBT ageing is under contract with Routledge (London). Prof. Suen serves as the Vice-chairperson of AIDS Concern Hong Kong. He has been frequently invited to speak on LGBTI issues to a wide range of audiences including policymakers, business leaders, lawyers, health care professionals, service providers, secondary school and university students, and social activists. Throughout the years, he has been interviewed by international media outlets such as the BBC and Bloomberg and he is frequently asked to comment on gender and sexuality issues by Hong Kong media. 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.

All judges listed in alphabetical order by first name

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Andrew Mcgregor
Director
Organisation Capability
Community Business

Andrew is Director, Organisation Capability, based in Australia and regularly commutes to Hong Kong to work with the team. He has current responsibility for supporting the training & consulting team, and developing internal capabilities and processes, including internal training and coaching. As a member of the Executive Team, Andrew brings the skills and experience of over 25 years as a human resources practitioner and consultant. He has previously held roles in multinational corporations for their talent, diversity and inclusion (D&I), and capability agenda in 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.

Fern Ngai
Chief Executive Officer
Community Business

Fern Ngai is Chief Executive Officer of Community Business, a Hong Kong-based not-for-profit organisation dedicated to advancing responsible and inclusive business practices. With over fifteen years 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 in corporate social responsibility and diversity and inclusion in Asia. Community Business conducts pioneering research, facilitates networks and events, leads impactful campaigns and provides training and consultancy services. Fern joined Community Business 7 years ago and under her leadership, the organisation has expanded its products and services, established a subsidiary in India, and has launched the ground-breaking Hong Kong LGBT+ Inclusion Index and annual Awards. Fern is a Steering Committee member 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. She was also a finalist in the 2017 Telstra Business Woman in Asia Award. Originally from Canada, Fern has over 40 years of broad experience in financial services, technology, change management, and workplace diversity and community programmes. She held leadership roles in the human resources, technology and operations, governance, and corporate affairs functions at Standard Chartered Bank and was its first diversity and inclusion champion for Hong Kong. She volunteers as a board director of KELY Support Group, a Hong Kong charity dedicated to supporting young people.