2021 Hong Kong LGBT+ Inclusion Awards - Finalists

To recognise an employee network that has played a proactive role in promoting LGBT+ inclusion and demonstrating strong engagement with, and commitment to, local Hong Kong LGBT+ employees.

Eligibility: An LGBT+ employee network based in Hong Kong  

Finalists: 

PrideConnect
Equinix

Equinix PrideConnect has one specific goal: to create a supportive, safe and positive space for dialogue, learning and allyship for the LGBT+ community. The network helps to create a culture where all employees can say "I am safe, I belong, I matter".

Asia Pride and Allies 
Morgan Stanley

Morgan Stanley is committed to fostering a culture of inclusion for LGBT+ employees, with the Asia Pride and Allies employee network providing a platform for employees to interact, learn and support each other. Asia Pride and Allies is an employee-led initiative sponsored by the regional Diversity Council whereby LGBT+ employees and straight allies work together with the support of the network Co-Executive Sponsors on initiatives to further LGBT+ inclusion in Hong Kong and across the region. The network offers events and programming to Morgan Stanley employees focused on raising awareness and engaging allies as well as development and networking opportunities.

Nomura LGBT+ Network AEJ
Nomura International (Hong Kong) Limited

Nomura LGBT+ Network AEJ is a key lynchpin of Nomura's Diversity & Inclusion platform. All employees, regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity or expression, are welcome to join the network. It aims to drive personal and professional growth for employees by building Nomura’s culture and raising awareness of LGBT+ issues to develop world-class diverse and inclusive teams. The network connects members through events, assists in the recruitment, development and retention of employees to ensure related initiatives are fair, balanced and appropriate to a diverse audience. It also drives policy review and development ensuring best practice in the LGBT+ space.

Pride at Work
Thomson Reuters

Pride at Work aims to create a safe and inclusive workplace, remaining aligned with Thomson Reuters’ business objectives and those of their customers, external partners and the wider LGBT+ community, friends and allies. Pride at Work leads campaigns to improve awareness, to help inform and educate, to facilitate expressions of allyship, through which allies can declare their support for their LGBT+ coworkers and offer encouragement to those working in regions where living with a different sexual orientation or gender identity is dangerous or even illegal. The Pride at Work group also sponsors and gets involved with events all around the world.

To recognise a senior executive sponsor based in Hong Kong who has spoken up and used their influence to promote LGBT+ inclusion in the workplace and beyond in Hong Kong.  

Eligibility: A senior business executive based in Hong Kong who is not in a line Diversity & Inclusion role.

Finalists: 

Damien Green
Manulife

Damien Green is Chief Executive Officer of Manulife (International) Limited, overseeing Manulife's businesses in Hong Kong and Macau. Damien joined Manulife in December 2018 initially as Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer, Asia, responsible for Manulife's strategic priorities & advancing its transformation agenda of becoming a digital, customer-centric market leader.

Damien strongly advocates for LGBT+ inclusion both in his professional and personal life. He serves as the executive sponsor for Manulife PROUD Asia, visibly and loudly championing why inclusion matters amongst his peers and in his leadership role. He partners with champions to serve the underserved LGBT+ community as an insurer. 

Robert Head
Thomson Reuters

Rob Head leads Thomson Reuters content proposition across Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Middle East, Africa and Russia. He is the Executive Sponsor of Pride at Work in Hong Kong and was the 2019 Hong Kong LGBT+ Inclusion Champion. Rob promotes LGBT+ inclusion internally, devising and leading specific initiatives including Thomson Reuters' Pride Month Global Social Media Campaigns #prideistheanswer and #connectwithpride and  implementing All Gender Toilets in the Hong Kong office. Rob encourages and empowers his team to engage in LGBT+ inclusion activities and regularly speaks at events and drives key customer partnerships including HKGALA in the Hong Kong legal sector.

Roger Steel
Willis Towers Watson

Roger Steel leads Willis Towers Watson (WTW)’s business in Hong Kong and Macau. 

Roger is also Chairman of WTW's Asia Inclusion and Diversity Council, leading the firm’s efforts to engage employees across Asia to foster inclusivity and diversity. In this capacity, Roger leads the firm’s Asia I&D initiatives such as inclusive leadership training, I&D Awards and participation and sponsorship of Pride, Dive In, Pink Dot and membership of LGBT+, women’s and disability community organisations and events across the region. Roger serves as Director of Outreach for the Pink Alliance in Hong Kong and is a member of Interbank Hong Kong. 

To recognise an LGBT+ employee based in Hong Kong who has taken proactive and effective steps to promote an LGBT+ inclusive culture in the workplace and beyond in Hong Kong.  

Eligibility:  An LGBT+ employee (any level) based in Hong Kong. Priority will be given to employees whose primary job is not related to Diversity & Inclusion.

Finalists: 

Alice Ho
Association of World Citizens Hong Kong China

Alice is a voluntary officer for the Association of World Citizens Hong Kong China. She works as an engineer in an international company but has received unfavorable treatment by her employer, leading to her realisation that the transgender community must unite to fight for their own rights. The Association of World Citizens Hong Kong China is a good fit for her as its 3E mission of Empowerment, Education and Equality align perfectly with her own vision. She was fully committed to supporting this 3E throughout 2020 and achieved great results in all projects aimed at achieving these aims. 

Jasmine Eve Titmuss
Credit Suisse

Jasmine is an experienced recruiter and a dedicated advocate for LGBT+ inclusion. She strongly believes in the power of sport to bring people together and drive change in the community. Sport imparts lessons of leadership, teamwork, the spirit of fair play, self-reliance and continuous improvement. She is currently Ballgames Manager for Gay Games Hong Kong 2022 and was the first ambassador for PrideSports in 2015 after its launch in the UK in 2006.

Jasmine joined Credit Suisse in February 2020 and is now the Co-Chair of the HK LGBT+ Open Network. Before joining Credit Suisse, Jasmine worked for Michael Page.
 

Mike Kung
Goldman Sachs

Mike is an Executive Director and Senior Counsel at Goldman Sachs and serves as co-head of the firm’s Hong Kong LGBTQ+ Network. Internally, Mike mentors LGBTQ+ and ally employees and works with the network to promote inclusion. Externally, he actively engages with local NGOs and communities, such as advising on Hong Kong’s successful bid for the Gay Games 2022. Mike is also a co-founder and executive committee member of Hong Kong LGBT+ Attorneys Network (HKGALA), the first local organisation dedicated to promoting LGBT+ diversity and inclusion in the legal profession and facilitating LGBT+ focused pro bono work.

Ted Huang
Moody's

Theodore (Ted) Huang is Director of Product Strategy for Moody’s Analytics and currently serves as co-chair of the LGBTA business resource group (BRG) for the Asia Pacific region. Since relocating from New York in 2019, Ted has been actively championing LGBT+ issues in APAC, including advocating for more LGBT-friendly changes to HR benefits, mentoring junior LGBT employees to take on more leadership roles within the BRG, and post-COVID, speaking on virtual webinars to raise awareness about the unique challenges that LGBT individuals face while working remotely. Externally, Ted also serves as the firm’s representative to the Hong Kong Interbank Network, a mentor for the Community Business LGBT+ Mentoring Programme and an active member of the Out in HK Tennis Association.

Ted holds a bachelor’s degree majoring in Theatre from Dartmouth College and an MBA from the New York University Stern School of Business.

To recognise a non-LGBT+ individual who has demonstrated personal passion and commitment to promoting LGBT+ inclusion in the workplace and beyond in Hong Kong. 

Eligibility: An employee (any level) who does not identify as LGBT+ based in Hong Kong.

Finalists: 

Eleanor Coleman
The Financial Empowerment Group

Eleanor Coleman is the Principal Partner and Founder of The Financial Empowerment Group. She aims to help women and the LGBTQ+ community to understand and master their finances through education, planning and action.

Eleanor draws on her 15 years of experience working for international banks in Hong Kong to deliver regular workshops including the popular ‘A Man is Not a Plan’ series. She understands that Money is Power and without action money is just paper. The Financial Empowerment Group aims to give advice without prejudice and Eleanor believes that good financial advice should be made jargon free and open to everyone no matter their stage of wealth, career or relationship status.

Financial advisors have frequently overlooked the LGBT+ community particularly with regards to legalities, family dynamics and complex family situations. At The Financial Empowerment Group Eleanor has created a safe space where people can feel valued, heard, and helped.

Sören Seitz 
Manulife

Sören Seitz is the Deputy Global Compliance Chief for Manulife, based in Hong Kong. Prior to Manulife, Sören worked at Goldman Sachs for 14 years across various roles in New York, Hong Kong, Bangalore, Zurich and Frankfurt.

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 also 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 children live in Hong Kong.

To recognise a community-based LGBT+ initiative that has had a significant positive impact in promoting LGBT+ inclusion in Hong Kong.   

Eligibility: An initiative led by a not-for-profit organisation in Hong Kong. 

Finalists: 

Hong Kong Marriage Equality 香港婚姻平權協會
Equal Love Hong Kong 愛。平等

Launched in March 2020, Equal Love Hong Kong is an initiative that promotes support for marriage equality among Hong Kong's business community. For the first time ever, there is an opportunity for companies and organisations to come together and say yes to the legal recognition of same-sex relationships. The initiative provides a visible way for allies in the business community to express their support for equal love.

Midnight Blue 午夜藍
LGBT+ Media Guide 性/別小眾媒體報道指引

Unfortunately, some news articles and outlets in Hong Kong still demonstrate negative and bias attitudes towards the LGBT+ community in Hong Kong, increasing the stigma and discrimination that these communities face. 

LGBT+ Media Guide provides a reference resources for local media, including a glossary, basic information on LGBT+ related topics and LGBT+ friendly measures for interviews and reporting. Midnight Blue hope that the LGBT+ Media Guide will improve the media understanding on LGBT+ topics such as gender, sexuality, gender identification, sex work etc. and build a more LGBT+ friendly media atmosphere.

While compiling the LGBT+ Media Guide, Midnight Blue invited different LGBT+ organisations to provide comments and suggestions, ensuring the contents contained different LGBT+ communities’ point of view.

You can access the LGBT+ Media Guide online.

Queer Straight Alliance
QSA x FinS Mentorship Program

The QSA x FinS Mentorship Program empowers Hong Kong's LGBTQI+ university students to live more full, happy, and productive lives. Mentors are current professionals and aim to support mentees by being positive role models and sharing insights on successfully transitioning to the workforce. This is accomplished through frank, informal, one-on-one conversations that address many facets of mentee development. The program is a collaboration between the Queer Straight Alliance (QSA), the largest LGBTQI+ student network in Hong Kong and Fruits in Suits (FinS, run by the Pink Alliance): the largest LGBTQI+ professional network in Hong Kong. Now in its eleventh year, with 65 mentors and 68 mentees participating, it has supported the development of over 550 students since its founding.