Steering Committee

Beck Bailey

Co-Chair, Partnership for Global LGBTQI+ Equality

Beck Bailey is a Managing Director of Global Inclusion & Diversity at Accenture working to support its culture of equality for all where everyone feels as though they belong. Beck manages a team that sets the firm’s I&D strategy and enables global stakeholders to drive inclusion and equality across its over 650,000 employees.  

Prior to Accenture, Beck was director of the Workplace Equality Program at the Human Rights Campaign where he worked with Fortune-ranked firms to increase the adoption of policies, practices, and benefits critical to LGBTQ inclusion. Beck regularly coached C-Suite and other senior executives on understanding the business imperative for LGBTQ inclusion and in developing their own inclusion strategies to advance equality. A recognized expert in LGBTQ workplace inclusion, Beck has been interviewed by NPR, CNN, BBC, the New York Times and more. 

Beck has a BS in Management from Virginia Tech and an MBA from the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst.  He lives in Atlanta with his partner Margaux, three cats, and an exuberant yellow lab named Ziggy.

Clare Iery

Co-Chair, Partnership for Global LGBTQI+ Equality

Clare Iery leads P&G’s Ethics & Corporate Responsibility foundation of Citizenship, which is responsible for ensuring strong governance and compliance practices and supporting P&G’s priority areas of Community Impact, Equality & Inclusion and Environmental Sustainability. Clare also serves as P&G’s human rights expert and develop edits Respecting Human Rights program. In these roles, Clare has matched her personal passion of advocating for social justice with P&G’s dedication to being a force for good and a force for growth. Clare is a highly valued and effective leader who has strengthened P&G’s capabilities in doing the right thing across its end-to-end value chain.

Michael schachtner

Managing Director & Partner, Boston Consulting Group

Michael is Managing Director and Partner at BCG with over 10 years of consulting experience.  He brings thought leadership and insight to business leaders in the insurance and financial services industry.  He focuses on accelerating their strategic agenda with digital technologies and new ways of working to unlock sources of economic value and achieve improvements in productivity and innovation. 

Michael also leads the Pride@BCG network in North America and is a member of BCG’s Diversity & Inclusion Council.  In his role as a LGBT leader, he has a personal passion and commitment to advocate LGBTQ and workplace equality, building on his experience from both Europe and North America.

Prior to joining BCG, Michael worked for a multi-family office and was an executive editor of "Electronic Markets,” a research journal.  Michael earned his PhD from the University of St Gallen, Switzerland and studied at UC Berkeley.  He lives in New York with his husband, their daughter and dog.

Tameka Harper

Global Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer, The Coca-Cola Company

Tameka is Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer at The Coca-Cola Company – leading the company's global DEI strategy, as well as implementation of measurable programs and initiatives. In her role, Tameka leads a talented team focused on operationalizing the company’s DEI strategy. She works closely with the Executive Leadership Team, Board of Directors, networked team of operating units and functional leaders as well as partners across The Coca-Cola Foundation, Global Supplier Diversity, Legal and Public Affairs.

Tameka has held a variety of leadership roles across several functions during her tenure at Coca-Cola. Before becoming the CDEIO, Tameka led Transformation & Value Delivery for the company’s Platform Services division, where she connected with internal and external stakeholders, driving collaboration and transparent performance management with operating units and functions.

As a woman of color, DEI has always been at the forefront of Tameka’s life and the decisions she makes. Tameka shares “DEI is one of our strategic business priorities at Coca-Cola and we have a tremendous opportunity to develop lasting, measurable and impactful DEI programs that will benefit all our employees and the communities we serve.”

Tameka is a native of Atlanta and an alum of Georgia Tech where she earned a degree in electrical engineering. She received her MBA from Mercer University. She currently serves as a Director on the Board of the Greater Women’s Business Council, where she chairs the Engagement Committee.

Fleurette King

DEI Strategic Partnerships Lead, Cisco Systems, Inc

Fleurette (Flo) King has been a diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ) advocate for over 30 years. As part of the Cisco DEI team, King oversees DEI strategic partnerships, external surveys, the gender affirmation process, and unique activations. In addition, Flo is involved with social crisis management, customer business engagement, DEI consultation, and works in collaboration with Cisco Pride and other inclusive communities.

Prior to changing industries in 2022, King's career journey includes full-time appointments at a variety of higher education institutions, including Loras College, DePaul University, Princeton University, the University of Michigan, University of Northern Colorado, Colorado State University, and the University of Connecticut. The work included working in pride centers, overseeing ethnic/racial, women, and veteran centers, and advocating equity and inclusion across the spectrum of diversity on campus and the state. 

Originally from the Toledo, Ohio, Fleurette obtained a BA in Sociology with a minor in Ethnic Studies from Bowling Green State University and a MA in Sociology with a human rights concentration from DePaul University. Currently, Flo is pursuing a doctorate in Higher Education Leadership at Colorado State University. As of now, her focus for research is LGBTQIA+ fandom and collegiate sports. Flo enjoys short walks on the beach, racquetball, cycling, fishing, and documentaries. She lives in Colorado, USA with their wife.

Pronouns: She/They/Per

Name pronunciation: Fleu-re-tta

emma codd

Global Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer

Emma is Global Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer for the professional services firm Deloitte.

In this role Emma leads on the development and delivery of the organization’s strategy on women’s equity, LGBT+ inclusion, mental health, disability inclusion, and neurodiversity – alongside a strategic focus on respect & inclusion. Emma also leads the development of thought leadership aligned to this strategy, including the annual ‘Women@Work – a global outlook’ report (now in its fourth year), the Millennials and Gen Z Mental Health Deep Dive, and the ‘LGBT+@work – a global outlook’ report.

 From 2013 to 2019 Emma was Managing Partner for Talent for Deloitte LLP in the UK and Deloitte NWE and sat on their Executive Committees, alongside a client facing role as a Partner in the Financial Advisory practice. During this period Emma led significant change for the firm from a diversity & inclusion perspective, including the firm’s award-winning approach to Respect & Inclusion - a culture change programme that under-pinned all of the firm’s actions on diversity.

Emma is a member of The Global Institute for Women’s Leadership Employer’s Forum which plays a pivotal role in advancing discussions on women’s leadership in the workplace and fostering a culture of diversity and inclusion.

Emma  was also a member of the LACA Lead the Change board which operated between April 2019 and December 2023.  This board was established by the UK Government to take forward work to increase the diversity and inclusion at the top of the UK’s leading organisations. 

In 2021 Emma was awarded Honorary Membership by the Institute of Chartered Accountants for England and Wales for her work championing diversity and inclusion of women.

Kathryn Burdett

Head of Diversity & Inclusion, Americas, Deutsche Bank

Kathryn Burdett is head of Diversity & Inclusion, Americas at Deutsche Bank.

She provides thought leadership and expertise to business leaders, human resources, corporate social responsibility, marketing, and communications on D&I strategy and best practices to accelerate the pace of change. Kathryn also directs the efforts of Deutsche Bank’s employee resource groups.  

She is a Task Force Co-Chair of the Center for Talent Innovation and a steering group member of the Partnership for Global LGBTQI+ Equality, an initiative of the World Economic Forum. Kathryn is also an active member of the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association D&I Advisory Council.

 A frequent speaker at D&I conferences, Kathryn was named a Most Powerful & Influential Woman of the Tri-State Area by the National Diversity Council. In 2016, she co-authored the article “Data and diversity – strength in numbers” for the Deutsche Bank Research magazine, Konzept.

Kathryn’s background includes roles in employee relations, graduate recruiting, and human resources business partner. She is a graduate of Smith College.

Catherine Vaughan

Partner

EY Global Financial Crime & Global Compliance Leader

Partner Sponsor Unity, EY’s LGBT+ employee network

Catherine is a Partner with EY.  Based in Dublin her roles as Global Financial Crime and Global Compliance Leader sit as part of EY’s Global Executive layer.

Prior to working in her Global role, Catherine was Risk Management Director for EY’s EMEIA Region, a position which followed the same role in Ireland. Throughout her career, she has experience of working with large multinational organisations as well as smaller private businesses.  Catherine’s experience stems from her qualification as a Chartered Accountant in 1999.

Her current role covers a wide geography and involves monitoring developments in financial crime laws and regulations, understanding the impact on EY’s business and designing compliance programmes in response to those developments. She is supported by a diverse team spread across the EY network and by a core team based in GDS India, Manila and Poland.

Catherine has long been involved in sponsoring and chairing EY’s LGBT+ network, Unity.  Having started the Ireland chapter in 2012, she became one of the leading voices on LGBT+ inclusion in EY and in 2018/19 she was one of the formative members of EY’s Global LGBT+ Partner forum.

In 2021 she was appointed EMEIA LGBT+ Partner sponsor and joined the EMEIA DE&I Steering Committee. She continues to represent EMEIA at the Global Partner forum.

Gurpreet Brar

Global Client Leader, Edelman

Gurpreet is a Global Client Leader at Edelman. He works with some of the firms largest private sector clients, and across key intergovernmental organisations, such as the United Nations and European institutions, to drive effective communications campaigns and change programs. He also Co-Chair's the Atlantic Council’s MLP Board, driving global impact, community connectivity and leadership training. 

Born and raised in the United Kingdom, he has lived in Brussels, Japan, and India, and now resides in the United States with his husband. Gurpreet is passionate about the PGLE's work and mission and eager to drive take up across the business community globally. 

Graeme Reid 

Director, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Rights Program , Human Rights Watch 

Graeme Reid is an expert on LGBT rights. He has conducted research, taught and published extensively on gender, sexuality, LGBT issues, and HIV/AIDS. He is author of How to be a Real Gay: Gay Identities in Small-Town South Africa (University of KwaZulu-Natal Press, 2013). Before joining Human Rights Watch in 2011, Reid was the founding director of the Gay and Lesbian Archives of South Africa, a researcher at the Wits Institute for Social and Economic Research and a lecturer in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies at Yale University, where he continues to teach as a visiting lecturer. An anthropologist by training, Reid received a master’s from the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, and a PhD from the University of Amsterdam. 

Julia Ehrt

Executive Director, ILGA

Julia Ehrt (she/her) is the Executive Director at ILGA World, assuming the role as of November 2021. She previously served as the organisation's Director of Programs, developing ILGA World 's programmatic work and managing the Programmes team. She is a widely respected LGBTI activist and community leader.

Before joining ILGA World she was the Executive Director of Transgender Europe where she contributed significantly to how trans issues are perceived and debated today in Europe and beyond. She served as a founding Steering Committee member of the International Trans Fund (ITF) until 2019, is a board member of the Association for Womens' Rights in Development (AWID) and a signatory to the Yogyakarta Principles plus 10. 

Julia holds a PhD in mathematics and lives with her partner and child in Berlin and in Geneva.

Simon Hague

LGBTQI Global Transformation Lead, Kerry Group

Having lived in a number of countries including the UK, Hong Kong and now Singapore, Simon brings a global perspective on LGBTQI rights and issues. As LGBTQI Transformation Director for Kerry Group and as part of the overall Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging global strategy, Simon believes in a highly inclusive workplace where everyone can be at their best, contribute to the company’s success and excel personally and professionally. Within the overall DI&B strategy at Kerry Group, Simon has been leading the global LGBTQI Initiative, working closely with team members, senior leaders and external organizations to build awareness and activate initiatives that contribute to a more inclusive and LGBTQI friendly working environment. He is focused on inspiring and educating teams and leadership, enabling them to have better conversations and creating an environment where people are armed with the knowledge to inspire and have discussions in the LGBTQI space.

Throughout his career, Simon has worked as a champion in the LGBTQI area and in 2020 he was nominated for an OUTstanding LGBT+ Future Leader award. While living in the UK, he was an active member of London Pride, sitting on the organizing committee and supporting to bring alive one of the biggest LGBTQI events globally, to life in London.

Randall Tucker

Chief Inclusion Officer, Mastercard

Randall Tucker is Chief Inclusion Officer for Mastercard, where he is responsible for aligning the company’s global diversity and inclusion initiatives with the corporate business strategy to ensure that every employee has the opportunity to reach their greatest potential.

Before joining Mastercard, Randall served as the senior director of inclusion and diversity at Darden Restaurants Inc., where he led the development of a company-wide inclusion strategy to more closely align to the business and support an inclusive environment. Prior to joining Darden, he led the transformation of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide’s diversity and inclusion strategy from a U.S.-focused model to a global model. During his tenure, he led the development of the organization’s first global initiative to enhance career opportunities for women at senior levels. Earlier in his career, he served in various sales and human resource roles at Marriott International.

Randall holds a Bachelor of Arts from James Madison University and serves on the James Madison University Hart School Advisory Board. He has been a guest lecturer at Georgetown University’s School of Continuing Studies and is a Six Sigma Black Belt. Randall lives in New York City with his husband.

Telaireus “T.K.” Herrin

Vice President, Inclusion and Diversity Programs

Telaireus “T.K.” Herrin, Psy.D., (he/him) has more than 25 years of experience within the medical device, financial services and non-profit sectors. Leveraging extensive global experience and expertise in organizational development and change management, T.K. specializes in talent management, diversity and inclusion, and executive coaching.

Currently T.K. is the vice president of Inclusion and Diversity Programs at Medtronic where he is responsible for the management and execution of employee resource group strategies, diversity survey management, and inclusion and diversity programs across Medtronic. He serves on the company’s PRIDE Network advisory council, African Descent Network leadership team, and is the executive sponsor for the PRIDE Orange County hub based in Irvine, California.

Prior to Medtronic, T.K. held HR leadership roles with Covidien, Edwards Lifesciences, Affinity Bank, Cal National Bank, The Aquarium of the Pacific and Wachovia Securities.

As a lifelong learner, he earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology, master’s degree in Systematic Theology, master’s degree in Human Resource Design, and a doctorate in Organizational Development — and he’s working on his second doctoral degree in religion focused on liberation theology and queer Black Pentecostals. Additionally, he is a member of the American Psychological Association (APA), the Organization Development Network (ODN), the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM), and the American Academy of Religion (AAR).

His personal passion and mission in life is to enable and empower. You’ll often hear him say, “If not me, who? If not now, when?”

John Galligan

Senior Director, Global Government Affairs, Corporate External and Legal Affairs, Microsoft Corporation

John Galligan leads Microsoft’s Global Government Affairs team, whose role is to support the company's international network of corporate affairs professionals in their public policy advocacy outreach, as well as developing global campaigns to promote the trusted, responsible, and inclusive use of technology. In addition to this role, John also co-leads CELA Pride, the LGBTQI+ employee network for the Corporate External and Legal Affairs department.

Prior to this role, John was Microsoft’s Regional Director for Government Relations based in Singapore, where he coordinated the company’s public policy, government affairs, and industry relations across the Asia-Pacific region.

John is a current board member of the Public Affairs Council and the US ASEAN Business Council. He holds degrees in Business Communication from the Queensland University of Technology and Political Science from Australian National University.  He lives with his husband in Seattle, WA.

Nilüfer Demirkol

Global Head of Diversity and Inclusion, Nestlé

Nilüfer Demirkol is Global Head of Diversity and Inclusion at Nestlé since December 2019. She is based in Nestlé Headquarters in Vevey, Switzerland. In her role she drives the Diversity and Inclusion agenda through Nestlé’s clear ambition and strong internal and external commitments. Prior to this role, she served as Head of Human Resources for Nestlé in Turkey from August 2016 until December 2019, and as HR Business Partner for Nestlé Waters Zone Asia, Oceania, Africa and Middle East, based in Dubai from 2012 until July 2016.

Nilüfer began her professional career at Nestlé in August 2000, in Turkey. She held various leadership roles in Human Resources in the area of Recruitment, Training, Organization Development and as HR Business Partner in Turkey.

Nejc Jaka Sekula

Head of Diversity & Inclusion, Technical Operations & Global Quality and Global LGBTI Equity Lead, Novartis

Nejc Jaka Sekula leads Diversity & Inclusion for Novartis division of Technical Operations and Global Quality. His role focuses in bringing the Novartis D&I strategy and initiatives to people working in the area of manufacturing and quality around the globe, understanding and respecting the local culture and embracing the global corporate culture of inclusion.

As a member of Novartis Global D&I leadership team, he leads the global LGBTI Initiative, working closely with Employee Resource Group leaders in countries, senior leaders and external organizations to create awareness and actions that contribute to a more inclusive and LGBTI friendly working environment. He focuses on inspiring and engaging associates to understand the essence of human rights and creating a change in leadership styles that fosters psychological safety in the workplace environment.

He spent his last 10 years in the area of Human Resources, from recruitment to leading HR at a pharmaceutical manufacturing site. Prior to that, he has held a number of IT positions on a local and global level within IBM. This is also where he started his career and has worked in the area of D&I ever since, passionate about making a difference for underrepresented communities. He holds a bachelor degree of Economics and lives in Ljubljana, Slovenia with his husband.

Veronica Birga

Chief of the Women’s Rights and Gender Section, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights

Veronica Birga is the Chief of the Women’s Rights and Gender Section at the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Veronica has been working with the UN Human Rights Office since 1999, both in HQ and in the field. In her different positions, her work has focused on equality and non-discrimination, with a focus on gender equality.  

Maria Sjödin

Acting Executive Director, Outright Action International

Maria Sjödin is the Acting Executive Director of OutRight Action International, based in New York. Maria has over 20 years of experience advocating for LGBTIQ equality. Between 2005-2014 she was Executive Director of RSFL, Sweden’s largest LGBTIQ organization. While in this position Maria established RFSL's international program, played a key role in ensuring that the human rights of LGBTIQ people become ingrained in the Swedish government's agenda for development and foreign affairs, advocated for marriage equality (won in 2009) and the abolishment of forced sterilization of trans people as a requirement for legal gender recognition (outlawed in 2013). Maria has led leadership trainings for over 200 LGBTIQ activists from around the world on topics including strength-based coaching and appreciative inquiry. At OutRight, she leads the development and communications team, where she has diversified and increased the organization's funding, pioneered engagement with international businesses, and provided expert opinions to governments, UN agencies, and corporations.

Maria is frequently quoted by the media, including by outlets like Time magazine and Thomson Reuters.

Tina Bigalke

Global Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer, PepsiCo

As Global Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer, Tina Bigalke is responsible for leading PepsiCo’s global DEI strategy that focuses on progressing toward PepsiCo’s aspirations, including racial equality, gender parity, and pay equity. Tina has leveraged her wealth of human capital management experience to enhance PepsiCo’s position as an employer of choice committed to catalyzing positive change in the talent landscape.

Prior to her current role, Tina was Senior Vice President, Human Resources - Commercial for PepsiCo Foods North America division, where she shaped the human resources strategy for customer sales, marketing and transformation. In this role, she and her team supported transformational initiatives, including developing and implementing future go-to-market systems and organizational models, new ways of working, and technology enhancements.

Throughout her 20+ year tenure at PepsiCo, Tina has held a wide range of human resources positions supporting frontline, business unit and corporate global groups, overseeing all aspects of human resources management to advance business growth and profitability. Passionate about “delivering the best talent on the field,” Tina leverages her current role to develop practices and programming to ensure a more equitable and inclusive culture where all associates can achieve their maximum potential, our business partners can progress, and the communities PepsiCo serves can thrive.

Tina holds an MS degree in Industrial and Labor Relations, and a BSA degree in International Studies/Spanish from West Virginia University. Currently, she participates in the WVU Practicum series, sits on the Dean’s Advisory Board of the College of Business & Economics, and serves on the WVU Foundation Board of Directors. Tina is the proud parent of two daughters.

Sarah Churchman OBE

Global I&D Leader, PwC International and Chief Inclusion, Community & Wellbeing Officer, PwC UK

Sarah is a senior HR professional with over 30 years’ experience in Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and is one of the UK’s leading practitioners in this field.

Sarah operates ahead of the curve.  She worked with PwC’s LGBTQ+ network in 2003 to ensure equality in benefits provision for staff with same sex partners; experimented with unconscious bias awareness training in 2005, developing an award winning product; identified the link between diversity and talent management as an obvious mechanism for target setting in 2011; she established an award winning sponsorship programme in 2013 and, under her leadership, PwC was the fifth private sector organisation in the UK to publish their gender pay gap in 2014 before the Regulations came into force.  She led her organisation to sign the Race at Work Charter and publish their ethnicity pay gap since 2017 and led PwC to #1 in the Social Mobility Employers Index in 2019 and 2020.  Since November 2021 she has been both the UK leader and the Global I&D Leader for the PwC Network.

Sarah also leads on Wellbeing Strategy for PwC UK, proactively taking steps to deliver a wellbeing promoting working environment.  This has prioritised mental health since 2016 to compliment all other aspects of the employee health and wellbeing agenda.  Early initiatives such as the Green Light to Talk campaign went on to be adopted widely by other employers and PwC is one of only 2 employers to achieve the “Health Creating Accreditation” by the City Mental Health Alliance Thriving at Work assessment.

Sarah was awarded an OBE in the 2018 New Year’s Honours List for services to women in business, equality & diversity.

Ruth Hickin

Senior Director of Strategic Equality Initiatives, Salesforce

Ruth Hickin is Senior Director of Strategic Equality Initiatives at Salesforce, working to drive forward key organization-wide Equality priorities to create a workplace that reflects the diverse communities around us and where everyone feels seen, heard, valued, and empowered to succeed.

Prior to Salesforce, Ruth worked at the World Economic Forum’s Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Network, where she led strategy and communications, and partnerships - and co-led the development of Out Forum, the organization’s first LGBTQI+ ERG. Before that, she worked in the Head Office of the Virgin Group, running special projects and impact investing focused on equity and human rights.  Ruth has an M.B.A in Design Strategy, an M.A. in Global Leadership, and an M.A. (Hons) in English Literature. 

Jacqueline Balbontín Artus

Vice President, International Banking Retail Transformation, Scotiabank

Jacqueline Balbontín Artus (she/her) was appointed Vice President, International Banking Retail Transformation in May 2024, responsible for providing leadership and strategic direction for the execution of the retail transformation roadmap aiming to optimize retail operations and capabilities, and streamlining processes, tools, and technology.

Jacqueline’s preview role was Vice President, Human Resources at Scotiabank Chile, which she held for 9 years. A proud Scotiabanker for over 30 years, Jacqueline has worked in many different roles across various business lines such as Retail Banking, Commercial Banking, and Finance, to name a few.

Jacqueline has been recognized twice as one of the 100 Women Leaders in the country by Mujeres Empresarias and El Mercurio (2017 & 2022). She was awarded Best Human Resources Manager in Chile in the HR Top Manager ranking (2021).

Jacqueline is a member of the People and Organization Committee of ICARE and member of the Board of Directors of DCH Chile (International Organization of Human Capital Managers).

Jacqueline is a Civil Industrial Engineer from the University of Santiago with diplomas in Leadership from the University of Chile and Adolfo Ibañez University.

During Jacqueline’s mandate, she supported the elevation of Scotiabank Chile’s rank from 30th (2015) to 7th (2021) in the Great Place To Work ranking. In 2023, Scotiabank Chile was included in the Top Employers’ Certification for its Human Resources policies and practices.

From 2020 – 2023, Scotiabank Chile received an annual score of 100% on the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equity, a benchmarking tool that rates workplaces on corporate policies, practices and benefits pertinent to LGBTQ+ employees.

Mélisande Kingchatchaval Schifter

Project Lead, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, World Economic Forum

Mélisande is the Project Lead, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at the World Economic Forum. She manages the Forum’s Community of Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officers, and leads the Forum’s action initiatives that support companies in advancing their diversity, equity, inclusion and human-centric strategies for more workplace equality. She focuses on issues around gender parity, racial justice, LGBTQI+ equality, disability inclusion, and modern slavery. Prior to joining the Forum, Mélisande worked within the field of international affairs, development work and ethics. She holds a MTh in Theology from the University of Geneva, Switzerland, and is currently a PhD candidate in Ethics at the University of Basel, Switzerland.