2023 Workplace Pride Impact Awards Nomination Short List

We are pleased to unveil the 2023 Workplace Pride Impact Awards Nomination Short List, shining a spotlight on exceptional contributions and accomplishments in the realm of workplace diversity and inclusion.

The culmination of this year’s journey will take place at the highly anticipated Impact Awards Gala, hosted at Het Scheepvaartmuseum in Amsterdam on Friday, November 3rd, 2023. As we embark on the task of selecting our distinguished winners, we take pride in presenting the exceptional finalists below.

2023 Award Categories

LGBTIQ+ 2023 Network Award

This esteemed award pays tribute to the Workplace Pride member LGBTIQ+ network that has demonstrated remarkable involvement both within their organisation and in the broader community over the past year. Nominate a network that embodies unity, collaboration, and impactful engagement.

The Nominees are:

PwC

In the Netherlands the LGBT network was founded more than 15 years ago. We started the network to create a safe environment for LGBT colleagues within the firm. At that time our organization still was dominated by white, heterosexual male. The network gave a voice to our members and created awareness throughout the whole organization and our members are more diverse as our organization. Thanks to close collaboration with the other networks we are focusing now on if someone feels rewarded and included. In 2012 we signed the WPP declaration of Amsterdam. In 2019 all our rainbow networks called Shine with our own brand. Now Shine is in 34 PwC countries and in 2023 we launched our global Global LGBTIQ+inclusion strategy.

Accenture

Our Global Pride network empowers employees to take the lead in driving local change. It serves as a platform for delivering our inclusive programs tailored to the global LGBTIQ+ community, promoting policy transformations and fostering belonging. By organizing various events, our Pride Employee Resource Group (ERG)/network establishes a visible presence both within our offices and beyond, creating a friendly, inviting and inclusive atmosphere in our corporate spaces. Furthermore, the network serves as a valuable sounding board and knowledge resource, allowing us to customize our programs according to specific needs. It provides our global Inclusion and Diversity HR team with proactive feedback and ideas to enhance our global initiatives and ensure they remain aligned with the evolving needs of the community. One of its key benefits is creating a safe and inclusive space for our LGBTIQ+ employees and allies to authentically express themselves, learn and advance in their careers. Additionally, it serves as a local resource for many LGBTIQ+ allies, offering support and guidance. The network facilitates the formation of trusted relationships, mentorship opportunities, and avenues for career growth, benefiting participants across all levels. As our largest network, it also supports diversity more broadly—across gender identity and expression, race and ethnicity, disability and more. For example, in Romania the LGBTIQ+ network helped start the Disability ERG and shared best practices with them. Moreover, it acts as a catalyst for community advancement in countries where LGBTIQ+ awareness may be limited, promoting progress and understanding. Our ERG boasts members and sponsors at all levels, including senior leadership positions within the company, reaffirming our commitment to inclusion and diversity.

Shell

Shell’s Global LGBT+ Forum is a diverse group of D&I champions committed to powering lives. The forum consists of member from the community and allies from a diverse range of locations, including Oman and Nigeria, to ensure that the diversity of the geographies and societal contexts that we work and live in, are reflected. The forum is sponsored by our two Executive Sponsors for LGBT+ inclusion in Shell, our Chief Financial Officier, Sinead Gorman and our Integrated Gas & Upstream Director, Zoe Yujnovich.

LGBTIQ+ 2023 Volunteer Award

Nominate an individual volunteer from a Workplace Pride member organisation who has shown exemplary dedication to fostering LGBTIQ+ workplace inclusion. Whether through internal efforts or external outreach, this award celebrates those who go above and beyond to make a meaningful difference.

The Nominees are:

Mike van de Langenberg (They/Them) – Van Lanschot Kempen

In the last year, Mike has gone above and beyond to work on gender inclusion. As chair of their Pride ERG, they have worked, next to their studies, on making sure every aspect of gender inclusion was taken aboard. They included both employees and clients, something very new for the financial sector. For employees they have incorporated transition leave, parental transition leave (this is a national first), guidelines on gender inclusivity (including toilet use, a transition plan and dress code), and guidelines on gender-inclusive communication. For clients they are finalizing the option to address them according to their preference. Not only that, but they have also set up and are guiding a network of ERG’s in the financial sector (named Rainbow Finance Alliance), including most big names like ING and Ministry of Finance. They are helping each other and are working together to change the reputation of the financial sector.

Kaneesha Nadal (They/Them) – Kite Pharma EU BV

It is with great enthusiasm and pride that we nominate Kaneesha Nadal, our esteemed colleague and a true catalyst for positive change, for the distinguished “Volunteer Award” in LGBTQI+ inclusivity in the workplace. Kaneesha has consistently demonstrated an unwavering commitment to fostering an environment of inclusion and diversity, making a profound impact on both our organization and the community at large. Kaneesha joined our Company in June 2020 and holds the position of Cell Therapy Specialist. They have been a member of the Inclusion Team since April 2021, representing a major portion of our workforce; our Cell Therapy Specialists population. Next to acting as the voice on behalf of their colleagues, Kaneesha is an ambassador for the bicultural LGBTQI+ community, and non-binary or gender fluid people.

Razvan Bran (He/Him) – Lenovo

Romania is a country where LGBTQ+ individuals face challenges, whether legal or societal. With an aim to educate the wider Lenovo employee base and demonstrate Lenovo Romania’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and to the LGBTIQ+ community, Razvan Bran, together with DE&I resource group members, led a series of workshops – Embracing Diversity; and Understanding What LGBTQ+ Means and volunteer activities – Pride Activations and surveys to measure employee’s understanding of DE&I. Razvan and the team were also invited as a principal member at the UK Embassy, where the team advocated for inclusion and equality for the LGBTIQ+ community. Much of Razvan’s work, including creating merchandise for the Romanian events, then became the basis of a EMEA program, allowing the PRIDE Groups in 10 markets to hold local events, allowing the team to reach hundreds of EMEA-based employees during Pride month.

LGBTIQ+ 2023 Media Outreach Award

Celebrate the power of positive representation in the media. Nominate a Workplace Pride member who has effectively highlighted LGBTIQ+ workplace inclusion through media channels, whether internal or external. Help us acknowledge those who contribute to shaping informed perspectives.

The Nominees are:

Can you see me campaign – Deloitte

Deloitte created a series of films (Can you see me campaign) which tell individual stories from members of under-represented groups. While the characters are fictional and are played by actors with similar lived experiences, the films represent the authentic stories of many people and were created to help us all understand that we are all a sum of our parts and experiences—and that our words and actions have an impact on others. We want people to take a moment to walk in someone else’s shoes and to think.

https://www2.deloitte.com/ch/en/pages/careers/articles/can-you-see-me.html

Shell India Mobility – Shell

India is a diverse country, sadly the inclusion of queer community still remains a taboo topic. To help break this stigma and to increase the need for awareness and inclusion, the Shell India Mobility – launched a brave media campaign to showcase Shell as an equal opportunity employer. Through this campaign we wanted the audience to know- How Shell as a brand is living its purpose and to feel a sense of empathy. We wanted the audience to take away from this as an action is to show their support for LGBTQ+ community & Know Shell is a safe space to work. The campaign focuses on the challenges faced by the transgender community in Indian society and helps raise awareness on their need to feel accepted and having a safe space where they can be themselves. This is very often not the norm in Indian society where transgenders are excluded by society and are often ignored or shunned by most people.

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/shell_pridemonth-activity-7074952129601282049-9Qqq?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

Pride matters. Every Day – ING

ING Group, “Pride matters. Every Day” campaign 2023. Objective: Inform and educate internally and externally about LGBTQI+ topics in a non-polarizing and approachable way in order to raise awareness, create empathy and understanding. Creative idea: We can’t make people support Pride and the LGBTQI+ community if they don’t do so intrinsically. What we can do is address people’s concern that Pride may be unnecessary, by hinting at how much further there is to go to be fully inclusive of the LGBTQI+ community. Hence, we wanted to appeal to the target audience by asking questions that trigger reflection and understanding. Channels: Brought to life in a multi-media approach internally and externally in a combination of ad publications (social media, Schiphol airport, Pride Amsterdam magazines and city screens/banners, internal channels), storytelling with involvement of senior management (social media, internal channels), and events for employee engagement (pub-quiz, office activation with rainbow carpets and pride tattoos).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yds2mrTSF9A&pp=ygURSU5HIFByaWRlIG1hdHRlcnM%3D

LGBTIQ+ 2023 Ally Award

Nominate the individual who has proven to be an extraordinary ally. This award recognises those who have made a significant impact both within their own organisation and externally, demonstrating unwavering support for inclusivity and understanding.

The Nominees are:

Vandana Verma – SLB

Vandana Verma is a committed ally to the Trans community in Pune, India. More than 1,500 people work at the SLB Pune Center. She is a volunteer member of the local Diversity Equity Inclusion (DEI) Council. During 2022-2023, with the support of the council and local management, she worked through our supply chain organization to onboard people from the Hijra Community to work with us as contractors in selected roles. The roles identified provide new colleagues with the opportunity to engage in several high-visibility support tasks around the office. She also ensured the wider SLB team has been offered several sessions on transgender inclusion and senior management has been provided with leadership orientation guidance to enable the team to best integrate their new colleagues. Her efforts have helped both existing and new colleagues to successfully integrate, with both groups reporting a smooth transition for all.

Marijke Loonen (She/Her) – FrieslandCampina

Marijke is the founder and driving force behind the Inclusive Diversity committee in our R&D Centre in Wageningen and ad-interim lead of the global LGBTQIA+ employee resource group. She was the initiator behind creating gender neutral toilet facilities in our Innovation Centre. Marijke has been key in creating a safe culture for LGBTQIA+ employees. Marijke has built strong collaborations with Workplace Pride (Yuli Kim) and has been the lead on collecting data for the WPP Benchmark. She proactively uses this data to identify key areas to improve inclusive diversity.

Terhi Kivinen (She/Her) – Kemira

I would like to nominate Terhi Kivinen – Chief Communications Officer at Kemira. I am delighted to nominate Terhi for her outstanding commitment and unwavering support of the LGBTIQ+ community at Kemira. Terhi’s dedication has been nothing short of extraordinary, as she not only played a pivotal role as our founding sponsor but continues to excel in her role as the executive sponsor. Through her initiatives, Kemira has progressed a lot in LGBTIQ+ inclusion. Terhi’s passion for promoting diversity and inclusion is evident in her actions, whether it’s through her active participation in Pride events, her support for LGBTIQ+ employees, or her consistent championing of diversity in leadership. Her dedication to the LGBTIQ+ community at Kemira has set a remarkable standard for allyship, and her continued support is an inspiration to us all.

LGBTIQ+ 2023 Role Model Award

Honour the individuals who inspire positive change through their actions. Nominate those who lead by example and contribute to the creation of more LGBTIQ+ inclusive workplaces. Their leadership sets a path for others to follow.

The Nominees are:

Janet Visbeen (She/Her) – PwC

Janet’s career is impressive and she has always been herself and open. So she is a perfect example that you can reach the top without hiding who you are. Already in 2007 she was open about her sexuality and put effort into setting up a network within PwC Nederland. One of the first networks within PwC global. After leaving the shine board she was regularly present at shine meetings as a role model. One of her first actions on HR for us is that we start with self ID in our Workday system. She honestly feel that “coming out” has been a positive driver in her rise to partner with our Dutch firm. Her orientation colours how she think about the world, and gives her some depth. It also helps her to be more visible and defines her personal brand. Next to her job at PwC she is a member of the Board of Human Rights Watch Netherlands. A not-for profit foundation that investigates and reports on human rights abuses in all corners of the world.

Sharron Cairns (She/Her) – Nike

Sharron Cairns is the Nike Pride Pillar Lead for Community and performs this role on top of a demanding day job where she is responsible for driving meaningful content with our store athletes to ensure they embody the culture and values of Nike. In this past year the work Sharron has driven to connect with our first line athletes and communicate our DE/I and LGBTQIA+ inclusion messages that had significant lasting cultural impact on our front line employees across the EMEA region.

Sharron Cairns has been responsible for connecting ongoing Pride and DE/I content with more than 10,000 store athletes (our retail employees). Known as our first line these store athletes span the EMEA region and serve our consumers day in day out. Some of this community sit in countries where LGBTQIA + rights are under threat or not ideal. Sharron has on boarded DE/I champions across the GEO with the right level of training to ensure our inclusive policies have been scaled to all athletes across the geography 365 days per year. Sharron has ensured that the voice of our first line athletes is heard – incorporating their stories and inputs into our annual programming and promoted the needs of those who have faced adversity within their region due to violations of LGBTQIA rights. Through her efforts, our LGBTQIA+ athletes and the communities where they sit are consistently addressed through the NikeUNITED EHQ network.

Yasmin Reis (She/Her) – Shell Brazil

This nomination is for Yasmin Reis from Shell Brazil. Yasmin has led Brazil’s LGBTQ+ network, TRUEColors, for the past years. During this time, she has developed and led a lot of programs/campaigns and events for both diversity and inclusion. As a Queer woman, Yasmin started her career at Shell being very fearful of what others would think of her. Because of the size of the industry in Brazil, and being in the first lineage of people in her family to finish college, there were a lot of expectations from her (very religious) family that she would not do anything to jeopardize her future in the company. In the first 2 years, she hid from everyone, she would not connect to anyone, would appear to be very shy and closed off. After TRUEColors (Shell Brazil’s LGBTQ+ network) was created, everything changed. She got to meet other LGBTQ+ folks at Shell, and this really changed her life. I started telling her parents that this company they were so proud that she joined, now spends hours talking about LGBTQ+ inclusion. Yasmin started helping the network as much as she could, later joined as co-chair, then chair. She promised herself she’d do everything she could so that her community wouldn’t feel they didn’t belong, or have any fear of putting their career in danger just for being themselves.

LGBTIQ+ 2023 Members’ Choice – Game Changer Award

This distinguished award is all about recognising initiatives from among our members that ignite societal impact for the LGBTIQ+ community. Nominate projects or efforts that have the ability to move and activate people, leaving a lasting positive imprint.

View All Nominations Here