Global Head of Advertising and Partnerships at HER LGBTQ+ Dating/Social. Campaign's 40 Over 40 Winner
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May 23, 2024
Being the world’s #1 sapphic dating & social platform has its perks. For example, our Advertising & Partnerships team gets to collaborate with people from all over the world who are not only visible but making a difference within their field.
As a reminder, our LGBTQ+ Leaders series aims to spotlight and celebrate some of the amazing LGBTQ+ changemakers we have had the pleasure of meeting.
Being part of the LGBTQ+ community is something that I believe has made me a better ally to all marginalised groups. Being gay, I’ve always been very conscious of the importance of reflecting our customers and society in the comms we release or campaigns we work on.
Knowing first hand how proud I’ve been when a gay woman has featured in campaigns, makes me all the more cognisant of credibly incorporating diversity.
I use the word ‘credibly’ deliberately as it’s also really important to not jump on bandwagons or do a tick box exercise. DE&I needs to start from the inside of any company and be a fundamental belief that we are on a journey to be an even more inclusive and diverse organisation.
Simply because we should all be able to be our true selves when we come to work. Building awareness and educating people is key to helping make a safe and inclusive environment at work.
My proudest moment is seeing over 40 colleagues dancing and singing in the pouring rain, on our HEINEKEN UK float at Brighton Pride last year. To see people from the LGBTQIA+ community and allies all proudly standing shoulder to shoulder and demonstrating we are an inclusive company was truly special. And it’s led to change – our HOP network (HEINEKEN Open and Proud) is regularly consulted by people across the business on the work they’re doing to be more inclusive. It means that LGBTQIA+ issues are being considered as we continue our journey in striving to be the most inclusive pub, cider and beer company.
I worked as a Comms Director in book publishing for many years, but when we saw the amazing explosion in popularity of queer fiction driven by TikTok, my knowledge of LGBTQ+ life and culture helped me move into an Editorial role at the non-fiction division I work for. My original remit was to commission books with a specific LGBTQ+ angle, but the role has now expanded to acquire books to publish across the list – in areas spanning personal development, health, food and drink, memoir, parenting and more. Key queer titles on list include Outrage: Why The Fight for LGBTQ+ Equality Is Not Yet Won And What You Can Do About It, a brilliant polemic by leading activist Ellen Jones, and What a Girl Wants: A (True)Story of Sexuality and Self-discovery, a warm, funny, relatable memoir by Editor-in-Chief of Diva magazine, Roxy Bourdillon.
Outside of my day job, I’m also a children’s author, writing inclusive picture books with LGBTQ+ representation. I wrote my debut, The Pirate Mums, because my wife and I couldn’t find anything that reflected our family to read to our twin daughters. The Pirate Mums went on to make history, becoming the first ever book featuring a two-mum family to be read on Cbeebies Bedtime Stories (by Sue Perkins, no less!). I’ve had so many messages about how that book, and follow up featuring a family with two dads The Marvellous Doctors for Magical Creatures, mean to queer families, how important it is to have our experience represented. I know firsthand how much championing that diversity and inclusion within the world of publishing means to those who encounter it.
I’m never not shouting about representation of queer experiences in publishing and the media, especially when it comes to kids and families. I approached the founder of the Polari Prize, the UK and Ireland’s only award for queer writing, with the idea of starting a children’s and Young Adult category. I secured sponsorship, and the new prize was launched in 2022. This week I am also guest editing the annual special LGBTQ+ edition of The Bookseller – publishing’s trade publication – for which I have had the privilege of commissioning a range of queer writers on subjects as diverse as gay sex scenes in romantic fiction, censorship and book banning in the States and over here, and the importance of queer bookshops.
Jodie Lancet-Grant’s new book The Legend of the Wild West Twins, billed as a feisty, feminist fable with a Western twist, is out now.
Before stepping into advertising, I immersed myself in the QTIPOC London community, which played a crucial role in shaping my identity. This community has been integral to who I am today. Being QTIPOC is a part of my identity that I carry with me everywhere.
I’ve thrived in Adland thanks to the support of great people and programs like D&AD Shift London, which opened doors to advertising without needing a degree, and the Outvertising mentorship scheme, which pairs mentors with mentees. I’m grateful for people’s time and effort in my growth.
While I still need to consider myself a leader in this field, I’m committed to contributing and growing further.
Because as human beings we all want to belong and feel included. I think we can all recall that ‘feeling’
As QTIPOC, we are not a monolith. By championing diversity and inclusion, we celebrate and highlight the diverse talent within our community.
I run a QTIPOC-centered emo night in London called NOT OK. It’s a safer space where others can navigate freely. People often tell me that seeing someone like them makes them feel seen and heard.
While representation today has improved since I studied media over a decade ago, we still have a long way to go.
Making mistakes and allowing others to do the same is crucial. As a QTIPOC individual in advertising, the pressure to have all the answers can be taxing, and this experience can often be overlooked. Growth isn’t linear, so being kinder to ourselves is essential.
I’ve also been fortunate to have doors opened for me, and I strive to do the same for others. I will continue to provide platforms for others whenever and wherever I can.
It’s fundamentally changed the lens I see the world of marketing through. Actively inclusive marketing is an authentic place for storytelling: it encourages us to find ways to relate and connect with people, places and experiences that challenge the vacuums we exist in. My journey as an LGBTQIA+ leader means part of my day-to-day working practice is seeking out ways to open the door to more intersectional and inclusive ideas. Once the door is open, invite people in.
Being a neurodivergent, non-binary person in the industry, intersectional inclusion across the breadth of the community is crucial to not just fostering safer spaces to work, but an important part of encouraging emerging talent. Growing up in a world that taught LGBTQIA+ leaders to leave their identities at home, I’m incredibly passionate about being a visible and always-learning leader. Actively understanding your role in the workplace is a helpful tool in knowing how to help yourself and others grow.
I have had the pleasure of working in collaboration with a wide range of forward-thinking brands and open-minded folks to make a difference. Part of leadership is creating and holding space for change, whilst also acknowledging the other voices who helped you get there. I’ve partnered with brands like Google to tell global stories of Pride, Durex to create more LGBTQIA+ inclusive and consent-aware content, and have met remarkable leaders through the likes of the DIVA Awards who themselves have had a positive impact on me. We’re a community of change makers.
My journey is long and varied and I believe this is one of the key influences on my role now. I have brought with me experiences from areas that not everyone has been part of, especially in the corporate world. Sport being one of the main parts to my life that has really helped me navigate this part of my career. A key aspect being learning from failures and successes, constantly assessing as I moved industries.
Being a leader in the space, not only gives me the confidence to be in the conversations, make the changes but also gives the people around me that confidence too.
My work outside of my main job really reflects my true self, being part of LGBTQ+ specific projects that align with my values and give me a space to bring back part of my former career as an athlete is really powerful. Using the enormous experience I have gained by working in the corporate world has been a very valuable step in my overall personal development and journey.
Diversity and inclusion have always been a part of my life before I even knew it had a name. I will get a bit personal to tell you why it is so important:
My mum remarried when I was 6, and her new husband, my new stepdad, had 4 children. So, from being just me to having 4 siblings was a massive challenge plus add a new parent in there for good measure. Our blended family was born, and this family type wasn’t that common back in the late 80’s in Ireland.
I was a female elite athlete, and we all know the lack of support female sport gets, then in my early 20’s I came out as a queer woman. I feel like I have for sure got the minority vibes following me around!
Following my degree in Montessori Education, I started working with children who were differently abled, and this work really cemented the inner drive to champion D&I, in whatever industry I ended up in. I decided to come out publicly in Ireland in 2014 live on TV because I felt if I could be a role model to just one person this would be the time to do it.
Now working in the corporate world, I have really moved to embed this topic in everything I do, and worked hard to ensure that we created a safe space for everyone. Where I work now, we have 6 Employee Resource Groups for a range of dimensions of DEI and this all started with a brave conversation with a senior leader on the 12th floor.
Small things go a long way. I believe that the way I bring my true self to everything I do. Small conversations with people, no matter who they are, really make a huge difference. Being brave to stand up for what I believe is the right thing to do is something extremely empowering and positive.
No matter how or what I do in whatever industry I am in, the ability to be myself is key to its success. As I always say, if I can help just one person be comfortable to be themselves, that is making a difference.
Here is a video of when I came out publicly back in 2014: Discussion on being gay in sport on Second Captains Live – YouTube.
Everyone has a role to play as an ally to someone else, and it’s important to me to give people the tools to do that on behalf of LGBTQ+ people, in my field of Research and Development (R&D), across the business and in partnership with other organisations. On a personal level, it’s so important to me that I am pushing myself to do that for other marginalised groups too, and particularly to keep in mind the compounding effect of intersectional identities. I became an LGBTQ+ leader because I want to elevate people’s voices and lived experiences. In R&D, this translates to inclusive design being critical to successful products. To achieve this, we need to be led by consumers which means understanding different, real people.
Championing DEI is championing people. It’s important that we’re challenging the “way things are done” and that we’ve got energy and tenacity to do the right thing in for our colleagues and in our roles. Thinking about individual experiences at work, it can be so intimidating to challenge micro-aggressions that are aimed towards us, or towards our colleagues, but it is a powerful part of creating a safe working environment. On an organisational level, sometimes the right thing is expensive for a business. It can be so difficult to secure financial support for additional benefits (e.g. creating parity for adoption leave and maternity leave) particularly where they aren’t legally required. This is a huge part of creating equality for LGBTQ+ people in society, not just at work. It’s not easy to influence change in big organisations, but we have a significant impact on society at large, so it’s critical that we’ve got people, and DEI, at the heart of it all.
In Research and Development at Reckitt, I’m working with our other DEI leads to champion Inclusion by Design, helping our R&D teams to think about the consumer experience of using our products through the lens of accessibility, culture, gender and sexuality. For me, personally, any of the work I do that makes people feel safer and prouder to be themselves is a positive difference. I was incredibly nervous to be visibly out at work and on LinkedIn but it was definitely the right decision. I am grateful to people who have shared that our work as an ERG and me sharing my story has helped them understand themselves, come out to themselves or their loved ones, and feel more comfortable in themselves. That’s literally the biggest reward I could ever hope for – it’s all worth it.mmunity of change makers.
I’ve had the privilege of being intentional about the places I’ve chosen to work. Call it the Gen-Z mentality if you will, but if a company doesn’t align with my personal values at a base level, I’m honestly not interested. Earning money isn’t the sole purpose for my generation, we have a collective passion for impact and positive change. It’s been my pleasure to work for two challenger brands – The Body Shop and Tony’s Chocolonely – these brands understand the importance of people, storytelling and community. This energy is nourishing for my personal and professional growth. I’d encourage any young person, especially those that identify as LGBTQIA+, to stay true to themselves in both business and life.
A strong focus on diversity, equity and inclusion should be non-negotiable in every business. The absolute quality and creativity a group of diverse individuals bring to any given project, task and the day to day is unmatched. I want to live in a world where young people from any background can see themselves represented and accepted in marketing, product development and more importantly, positions of power.
I really love the idea that my generation of young professionals, specifically those that identify as LGBTQIA+, are forcibly breaking down traditional business codes that only exist to benefit a small portion of the workforce. I’m part of this movement simply by bringing my authentic identity to work everyday. I’ll give you six inch platform boots and winged eyeliner out to my ears, whilst presenting business strategy – it’s my take on ‘power dressing’.
As a Black Woman, Mother, Bi / Queer and Neurodivergent Woman – all facets of my intersectional identity serve to enhance my capacity for innovation, creativity and empathic leadership throughout my career.
Representation is the term I refer to with regards to being a champion. The lack of representation across global majority groups is real, the only way we can achieve this is by amplifying not just the experiences but also the triumphs and incredible contributions and by collectively creating safe spaces where we can all belong and thrive.
My career trajectory, even prior to working in this industry, has been about creating impact. This has been through deeds, not words and by often being the first to undertake a role or task along the previously untrodden path. A prime example demonstrating this would be my previous role as Head of Social Impact at Lucky Generals and the iconic work created for Virgin Atlantic and Amazon. I’m now doing this on my own terms with the view to providing the industry with data about the impact and contributions of Black Women within Adland at It Takes A Village Collective, with our pioneering study “We Can’t All Be Lying”.
I came out when I was 25 (I’m now 29) and only recently started using they/them pronouns with friends and family, so I know firsthand what it’s like to take the time to find your voice. On the music industry side of my work, I’m not dealing with products, I’m working with people—beautifully complex artists who understand their voices within their music but are sometimes still trying to figure themselves out both personally and professionally. As a marketer within the LGBTQ+ community, I pride myself to be the kind of marketing leader that will help a brand, or artist, find its most authentic voice.
At its core, I have devoted my life to championing diversity and inclusion because of my intersectionality: I am queer, pansexual, asexual, non-binary, Latinx, a child of immigrants, and Christian. I’m also working across music, tech, creator, and non-profit industries. There aren’t a lot of spaces that welcome the communities I’m part of or even my intersectionality, and I used to be filled with a lot of hate because of that. Now, I live in joy, celebrating what makes me myself. I always want to be curious, meet people where they are, and find more ways to grow as a person who can contribute love to this world.
Outside of my work with Cool Shit, Cool People, I am the General Manager of Keychange U.S., a non-profit championing gender equity and inclusion in the music industry. We provide artists and executives in the music industry with a 6-month professional development program to widen their networks and level up their careers. As you grow in your career, it gets harder to widen your network, and there aren’t too many opportunities at the mid-level of your career to receive support. In addition, I am the Global Chair of Diversity, Inclusion, and Community at Women In Music, where we are about to launch WIM Communities. This initiative will help show how expansive the global Women In Music network is, highlighting our queer communities, BIPOC, and others. Lastly, I’m an advisor for Industry In Spanglish, where we create spaces for Hispanic and Lantix voices in entertainment for mentorship, networking, and education.
Global Head of Advertising and Partnerships at HER LGBTQ+ Dating/Social. Campaign's 40 Over 40 Winner
