2018 Outstanding 50 LGBTI Leaders In 2016, Deloitte released Australia’s first list of 50 LGBTI Executives, with the purpose of providing visible business role models to LGBTI Australians of all ages. This year, Deloitte is collaborating with Google to celebrate our Outstanding 50 LGBTI Leaders of 2018. Together, we are extremely proud to be recognising the many role models in business, beyond traditional large corporate organisations. We have taken an inclusive approach to include remarkable leaders from the public sector, government and small to medium-sized businesses alongside those in traditional corporate roles. For more on our Outstanding 50 LGBTI leaders of 2018 please visit www.deloitte.com/au/out50 2018 #out50 03 04 Message from Cindy Hook 08 Feyi Akindoyeni 46 Virginia Lovett 11 Dean Allright 49 Denise Lucero 06 Message from Jason Pellegrino 14 Andrew Barr MLA 50 Graeme Mason 15 Simone Bartley 51 Matthew McCarron 08 Profiles and interviews 16 Mark Baxter 52 Jennifer Morris 20 Nicole Brennan 53 Jude Munro AO 84 Our alumni 21 Councillor Tony Briffa JP 54 Rachel Nicolson 24 David Brine 55 Steve Odell 89 Diversity and inclusion 25 John Caldwell 56 Lisa Paul AO PSM 27 Magali De Castro 57 Luke Pellegrini 30 Emma Dunch 61 Neil Pharaoh 31 Cathy Eccles 62 Janet Rice 32 Luci Ellis 63 Anthony Schembri 33 Tiziano Galipo 64 Tracy Smart 34 Mark Gay 65 Dean Smith 35 Alasdair Godfrey 66 Jarther Taylor 36 Dr Cassandra Goldie 67 Michael Tennant 37 Matthew Groskorth 68 Amy Tildesley 39 Manda Hatter 69 Sam Turner 40 Jane Hill 74 Tea Uglow 41 Dawn Hough 75 Louis Vega 42 Steve Jacques 76 Tess Walsh 43 Leigh Johns OAM 79 Benjamin Wash 44 David Jones 80 Lisa Watts Contents 45 Jason Laufer 83 Penny Wong 04 2018 #out50 2018 #out50 05 Message from Cindy Hook, Chief involvement in bringing this next list of Executive Officer, Deloitte Australia: One of dynamic LGBTI Leaders into the public eye. the things I am most passionate about is taking Role models are looked up to by action to help drive societal change, so that those around them – and so our list this year all people can have an equal opportunity to features a diverse group of individuals who share their voice. have achieved great success in their chosen When the idea for the Outstanding 50 field, including the public sector, government initiative was put to me, I was excited – this idea and also small and medium-sized businesses. had real potential to make an impact that matters I hope that this list, beyond recognising – and it did. Our inaugural Outstanding 50 list the achievements of these remarkable featured some of Australia’s most prominent individuals, will inspire all people to work and well-respected leaders in business. towards creating more inclusive workplaces Throughout 2017, many of these and communities around our country and individuals took a leading position in the postal the world. survey on Marriage Equality, helping to blaze Both the teams at Deloitte and Google a trail for human rights that culminated in a hope you enjoy finding out a little more about wonderful result for LGBTI Australians, their our 50 leaders, and that they inspire you to families and loved ones. just be you. I am delighted that Jason Pellegrino and Google have collaborated with us on this year’s Outstanding 50, and I am proud also of Deloitte’s 06 2018 #out50 2018 #out50 07 Message from Jason Pellegrino, In all of our offices around the world, Managing Director, Google Australia and we are committed to cultivating a work New Zealand: Brilliant things happen at Google environment where Googlers can be when amazing teams bring incredible ideas to themselves and thrive. life. I believe the most important building block We hope that this list not only for this magic is diversity. Diversity of thought, helps pave the way to creating more voice, experience, background, gender, sexual inclusive workplaces across Australia orientation, religious belief and so much more. but more importantly, inspires the LGBTI We couldn’t be more thrilled to be leaders of tomorrow. collaborating with Deloitte on the 2018 Outstanding 50 list, which embodies our core ethos of encouraging people to bring their best selves to work. Google’s core mission is to organise the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful. Our goal for diversity is a natural extension of this mission – to increase access to opportunity by breaking down barriers and empowering people through technology. 08 2018 #out50 2018 #out50 09 IN CONVERSATION Feyi Communication, innovation and Akindoyeni transformation Energetic, creative, fun. From strategic advice How does Newgate embrace LGBTI inclusion? to communications and It’s kind of interesting in that it’s not a conscious thing more, we caught up with and we have a level playing field across everything we do. We have a very open environment and that Feyi Akindonyeni, is part of our overall approach to a work-life and Partner and Office Head, well-balanced culture and routine. Newgate Communications. We have a general respect for all and don’t tolerate bad behaviour. Our belief is that the best teams are With more than 20 years made up of the best people. And the best people of extensive local and global are supported in whatever way they choose to be supported. We have between 80 – 90 employees experience, Feyi revealed across our five offices in Australia, with the full Feyi Akindoyeni Changing perceptions: Proactive engagement that communication spectrum of colleagues from non-binary to queer Partner and Office Head (Melbourne/Perth), or good old fashioned ‘stepping up’, speaking up, is a powerful platform and I love it! Newgate Communications be out, don’t accept the ‘this is how we’ve always done it’ position, using data to show the case not for this century. — just accept ‘established fact’ as fact. I’m not a great What advice would you give to your Feyi is one of the Greatest role model: Joan Kirner – she taught joiner, but I will join organisations/campaigns that 10 year old self? country’s most me that each individual can make a difference if reflect a critical mass of sensible support for change Resist the urge to plan. All your best laid plans can be sought-after strategic you are prepared to work hard, be decent and and I’m willing to take on responsibility for helping totally foiled by things outside your control! Through- communication consultants. Feyi leave no opportunity unexplored. Also that ‘asking’ to drive that change. I don’t believe in burning a out my career I’ve always asked myself “will this leads a team of permission rarely gets an outcome, best to just do it village unless you are prepared to rebuild it. opportunity ever come again?” and if the answer is “no” experts in digital and ‘apologise’ after. Words to describe me: Energetic, creative or “probably not” then I always said yes. And as a result, disruption and public Career advice: You determine your own fate. and fun. they are some of the best experiences I’ve ever had. affairs. She is a Don’t assume anybody is really all that focused We’re seeing today that young people might have former Pride Board Member (Sydney), on you and what you are doing in your personal more opportunities in Australia than ever before but involved in Rainbow life. Everyone is the star of their own drama. Take they are also more competitive and more constrained Labor and sits on the every opportunity you can to try new things, seize by the view that if they don’t do this thing they’re Board of Australians opportunities and spend time with the smart expected to do, they will somehow miss out or fail. I for Equality. people. Looks fade, smarts last forever! feel for them in that they need to recognise that risk Motivations: Working on interesting things has a reward and you can actually plan for risk. We that make a difference. You are going to spend need to encourage people to not give up when things A LOT of time at work – it’s more fun if it’s with get hard and to not confuse complexity for hardness! smart people, doing interesting things, in a positive environment – enjoy it. 10 2018 #out50 2018 #out50 11 — What has been the biggest turning point Throughout my career I’ve always in your career? Dean asked myself “will this opportunity I think figuring out the kind of people you want to work with. Most of us will spend a lot of time at work and if ever come again?” and if the you want to succeed, you spend a lot of time working. answer is “no” or “probably not” I figured out 10 years ago the kind of people I want to Allright spend that time with and usually if you find the right then I always said yes. kind of people than you are doing the right kind of work. And that was a big discovery – so it was a turning — Head of Legal, Information Technology (IT) point. With regard to the team I am with now, I have If you could invite three guests to a dinner and Intellectual Property (IP), ANZ worked with most of the senior team for 12 years. party, who would they be? A lot of it is luck and the harder you work, the more Nelson Mandela – because I’ve been in the same room luck you’ll have. as him twice in my life and in a room full of stars he is Role models: My honest, humble, hardworking magnetic.