Deon Pillay

Your Story:

He is the Head of Marketing Operations, Legal and General Investment Management in London and the Chair of the firm’s overall Diversity Network, Outside of the office, he is the Co-chair of InterInvest, a network of investment professionals, that drives LGBT+ equality across the investment management industry and the Diversity Projects LGBT strand. Since arriving in London from his hometown in South Africa, Deon started his career in financial services at a private wealth management company in client services before joining LGIM in 2010. In his current role, he is responsible for Marketing Operations, where he has implemented award winning solutions and continues to innovate through improved governance, leading on change and integrated tech solutions

Diversity and Inclusion

Deon is a culture carrier and diversity champion for Legal and General, he works tirelessly to drive LGBT inclusion both internally and in the wider industry, resulting in the organisation winning three awards in 2022. He champions ethnicity, and as the new Co-Chair of their overall Inclusion Network, helping drive an inclusive culture. Deon uses his many platforms to drive change for all marginalised communities. He has several notable achievements for his contributions to diversity and inclusion. He is a keynote speaker, sharing his personal experiences to surface LGBT+ issues, a panellist championing diversity and inclusion. In 2019/20/21/22, Deon was recognised as an LGBT+ Future Leader in the Outstanding list and featured in Empowers Global Top 50 Ethnic Minority Future Leaders list in 2019/2020/21/22. In 2020 he was a top 10 Diversity Hero at the British LGBT Awards and the winner of the award in 2021. 2022 has seen him win the Rainbow Honours Corporate Champion award and he was recently featured in the LGBT Great 100 Game changers for advancing LGBT+ inclusion in the finance industry.
As a business leader, he role models and creates a culture of inclusion where diversity, collaboration, and empowerment of and for others is embodied.

Your Impact:

Being an advocate for all marginalised communities I have contributed to DEI efforts both internally and in the wider industry in the following ways, please note all his speaking engagements and contributions to diversity are done free of charge.
Arranged Conscious inclusion training for 300 employees in September 2022 as part of inclusion week which will be rolled out more widely in 2023
Reverse mentoring of Senior leaders ongoing from 2020 -increased support and visibility of Senior leadership internally and industry recognition
2022 – ongoing Presented at team meetings/ townhalls to raise awareness, increasing engagement by-20%
Developed LGBT+terminology guide/training to all colleagues, made this available to 30 industry peers via InterInvest and Developed/delivered Allyship training to 120 colleagues
05/22 Organised Industry wide online intersectional Allyship training with InterInvest to over 500-attendees
Organised Networks strategy day for 36-leaders of our DEI-Networks to ensure greater intersectionality/collaboration

Co-organised South Asian Heritage month in 2022
Main panel event 460-attendees,
Blog showcasing my heritage viewed by 749-people
hosted a live cook-along for 50-colleagues to showcase South-Asian food, and history.
Mentoring/ coaching LGBT+ ethnic minority colleagues in 2021/2022resulting in career progression
LGBT Great mentor and role model 2019 to date
Presented at team meetings and town halls to raise awareness of our Diversity networks increasing engagement by 20%
Developed/delivered LGBT terminology guide and training to all colleagues and made this available to industry peers
Developed/delivered intersection Allyship training to 120 colleagues in 2022, rolled out to the wider industry via InterInvest in 2022/23
Candid conversations with senior leadership about the challenges I faced as a gay ethnic minority leading to the development of a Global D&I council in Nov 2021, senior leadership commitment to drive change, commitment to LGBT charity Just Like us, partnership with Global butterflies (Trans and Non-Binary training to our supplier) sponsorship of free industry wide allyship training in 2022
Industry Wide training 2022 organised or co organised by Deon
• Co-organiser for InterInvest Pride bringing together 180 from 14 firms to march in pride2023
• Currently Co-organiser South Asian Heritage Month an intersectional panel including exploring the impact on sexuality and Gender identity on South Asian culture July 2023
• Organised “We are black and Queer we have always been here for Black history month October 2022” – given black Queer voices a platform to talk about religion and legacy laws and how they impact LGBT rights in the commonwealth countries
• Co-organiser for InterInvest Pride bringing together 120 individuals from the industry to march in London-pride22 raising £1200 for charity
• Industry wide Allyship training with an intersectional lens Thursday 13th May 2022
• 23rd February 2022 Organised and stepped in to moderate What the L? Industry wide Lesbian visibility
• BI Visibility event February 25th, 2022

Reviewed all company policies with HR to ensure they supported all marginalised communities and had LGBT+inclusive language
Using my social platforms to drive LGBT awareness focusing on ethnic minorities
Finding Power in Diversity Internal article championing intersectional identities
Awards/List
Burberry British Awards Overal Diversity Champion 2023
Diva Magazine Guardian Pride Power list 2023
Yahoo Finance Empower Future Leader Role models list 2019/2020/21/22/23
Yahoo Finance Outstanding Future Leader Role models list 2020/21/22
Winner Rainbow Honours LGBT+ Corporate Champion June 2022
LGBT Great Top 1OO Game Changers list June 2022
Pride Power list 2022 number 96
PIMFA overall Diversity Champion 2022
Shortlisted for Financial Times Advisor Overall Diversity Champion 2023 – June 2023
Roles
Co-Chair of LEGIT April 2022 –date- umbrella DEI initiative with 8 Networks covering, ethnicity, LGBT, Gender, Neuro diversity, Socio Economic Mobility, Mental Health and wellbeing, Disability and Family and carers
Co-chair of L&G’s L&GBT+Allies network from 2018 to April 2022 (now advisor to Network)
Co-founder and Co-chair of InterInvest – a free LGBT+ Network, with 35+ organisations working collectively to drive LGBT inclusion in the asset management and Savings industry www.interInvest.org
Co-chair of the Diversity project LGBT strand
Steerco member of the ethnicity strand of InterInvest
Supporter of the British Queer Museum
Speaking engagements and Media – all unpaid apart for this year’s pride series which is in support of a chosen Charity
11 January2023 panellist the power of mentoring LGBT Great and M&G
Mentoring Month Video campaign for LGBT Great
20th April 2023 The Diversity and Inclusion Conference panellist
Sharing my personal story as part of my Pride series towards a fund-raising Target of £30k for the British Queer Museum (to daye £3865 raised with a further £5000 company matchinginplace)
7/06/2023 Fire Side Chat - Building a resilient workforce – Paving the way through DE&I and an effective company culture
08/06/2023 – Keynote for Vendr £300
27/06/2023 – Panel for First Sentier raising £1000
28/06/2023 – Keynote for Nice raising £2500
21/06/2023 - Keynote for Penna/Stafford long £500
19/09/2023 - presenter - Fostering a culture of Diversity Equity and inclusion – customer experience strategy Forum

Ongoing Social media campaigns to raise LGBT awareness in the finance industry, Diversity project, Investment Association 20/20 Various social media post and blogs on Ethnicity, sexuality and Allyship (BHM, All BlackLivesMatter campaigns)
01/12/2022 LGBT GREAT panel on DEI strategy and benchmarking
28th/11/2022 Impact through inclusion Diversity project
17 11/2022HR, Talent & Inclusion Forum Fund Operator
8/11/22 Fund operator vlog, strategies to drive DEI
28th June 22, fireside chat for Barclays Growing LGBT+ visibility together across the buy- and sell-side
15 June 22 LGBTQ in the workplace conference – panellist LGBTQ+ in the Workplace Conference (westminsterinsight.com)
16 June 2022 – Speaking at Pimlico Academy on my lived experience as a gay man of colour and the importance of pride
19 June2022 TSAM – IT conference Fireside chat on Diversity and Technology for Seismic
28 June 2022 – Podcast on the importance of Pride Equiida
February 2022 Fish out of water campaign for Diversity project, being an ethnic minority in finance and being a fish out of water https://youtu.be/w_OurctwOG8
22 February 2022 AM - Keynote for -Franklin Templeton Ethnicity and Pride BRG’s invite you to an audience with Deon Pillay Intersectional event, sharing his lived experience as an LGBT person of colour
https://www.westminsterinsight.com/events/lgbt-in-the-workplace-conference/agenda/y and Technology for 21st April 22 – Hosted and facilitated -Diversity 101 an Introduction to DEI Networks at L&G

Your Advice:

My key advice is to first be comfortable with who you are, so that you can be authentic and bring your whole self to work. Have a growth mindset, the industry is continuously changing and evolving which opens new opportunities, so knowledge and new skills will always give you the edge. Be innovate and challenge ways of thinking but equally be open to others ideas and views. Most importantly remember your sexuality doesn't define you it is only one element of who you are, your skills are transferable and as a creative individual our industry could be just right for you!