People & Purpose Theatre

Unlocking the Potential of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Workplace

Day 1 : 16:45 – 17:35

Increasingly business leaders are recognising DEI as an opportunity for talent development, greater variety of perspectives, increased employee engagement and efficiencies, and generating profit. Yet all too often, DEI is considered as another function of the Human Resources department. While inclusive of HR and operations, for DEI to succeed, it needs to be treated as a core business strategy by the executive table, and encompassed within all levels and facets – internal and external – of an organisation. 

Learnings 

  • How is DEI becoming more relevant to businesses in Hong Kong? 
  • Why is it important for business leaders to champion DEI efforts? How can decision makers drive strategies from their respective spheres of influence? 
  • How can business leaders leverage on DEI as an advantage for business strategies, bring on opportunities and create an impact in the community? 

Post-event actions 

  • Understand DEI in the Hong Kong context and gain insights on pertinent opportunities of DEI in helping businesses to thrive 

Speakers

Michael Chan

Mayer Brown

Head of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion – Asia

I am a Social Sustainability Professional with a focus on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I). With cross-disciplinary knowledge in psychology and public health as well as multi-sector experience in academia, non-profit, and corporate, I support organizations through consulting, research, events, and programs to facilitate discussions and develop action plans on approaching DE&I and mental well-being as a social and business issue.

Brenda Alegre

Lecturer

Brenda teaches in the Gender Studies program of The University of Hong Kong. She has a BS, MA & PhD in Psychology. She has always been among the most visible queer activist in Hong Kong and the Philippines and has appeared on TV and radio. She has been among the more prominent voices of the community speaking all over the world. Her research work and publications are mostly on exploring the trans identities using interdisciplinary approaches. She was on the Executive board of ILGA Asia (2019 to 2022) and ILGA world (2015 to 2019) and  currently the Society of Transsexual Women of the Philippines. She’s a mentor to Migrant Workers groups in Hong Kong. She delivered a statement in 2018 at the United Nations on Transgender Advocacy week and won the Hong Kong LGBTQ plus Public Champion and among the Finalists for AmCham  Women of Influence  2023.

My Sustainability Goals for 2023:

Hoping Hong Kong would be a more inclusive, diverse and equitable society for all.
Hoping for greater representations for migrants and LGBTQI people.
Hoping for increased opportunities for minorities .

Utkarsh Mittal

Global Agile Transformation Leader – DEI and Well-Being

Utkarsh Mittal is the Global DEI and Wellbeing Transformation Leader at Schneider Electric. His role is to bring cohesion and standardization to DEI & WB processes and practices, explore opportunities to further digital transformation, and manage external partnerships with organizations on the topic.

In his previous roles, Utkarsh led the cultural and digital transformation of the global recognition program at Schneider Electric.

Utkarsh has a double Master’s in Business Management and Change Management from EDHEC Business School, France and Maastricht University, Netherlands. He holds a Bachelors in Electronics and Communication Engineering.

Surali Siriwardene

Chief of Staff & Head of Strategy

Surali (Su) is responsible for defining and driving the execution of the HSBC Wealth and Personal Banking strategy in Hong Kong, enabling key strategic initiatives including owning the Sustainability and Inclusion agenda across the business. With over 16 years of experience with HSBC, Su has held a number of senior market, region and global roles in Retail Banking, Private Banking & Wealth, Commercial Banking, Operations & Risk Management.

My Sustainability Goals for 2023:

Enabling our customers and staff to discover their own ESG priorities and support HSBC to be a banking partner that enables our customers and staff members to achieve their sustainability and inclusion ambitions.

Supported by

With thanks to