AWEI Fireside Chats: Allyship, Innovation and Impact with Capgemini
Description
Join Pride in Diversity as we continue our series of AWEI Fireside Chats: Winners of the LGBTQ+ Inclusion Awards!
There is an array of Awards given at the annual Australian LGBTQ+ Inclusion Awards, based on the results of the Australian Workplace Equality Index (AWEI) Submissions and additional nominated categories. This series will focus on the winners in these categories, where each award nomination recognises outstanding advocacy, support and/or contribution to LGBTQ+ inclusion within the workplace by leaders, role models, allies and more.
Capgemini took home multiple awards at the 2026 event, including:
· “Activating Parents as Allies for LGBTQ+ Inclusion,” LGBTQ+ Inclusive Innovation Award
· Peta Camilleri (she/her), Sally Webster Ally Award
About the LGBTQ+ Inclusive Innovation Award
This award category looks at LGBTQ+ inclusion more broadly, within the development and promotion of an organisation’s products, services, processes or ways or working.
Innovation can occur in new internal inclusion projects, stakeholder engagement, external communications including media campaigns, product and service design, representation of LGBTQ+ people and many other areas of the work of an organisation.
Due to the wide variety of services and organisational size, innovation is often required to ensure inclusion is appropriate to the industry, region and client cohort. As a result, many organisations and innovative in their inclusion initiatives.
About the Sally Webster Ally Award
This nomination recognises the outstanding contribution of an individual who has made significant contributions to workplace inclusion as an active ally and supporter of LGBTQ+ people and LGBTQ+ employees.
Visible, active allies play a critical role in shaping inclusive workplace cultures. According to AWEI Employee Survey data, 72.6% of LGBTQ+ people who have allies report that those allies have positively impacted their sense of inclusion at work. Allies help extend the reach and visibility of inclusion efforts, strengthen support mechanisms for LGBTQ+ employees and networks, and contribute to reducing the prevalence of homophobic bullying, harassment, exclusion, and inappropriate behaviour that can still occur in organisations.
An ally can be anyone who actively and visibly supports LGBTQ+ inclusion. While the term is often used to describe non-LGBTQ+ individuals who support inclusion, LGBTQ+ people can also be allies to one another—for example, a cisgender gay man may act as an ally to lesbians or trans and gender diverse colleagues.
Active and visible allies are typically characterised by a commitment to meaningful and sustained action, including but not limited to:
· general advocacy for LGBTQ+ inclusion
· promotion of equity and respect for all
· understanding key terminology, myths, and challenges faced by LGBTQ+ people
· awareness of language and assumptions affecting LGBTQ+ colleagues
· consistent use of respectful, person-centred language
· willingness to respect privacy and confidentiality
· active engagement in addressing negative behaviours in the workplace
This nominee may hold a formal role in diversity and inclusion; however, their LGBTQ+ inclusion work should demonstrably extend beyond the core requirements of their position.
About the Winners:
“Activating Parents as Allies for LGBTQ+ Inclusion”
Proud Parent is an innovative LGBTQ+ inclusion initiative that reframes allyship through one of the most powerful—and often under‑leveraged—lenses in workplace inclusion: Parenting and care. Rather than focusing solely on LGBTQ+ employees or established allies, Proud Parent engages parents and carers, many of whom may not traditionally participate in LGBTQ+ inclusion initiatives. It equips them with lived‑experience insights, evidence‑based guidance, and practical tools to support LGBTQIA+ young people and, in turn, create safer and more inclusive environments for LGBTQ+ colleagues.
Peta Camilleri
Peta has made a meaningful and lasting contribution to LGBTQ+ workplace inclusion by reframing allyship through one of the most powerful – and often under leveraged – lenses in workplace inclusion: parenting and care.
She has built accessible pathways that connect employees, parents and carers, and the wider community ensuring inclusion is experienced, not just stated. A key achievement for Peta in 2025 was the development and facilitation of intersectional programming, connecting parents and carers with our LGBTQ+ community, and to further extend the reach and access to the Proud Parent resource.
Beyond the workplace, Peta extended this commitment into the community through Pride activities, distributing Proud Parent booklets and encouraging inclusive conversations that reach families and allies alike.
About this Session:
What happens when allyship moves beyond good intentions and becomes a catalyst for innovation?
Join Pride in Diversity for the next AWEI Fireside Chat: Winners of the LGBTQ+ Inclusion Awards, featuring Platinum Tier Employer Capgemini, winner of the 2026 LGBTQ+ Inclusive Innovation Award and Sally Webster Ally Award.
Join us for a conversation about allyship, innovation and what happens when inclusion is designed to reach further and create meaningful impact.
Pride in Diversity Co-hosts:
· Nicki Elkin (they/them), Associate Director – Quality Training and Research
· Will Reilly (he/him), Index Project Manager
Capgemini Guest Panellists:
· Steph Sands (she/her), Head of CSR & Inclusion
· Peta Camilleri (she/her), Director, Operations & Risk, Sustainability + CSR Lead; Parents and Carers Community Lead
This session will be online.
Registration links will be sent out the morning of the event.
About the Australian Workplace Equality Index:
The AWEI now stands as the definitive national benchmark on LGBTQ+ workplace inclusion and comprises the largest and only national employee survey designed to gauge the overall impact of inclusion initiatives on organisational culture.
To learn more about the AWEI Submissions, head to our website.
Your organisation can also register for participation in:
To learn more about nominating a colleague or campaign for outstanding contributions to LGBTQ+ inclusion within your organisation, check out our Award Nomination categories.
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