Christopher Drennen, Chair (he/him)
With over 20 years’ experience in international finance advising public sector and financial institutions on dealing with exceptional challenges, Christopher brings valuable skillsets including governance, problem-solving, finance, and consensual decision-making to Diversity Role Models.
Growing up in the coal fields of Appalachia as a son of two teachers, Christopher saw first-hand the importance education has in the lives of young people. The destructive impact of bullying based on perceived difference was no less present in his schools than they are today in schools throughout Britain.
Having lived, studied, or worked in over 50 countries, Christopher has learned the importance of understanding and acknowledging local cultures and differences within a global society. As an LGBTQ+ community member with a Christian faith upbringing, Christopher wholeheartedly supports the charity’s aim of creating inclusive learning environments where young people know they are valued and supported, regardless of their difference.
Neil Feinson (he/him)
A recently retired UK senior civil servant, Neil brings to his role as trustee strong strategy, leadership and governance credentials as well as a close familiarity with the world of Whitehall and public policy-making. Neil’s career spanned both domestic policy making and international negotiations, culminating in his work at the Department for Business and Trade to establish the UK’s goods trade negotiating capability pre- and post-Brexit.
Early in his career Neil helped to overturn the bar on gay men and lesbians in the Diplomatic Service, and has been a visible out gay leader since, mentoring younger LGBTQ+ officials and with a strong personal commitment to modelling workplace inclusivity. In 2023 he was awarded an OBE for services to international trade diversity in the Civil Service.
Daniela Grasso, Vice Chair (she/her)
Daniela is the Executive Principal at Ark Byron and Ark Priory Primary Academies, and brings extensive experience in educational leadership with a focus on safeguarding, inclusion, and excellence. She is committed to ensuring every child, regardless of background, receives a high-quality education and abundant life choices, to grow into conscientious global citizens.
As a trustee of Diversity Role Models, Daniela is driven by her belief that schools play a crucial role in combating bullying and promoting societal change. Her dedication aligns with the charity's mission to create an education system where every young person feels valued and supported. Daniela is passionate about embedding inclusion and empathy in the next generation, championing a future where diversity is embraced and every child can thrive.
Kelly Higson (she/her)
With 25+ years experience as a diversity, equity, inclusion, wellbeing and culture leader, Kelly brings to Diversity Role Models a skill set that‘s as broad as it is deep. As a sought after thought leader, she works with global clients and companies, helping them to translate their strategic ambitions into tangible deliverables focussed on impact, performance and engagement. Kelly‘s leadership has been utilised by NASDAQ and FTSE100 companies, as well as within start ups and grassroots organisations, including Peloton, BT, Refinitiv, the NHS, Capita and Nationwide Building Society. She now runs her own consultancy and coaching companies, Inclusion Included and The Culture Coach, and volunteers her time as a Transformation Director for not-for-profit organisations in the North West and Kent.
As a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, she amplifies her allyship by advocating and activating for fairer, more inclusive and accepting society for all, through her work, her volunteering and through Inclusion Included‘s programme of Skillanthropy.
Dan Hughes (he/him)
Dan has built a reputation as a highly influential public relations strategist. He started his career in television before moving to the communications division of the Labour Party where he worked under Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
He has won industry awards for his work and has led campaigns across a variety of sectors for people and brands with news to tell the world and reputations to protect.
In 2021 and 2022, Dan, who has led a number of prominent campaigns to highlight issues affecting the LGBTQ+ community, featured on The Guardian’s World Pride Power List. In 2020, alongside sports superstars Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jamie Carragher and Conor Coady, he launched Football For Change which has become one of the UK’s most powerful social mobility initiatives aimed at improving the lives of young people from socially and economically challenged communities.
Costas Kyriacou (he/him)
Costas brings over a decade of experience in education and strategy. He started his career as a maths teacher and later worked as a strategy consultant, delivering projects for local authorities and the government. Most recently, he has worked in the charity sector and is currently the Strategy Director at Ambition Institute, a charity that tackles educational inequality. He has served as a school governor and trustee for a multi-academy trust, and brings experience in school leadership and governance.
Costas is passionate about LGBTQ+ equality and has volunteered with a number of organisations, including Pride in London, London Friend, and as a role model and workshop facilitator for Diversity Role Models. He believes education is the greatest lever for change and impact, and is honoured to support Diversity Role Models to achieve its mission.
Heidi Mallace, Vice Chair (she/her)
With 20+ years in communication and reputation management, Heidi brings significant expertise to Diversity Role Models. Achieving Board Director positions by the age of 27 without a university degree, Heidi challenges traditional career norms. Her expertise in advising leaders and businesses on communication strategies was honed at companies like Brunswick and Reputation.com and as a Board Director at global strategic advisory firm Project Associates and CTN Group, a leadership communications and creative communications agency. She now runs her own communication consultancy, Curayio. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, a neurodivergent individual, and a social mobility advocate, Heidi embodies the charity's vision of creating a world where everyone embraces diversity and can thrive.
Adam McCann (he/him)
Adam has 18+ years of professional experience across a broad range of sectors including financial services, tech, charitable and hospitality, with the last 10 years in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. He's been involved with Diversity Role Models since 2013 when he first began volunteering as a social media analyst before becoming a Role Model in 2015 and was appointed as CEO from 2018-22.
Being raised in a working class single mother household he felt different from a young age and was bullied through school. Over the last 13+ years Adam has been advocating for LGBTQ+ rights both in and out of the workplace, meeting his husband Rupert at an LGBTQ+ workplace conference. Recognising, understanding and celebrating all of our differences motivates him to create a more inclusive and welcoming future for everyone.
Ross McKellar (he/him)
Ross brings two decades of finance expertise in the energy sector and is dedicated to fostering an inclusive environment as the Co-Chair of Shell’s LGBTQ+ network. Recognized as a Top 10 Diversity Hero at the 2023 British LGBTQ+ Awards, Ross has made significant contributions to promoting diversity and inclusion.
As a long-standing member of the Diversity Role Models family, Ross has shared his experiences in classrooms as a trained Role Model. Having personally faced bullying for being perceived as “different,” Ross is deeply committed to advancing the charity’s mission to eradicate LGBTQ+ bullying in schools. He strives to create an educational system where every young person feels valued and supported, regardless of their identity.
José (JP) Plata (he/him)
JP is as passionate about people as he is about finance. Growing up in Latin America in the '90s, he didn't have LGBTQ+ role models to look up to. After navigating many trials and errors, he found his life mission: to be the friend, husband, colleague, leader, and father who makes the world a better place. With international experience as a finance executive in the Americas and Europe, JP has worked with diverse teams in Tech, Life Sciences, and Aviation. This global experience has equipped him with the skills and insights he brings to Diversity Role Models, serving the charity with a strategic mindset, as a team player, and always prioritizing financial compliance.
He currently works on accelerating the growth of scale-ups, creating unique value in innovative companies while uplifting the communities around them. JP's journey shows the power of resilience and being true to yourself, and he wants to inspire younger generations to dream bigger and achieve more.
Dena Tahmasebi (she/her)
With over 18 years of experience in media and communications that began at the BBC, Dena is a seasoned PR, Corporate Communications and Employer Branding leader and a trusted advisor to C-suite executives. She has a strong track record of developing and executing communication programs that elevate brand awareness and deliver measurable impact. Working in the technology industry, she understands the critical importance of diversity in developing new technologies, such as AI, to prevent biases and ensure a future that respects and includes all identities.
Dena's professional insights and her personal experience as an immigrant child who often felt lonely and out of place due to cultural differences fuel her dedication to the charity's mission of creating inclusive environments where every young person is recognised and valued for their individuality. By fostering safe and inclusive educational environments, we aim to empower LGBTQ+ youth and their peers to thrive in a world that celebrates diversity.
Symon Wheelhouse (he/they)
Sy is Head of People & SME in cultural change programmes, systemic HR transformation and applied behavioural and neuroscience for Kin&Co, a purpose-led culture consultancy whose purpose is to 'make every organisation work for the world'.
As a passionate advocate for LGBTQIA+ representation and building genuinely diverse and inclusive communities in the workplace, and as a proud gender non-conforming person, Sy leads by example and shows up to live their truth every day, always ready to engage in passionate debate about DEIB practice, engagement and culture change developments. Sy champions innovation and sustainable development by drawing on his experience as a management consultant and always centres his practice and support from a human-centric stance of empathy.
Directors Emeriti
Antonia Belcher (she/her)
Antonia is a founding Partner of MHBC, with over 40 years' of experience in construction and property. Transitioning in 2000 in a male-dominated industry, she became a pioneer for LGBTQ+ representation. Antonia actively advocates for positive change for Women/LGBT in Surveying, and taking pro bono appointments. Honoured as one of OUTstanding/Financial Times Top 100 LGBT Business Executives for five consecutive years (2014-2018) and recognized in 2016's City A.M. Power 100 Women List for her commitment to a fair and inclusive workplace. In 2022, Antonia was awarded an OBE by the late Queen for Services to Equality in Business, in Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee Birthday Honours list.
Scott Sullivan (he/him)
Scott is an experienced strategic HR professional with varied experience throughout the employee cycle. Scott has been key in helping businesses, most recently in the legal sector, achieve their results through managing and developing talent. Scott is a Chartered Fellow of the CIPD Level and also sits as a Justice of the Peace in East London. Scott is also a fan of foods which come with gravy, music which has clapping in it and winning at Monopoly.