Queer Women in Leadership: panel recap
April 23, 2026In celebration of Lesbian Visibility Week, myGwork hosted a powerful panel discussion featuring queer women in leadership roles, exploring their personal journeys, the barriers they face, and their vision for true equity.
Hosted by Marie-Helene Tyack, Global Diversity and Inclusion Manager at Allianz Commercial and founder of Lesbian History Day, the conversation highlighted the historical marginalization of queer women and the critical importance of visibility and authentic leadership today. As Marie-Helene articulated, "Queer women especially have historically been marginalized in professional and political spaces." The panelists delved into the nuanced challenges of this, and triumphs of navigating corporate environments as out queer women.
TJ Richards, who serves as the Chair of Santander UK's LGBTQ+ and allies network, Embrace, shared her profound insights on the continuous nature of visibility. Drawing from her personal history, including being ousted from the U.S. Air Force for her identity, she emphasized that coming out is not a singular event.
"Visibility isn't binary. It's not a one-time thing. You don't come out once, right? And I think we all know this, it's a series of decisions that are shaped by the context, the safety, the power dynamics at the time," TJ stated. She stressed that authentic leadership frees individuals from self-editing, allowing them to focus on their work and build trust, while also highlighting the critical importance of intersectionality and the inclusion of trans women in the narrative.
Dawn Vigil, a District Sales Manager at HP and an executive sponsor for her company's on-site Pride group, spoke about the power of being visible in everyday interactions. She noted the historical lack of out leaders and the impact that can have, as well as how finding mentors inspired her own openness.
Dawn now strives to be an example for others, challenging the need for queer individuals to constantly "come out" in new settings. She shared a personal anecdote illustrating how her open communication influences culture: "I no longer hesitate to say 'My wife and I did this'. It is just a part of my everyday talk flow, and it wasn't when I started here in my younger years. I love everyone that can say, 'You know what, I am open, I am talking about my life'. It definitely changes the culture."
Beatriz Solano Blanco from Colt Technology Services differentiated between mentorship and sponsorship, portraying the latter as a crucial catalyst for career advancement for queer women. She highlighted the "extra cognitive and emotional load" faced by queer women who must constantly calibrate when to reveal their authentic selves in professional settings.
Beatriz argued that while mentorship builds confidence, sponsorship actively propels careers. "I think that sponsorship is the real accelerator… Someone that uses their power, their credibility, their position, their voice to open doors and put your name forward," she explained, advocating for intentional advocacy over mere advice to create the next generation of queer leaders.
Sydnee Sampson-Blackwell, a Senior Software Engineer at CallRail and manager of the Black Lesbian Link Up, shared her experience of being often the "only Black lesbian in the engineering org." She emphasized that queer women, particularly those with intersecting identities, lack a predefined "roadmap" for life and leadership.
Sydnee underscored the necessity of community and resilience in navigating these unique challenges. "We can't follow the book, you know? Like, there's no book for us, like, the lesbian roadmap to life of, you know, like, there's nothing for us, you know? So it's just, like, we have to keep going, and it's like, if we go this way, this door is shut, you go this way and open another door, you know?" she shared, encouraging perseverance and community building.
Sophie Bailes, a Senior Director in R&D IT at AstraZeneca, observed a significant shift in leadership over her 25-year career. She shared inspiring stories of openly queer leaders within AstraZeneca who create an inclusive environment, emphasizing that people shouldn't wait for leadership positions to be their true selves.
She recalled a time when queer women were largely invisible in leadership roles, but celebrated the current growth of leaders who feel empowered to lead authentically. "In the past 10 years, I'm seeing this huge growth in what I see as authentic leadership. And that's really allowed people to be strong leaders and truly authentic to who they are with people," Sophie noted, highlighting the positive impact this has on organizational culture and inspiring future generations.