GHD LGBTI+ Action Plan, Australia

Pride Alliance Action Plan Australia

2023 - 2025

→ The Power of Commitment

About this plan

At GHD we strive to be an inclusive community where everyone feels they belong. In line with our global strategy, we want to be an organisation that facilitates more productive and connected teams that value each other's differences.

The inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and asexual people as well as individuals with diverse sex characteristics, gender identities, gender expressions or sexual orientations (LGBTQIA+) is an important part of this.

Our commitment to inclusion is about more than supporting and promoting a workplace where people feel comfortable and empowered regardless of their sexual orientation and gender identity. It also means providing a supportive environment for anyone with a direct or indirect connection to the LGBTQIA+ community, including family, friends, and workplace colleagues.

With this vision in mind, in 2016 we established a National LGBTQIA+ Reference Group that is now supported by a growing network of more than 230

allies across Australia, and has the executive support of Cara Kuramoto our executive sponsor from our Australian Leadership Team (ALT) and Coralee Fitzgibbon our I&D Leader, APAC.

In recent years we've made steady progress. For example, in 2018 we participated for the first time in the Australian Workplace Equality Index (AWEI), a definitive independent national benchmark on LGBTQIA+ workplace inclusion and we were proud to receive Bronze Status.

In 2023 we sought collaboration between GHD's LGBTQIA+ Reference Groups globally, and the groups now harmonise under a global Pride Alliance banner.

Our aim now is to go further to challenge ourselves and our industry to fully embrace inclusion. This Action Plan documents our commitments to achieving our aspirations for LGBTQIA+ inclusion in Australia.

We aim to provide a supportive environment for anyone with a connection to the LGBTQIA+ community.

This document is and shall remain the property of GHD. The document may only be used for the purpose for which it was commissioned and in accordance with the Terms of Engagement for the commission. Unauthorised use of this

in

whatsoever is prohibited.

At GHD, we strive to be an inclusive community where everyone feels they belong. More broadly, our commitment recognises that our people have a life outside of work – a life which we believe can exist in harmony with their life at work. Being inclusive is about how we listen to, consider and shape our work environment.

Our intention is to acknowledge and celebrate diversity in doing so, foster a welcoming, supportive workplace that champions opportunities for all, a workplace that embraces a human rights approach in our policies and practice.

While we've made a lot progress in this respect, I know we can and need to do more. We want people to be comfortable to be their authentic self, to feel that they belong, and to feel positive about fully engaging and contributing in their own way.

Current estimates indicate that Australians of diverse sexual orientation, sex or gender identity account for up to 11 per cent of our population.

We know that our clients are increasingly seeking assurance as part of their buying decisions that as a supplier, GHD has a structured commitment to inclusion and diversity.

With this in mind, our Australian Pride Alliance Action Plan represents a commitment to being an Employer of Choice and a place where people can bring their whole self to work.

Throughout this document you will find stories about our people that we hope serve to build understanding and inspire others to share their stories, recognising the powerful impact that personal accounts can have in encouraging fresh thinking and inclusive behaviour.

I'm confident this plan provides a solid framework for us to take the next step in our LGBTQIA+ inclusion journey together.

Thank you again for your support and engagement.

— Dean McIntyre, Executive General Manager - Australia

Endorsed by:

Coralee Fitzgibbon, I&D Leader, APAC

Ian

Fraser, CEO - Asia

Pacific

What is LGBTQIA+?

LGBTQIA is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex and asexual or aromantic. It is widely accepted as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity.

While there are other variations of this acronym in common use, at GHD we use ‘LGBTQIA+’ as a collective noun that relates to inclusion for the spectrum of sexual orientation, sex characteristics, gender identity and gender expressions.

Our vision

Our LGBTQIA+ vision is to create an inclusive environment for all our people to comfortably share all aspects of themselves at work. To foster a welcoming workplace environment for people across the spectrums of gender and sexuality through education, resources, policy and ongoing support. In doing so we will chart a course that creates a framework for LGBTQIA+ inclusion at an enterprise level, contributing to our commitment to be number one for inclusion and diversity in our industry.

Our team: → Employee Reference Group

Cara Kuramoto | People Leader - Australia | She/her

As People Leader for Australia, Cara is focused on employee experience and wellbeing, enhancing our organisational culture and ability to respond to an evolving employment landscape, preparing us for the Future of Work. She joined GHD in 2004, and since then she has contributed to a number of national and enterprise level people projects including the roll out of our Core Job Architecture framework and Global People System (GPS). Cara advocates for and champions positive people leadership to drive organisational success. Cara is the Australian Leadership Team’s Executive Sponsor of LGBTQIA+ inclusion and the Pride Alliance.

Coralee Fitzgibbon | I&D Leader, APAC | She/her

Based in Auckland, New Zealand, Coralee joined GHD in 2021 with a background in psychology, people experience and analytics. She’s passionate about creating an inclusive environment where all people can thrive. Coralee believes human connection and respect for individuals is a key enabler of business performance, and this starts with understanding each other better. Coralee serves as a strategic advisor for our APAC region working closely with leadership, employee resource groups (ERGs), the Global I&D Council, and People Teams to achieve GHD's overall I&D goals.

Michael Saba | People Business Partner | He/him

Mike is an outgoing and fun-loving individual who aspires to make change with one small step at a time. Mike joined GHD as People Business Partner in February 2022 as part of the Sydney Region’s People Team. Mike comes to the LGBTQIA+ ERG with lived experiences and previous memberships with various organisational pride networks. Since joining GHD, Mike has been appointed the LGBTQIA+ ERG Chair, co-lead for the Sydney Region Pride Alliance and co-lead for the Sydney Region Ally network. He regularly collaborates with our National I&D committee.

Max Goonan | Pre-Positioning Lead – Brisbane Olympic Games 2032 | He/him

Max is currently Pre-Positioning Lead – Brisbane Olympic Games

2032. As such he works within the strategic client portfolio engaging with target clients and key decision makers, raising GHD’s sustainability and mega event credentials for this important key pursuit. Max joined GHD in 2017, and has held senior roles including Group Media & Communications Leader. Before joining GHD, Max gained significant global event marketing experience across a range of sectors including consultancy work and marketing communications across the Sydney 2000 Olympics, Melbourne Commonwealth Games, and in a key commercial role at the Australian Open. Max is an empowering leader with a strong passion for inclusion and diversity, particularly LGBTQIA+ inclusion.

Jackie Bazzo | Engagement & Communication Consultant | She/her

Jackie joined GHD in 2021, she has extensive stakeholder engagement experience within the local government and community sectors. In her role, Jackie researches and identifies the needs, motivations, objectives and preferences of diverse stakeholders to truly integrate business goals and communication objectives. Having joined the Pride Alliance in 2023, Jackie looks forward to using her skills and experience to champion LGBTQIA+ inclusion across GHD. As the parent of two young people within the LGBTQIA+ community, Jackie hopes to learn more about others’ personal experiences, and provide support to other parents and carers of young people that are currently navigating the formative years of their identity journey and development.

Dani Campbell | Senior Electrical Engineer | She/her, they/them

Dani joined GHD in 2019 after almost eight years in various roles in British Columbia, Canada. Dani specialises in adding value to large power generation and power delivery projects, particularly projects for utility clients. Dani has led engineering teams on brownfield high voltage substation projects, industrial upgrade projects and projects to improve client processes. Dani is passionate about ensuring an inclusive work environment through consideration of how we collectively deliver work. Dani contributes to GHD's Pride Alliance from lived experience in the industry as a transgender person.

Tim Dilnot | Marketing & Communications Leader, Australia | He/him

Tim is a senior communications and marketing professional with more than 25 years’ experience in professional services. As a member of GHD’s Inclusion & Diversity Employee Reference Group, Tim helps ensure our communication activities are inclusive, engage target audiences and add value. He is responsible for leading the development and implementation of both internal and external marketing and communication campaigns for all our I&D programs at a national level, including LGBTQIA+.

Christian Edwards | Architect, GHD Design | He/him

Christian is an Architect with GHD Design. He has been with GHD for more than three years, and it is the people and culture that keep him focused and motivated to achieve. Outside of work Christian is very active in the LGBTQIA+ community, particularly across sport and culture. He is always looking for ways he can donate more time and effort into building meaningful connections with people. Christian wants to give a voice and representation to the thoughts and beliefs of all LGBTQIA+ members and allies, and create safe spaces where all sexualities and genders are celebrated and welcomed.

Tasos Katopodis | Cost Optimisation Leader | He/him

Tasos has been in professional services for more than 30 years, initially as an environmental consultant. In more recent times Tasos has been a senior operational leader running GHD's Newcastle and then Sydney operations as well as our Remediation Contracting business in Australia. In his current role, Tasos focuses on developing more rigorous approaches to cost management in concert with our carbon neutral and sustainability aspirations. Tasos is a champion of social justice and a strong advocate for minorities and groups that have faced historical hardship and discrimination.

Geraldine Saunders-Morgan | Executive Assistant to Executive General Manager - Australia and Finance Leader - Australia | She/her

Geraldine is a senior Executive Assistant professional with more than 22 years' experience in private and local government organisations, and has been with GHD for more than 18 years. She previously held roles within GHD as Business Group Coordinator and Group Administrative Assistant. She works across a wide range of areas nationally and is a passionate LGBTQIA+ ally.

Industry recognition

- AWEI Bronze Employer, 2018

- Australasian Rail Association, Workforce Diversity Award, winner 2021

- CoreNet Global Australia Chapter REawards, Diversity & Inclusion Excellence Award, winner 2023

- Property Council of Australia, Award for Diversity, finalist in 2017 and 2020

Structure and governance

Our Pride Alliance Employee Reference Group (ERG) governance structure is illustrated in the organisational chart below. This ERG is chaired by Michael Saba and supported by two executive sponsors, it consists of portfolio roles that support the execution and delivery of this Action Plan.

There are five key streams: Chair & Co-Chair, Regional Champion Support, Allyship, Events Coordination and Marketing/Communications.

The ERG also coordinates an Ally Network which is made up of an internal group of supporters, advocates, friends, educators and agents for change with a common focus on promoting a stronger, more collaborative and diverse voice for LGBTQIA+ inclusion.

Our LGBTQIA+ allies are encouraged to bring their own passions for equity, inclusion and essential human rights, and channel those passions in ways that promote and support our commitment to LGBTQIA+ inclusion as part of our broader I&D strategy.

ERG structure

Tasos

Jackie Bazzo

Making a difference

To help ensure our alignment with and understanding of broader societal changes and LGBTQIA+ community needs and expectations, GHD partners with and supports a range of related organisations. These include Pride in Diversity (PiD) and InterEngineer. We also regularly participate in the Australian Workplace Equality Index (AWEI). Apart from helping to benchmark our performance, external recognition through awards and partnerships has a positive impact on our internal culture. This is something that has been strongly acknowledged in surveys of our people and other feedback.

PiD

PiD is a national program coordinated by ACON, Australia’s largest not-for-profit health organisation for people of diverse sexualities and genders. PiD is the national employer support program for LGBTQIA+ workplace inclusion specialising in HR, organisational change and workplace diversity. PiD publishes the AWEI, Australia’s national benchmarking instrument for LGBTQIA+ workplace inclusion from which Top Employers for LGBTQIA+ people is determined. As a member of PiD, GHD has access to extensive support, resources, networking opportunities, training, consulting and advice via a dedicated account manager and frequent interaction with other LGBTQIA+ practitioners.

InterEngineer

GHD is also a member of InterEngineer, a community of LGBTQIA+ engineering professionals and allies from metro, regional and remote Australia that role model, advocate for and celebrate the intersection of LGBTQIA+ people in the engineering profession. The community is run by a committee supported by Engineers Australia.

Perth Pride ↓

At the Perth Pride Parade many GHD colleagues joined Out For Australia to march and show company support for our LGBTQIA+ community. Some of our clients were also part of the parade.

Our people shared that they were taking part for visibility, equality and their younger self as they marched through the vibrant streets of Northbridge to the tunes of Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift.

→ IDAHOBIT 2023

On 17 May we recognised International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia & Transphobia (IDAHOBIT) as an opportunity to raise awareness for the work still needed to combat discrimination against LGBTQIA+ people.

GHD hosted a National Live (MS Teams) Panel Event featuring:

- Special guest, Cadance Bell (she/her), celebrated Australian author/director/ producer and writer

- Macallister Ryan (they/them), Graduate Advisor - Environmental, Social and Governance, Advisory, GHD

- Kelly Kraatz (she/her), Electrical Engineer, GHD

Cadance discussed her lived experiences as an openly transgender person, while the panel discussed psychological safety in the workplace, pronouns, what acceptance looks like in the workplace and allyship.

The panel also took audience questions from the Q&A chat.

World Pride Regatta ↓

As part of Sydney World Pride 2023, our GHD Gurus dragon boat team came in second place at the inaugural Dragons on Darling World Pride Regatta at Cockle Bay Wharf, Darling Harbour.

A different road to becoming a parent for Callum BryanMathieson

The journey to have a child can be an emotional roller-coaster for any parent-to-be. For Callum Bryan-Mathieson, Sydney Team Lead for Landscape Architecture & Urban Design and his partner Clinton, their journey began with plenty of excitement and energy.

Now they have a family of five after welcoming three children (now 3, 5 and 7), each via altruistic surrogacy and egg donation.

→ Read their story here.

Intersectionality

Intersectionality describes the way people’s social identities can overlap, and how aspects of a person's social and political identities can combine to create different modes of discrimination or privilege. Intersectionality is the acknowledgment that everyone has their own unique experience of these things, based on all the elements that combine to make up their identity.

In a workplace context, what’s most important is that we recognise how intersectionality, through layers of discrimination or privilege, can impact our workplace community in different ways.

At GHD, one of the ways we are working to understand and address this is by increasing our focus on establishing strong connections and improving collaboration between our various Inclusion and Diversity Employee Reference Groups, such as Women in GHD (WING), Neurodiversity, Indigenous Engagement and our Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) champions and committees.

Some of the commitments detailed in this plan are designed to grow our focus in this area.

Marking World Pride Month, Wear it Purple Day and the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHOBIT)

1.7 � of the world population is known to be born intersex

This is one of the key takeaways our people learned during IDAHOBIT 2019, when many of our offices held lunch time screenings of ABC's 'You Can't Ask That' Intersex episode.

→ Watch it here.

Pride Month compilation video 2020

IDAHOBIT compilation video 2020

Wear it

Purple Day in WA 2019

Our commitments

1. Review all Australian HR policies, benefits, procedures, and any associated IS and HSE processes and forms with a view to incorporating LGBTQIA+ inclusive language

2. As an extension of action 1, review with the Enterprise I&D Leads and IS to incorporate the Pronouns plug-in on the MS Teams platform

3. Develop & publish Gender Affirming Policy & supporting documents, including dress code guidance & contact points

4. Develop and publish an LGBTQIA+ Sustainability Plan that creates a road map for the continuity of our Pride Alliance ERG group including regional champions, detailing the responsibilities of the executive sponsor and members and how successors are selected as and when required.

5. Update GHD Induction, Orientation & Onboarding Programs to incorporate consistent messages regarding our Pride Alliance ERG, how GHD supports LGBTQIA+ inclusion, and how our people can get involved

6. Develop recommendations for increased visibility of reporting of LGBTQIA+ inclusion progress

7. Promote and measure completion of e-learning module on LGBTQIA+ inclusion, available to all employees

8. Explore the feasibility of committing to all-gender facilities for refurbishment or new office leases for GHD across Australia

9. Publish a minimum of six social media posts in 2023-24 that reference how GHD, our leaders and our people are promoting LGBTQIA+ inclusion

10. Redesign the ERG and Regional Champion structure

Note: All dates listed are calendar year, e.g. Q1 = January to March

2 Culture Action Target

1. Foster and maintain a collaborative, supportive internal LGBTQIA+ community

2. Foster and reinvigorate ally engagement with regular LGBTQIA+ activities and working groups

3. Initiate a program to recognise and celebrate individual LGBTQIA+ Allies Network support to encourage new allies and engagement

4. Visibly participate or sponsor a minimum of two external LGBTQIA+ events with publicly visible company branding, e.g. Mardi Gras or Pride March

5. Continue to build relationships and extract maximum value from our partnerships with LGBTQIA+ community non-for-profits

6. Promote and support employee fundraising related to LGBTQIA+

7. Media outreach to promote GHD’s support for LGBTQIA+ inclusion - at least three independent articles referencing GHD

8. Support intersectionality across Australian business through annual collaboration workshops

9. One external guest speaker to participate every year as part of a national internal GHD LGBTQIA+ event

10. Develop a proposal for a National (ideally face-to-face otherwise virtual) Planning Conference for key ally representatives, Pride Alliance Champions + ERG

11. Develop proposal to build relationships with other engineering consultancies to help foster LGBTQIA+ inclusion across our industry

Ongoing review of the existing networks and support mechanisms available to employees

Q4 – FY23/24

Ongoing

Ongoing

Ongoing

At least 1 fundraising campaign completed annually

Annual target of media clippings published by Q4 – FY23/24

Ongoing

Ongoing

Q4 – FY24/25

Ongoing

“ The PARC community is a diverse network of LGBTQIA+ people and allies, bringing great initiatives together and driving inclusion at GHD.”

- Constance Reynolds - Pride Alliance Regional Champion (PARC)

3 Leadership Action Target

1. Increase internal visibility and advocacy of senior leaders across the organisation through personal communication reflection that helps promote LGBTQIA+ inclusion

2. Increase external visibility of senior leaders advocating for LGBTQIA+ inclusion using our corporate channels and/or media outreach

3. Increase external advocacy through active participation at respected events/conferences

4. Regular LGBTQIA+ training for leadership teams, and external training sessions for members of our senior executive team

5. Establish a structured, internal annual coaching program for senior GHD leaders

6. Share knowledge and progress with international ERGs and key stakeholders

7. Create a proposed framework to position GHD as a Champion of Change in our industry for supporting and promoting LGBTQIA+ employment opportunities, through recruitment practices, our recruitment marketing, and other public promotion

Minimum of 10 internal articles or posts from senior leaders annually across Australia

Minimum of three external articles involving at least two members of our ALT, annually

Our ALT sponsor to attend at least two PiD Executive Allies Forums and one non-PiD LGBTQIA+ event

A minimum of two regional leadership teams to complete training

At least one GHD senior executive to participate in a structured program with a recognised coach or an internal GHD colleague

ALT Sponsor to provide regular updates to Global I&D Leader Diversity Council

Q4 – FY24/25

Further implementation details are available upon request from Michael Saba or Tim Dilnot.

“

Embracing inclusion and diversity isn't just a moral imperative, it's a strategic choice we make to embrace different perspectives, which then fuels innovation and collaboration.”

- Alison Colella, Regional General Manager - Northern Australia

Glossary of common terms

The following is intended as a brief guide to some of the most common terms associated with LGBTQIA+ inclusion. For a more comprehensive overview, please refer to the resources on the Pride in Diversity website.

Allies: Our Allies network is an internal group of supporters, advocates, friends, educators and agents for change with a common focus on promoting a stronger, more collaborative and diverse voice for LGBTQIA+ inclusion at GHD. To find out more and become an Ally, contact your local LGBTQIA+ Champion.

Bisexual: A person who is sexually and emotionally attracted to persons of the same, opposite or different sex.

CIS or Cisgender: A term used to describe when a person’s gender identity matches social expectations for their sex assigned at birth; the opposite of transgender. It is unclear how this term relates to people with intersex variations, if at all.

Deadnaming: The use of the birth or other former name (i.e. a name that is "dead") of a transgender or non-binary person without their consent.

Gay: A person whose primary emotional and sexual attraction is towards people of the same gender. The term is most commonly applied to males, although some females use this term.

Gender identity: Gender is part of a person’s personal and social identity. It refers to the way a person feels, presents and is recognised within the community. A person’s gender expression refers to outward social markers, including their name, outward appearance, mannerisms and dress.

Intersex: Intersex people are born with physical, hormonal or genetic features that are neither wholly female nor wholly male, or a combination of female and male.

Lesbian: A female whose primary emotional and sexual attraction is towards other females. Note that some females may use the term gay woman.

LGBTQIA+: LGBTI is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, has become an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity. ‘LGBTQIA+’ as a collective noun relates to inclusion for all across the spectrum of sexual orientation and sex characteristics, gender identity and gender expressions.

Misgendering: Describing or addressing someone using language that does not match a person’s gender identity. For people with intersex variations, this may include a presumption that they have a non-binary gender identity, just as much as an assumption that they are a man, or a woman.

Pronouns: Pronouns are typically the easiest way to acknowledge someone's identity. In an inclusion context, using a person's preferred personal pronoun is a form of respect and validation. Preferred personal pronouns such as ‘she/her’, ‘he/him’ can be included alongside a person’s name (e.g. in their email signature) to help others identify and refer to them respectfully.

Queer: An umbrella term for a wide range of nonconforming gender identities and sexual orientations.

Sex: Refers to the chromosomal, gonadal, and anatomical characteristics associated with biological sex.

Trans: Transgender (sometimes shortened to ‘trans’) is an umbrella term used to describe a wide range of gender identities that differ from the perceived norms aligned to biological sex. Transgender is a term that may be used to describe someone whose gender identity does not match their birth gender, someone who identifies as both genders, neither gender or a third gender.

Transition: Describes both a public act and a process. It involves the permanent and public adoption of the style and presentation of the gender different to that of a person’s birth-assigned sex. It usually includes a change of name, chosen style of address and pronouns, as well as adopting the dress and style of presentation of a person’s innate gender. It may also involve gender reassignment surgery and/or hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Not all who transition undergo medically assisted gender reassignment.

Building a culture of respect for all people and communities is key to ensuring our people can bring their whole self to work each day at GHD.

GHD strives to be an organisation that facilitates more productive and connected teams that value each other's differences. The inclusion of LGBTQIA+ employees and clients is an important part of that work.

This Pride Alliance Action Plan documents our commitments to achieving our aspirations for the LGBTQIA+ pillar of inclusion.

ghd.com/inclusionAU