Leng Montgomery is a passionate LGBT inclusion and trans specialist who actively engages and consults within the public and private sector. He is an advocate of LGBT issues and has written policy and delivered keynote speeches across the globe on the topic. He is currently a Diversity and Inclusion Executive at Sainsbury’s where he leads on LGBT for the group that includes Argos and Habitat. In addition, he supports the wider diversity and inclusion team on disability, carers and BAME activity. Previously, Leng worked at Stonewall, where he was involved in the Workplace Equality Index and the trans inclusion guides launched in 2016. In 2014, he was the first openly trans contestant on BBC’s MasterChef and, for two years running in 2014 and 2015, he was listed on the Independent’s Rainbow List in the ‘Ones to Watch’ category. Leng is a nominee in the 2018 British LGBT awards Corporate Rising Star category.

Leng loves to cook, share food and travel whenever he has the opportunity. He enjoys visiting art exhibitions, the cinema and National Trust locations.

If you could change one thing about the world through your work, what would it be?

I’d love to transform talent pipelines and dramatically change the make-up of a board or senior management population. Things like unconscious bias aren’t working. Organisations boast of people bringing their whole selves to work yet many people have to hide who they really are.

“I wasn’t expecting to feel so emotional today about real life stories. It was very, very powerful. Just get out there and talk to people. Get out of your comfort zone. Be more generous.”

– TEDxLondonSalon attendee