Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) at Ogilvy UK
Branded by The Drum magazine as “adland’s activist” Matt is the Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) at Ogilvy UK. He is also a DEI thought leader, frequent public speaker, LGBTQ+ campaigner and multicultural specialist who has spent the last 18 years as a communications expert working in the marketing industry.
As a British Diversity Award-winning and founding member of WPP’s LGBTQ+ network UNITE, he has front-line experience of launching successful employee networks that drive organisational change. Matt currently sits in the European Association of Communications Agencies’ (EACA) DEI Task Force and on the Brand category judging panel of the British LGBT Awards.
As a proudly queer, multi-racial British Filipino, Matt is a patron of Pinxy Creatives UK: an organisation supporting British Filipinos in the media, arts and creative industries.
What are your reasons for becoming a TLG member?
The power of a seat at the TLG table cannot be underestimated, and the responsibility that comes with it is something to relish too. Adland has a long way to go when it comes to bettering diversity, equity and inclusion, and though I can affect change within my own organisation, we should not be working in silos as our efforts to create real and sustainable cultural transformation are best supported through collaboration. In a nutshell, I became a TLG member so I can work closely with a crack team of changemakers so we can have a greater positive impact on our industry.
Why are you passionate about diversity and inclusion?
Where to start? I’ve always said this was soul work, which means it aligns so congruently with my purpose. But it’s not about me. Yes, diversity, equity and inclusion are principles that underscore my sense of social justice. They are intrinsically part of my values, which I live every day, but not just for myself. I forge this path in service to others and applying it to the real-world challenges in our industry. It helps to have a multi-cultural background and several intersectional lived experiences. But most of all, it is about believing that the route to change lies in love and empathy. What’s there to not be passionate about on that score?