WCS Awards | My Queer Leader Journey, with Diego Lazaro.

Award Winner Diego Lazaro, a Queer Spanish DEI consultant, shares his Queer Leadership Journey.

My Story and Journey.

I was born and raised in Geneva to a Spanish family, I grew up navigating two cultures but without any LGBTI role models within my background. While I never experienced bullying, I often felt lonely and lacked access to information about my identity. This absence of representation shaped my desire to create the visibility I never had.

As later in life I became involved with COGAM, one of Spain’s oldest LGBTI NGOs, I witnessed the deep mental health struggles within our community. This experience reinforced the importance of sharing our stories—not only as a means of healing but also to foster understanding and acceptance in society. Seeing the transformative power of visibility and advocacy, I was inspired to become a queer leader. My goal is to empower others, ensure no one feels the isolation I once did, and work towards a world where every queer individual can thrive unapologetically.

My Work and Passion.

When I started my professional career, despite having been out of the closet for ten years, I found myself going back in at work. I quickly realized that I wasn’t alone—more than 50% of LGBTI employees still hide their sexual orientation and gender identity in the workplace. I, too, began concealing that part of myself, feeling like I had to lead a double life. This experience made me deeply aware of the gap between personal freedom and professional reality, even for my generation—the first to truly live openly as LGBTI individuals in many parts of society.

Understanding the critical need for visibility and inclusion in the workplace, I decided to take action. I launched Be Diverse, a business dedicated to helping companies implement diversity and inclusion initiatives focused on LGBTI topics. Through policy changes, communication strategies, inclusive branding, training, and measurable KPIs, we help businesses foster a culture where all employees feel they can be their authentic selves. By working directly with organizations, I aim to bridge the gap between personal identity and professional life, ensuring that workplaces become safe, supportive environments where diversity is truly embraced—not just acknowledged.

My Leadership and WCS Connection.

For me, queer leadership is about challenging the status quo—rethinking how companies are managed and how workplace culture is designed. It means questioning the heteronormative and gendered practices that shape professional environments and instead fostering spaces where people can truly be themselves. When individuals feel safe and valued for who they are, it leads to more genuine conversations, stronger team cohesion, and greater creativity. In turn, this drives innovation and ultimately benefits business as a whole.

Being part of the We Create Space community has reinforced this vision. Through this inspiring network of queer leaders from diverse industries, I’ve seen firsthand how each of us, in our own way, is bringing visibility to the queer community and pushing for a more inclusive society. Their work has motivated me to keep driving change, not just within my own business but also through collaboration with professionals across different sectors. By joining forces, we can create cross-industry projects that amplify our impact, reshape corporate culture, and ensure that future generations of queer professionals enter workplaces where authenticity is celebrated, not concealed.

Life Before & After Winning the Award.

Winning the WCS Award last year was a turning point in my journey, giving me greater visibility and recognition for my work. This achievement not only validated the impact of my efforts but also opened doors to new collaborations with queer leaders and companies. Thanks to these connections, I have been able to contribute to several major projects with international corporations over the past year, furthering my mission of creating more inclusive workplaces.

Beyond professional opportunities, the award has been a powerful source of motivation, reminding me why I started this journey in the first place. It reinforced that my work truly matters; that fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion has a real, tangible impact on people’s lives. With this encouragement, I am more driven than ever to keep expanding my initiatives, building meaningful partnerships, and pushing for lasting change in corporate culture.

My Vision for the Future.

My dream for the future is to continue building strong collaborations with LGBTI professionals and expanding Be Diverse to create a tangible, lasting impact on workplace culture. I want to ensure that new generations feel included and welcomed in their professional environments, without the fear of having to hide who they are. By working with businesses to implement meaningful diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, I hope to create workplaces where authenticity is celebrated and everyone can thrive.

Despite recent setbacks in DEI efforts, particularly in the U.S., I remain committed to showing companies the true benefits of embracing diversity. Inclusion is not just a moral imperative, it drives innovation, enhances employee well-being, and strengthens businesses as a whole.

I’m also optimistic about Spain’s new law requiring companies with over 50 employees to establish LGBTI DEI plans. This is a crucial step toward systemic change, ensuring that inclusion is not optional but an integral part of corporate responsibility. By leveraging this momentum, I aim to support companies in designing impactful policies that go beyond compliance, creating truly inclusive environments. The future of work must be one where everyone, regardless of identity, can succeed authentically.

As a queer leader, I see myself evolving by being more proactive in advocating for inclusivity, taking on more leadership roles, and using my platform to inspire others.

Diego Lazaro (he/him)

Diego is a Diversity & Inclusion consultant and Founder of Be Diverse, a firm that provides LGBT+ awareness and strategy trainings to companies. In the past, Diego has also been collaborating with COGAM, one of Spain's oldest LGBT+ NGOs, delivering over 100 workshops to top multinational companies such as IBM, Vodafone and AXA. Diego is fluent in three languages and has lived in Switzerland, United Kingdom, Germany and Spain. He's passionate about bringing positive change within organisations and his purpose is to work towards improving LGBT+ inclusion in the workplace and society as a whole.

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