In Good Company
with Alix Hinson

What impact has inclusive leadership had on your career and your workplace?

I feel incredibly lucky that so many people have been part of this journey with me.

At SAP, we have an incredible Inclusion team who are always there when we need them, offering guidance and support while empowering us to lead. They trust us, champion us, and create the space for our Employee Network Groups to thrive.

Our executive leaders are with us every step of the way. Their doors are always open, and they advocate for us just as passionately. My own managers have consistently listened, supported me, and recognised that this work isn’t separate from my role—it is part of who I am. They’ve made space for it because they see me as a whole person, understanding that this work isn’t just important to me; it’s part of me.

Out & Equal embodies that same spirit of inclusive leadership in our Partnership. Across all of their Partnerships, regardless of size or level, leaders like CEO Erin Uritus and Chief Programs Officer Deena Fidas take the time to get to know us. Not just SAP as an organisation, but each of us as individuals. The same is true of the Programs and Partner Success teams, who work so closely with us to make our Partnership thrive. They understand who we are, how we work, and how to help us succeed together. I have yet to meet a single person at Out & Equal who hasn’t welcomed us with warmth, kindness, and a genuine desire to help us grow.

Is there a moment, a conversation, or a connection that has shaped how you show up as a leader?

Throughout my time with Pride@SAP, the moments that have stayed with me the most are when someone feels safe enough—whether during a panel discussion or an education session—to be vulnerable. They come forward to learn, to ask a question, or to share something deeply personal about themselves or their family.

We do a lot of work in corporate spaces focused on allyship in the workplace, but it’s easy to forget that allyship extends far beyond the office. When we connect with our colleagues, we’re also connecting with human beings with lives, experiences, and stories outside of work.

It’s easy to put on our “work face” and do our best professionally, but for people to truly live, contribute, and thrive in the workplace, they need to feel they can bring their whole selves to work.

We’ve had parents ask us how they can be better allies for their children. We’ve had people wanting to understand how language and terminology have evolved across generations. The most important thing isn’t having every answer—it’s that they feel safe enough to ask the question. That’s something we’re incredibly proud of: creating spaces where curiosity, vulnerability, and learning are welcomed.

Will we have all the answers all of the time? Of course not. But often someone else in the room has experienced something similar and is willing to share a part of their own story. Those shared experiences can provide reassurance, perspective, and support in ways that facts alone never could.

What is the role of community in workplace inclusion?

An incredible mentor of mine at SAP, Margot Godson, once shared a piece of advice with me: “Your network is your net worth.” Those words have shaped how I think about the relationships we build every day. They remind me that every connection matters because, if we’re open to it, we can learn something from every person we meet. We grow by learning from one another.

SAP has given me so many incredible opportunities, and I genuinely don’t think I would have experienced or learned half of them without Pride@SAP and our Partnership with Out & Equal. Through those experiences, I’ve developed skills that I now bring into my day-to-day role. More than anything, they’ve given me confidence—the confidence to lead, to speak up, and to keep learning.

I hope that during my time in leadership I’ve been able to do the same for others: helping people grow, inspiring them to step forward, and creating opportunities for them to find their own voice.

Every connection matters because, if we’re open to it, we can learn something from every person we meet. We grow by learning from one another.

The relationships and community we build through Out & Equal continue to grow stronger every year too. Whether it’s with other Employee Network Groups, Partner organizations, or the incredible individuals we meet along the way, those connections last well beyond a single event. People like Erin Uritus herself, and so many others from the Out & Equal community, have shared their experiences by speaking at our Pride events, continuing to strengthen that sense of community, belonging, and shared purpose.

For me, that’s what this Partnership is really about. It’s about people investing in one another, learning together, and creating a community that extends far beyond the workplace.

The past couple of years have brought real headwinds for workplace inclusion efforts. How has that changed the way you think about your role, and where has support shown up for you in unexpected ways?

I never want to diminish how difficult the past few years have been. I was serving as Global Co-Lead when things became much more challenging to navigate, and it was a genuinely difficult time. There were moments when it was hard to know where to turn or what the right next step was.

What made it so challenging was that it wasn’t just about policy changes or differing opinions. Behind every conversation were real people, real stories, and real fears. You could see the emotional toll it was taking on people. There was uncertainty, anxiety, and, for many, burnout. As inclusion leaders, those weren’t abstract conversations—they were deeply personal because they affected our colleagues, our friends, and our communities.

At the same time, I believe those experiences challenged us to become better at what we do. They pushed us to listen more intentionally, to think more broadly, and to be even more purposeful about how we create spaces where people feel they belong.

One of the questions I kept asking myself was: while our goal has always been that no one should feel excluded for any reason, were we doing enough to bring everyone on the journey? Not just our LGBTQ+ community, but our allies and colleagues across different regions, cultures, and lived experiences. Could we do better?

I genuinely think the answer is yes, and that’s something that gives me hope. As our structures have evolved, I’ve seen new opportunities emerge. Reorganized teams have meant more people bringing different perspectives, more champions helping to carry the work forward, and more opportunities to reach colleagues in ways we hadn’t considered before. For me, that’s the biggest lesson from this moment. Inclusion has never been the responsibility of a handful of passionate people. It belongs to all of us. The more voices we bring into the conversation, the more we listen, learn, and work together, the stronger our community becomes. And that’s something I continue to believe wholeheartedly.

As an inclusion leader based in the UK, what perspective or insights has that vantage point given you, especially in this moment?

Being based in the UK has given me a unique perspective because we’re navigating a moment where inclusion is more visible than ever, but also more complex. There have been incredible steps forward for LGBTQ+ inclusion, but we’ve also seen conversations become increasingly polarized. For me, that’s made the role of inclusion leaders even more important. We have a responsibility to create spaces where people feel safe to be curious, to ask questions, and to learn from one another without fear of judgment.

One thing I’ve come to appreciate is that inclusion isn’t defined by a policy or a statement—it’s defined by how people feel. Do they feel like they belong? Do they feel comfortable bringing their whole selves to work? Do they know they’ll be supported by the people around them? Those are the questions that really matter.

Our Partnership with Out & Equal has been instrumental in helping us keep that broader perspective. It reminds us that while every organization and every country has its own context, the desire for belonging is universal. Through Out & Equal, we’ve been able to learn from leaders and organizations around the world, challenge our own thinking, and bring fresh ideas back into our programmes at SAP.

What I’ve valued most is the sense of community. Sometimes, when you’re leading inclusion work, it can feel like you’re solving challenges in isolation, especially as volunteers. Out & Equal creates a space where we can learn from one another, celebrate progress, and be honest about the work that’s still ahead. That exchange of ideas has strengthened not only our programmes, but also our confidence to keep evolving.

With the Out & Equal Workplace Summit coming up, can you describe the Summit attendee experience?

I don’t think I’ll ever forget my first Out & Equal Workplace Summit. It was in Las Vegas in 2022, when the world was slowly emerging from the pandemic. Like so many people, I’d spent months connecting with colleagues through a screen, and I had no idea just how much that first Summit would mean to me.

The first thing that struck me was finally meeting so many members of my Pride@SAP family in person. We’re a truly global community. Last year alone, our Summit attendees travelled from 15 different countries, collectively spending more than 200 hours getting there just to be together. That’s the power of connection!

But the moment that really changed me was when the doors opened for the first plenary session. I remember looking around the room and just thinking, wow. There was such an incredible sense of energy, belonging, and purpose.

That year’s Summit theme, Unstoppable, has stayed with me. It reminded me that we should never forget everything that makes us who we are. It’s easy to focus on just one part of ourselves, especially at work, but there are so many incredible “&s” that make up our identities—our families, cultures, passions, communities, friendships, and experiences. We shouldn’t feel we have to leave any of those behind. That’s what authenticity really means to me.

I’ve been back to Summit every year since, and I honestly can’t imagine not going. Whatever my career looks like in the future, Out & Equal and Pride@SAP will always be part of my story. I’m incredibly proud of the work we do in a corporate space because it matters—it creates belonging, opens conversations, and changes lives.

What is the impact of year-round investment in workplace inclusion and how has your Partnership with Out & Equal supported this?

Investments like this matter to our community and to our Employee Network Group because they help us grow. We’d be mistaken to think we know it all—every experience presents an opportunity to learn and evolve.

As we celebrate 25 years as an established ENG, we know we can’t stand still. In the same way that Pride isn’t just a month in June, our work doesn’t stop when the celebrations end. It is year-round. The challenges evolve, and we must continue to adapt, grow, and identify where we can do better, ensuring our workplace continues to offer the same sense of community that I felt when I first joined 10 years ago.

Out & Equal Partnership provides exactly those opportunities. Its events bring people together to learn, share experiences, and gain new perspectives that we can take back into our own workplaces. They encourage us to ask difficult but necessary questions: Are we doing enough? Where can we improve? How do we continue to create meaningful change in a world that is constantly evolving?

Those conversations aren’t always easy, but they are essential if we want to keep growing. Because every one of us matters. Partnerships like this remind us that lasting progress happens when we learn from one another, support one another, and move forward together. We are always stronger together.

What does belonging at work mean to you?

Belonging, to me, is a feeling.

It’s that moment when you walk into a room and don’t wonder if you need to change who you are. You don’t have to think about what parts of yourself are “safe” to share or which stories you should leave at the door. You simply get to be you. I think that’s why this work has become so personal to me.

For me, belonging isn’t about everyone having the right words or always getting it right. It’s about knowing you’re surrounded by people who care enough to keep trying. It’s about giving each other grace, listening with curiosity instead of judgment, and believing that we all have something to learn from one another.

One of my favorite reminders of this is the ampersand: &. We all have so many “&s” that make us who we are. I’m LGBTQ+ & a colleague. A leader & someone who is still learning every day. A friend, a family member, an advocate, & so much more. Every single person we meet carries their own collection of “&s”, and belonging means never asking someone to leave one behind.

In fact, the “&” has become such a meaningful symbol that I had it tattooed. It’s a small reminder that every part of me belongs. What’s been really special is the conversations it’s sparked with other people. When I explain what it represents, I often see something click for them too—as though they’ve remembered a part of themselves they’d forgotten or hadn’t given themselves permission to celebrate.

I honestly believe belonging changes lives. When someone feels they truly belong, they stand a little taller. They find their voice. They have the confidence to contribute, to challenge, to innovate, to support others and, perhaps most importantly, to believe that they matter.

That’s why this work means so much to me. Because at the end of the day, we’re not just creating better workplaces. We’re helping people feel seen. We’re reminding them that every part of who they are is welcome. And I don’t think there’s anything more powerful than that.