OutWOMEN Discussion: Women’s Equality & COVID-19

Out Leadership hosts an OutWOMEN virtual panel discussion led by Kenya Simon, Manager of Member Relations broadcast on Tuesday, April 28th at 10 am EST.

Watch the full recording below. 

Special Guests
• Sharon Lewis, Partner & Global Head of the Financial Institutions and Insurance Sector at Hogan Lovells
• Lanaya Irvin, President at Center for Talent Innovation and an OutNEXT alum

Sharon Lewis
Partner & Global Head of the Financial Institutions and Insurance Sector
Hogan Lovells

Sharon is Global Head of Hogan Lovells’ Financial Institutions Sector and former head of the Global Finance Practice. She is the first woman to have been successively appointed to both roles. Sharon advises on the full range of capital markets transactions, including several award winning and industry firsts in debt capital markets, derivatives, securitization, repackaging and other structured products, corporate bonds and equity-linked offerings. She has extensive banking experience, particularly in the fields of structured finance, secured lending, loan restructuring and debt trading. Her work has been recognized by Innovate Finance, ILFR1000, and Chambers. Outside of work, Sharon enjoys jewelry design and raising funds for research projects into rare genetic diseases. Sharon is based in Paris but divides her time between France and the UK.

Lanaya Irvin
President
Center for Talent Innovation

Lanaya is a global business executive and thought leader in workplace diversity, equity, and inclusion. She led multinational teams and strategic initiatives in global equities during her more than a decade at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. She also co-chaired LEAD, their 35,000-member employee network dedicated to female talent. Lanaya then became head of business development for theSKIMM – a millennial-focused news media company with 7 million daily subscribers. She co-chairs HRC’s Business Advisory Council and is a board of director for New York City Anti-Violence Project. Lanaya was a founding executive member of OPEN Finance, LGBTQ leaders advancing inclusion across Wall Street. In 2015, she mobilized 30+ financial firms to sign a SCOTUS amicus brief supporting marriage equality. She has a bachelor’s from the University of California and an MBA from the University of Texas, McCombs School of Business.

Kenya Simon
Manager, Member Relations
Out Leadership

Kenya oversees Out Leadership’s customer service processes and facilitating engagement opportunities to maximize member’s ROI. Kenya holds a B.A. in Music Industry and Public Relations from Monmouth University, and has a background in the entertainment and fashion industry. After a decade-long career working for music industry giants such as Sony and Warner Music, Kenya received an opportunity to join PwC, where she was most recently part of the Marketing & Sales team focusing on client entertainment, alumni relations, and client experience reporting. During her time there, she found a passion for diversity & inclusion work, and notably secured the first ever official sponsorship of NYC Pride and WorldPride from a “Big 4” financial services firm. When she isn’t working to further Out Leadership’s global mission, you can usually find her on the way to a concert or obsessing over the looks at a local drag show.