Liesbeth is co-founder and sponsoring partner for the PwC Be Yourself network in South Africa. They arrange awareness and social events, and network with similar outside organisations, striving to create an inclusive workplace, where staff can truly “be themselves”. She is openly lesbian, and regularly shares her story and experiences, formally and informally, through various channels. She has been married to her wife for 10 years, since gay marriages were legalised in SA, and believes that being open about this allows her to be a role model to anybody who is different from the PwC stereotype. As a member of several professional male-dominated groups, advisory boards, and hobbies like riding BMW adventure motorcycles, she creates significant external awareness of, and familiarity with LGBT+ people and issues by being openly lesbian, and deliberately referring to her wife and kids. She is also open about being a lesbian when travelling to PwC countries like Kenya and Nigeria, which have anti-gay legislation and where being LGBT+ is not only illegal, but also socially unacceptable. Additionally, she is a mentor to several young LGBT+ people, men and women, in and outside the workplace.
