Senior Assistant General Counsel; Managing Director of Political Law, Ethics, & Global Anti-Corruption Compliance

Altria

Wesley Bizzell has driven sustained growth in LGBTQ+ inclusion at Altria since co-founding its LGBTQ+ ERG, Mosaic, in 2013. As Global Chair, he launched the LeadingOut series, connecting LGBTQ+ employees with out board members and corporate leaders for career insights and guidance on navigating unique challenges. He also established Mosaic’s Proud Pronoun Campaign to promote visibility, respect, and belonging. Through ongoing dialogue on complex LGBTQ+ issues, Wesley fosters greater understanding and empathy across the organization. Beyond Altria, Wesley mentors emerging LGBTQ+ leaders through the Victory Institute and Leadership Council on Legal Diversity and advocates for LGBTQ+ equity through thought leadership and public speaking. His leadership with the American Bar Association, National LGBTQ+ Bar Association, and Matthew Shepard Foundation reflects his commitment to advancing equity in legal and corporate settings, and his advocacy has earned recognition from Out & Equal, the Minority Corporate Counsel Association, and Chambers.

Can be viewed on: 2026 Top 100 Executives

Senior Assistant General Counsel; Managing Director of Political Law & Global Ethics & Compliance Programs

Altria Group

Under Wesley Bizzell’s leadership, Altria has made remarkable progress in advancing LGBTQ+ inclusion. As the Global Chair and one of the founding members of Mosaic, Altria’s LGBTQ+ ERG, Wesley has spearheaded various cutting-edge initiatives and training programs that enhance visibility and create leadership opportunities for LGBTQ+ employees. Beyond Altria, Wesley chairs the National LGBTQ+ Bar Association’s Corporate Counsel Division, advancing LGBTQ+ representation in legal professions, and serves on the advisory board of the Matthew Shepard Foundation. He has been a driving force behind efforts to ban the LGBTQ+ “panic” defense across several states, advocating through testimony and legislative outreach. Through his leadership and advocacy, Wesley continues to champion environments where LGBTQ+ professionals can thrive in both corporate and legal settings and is a sought-after speaker on LGBTQ+ diversity and inclusion issues.

Can be viewed on: 2025 Top 100 Executives

Senior Assistant General Counsel; Managing Director of Political Law & Ethics Programs

Altria

As the founder and chair of Altria’s LGBTQ+ employee resource group, Wesley has boosted LGBTQ+ visibility and driven programmatic and policy changes to benefit Altria’s LGBTQ+ employees, including expanding surrogacy and adoption benefits for same-sex families, launching a voluntary self-ID program, and creating a Pronoun Proud campaign to encourage employees to demonstrate allyship by sharing their pronouns. He has testified before numerous U.S. legislatures in support of banning the LGBTQ+ panic defence and is frequent author and speaker on inclusion and diversity. He is the past president of the National LGBTQ+ Bar Association and serves as chair of its Corporate Counsel Division and as a commissioner for the American Bar Association’s Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) Commission. In recognition of his work championing LGBTQ+ equality within both the corporate and legal communities, the Minority Corporate Counsel Association recognized Wesley in 2024 with its Paula Ettelbrick Award.

Can be viewed on: 2024 Top 100 Executives

Senior Assistant General Counsel; Managing Director of Political Law & Ethics Programs

Altria

Wesley is the global chair of Altria’s LGBTQ+ employee resource group, which he co-founded He has led numerous efforts to ensure Altria is welcoming for LGBTQ+ employees, including extending surrogacy and fertility benefits to cover same-sex couples and launching a voluntary self-ID program. He created and is leading a Pronoun Proud campaign to encourage Altria employees to share their pronouns internally and externally. Through his efforts, Altria has opposed anti-trans legislation and has publicly endorsed state and Federal non-discrimination bills. Wesley is a frequent author and speaker on inclusion and diversity and has testified before state legislatures in support of banning the LGBTQ+ panic defence. Wesley is a commissioner for the American Bar Association’s Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) Commission and serves on the Advisory Council for the Matthew Shepard Foundation. He is the past president for the National LGBTQ+ Bar Association and chairs its Corporate Counsel Division.

Can be viewed on: 2023 Top 100 Executives

Senior Assistant General Counsel

Altria

Wesley is a co-founder of Altria’s LGBTQ+ employee resource group and currently serves as its vice chair. He has led numerous efforts that convinced Altria to make consequential changes to its policies and practices to ensure it is more welcoming for LGBT+ employees, including expanding adoption benefits, extending surrogacy and fertility benefits to cover same-sex couples, and launching a voluntary self-ID program for LGBTQ employees. He also has worked to highlight the diversity of the LGBT+ community, bringing to Altria speakers who challenge stereotypes and empowering employees to have conversations about difference. Through his efforts and advocacy, Altria has joined companies to oppose legislation targeting trans individuals, has publicly endorsed state and Federal non-discrimination bills, and has encouraged the passage of a federal statute protecting same-sex and interracial marriages. Wesley is a frequent author and speaker on inclusion and diversity within both the corporate and legal communities and has testified before multiple legislatures on the need to ban the LGBTQ+ panic defence. Externally, he serves as the immediate past president for the National LGBTQ+ Bar Association, is a commissioner for the American Bar Association’s Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) Commission, and serves on the Advisory Council for the Matthew Shepard Foundation.

Can be viewed on: 2022 Top 100 Executives

Senior Assistant General Counsel; Managing Director of Political Law & Ethics Programs

Altria

Wesley is a co-founder of Altria’s LGBT+ employee resource group and has led numerous efforts that convinced Altria to make consequential changes to its policies and practices to ensure it is more welcoming for LGBT+ employees. He also has worked to highlight the diversity of the LGBT+ community, bringing to Altria speakers who challenge stereotypes and empowering employees to have conversations about difference. In recent years, he has hosted and moderated interviews with Jake Choi (a Korean American out pansexual actor), Chris Mosier (the first trans member of Team USA), author Ruth Coker Burks (who cared for young men dying of AIDS in the American South in the 1980s), and Judy Shepard (the mother of Matthew Shepard). Through his efforts and advocacy, Altria has joined companies to oppose legislation targeting trans individuals and has publicly endorsed state and Federal non-discrimination bills. Wesley is a frequent author and speaker on inclusion and diversity within both the corporate and legal communities and in 2021 testified before multiple legislatures on the need to ban the LGBTQ+ panic defence. Externally, he serves as the immediate past president for the National LGBTQ+ Bar Association and was recently appointed to be a commissioner for the American Bar Association’s Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) Commission.

Can be viewed on: 2021 Top 100 Executives

Senior Assistant General Counsel; Managing Director of Political Law & Ethics Programs

Altria

Wesley co-founded Mosaic, Altria’s LGBT+ ERG, and currently serves on the leadership team, chairing the committee that identifies improvements to corporate policies and culture that would benefit Altria’s LGBT+ employees and promote an inclusive culture. He has led the organisation of Altria’s Pride events and moderated company-wide discussions on LGBT+ issues. He successfully advocated for Altria to endorse the Virginia Values Act and is working with multiple states to enact legislation to ban the use of the LGBTQ+ panic defence. Wesley successfully encouraged Altria to expand benefits in 2019 to cover surrogacy and IVF treatment for same sex couples and increase reimbursements for adoption and has kept the company’s focus on self-ID. Externally, Wesley is President of the National LGBTQ+ Bar Association, where he directs the strategic vision and interacts with presidents of other minority bar associations. He is also a Board Member for Asylum Connect.

Can be viewed on: 2020 Top 100 Executives

Senior Assistant General Counsel and Managing Director of Political Law & Ethics Programs

Altria

Wesley was one of the founders of Altria’s LGBT+ ERG, Mosaic, in 2014, and since then he has served on Mosaic’s leadership team, chairing the committee that identifies improvements to corporate policies and corporate culture that would benefit Altria's LGBT+ employees and make the company more welcoming and inclusive. He has led numerous projects to create positive change to Altria’s policies, practices and culture. This year, on behalf of Altria, Wesley helped author an amicus curiae brief to the US Supreme Court asking it to protect LGBT+ employees from workplace discrimination, and he helped encourage Altria to endorse the Equality Act, barring forms of discrimination against LGBT+ people in the US. He led the effort to significantly expand Altria’s family benefits to cover surrogacy and IVF treatment for same-sex couples, and advocated for a concomitant increase in adoption reimbursement. Additionally, Wesley has successfully advocated for corporate advertising to include LGBT+-affirming images and messages and for the company’s onsite health clinic to be more inclusive of non-binary individuals. In 2017, Wesley led the effort to roll out a self-identification option for LGBT+ employees and is working to ensure this data is included in promotion metrics. He worked to ensure Altria’s family leave policy was inclusive of LGBT+ families and to expand Altria’s supplier diversity programme to seek out LGBT+-owned businesses. Externally, Wesley is involved in numerous organisations designed to further LGBT+ equality, and currently serves as President of the National LGBT Bar Association.

Can be viewed on: 2019 Top 100 Executives

Senior Assistant General Counsel; Managing Director of Political Law & Ethics Programs

Altria

In 2014, Wesley co-founded Altria's LGBTQ Employee Resource Group, Mosaic. Since that time, he has served on Mosaic's leadership team, chairing the committee that identifies improvements to corporate policies and corporate culture that would benefit Altria's LGBTQ employees and make the company more welcoming and inclusive. He has initiated and led numerous projects that have created positive changes in Altria's policies, practices, and culture. He is leading the effort to develop guidelines that can be used when a transgender employee transitions in the workplace. Additionally, he led the effort to successfully roll out a self-identification option for LGBTQ employees via their internal human resources database. Externally, Wesley serves as president-elect of the National LGBT Bar Association. He is a frequent author and speaker on diversity and LGBTQ issues within the legal profession, and has presented at the International Bar Association on LGBTQ Discrimination in the Workplace. Additionally, he is active in promoting adoption for LGBTQ families and volunteers with AsylumConnect, a non-profit creating the first ever online resource database to help asylum seekers find LGBTQ- and asylum-friendly resources near them.

Can be viewed on: 2018 Top 100 Executives

Assistant General Counsel & Director of Political Law and Ethics Programs

Altria

As one of the founding members of Altria's LGBT+ Employee Resource Group, Mosaic, Wesley serves on its leadership team and is the chair of its Issues Committee, which identifies improvements to corporate culture, policies, and practices that would support and develop Altria's LGBT+ employees. In this role, he has developed and led several initiatives that have created positive changes, including instituting a self-identification option for LGBT+ employees via their internal human resources database, securing Altria's participation in HRC's Corporate Equality Index, and ensuring corporate policies are inclusive of Altria’s LGBT+ employees. He has also helped expand Altria's supplier diversity program to proactively seek out LGBT-owned businesses. Additionally, he serves on the Altria Law Department's Diversity Committee and spearheaded an initiative to modernize how the Law Department tracks diversity metrics for all outside counsel who provide legal services to Altria. Wesley is actively involved with a number of LGBT+ organisations, and regularly speaks on LGBT+ issues, utilising both internal and external platforms. Since 2013, he has served on the Board of Directors for the National LGBT Bar Association and was a member of the inaugural class for the Stanford University LGBTQ Executive Leadership Programme.  He also volunteers for a mentoring programme for diverse and LGBT+ law students.

Can be viewed on: 2017 Top 100 Executives