The Esports Games Association Australia announces the launch of the Diversity and Inclusion Panel

July 19, 2018

Written by EGAA

Industry esports leader Eileen Bell will head this Panel, and additional members are Madeline Brown, Alex Hoskins, Zane Woodhead and Megan Webber. Anna Lockwood, EGAA Board Member, will help facilitate the panel.

The EGAA Diversity & Inclusion Panel will focus on dedicated community engagement, inclusive representation and the advocacy of diversity in the gaming and esports ecosystem. In an industry with many facets and diverse stakeholders including publishers, players and team, tournament and league organisers, brands and advertisers, everyone can play a role in helping to build a more diverse and inclusive esports and gaming community in Australia and New Zealand.

Diversity brings forth new and better ways of doing things, helps improve efficiency and quality and is central to innovation and performance. Inclusion is the key to unlocking the industry’s potential. When we value diversity and inclusion in our own day to day environment, we see many positive benefits including higher individual engagement, greater innovation, retention of talent, improved individual wellbeing and lower levels of harassment and discrimination.

Diversity is about our individual differences and acknowledging the unique blend of knowledge, skills and perspectives people bring to the scene. Diversity can include characteristics such as cultural background and ethnicity, age, gender, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, language and education. Diversity also includes characteristics such as professional skills, working style, location, and life experiences.

Inclusion An inclusive culture is one where everyone feels valued and respected and is able to fully contribute. It is about removing barriers to make sure everyone can fully participate in the scene and have equal access to opportunities. Inclusion is about empowering people to contribute their skills and perspectives for the benefit of the industry.

We encourage all EGAA members to contribute to the Diversity & Inclusion Panel and to discuss issues and concerns that are important to you and your role in helping to build out the scene.

Panel Members

Eileen Bell

Tech Innovator & Panel Lead

Eileen is passionate about esports, technology and innovation. She has 7 years experience in the financial industry and 15 years experience in the esports industry, and was the first professional female gamer in Australia. She has been featured in various publications including BOSS Magazine, AFR, PwC, The Australian and Vogue. This has led her to combine her love of business and gaming to consult in gamification and digital strategies. She has also educated many on the emerging market of esports and what it means for corporate strategy and digital trends. As a pioneering woman in esports in Australia she is also committed to creating a diverse and inclusive esports community.

Madeline Brown

Panel Member & Esports Industry Advocate

Madeline Brown – aka Shadowfax – is an esports industry advocate from Sydney. She has been the Brand Manager and Team Captain of Supa Stellar, aimed at fostering female gaming talent in an open environment. Madeline has worked in brand partnerships at Supanova Comic-Con and Gaming, and as a television presenter with Fox Sports Australia for the FIFA Eleague. Mads also founded The Drop AU. She has a Bachelor of Laws and a Masters of Public Policy and Governance.

Zane Woodhead

Panel Member & Communications and Social Media Manager at GCAP 2018

Zane is a Marketing student at Swinburne University in Melbourne, and an active member of the Australian game developer community. He has done an internship with Lauren Clinnick at Lumi Consulting, which led to his current position of Communications and Social Media Manager for GCAP 2018 working with the Game Developers’ Association Australia. Zane is passionate about supporting diversity and inclusion in the game developer community, and is active in LGBTQI+ student and industry groups.

Alex Hoskins

Panel Member & COO, Senet Legal

Alex is Chief Operating Officer of Senet Legal, a Melbourne based law firm specialising in the gambling and entertainment industry, including esports. Alex has over 20 years of management experience having held various senior strategy roles with KPMG Australia, Santander and ANZ Banking Group.  Alex holds a Bachelor of Commerce, Master of International Business, has completed the Australian Institute of Company Directors program and has been a government appointed non-executive Director for a public hospital. Alex has experience in relation to diversity and inclusion in highly regulated industries and has published a number of articles in leading Australian newspapers on some of the challenges that exist.

Megan Webber

Panel Member & Games Industry Executive

Megan has worked in the video games industry for over 10 years in marketing and sales, starting her career at EB Games and working her way up from regional roles to a role at the Head Office in Brisbane. She is now based in Melbourne and specializes in events and promotional activations working alongside brands within the games industry including Ubisoft and Nintendo. Megan is close to esports as a supporting organiser, MC and partnerships coordinator for the FGC community organisation CouchWarriors and their major event Battle Arena Melbourne. Megan is also a presenter on the community games TV program New Game Plus on Channel 31 and Youtube, currently working on an interview series that highlights the hard work local Australians are doing to support the grassroots esports scene. Megan is active in championing female gamers who are working towards changing the face of the Australian industry. She sees the EGAA Diversity and Inclusion panel as an opportunity to strengthen the voice for female and inclusive esports teams, streamers, content creators, marketers, game developers and journalists to help bridge the gap in the gaming community and improve diversity in the Australian ecosystem.

Anna Lockwood

Panel Facilitator, Head of Market Development at Telstra Broadcast Services & EGAA Board Member

Anna Lockwood is on the Board of the EGAA, and will be facilitating the Diversity and Inclusion Panel. Anna is an experienced media industry executive specialising in sports and broadcast consulting, and is currently the Head of Market Development at Telstra Broadcast Services. Anna has had previous global leadership roles in London, Singapore and Boston, and now works at Telstra at the convergence of the traditional broadcast industry and leading edge telecommunications and digital platforms. In addition to her roles at Telstra and EGAA, Anna is on the Board of SMPTE (Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers) Australia Section, and represents Telstra as a Director on the IABM (International Association of Broadcast Manufacturers) Board. She brings her interests in innovation, sports, and women in technology to her board and industry engagement.

Reach out to the Diversity and Inclusion Panel for support and advice, or to get involved in building a more diverse and inclusive esports and gaming community in Australia and New Zealand.