“People should turn up to work as themselves, and if anyone makes them feel uncomfortable in any way, we will not stand for it”
BY DYLAN MANN-HAZELL
Liz Moseley, Managing Director of Good Housekeeping/Good Housekeeping Institute, spoke to myGwork about her journey from Yorkshire to the heart of the UK media industry in London, shedding light on her personal experiences and the strides Hearst UK is taking towards inclusivity and representation.
Having been raised in Yorkshire, Liz reminisces about the idyllic surroundings of the Dales, growing up in a place where many vacation to relax. Despite leaving at the age of eighteen and the nuanced complexities of navigating her LGBTQIA identity within a religious family, she will still always consider this part of the world her home.
The journey to Liz’s current role at Hearst UK saw an impressive and transformative progression through the world of magazines in the early 2000s. Beginning in 1997, working for the Scottish Time Out, Liz branched out to London to work with notable publications, including the likes of ELLE, Red, and New Woman. With an incredible amount of experience under her belt, a pivotal moment came in 2005 when fate intertwined her path with Katie Vanneck-Smith, who would later become her boss at Hearst UK.
At Hearst UK – the home of brands including Good Housekeeping, Harper’s Bazaar, Country Living, Women’s Health and Esquire – inclusivity and belonging stand as foundational principles. With active employee groups such as Hearst Pride, the company encourages a safe and accepting environment for LGBTQIA employees and allies. The unwavering stance on authenticity at the workplace underscores the ongoing commitment to creating a space where everyone feels respected and valued in their individuality.
“Representation matters,” Liz elaborates. “We have active employee groups, Hearst Pride is the one for our LGBT employees and their allies, but there are a number of them. There’s a multi-faith room in the office, of course, and we have our policy house in order to offer guidance, support and commitments. Our CEO is very, very clear about this – people should turn up to work as themselves, and if anyone makes them feel uncomfortable in any way, we will not stand for it.”
In sharing her personal journey with the LGBTQIA community, Liz candidly reflects on the complexities of her identity. As a lesbian who was once married to a man, she opens up about the challenges faced in a Christian household that didn’t, at least openly, embrace homosexuality.
The journey from internalized societal norms to self-acceptance was a tumultuous one, marked by encounters with bigotry and misogyny. In particular, the blatantly misogynistic but disturbingly normalised standards of the media throughout the early 21st century.
“1990s and noughties London, working in women’s media… looking back, I can see that the misogyny was real,” Liz reflects. “The media was pretty brutal. We were probably all really damaged by it, but at the time, it just seemed like this incredible experience.”
Despite the obstacles, Liz found solace in accepting her true self, a process that was both freeing and challenging. In fact, throughout her career, the evolution of attitudes towards diversity and inclusion has been palpable.
From the implementation of active resource groups to initiatives championing gender equality, Liz has witnessed firsthand the shift towards a more inclusive professional landscape. Though to achieve true, authentic equality, she asserts there is still a long way to go for women in the workplace and that the spotlight is now pointed in the direction of companies to improve conditions.
“Lockdown was a watershed moment. The world went online, and discourse online is so different. It moves faster, and it’s harder to moderate. We had to regroup. Black Lives Matter, trans rights, more recently the end of Roe v Wade in the States. It’s all felt very live recently – companies can’t fly under the radar anymore.”
Looking ahead, Liz envisions a future where LGBTQIA equality is more than a checkbox—it’s a lived reality. Advocating for greater intersectionality in pay gap reporting and increased support for mental health and social care, she highlights the need for comprehensive measures to address the unique challenges faced by members of the LGBTQIA community.
Beyond these integral changes, she also hopes to see a larger range of venues and locations specifically for lesbian women to socialise – in particular, she dreams of seeing a chain of pubs open across the UK for this exact demographic.
Through Liz’s story, a journey of resilience, growth, and a firm commitment to championing inclusivity in an ever-evolving media landscape, she stands as a beacon of empowerment for women and an advocate for a more diverse and inclusive future for the LGBTQ+ community.
Hearst UK is a proud partner of myGwork, the LGBTQ+ business community. Find out more about job opportunities at Hearst UK.
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