Samuel Riggs was born in West Sussex, but has called Ireland home for over 20 years.

He has been involved in activism since his days as a member of Student Unions and LGBTQ+ societies. His work was amplified during the Marriage Equality referendum, where he was one of the organisers of the #RingYourGranny campaign. Following the success of the referendum, Samuel went on to contribute to the first Alternative Dublin Pride, and has stayed involved with activism since.

With a background in marketing, communications and policy, a passion for transport infrastructure and accessibility, and qualifications in law and HR, Samuel now works for Iarnród Éireann as their Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Manager. His work has allowed him to extend the railway’s support of the LGBTQ+ community, focusing in particular on rural areas. He leads Travel With Pride, an initiative bringing together Ireland’s transport bodies to collaborate on improving LGBTQ+ inclusion for staff and customers. He is a Diversity Ambassador for Transport for the European Commission, sits on the Social Leaders group for Business In The Community Ireland, and is a founding member of the EDI Public Bodies Forum.

Samuel was named Diversity Champion by the Chartered Institution of Professional Development (CIPD) in 2024, took home the Advancing Gender Equality Award at the National Diversity & Inclusion Awards in 2025, and won Champion Employer Branding at the 2026 HR Champion Awards.