DiversityCan Magazine’s Post

It’s always an honor when one movement organization lifts up another. Thank you Thirty Percent Coalition for your support and partnership on this 9 year (so far!) journey to diversify corporate boards. Like Susan Angele (#OutQuorum’s first supporter!!), I got funny looks when I said #LGBTQ people should be in the definition of board diversity. I was even once told by the Global Chair of one of the four major search firms that “until our clients ask for it, it doesn’t matter.” Which as a business guy (recovering banker) I understand. So I’ve made it a point to tell every CEO I’ve worked with since (over 1,200 so far :) to make sure they tell their search firms LGBTQ leaders make great board members. And to make it as easy as possible for them when they finally do get it, Out Leadership did their homework for them, and wrote the first LGBTQ-inclusive Board Diversity Guidlines for the Fortune 500 that they could use back in 2015. Over the years, we’ve built board guidelines for the UK, for Australia and just this Spring at the Milken Institute annual conference, we launched them for Hong Kong (Japan’s up next year). Hundreds of companies have used our guidelines (including the Nasdaq itself), and you’ll see in our new Visibility Counts OutQuorum report next month (which we’re launching at the London Stock Exchange!) how far we’ve come…we’ve made some great strides, but we have a lot more work to do. Together. I’m grateful for all the companies and leaders who have supported this effort around the world. KPMG US Egon Zehnder HSBC Goldman Sachs RBC DLA Piper Corrs Chambers Westgarth Hogan Lovells Ropes & Gray LLP

Learn how the latest in Morningstar Indexes’ lineup of socially focused solutions can help investors achieve both social and investment goals: http://spr.ly/60429DzGO The new Morningstar Developed Markets LGBTQ+ Leaders Index highlights corporate leaders in inclusion by targeting 100 large- and mid-cap stocks diversified across region and sector and selecting companies with strong policies and practices related to their LGBTQ+ workforce. Data from Morningstar Sustainalytics and ExecuPride, a socially focused enterprise that harnesses data science to monitor advances and provide insights into corporate LGBTQ+ inclusion, underpins the index. #MorningstarIndexes

This week Houston BOMA’s DEI committee members attended the Greater Houston Partnership's Inclusion Solutions Session 3 on LGBTQ+ and explored actionable strategies for fostering inclusive workplaces. Speakers Tressa Consuegra, Business Banker and Co-Chair of the LGBTQ+ BRG at Amegy Bank, and Tammi Wallace, Co-Founder, President & CEO of the Greater Houston LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce, emphasized the importance of genuine engagement, empowering diverse leaders, and integrating inclusivity into all aspects of a company's operations.

As we step into Pride Month, it's crucial for us as leaders to reflect on what Pride means within the realms of leadership and organizational culture. 🌈 This month is not just about celebrating; it's about understanding, respecting, and actively supporting the LGBTQ+ community and its allies. In my journey as a leadership coach, I’ve seen firsthand the transformative impact of inclusivity on teams and organizations. Pride Month, rooted in the history of resistance and the fight for equality, serves as a potent reminder of the work still needed to create environments where every individual can truly belong and thrive. It challenges us to look beyond our biases, to embrace diversity in its full spectrum, and to champion the values of understanding and acceptance. This month, I encourage all leaders and organizations to take a moment to appreciate the richness that diversity brings to our workplaces and communities. Let’s commit to actions that go beyond the surface, to practices that build a culture of inclusivity, where every voice is heard, and every person is valued. How are you leveraging your leadership to support and celebrate diversity in your sphere of influence? Let's make this Pride Month a turning point for leadership focused on genuine inclusivity and respect for all. 🏳️🌈 #PrideMonth #LeadershipForAll #DiversityInLeadership #InclusiveCulture #LeadWithPride

Learn how the latest in Morningstar Indexes’ lineup of socially focused solutions can help investors achieve both social and investment goals: http://spr.ly/60429DzGO The new Morningstar Developed Markets LGBTQ+ Leaders Index highlights corporate leaders in inclusion by targeting 100 large- and mid-cap stocks diversified across region and sector and selecting companies with strong policies and practices related to their LGBTQ+ workforce. Data from Morningstar Sustainalytics and ExecuPride, a socially focused enterprise that harnesses data science to monitor advances and provide insights into corporate LGBTQ+ inclusion, underpins the index. #MorningstarIndexes

June is here, Pride marches and festivities have started, and the anti-DEI rhetoric remains firmly entrenched in our national consciousness and places of work. All of this has me thinking about the powerful and renewed focus on inclusion that many organizations and leadership teams are embracing to ensure that all can bring their whole selves to work. However, for many of us in the LGBTQ+ community, even if there are initiatives and programs focused on inclusion, we still might not feel a sense of safety and security to be our “authentic” selves. Results from the McKinsey & Co. and LeanIn Women in the Workplace 2023 report showed that LGBTQ women feel more pressure than any other group of women to hide their full identities at work. Let’s correct this by leaning into allyship which can bridge the gap between educational initiatives and action. Let’s focus on building human skills that help all better navigate vulnerability, trust building, and empathy. This is my hope for us this Pride month - will you join me?

Celebrating Pride Month! The Morningstar Developed Markets LGBTQ+ Leaders Index was launched this month. Index construction begins from a large- and mid-cap index made up of 85% of investable developed markets globally, with ESG exclusions then applied. Index constituents must score at least 3 on Morningstar's ExecuPride Assessment Scale, a framework for evaluating LGBTQ+ inclusion through an assessment of executive commitment and direct evidence of diversity and inclusion policies, practices, and corporate support structures. The index is comprised of 100 constituents. First, the highest scoring companies from each of the 11 GICS sectors from North America, Europe, and the Asia Pacific are included. The next four highest scorers in each sector are then included, and the next highest scorers from any sector are included. Constituents are weighted by applying a score tilt factor to their market cap, giving higher scorers additional weighting. Workplace diversity brings clear benefits to corporations and their investors. With applause for this new index, we have added it to our coverage of diversity, equity, and inclusion equity funds and indexes. See our latest quarterly analysis of equality-focused investing at bit.ly/GLIQ. InvestmentNews Steve Randall Ron Bundy Morningstar Sustainalytics Robert Edwards, CFA #PrideMonth #LGBTQ #SustainableInvesting #DiversityEquityandInclusion

Community Spotlight | Embracing The Intersections: A #HispanicHeritageMonth Q&A With Bianca Robinson, MBA “As a Puerto Rican trans woman, I’m aware that I often am the ‘only one’ in the room with my identity profile. I leverage my unique lenses to be of service through out-of-the-box perspectives, an ability to disrupt assumptions, and a deep desire to question traditionally held beliefs and standards. I believe these skills are why and how I arrived at the work of Inclusion, Diversity & Equity. I also believe this is why it is so critical to have diverse perspectives in the room. As we build a more socially conscious workforce, we must lean on diversity of thought, identities, backgrounds, and experiences.” - Robinson, on how identity has influenced her approach to leadership. 💡 Read our full interview and connect with Bianca to learn more about her #DEI work: https://lnkd.in/g5cjJw5u #LatinxHeritageMonth #Latine #LGBTQ #Intersectionality

Are companies that embrace LGBTQ+ inclusion more successful? According to an Open for Business report sponsored by Deutsche Bank, the answer is a resounding yes. The report, supported by companies like JPMorgan Chase & Co. , Microsoft, and American Express, highlights the financial benefits of LGBTQ+ inclusive strategies. Companies that prioritize LGBTQ+ inclusion have stronger financial performance, reputation, and brand preference. Inclusive companies also attract and retain top talent. #LGBTQ #BusinessPerformance #ESGStrategies

🌈The end of Pride Month should not mean the end of your inclusion and diversity learnings. In fact, it's the perfect time to start your brand allyship journey. Click through to learn how Kantar can help you get started.