PwC and Out Leadership launch unique new study of LGBT+ emerging business leaders

NEW YORK, April 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The 231 LGBT+ employees who participated in the "Out to Succeed" survey have been identified as high performers or as individuals with leadership potential by their employers. The 28 participants in our employer sample are drawn from Out Leadership member companies.

Key findings of "Out to Succeed" include:

• More than 60% of respondents say that being out at work has improved their ability to do business and engage with customers
• 83% of employee respondents say having an openly supportive focus on LGBT+ has improved their employers' place in the market
• 35% believe their company leverages LGBT+ inclusion for business advantage
• Strong gaps between employer intention and employee perception – 60% of employers have LGBT+ focused recruiting, but just 35% of employee respondents are aware of it
• 88% say that visible LGBT+ senior leaders make an organization an attractive employer
• 28% of employee respondents have an LGBT+ mentor; 52% have a non-LGBT+ mentor

Speakers include:

• Bob Moritz, Global Chairman, PwC
• Joe McGrath, Global Head of Banking, Barclays
• Mark McLane, Managing Director, Head of Global Diversity and Inclusion, Barclays
• Jon Terry, Global Financial Services People Leader, PwC UK
• Douglas Hallward-Driemeier, Partner, Ropes & Gray
• Lou Aversano, Chief Executive Officer, Ogilvy USA
• Thasunda Duckett, Chief Executive Officer, Chase Consumer Bank
• Richard Jeanneret, Americas Vice Chair, EY, and his son Henry
• Todd Sears, Founder & Principal, Out Leadership

Hundreds of senior business leaders will gather today at the eighth annual Out Leadership: U.S. 2018 LBGT+ Senior Summit, sponsored by Ropes & Gray. The first session, hosted by Barclays, will feature the launch of "Out for Success: Realizing the full potential of your LGBT+ talent," the first comprehensive, international study of high-performing, high-potential LGBT+ emerging business leaders, presented by Out Leadership and PwC.

"For too many LGBT+ employees, many organizations still feel closeted," said Bob Moritz, Global Chairman, PwC. "This hinders not only the organizations in recruiting and retention, but, more importantly, this hinders the careers of LGBT+ professionals. All of us need to create inclusive environments where LGBT+ talent can feel safe, free to be their true selves, and fully participate in the workplace. A good leader must represent the greater good and inspire others to do the same. Being an active advocate and ally for LGBT+ equality and inclusion is a clear case in point. Leaders can't hide or ignore these issues – this is where we must act, where we must be loud in our support for LGBT+ colleagues."   

"Valuing difference is a cornerstone for success in business – it helps us create an environment where all employees are treated equally and have an opportunity to be successful," said Joe McGrath, Global Head of Banking, Barclays. "Out Leadership brings together senior business leaders to learn about the issues facing the LGBT+ community and take action. In today's climate, its mission is more important than ever."

"'Out to Succeed' demonstrates that the investment global business has made in the development of the next generation of LGBT+ talent is already paying off, and that further investment is warranted," said Todd Sears, Founder and Principal, Out Leadership. "60% of respondents say that being openly LGBT+ has been an asset in their field, representing an enormous sea change from "The Power of Out 2.0," the study we released with the Center for Talent Innovation just 5 years ago. At that time, we reported that just 9% of LGBT+ women and 17%+ of LGBT+ men thought their orientation was an asset. The game has changed, but many companies are still missing out on significant opportunities to drive business through inclusion."  

At the Session, Jon Terry, Global Financial Services People Leader, PwC UK and Todd Sears will present the results of the survey, and then Bob Moritz, Global Chairman, PwC, Lou Aversano, Chief Executive Officer, Ogilvy USA, and Thasunda Duckett, Chief Executive Officer, Chase Consumer Bank will discuss its implications for their businesses.

Richard Jeanneret, Americas Vice Chair, EY, and his son Henry Jeanneret will then participate in a fireside discussion about the future of LGBT+ inclusion in the corporate context. And Douglas Hallward-Driemeier, Partner, Ropes & Gray, who argued Obergefell v Hodges before the Supreme Court, will reflect on his experience doing so.

About Out Leadership

Out Leadership is the global LGBT+ business network trusted by CEOs and multinational companies to drive Return on Equality®. A certified B Corp, we create executive events, talent accelerators, and strategic insights at the intersection of LGBT+ and business. For more information, please visit www.outleadership.com

About PwC

At PwC, our purpose is to build trust in society and solve important problems. We're a network of firms in 158 countries with more than 236,000 people who are committed to delivering quality in assurance, advisory and tax services. Find out more and tell us what matters to you by visiting us at www.pwc.com.

PwC refers to the PwC network and/or one or more of its member firms, each of which is a separate legal entity. Please see www.pwc.com/structure for further details.

About Barclays

Barclays is a transatlantic consumer and wholesale bank offering products and services across personal, corporate and investment banking, credit cards and wealth management, with a strong presence in our two home markets of the UK and the US.

With over 325 years of history and expertise in banking, Barclays operates in over 40 countries and employs approximately 80,000 people. Barclays moves, lends, invests and protects money for customers and clients worldwide.

For further information about Barclays, please visit our website home.barclays

About Ropes & Gray

Ropes & Gray is a preeminent global law firm with more than 1,200 lawyers and legal professionals serving clients in major centers of business, finance, technology and government. The firm has offices in New York, Boston, Washington, D.C., Chicago, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, London, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tokyo and Seoul, and has consistently been recognized for its leading practices in many areas, including private equity, M&A, finance, investment management, hedge funds, real estate, tax, antitrust, life sciences, health care, intellectual property, litigation & enforcement, privacy & cybersecurity, and business restructuring.  www.ropesgray.com

SOURCE Out Leadership

Related Links

http://www.outleadership.com