We are living in a defining moment: Diversity has become essential to business. The global expansion of the LGBTQ+ rights movement has created a new sense of space and identity for people everywhere.
02.
Our Business
The Business of LGBTQ+ Equality
We create leadership summits, talent accelerators and strategic insights that lead the conversation on Return on Equality.
Out Leadership provides unparalleled access to a network of 700+ CEOs, Global Business Summits, Talent Accelerators and Research Opportunities that no other organization can provide. Counting more than 80 of the world’s most influential companies and their leaders as members, we’ve been driving business, talent and LGBTQ+ equality forward since our first summit in 2011.
03.
Why Now
Because inclusion is a competitive imperative
$3.7
Trillion
GLOBAL PURCHASING POWER
The global size of the LGBTQ+ consumer market.
+10
Percent
INCLUSION DIVIDEND
People who have to cover their identities at work can spend up to 10% of their productivity doing so.
266
Million
TALENT POOL
Approximate number of LGBTQ+ people in the world, or 3.5% of the global population.
04.
Our Solutions
Driving business through equality
Our global summits, talent accelerators and strategic insights set the agenda at the intersection of LGBTQ+ and business.
Developed for and led by corporate leaders — our summits are all hosted by CEOs.
05.
Our Distinction
The most influential network of Out Leaders anywhere
CEOs and multinational companies engage with Out Leadership to drive business impact and gain access to the business leaders at the heart of our movement.
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Senior LeadershipWe help executives who care about LGBTQ+ equality bridge the gap between business and public policy. -
Global ScopeOur experience building initiatives around the world helps us guide global strategy. -
Business InsightsWe’re a business and we understand how executives think: our insights help companies compete. -
ConnectivityWe partner with local advocates to bring the power of business to the fight for equality globally.
06.
Business Impacts
We help our members grow business
Since our inception, Out Leadership’s distinction has been driving equality through the voice of business. Here are a few ways we’ve done that to generate tangible results:
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4500+Senior business leaders
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22Countries
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33Non-Profit Partners
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85Global companies
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+3.5mEmployees globally
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300+Global CEOs
“As leaders, we’ve got a responsibility to listen and to tell our stories. And one thing I’ve learned is if at any point you think you’re on top of it, if you think you have LGBT+ or diversity & inclusion handled, then you’re not trying hard enough.”
John Flint
HSBC has played a vital role in Out Leadership’s work to further LGBT+ rights in Asia, creating a platform for executives including John Flint, Kevin Martin, Helen Wong and Noel Quinn to underline the truly global nature of the Bank’s stance on workplace equality. In 2013, on the occasion of our ground-breaking first LGBT+ business Summit in Asia, HSBC lit its Hong Kong headquarters in rainbow colors, which became its most-discussed event on social media for the year. In 2016, it also commissioned replicas of its iconic lions in rainbow colors, underscoring its commitment to LGBT+ inclusion.
“One of our clients told me that their decision to go with Greenberg Traurig was because of our support for LGBT+ issues and people — and this organization. It was just such a great concrete example of Return on Equality.”
Brian Duffy
Global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP shares Out Leadership’s Return on Equality vision. The firm, a 2018 global sponsor of Out Leadership, sponsored three previous Out Leadership Summits in the U.S. Greenberg Traurig has further positioned itself as a leader in the conversation exploring the intersection of LGBT+, business, and the law while expanding its network of like minded corporations, organizations and individuals, including firm clients.
“LGBT+ along with inclusion and diversity more broadly are fundamental to our success as a business. At Barclays, we are proud to partner with Out Leadership to help build a more inclusive business world.”
Jes Staley
As the host of the OutNEXT Global Summit since 2015, Barclays has had the opportunity to showcase its leadership on workplace equality to over 500 high potential, high performing LGBT+ emerging leaders. Executives including Jes Staley, Anil Atluri, and Mark McLane have enjoyed extensive visibility, and Barclays has played a curatorial role in Summit programming that includes a leadership development module, social impact challenge, and CEO panel and fireside discussions.
“Board diversity generally, and LGBT+ inclusion on corporate boards, is an increasingly important part of the global conversation around how companies run best. Forward-thinking organizations are not only engaged in this conversation but driving change and we’re proud to join Out Leadership in this initiative."
Susan Angele
As the Founding Sponsor of Quorum, KPMG has positioned itself as the key global business advocating for LGBT+ inclusion on corporate boards. Hundreds of the world's most accomplished, most senior LGBT+ corporate executives and board directors have engaged with this work through Quorum events and the Quorum database, and KPMG executives including Susan Angele and Suzanne Townsen have helped Quorum drive the conversation around transforming corporate governance and board nomination guidelines to become inclusive of LGBT+ diversity.
“Out Leadership has provided a valuable platform for MasterCard to engage with leaders who appreciate the positive impact that inclusive work environments create for global companies and communities."
Shamina Singh
As a sponsor of OutWOMEN, Mastercard plays a pivotal role in convening and celebrating the global community of LGBT+ women leaders in business. Mastercard executives at all levels of the organization, including Shamina Singh (President, Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth) and Abby Fiorella (General Auditor, Mastercard), are deeply engaged with the initiative, providing a leadership voice and serving as role models and OutWOMEN “Supermodels.” On a public stage, they have shared perspectives and insights on the company’s values and commitment to decency during our Global Summits and keynote CEO panels. They also are a significant contributor behind the scenes, helping steer and expand the conversation among hundreds of the best-connected and most influential LGBT+ women during private gatherings and events.
07.
Talent Impacts
We accelerate Out Leaders
Out Leadership has been instrumental in making LGBTQ+ equality a priority in global C-Suites. We’ve done this through a singular focus on a demonstrable premise: Empowering LGBT+ people to lead is good for business.
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800Emerging Leaders -
450LGBT+ Women in Business -
900Board-Ready Executives
08.
Equality Impacts
Through our ecosystem, business has
become a leading advocate for equality
become a leading advocate for equality
We’ve created a global platform to engage, develop and celebrate LGBT+ business leaders. We’ve connected executives to create business opportunity through inclusion, advanced the business case for LGBT+ equality around the world, and enlisted hundreds of CEOs in the movement.
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Advocating for equality
in global businessWe've helped bring LGBT+ equality to the main stage at the 2016 World Economic Forum in Davos, coordinated business opposition to discrimination in Indonesia and Hong Kong, and helped put together a $2.1 Trillion investment statement against Noth Carolina's HB2 bill. -
Engaging and empowering CEOs to drive changeOur CEO Briefs, maintained for 16 countries, inform and empower corporate executives to engage in respectful dialogue with trade officials and other local stakeholders about how discrimination against LGBT+ people negatively impacts their ability to do business. -
Leveraging the power of business for marriage equalityIn the United States, we helped coordinate an amicus brief and engaged more than 20 member companies to support marriage equality before the Supreme Court. We also rallied business support for successful marriage equality campaigns in Ireland and Australia. -
Leading the conversation on LGBT+ and board governanceWe were the first to call for companies to consider sexual orientation and gender identity in their board nomination guidelines, and we partnered with the New York City Pension Funds and Amalgamated Bank on their respective groundbreaking policy changes to that effect.
09.
Learn More
How can we help you create Return on Equality?