More than 300 LGBT+ business leaders gathered in November 2018 in Hong Kong for Out Leadership’s 6th annual Asia LGBT+ Senior Leader Summit, sponsored by EY, KPMG, HSBC, and Thomson Reuters.
HSBC hosted the Closing Plenary.
Leanne Cutts, Group Head of Marketing, HSBC delivered opening remarks:
“As a woman and a working mother in the corporate world, I know what it’s like to be excluded, marginalized, ignored, harassed. I’ve experienced it firsthand and up close, but I recognize that being discriminated against because of your sexuality is very different. I don’t know what it feels like to be treated differently because you’re a lesbian, gay, transgender, bisexual. What I do know is that it’s wrong, and I’m committed to playing my part in helping to change it.”
“We know that we need to continue to make change and encourage individuality that brings about different perspectives. We know as leaders that it’s our responsibility to continue to push for progress so that everyone can thrive, and we’re doing this by demonstrating our commitment to creating an open workplace so nobody feels that they need to hide their sexuality. We can speak out when we witness discrimination, we can give LGBT colleagues and customers a voice, and we can celebrate progress by coming together at events such as this to be able to share our stories and continue with our commitment to change things for the better. My husband once told me that you don’t build a legacy taking the comfortable jobs, and he’s right. We’re all here because we believe in building a better future for our communities, for our families, for our colleagues, and for the friends that we serve.”