Bringing together leading figures from across financial services, professional services and other industries to continue the dialogue about corporates’ role in advancing LGBT+ equality around the world, why and how companies in Asia can benefit from being inclusive.
Sessions include:
A CEO panel on the role of leadership in promoting LGBT+ inclusion within their organisations, with confirmed speakers:
- Andrew Weir, Regional Senior Partner, KPMG Hong Kong and Vice Chairman, KPMG China
- Neil Pabari, Managing Director, North Asia, Refinitiv
- Peter Picton-Phillips, Partner, FSO Market Leader, EY
- Wilson Tang, CEO, Hang Seng Insurance
- Moderator: Kevin Martin, Head of Retail Banking and Wealth Management, HSBC
A keynote address focusing on regional progress towards relationship recognition, with:
- Jennifer Lu, Marriage Equality Campaigner
- Interviewer: Peter Reading, Legal Counsel, EOC
More than eighty senior business leaders will gather today at the sixth annual Out Leadership: Asia 2018 LGBT+ Senior Leader Summit, sponsored by EY, HSBC, KPMG and Thomson Reuters.
Kevin Martin, Group General Manager, Regional Head of Retail Banking and Wealth Management Asia-Pacific, HSBC, said: “The bank was founded more than 150 years ago to finance trade between Europe and Asia and we have always brought different people and cultures together. Diversity is at the heart of our business model. Indeed, HSBC’s fundamental belief is that ‘Together We Thrive’ and I can think of no better way to encapsulate what we are trying to achieve here at the Out Leadership Summit. This is the sixth year that HSBC has partnered with the Out Leadership Summit in Asia and we are committed to sponsoring a seventh year next year.”
This year, HSBC is joined by its subsidiary HSBC Life, which has recently implemented an expanded beneficiary policy which allows a wider range of family relationships as beneficiaries, including same-sex couples.
“LGBT+ equality has been a key issue for KPMG for many years, and is a core element of our global Inclusion and Diversity agenda,” said Andrew Weir, Regional Senior Partner, Hong Kong & Vice Chairman, KPMG China. “Diversity is what makes us strong, and we are proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our LGBT+ colleagues, the LGBT+ community, and our clients, as we strive to create an inclusive and equal society.”
“Across Asia-Pacific, EY is investing in building the skills of all our people, at every level of the organization, to collaborate and lead inclusively, and we’re committed to building leadership teams that reflect our broader population” said Patrick Winter, EY Asia-Pacific Area Managing Partner. “Allies play a critical role in creating an inclusive culture for our LGBT friends and colleagues. We want everyone’s experience with EY to be exceptional and that starts with inclusion, which is why we’re proud to partner with Out Leadership to enable a true culture of equality across Asia-Pacific.”
“At Thomson Reuters and Refinitiv, we firmly believe that we all have a shared responsibility to do business in ways that respect, protect and benefit our customers, employees, communities, suppliers and environment,” said Neil Pabari, Managing Director, North Asia, Refinitiv. “This responsibility informs everything we do, including the global commitment to inclusion and support that we have for our LGBT+ colleagues and community. As we gather for this year’s Summit, we have an opportunity to reflect on the series of legal wins across the Asia Pacific region that have resulted in encouraging progress of LGBT+ rights. But progress is not uniform across the region and inequality unfortunately remains commonplace.”
“In an uncertain era for equality, global companies’ unwavering support for LGBT+ inclusion is a key reason to remain optimistic,” said Todd Sears, Founder and Principal, Out Leadership. “Public engagement and advocacy from influential corporates and senior business leaders was indispensable in recent decisions expanding equality in India and Hong Kong. With the support of our 65+ member companies, Out Leadership has become the global leader in convening CEOs and LGBT+ talent to drive change.”