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I’ve just returned from Sydney, and as always, I have that “Australia Glow” that comes from being around so many wonderful, happy leaders–and such an LGBTQ-inclusive culture. As always, my trips Down Under are incredibly restorative (this was my 30th!), and I always come back ready to hit the ground running…which is a good thing, because we had FOUR amazing events this week, a day after I landed back in NYC!
But before we get to that, let me share some highlights of this trip to Oz.
As most of you know, HSBC has been Out Leadership’s single largest sponsor globally for many years–and our Founding Sponsor in Australia 11 years ago. As a small thank you (remember 2025 is the OL Year of Gratitude!), I convened a small private OutNEXT event for HSBC emerging leaders–and invited some cool friends who happened to be in town to join me! My buddy, Ross Rayburn, the former head of Yoga and Meditation at Peloton (whose husband is my friend Christopher Wheeldon–more on him in a moment), and Heston Russel, my “WingMan”, and who was Australia’s first openly-gay Special Forces Combat Veteran who served for two decades including 4 tours in Afghanistan and one in Iraq. The OutNEXT-ers were blown away by their candor, expertise, and openness.
That evening, I filmed an amazing Leadership Lounge, with the phenomenal Christopher Wheeldon at QTopia, the largest LGBTQ history museum in the world–which was built in a former police station that used to arrest LGBTQ people! We’ll be airing it in Australia (and then globally) in early April–stay tuned!
The next day, I hosted our second Global Town Hall, where I was joined by the legendary Australian trans advocate Katherine Wolfgramme and the brilliant Subha Barry, President & CEO of Seramount, who was a mentor of mine during my days at Merrill Lynch. In case you missed it, you can check out the replay here.
The Town Hall was followed later in the day by a much needed “CEO Recovery Happy Hour,” that I co-hosted with Tony Shaw, the CEO of HSBC Australia at Manta in Wooloomoloo. Over 40 leaders dropped in over several hours for oysters, sunset cocktails, and great conversation to round out an impactful week of leadership (and to recover from Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras!). It was a perfect end to my week. |
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Global Town Hall with Todd Sears, featuring special guests Katherine Wolfgramme and Subha Barry
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Two days later, I was back in NYC, suiting up for my first event back here at home. On Monday night, Sally Susman, Executive Vice President and Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at Pfizer, and I hosted the first event in our global Senior Leader Dinner Series in partnership with the Milken Institute. One of Sally’s guests was Karen Boykin-Towns, Vice Chair of the NAACP, who told heartwarming stories of the recently passed civil rights trailblazer Dr. Hazel N. Dukes, who acted as her mentor for decades. She was joined by a number of brilliant minds, including Peter Cohen, General Counsel of the Partnership Fund for New York City, who spoke vividly about the future of our great city. This is the first of many such dinners we’re hosting in NYC and around the world. Our second dinner will be with Paul Smith (who argued Lawrence v. Texas) in NYC on March 21!
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Our first Out Leadership Senior Leader Dinner in partnership with the Milken Institute. (L-R) Victor Martinez, Director at JP Morgan, Rachel Hodgdon, President & CEO of IWBI, Craig Konnoth, Professor of Law at University of Virginia, Karen Boykin-Towns, Vice Chair National Board of Directors at NAACP, Briland Graves, Business and Development at Milken Institute, Sally Susman, EVP and Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at Pfizer, Peter Cohen, General Counsel at Partnership Fund for New York City, Sabrina Spialetta Johar, Senior Director – Public Health and Employer Action Exchange at Milken Institute, Todd Sears, Founder and CEO of Out Leadership, Torrence Boone, VP/NYC Office Co-Lead at Google, and Brian Carandang, Director, Business and Program Development at Milken Institute. |
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| That’s the theme of our work moving forward–more. For 15 years, we’ve focused on creating opportunities for brilliant LGBTQ+ and ally leaders to listen and learn from each other. That’s not going to change. In fact, in the coming weeks and months we’re convening even more dynamic conversations with CEOs and Senior Leaders (Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco!). They’ll be joined by our signature events like our OutWOMEN+ Breakfasts, our Trans and Nonbinary Leadership Summit (which is happening simultaneously on March 31st – Trans Day of visibility – in London and New York), our Europe Summit, and our US Summit. And all these between now and Pride!
These convenings serve as reminders that companies have been doing this work for years, and that’s not going to change. I have been talking with CEOs from around the world for months, and they’ve let me know that just because language is changing, doesn’t mean the work that’s being done will.
Last week, I wrote about gratitude. I’m going to keep that going. I’m grateful to be home. I’m grateful that Out Leadership is stronger than ever in our 15th year. And I’m grateful for our partners and member firms around the world that, like me, think this challenging time demands that we do more, not less.
See you soon,
Todd G. Sears
Founder and CEO
Out Leadership |
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| What You Need To Know This Week… |
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Upcoming Global Town Hall with Kenji Yoshino on March 21
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At this pivotal moment, with the LGBTQ+ community facing relentless legal challenges, Out Leadership invites you to a special one-hour live Global Town Hall with Todd and Kenji Yoshino, Chief Justice Earl Warren Professor of Constitutional Law at NYU Law, Director of the Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging, and longtime friend, collaborator and supporter of Out Leadership.
This promises to be an extremely relevant and topical discussion concerning LGBTQ+ discrimination, civil rights, and the urgent need to strengthen workplace inclusion. Please join us and invite your colleagues, friends, and allies for this cant-miss conversation. See you on Friday, March 21st! |
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Out To Succeed 3.0 Survey
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The Out to Succeed 3.0 survey is here! Help shape the future of LGBTQ+ workplace inclusion by sharing your experiences.
This 15-minute survey is open to LGBTQ+ professionals and undergrad/graduate students. Your anonymized insights will contribute to a global report analyzing workplace trends and guiding businesses on how to attract, develop, and retain top LGBTQ+ talent.
This year, we’re diving deeper into global intersectionality—examining how diverse identities influence workplace experiences across different regions and industries.
Take the survey today and share it with your ERG, colleagues, and networks! Read Out Leadership’s Out to Succeed 1.0 and 2.0 reports to learn more.
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Our First Transatlantic
Trans & Nonbinary Summit
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The world’s first and only Transgender and Nonbinary Leadership Summit in history is making history again—this time happening simultaneously in New York and London! We’re officially transatlantic!
Out Leadership, with the support of our incredible partner Deutsche Bank, and our stellar co-chairs and Senior Advisors for Trans Initiatives, Mila Jam and Hannah & Jake Graf, are excited to celebrate Trans+ joy, visibility and strength at our 2nd annual Summit on March 31, Trans Day of Visibility!
At a time when the Trans+ community is coping with waves of legislative threats and cruel attacks, this welcoming and upbeat gathering brings together trans and nonbinary business leaders, artists, cultural visionaries, LGBTQ+ supporters and allies in a supportive and empowering atmosphere! Keep an eye out for exciting content from this inspiring, one-of-a-kind convening.
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