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www.ambiente.us MAY / MAYO 2008
First Ever Forum of Openly LGBT Executives Highlights
Corporate Closet in Today’s Workplace Culture
Key issues discussed included lack of representation in top business roles as well as
importance of LGBT role models
San Francisco, CA - Lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender (LGBT) people remain under-represented
in top corporate executive positions based on the small
number of openly LGBT C-suite executives at Fortune
500 companies.
The first annual Out & Equal Executive Forum, gathering
24 high-ranking corporate executives from diverse
industries, discussed this challenge and the potential to
continue increasing LGBT representation at the top
levels of leading companies.
Participants discussed the unique challenges of being
openly lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender in
management positions, the barriers to more equitable
representation, the competing demands of business
interests and personal interests and ways to build a
network and support one another despite coming from
different industrial or service sectors of the marketplace.
Over the course of the program, the executives
dedicated themselves to being more visible as LGBT
people and role models for other executives or potential
executives who may fear that coming out will cost them opportunities for success.
"This is the first step toward our goal of all executives being free to live and work authentically," said Out &
Equal Executive Director Selisse Berry. "Our hope is that we have created a space and a network that will
ripple outward from this event, allowing more and more LGBT executives to be open about who they are, as
well as the hundreds of thousands of employees worldwide who look to them as an example of how to be
successful while being true to oneself."
"Being with other openly LGBT executives was a rare and unique opportunity," said Donna Griffin, Managing
Director at Chubb.
"Seeing other executives who are facing the same challenges, and have the same kinds of intimidation, the
same kinds of excitement, and the same kinds of opportunity was very exciting for me," said Ken McNeely,
President of AT&T California. “It was very rewarding to see my peer group around the country and very
encouraging."
"It felt as if something special has begun," said Melinda Haag, an Executive with Crowe Chizek and Company,
LLC. "We have all committed--to each other and to the people who are not here and those people who may
come after us--to keep this going."
The event was held at Hotel Vitale and featured keynote speakers Rayona Sharpnack, founder of the Institute
for Women’s Leadership; Chip Conley, founder and CEO of Joie de Vivre; Maggie Stumpp, Chief
Investment Officer of Prudential; Kenneth McNeely, President of AT&T California; and Donna Griffin, Managing
Director of Chubb. Christie Hardwick served as moderator.
Executives who participated include:
• Ed Baklor, Senior Vice President, Adventures by Disney (Burbank, CA)
• Selisse Berry, Executive Director, Out & Equal Workplace Advocates (San Francisco, CA)
• Scott Beth, Vice President of Procurement and Order Management, Intuit (Mountain View, CA)
• Tara Bunch, Vice President Global Consumer Support and Service, Hewlett-Packard Company (Fort
Collins, CO)
• Jim Freeman, Vice President, IBM Global Services, IBM (San Francisco, CA)
• Michael Garrison, Director of Marketing, Global Services, Dell Inc. (Austin, TX)
• Donna Griffin, Managing Director, Chubb (Warren, NJ)
• Melinda Haag, Executive, Crowe Chizek and Company, LLC (Chicago, IL)
• Jane Harper, Director, Collaborative Innovation, IBM (Half Moon Bay, CA)
• Julie A. Hogan, Vice President, Xerox Services, Pacific Region, Xerox Corporation (Pleasanton, CA)
• Michael Jungen, Director/ Ticketing & Gift Card Services, Walt Disney Parks & Resorts (Celebration, FL)
• George A Kalogridis, Chief Operating Officer, Disneyland Resort Paris (Paris, France)
• Judy Lively, MD, Physician-in-Chief, Diablo Service Area, The Permanente Medical Group (Sebastopol,
CA)
• Uxio Malvido, EMEAC Diversity and Work Environment Leader, Merck & Co (Madrid, Spain)
• Pat Martel, City Manager, City of Daly City (Daly City, CA)
• Cynthia Martin, retired Vice President Blue Shield of California and Eastman Kodak (Berkeley, CA)
• Kenneth McNeely, President, AT&T California, AT&T (San Francisco, CA)
• Tom Moore, Partner, Ernst & Young LLP (San Francisco, CA)
• Steve Sears, Vice President Marketing, Stacy's Pita Chip Co. (Randolph, MA)
• Rayona Sharpnack, Founder, Institute for Women’s Leadership (Redwood City, CA)
• Kayla Shell, Legal Director, Dell Inc. (Round Rock, TX)
• Michael Welch, Partner & Chief Financial Officer, Stephan Pyles Concepts (Dallas, TX)
• Gary Wright, Distinguished Engineer, IBM (Tacoma, WA)
In addition to the Executive Forum, Out & Equal offers a wide array of programs and services to promote LGBT
workplace equality. Upcoming activities from Out & Equal include the First Annual Out & Equal Dinner and
Gala, June 12, 2008, Hotel Nikko, San Francisco; and the 2008 Out & Equal Workplace Summit--the world's
premier conference on LGBT workplace equality--September 10-13, 2008, Austin Convention Center, Austin,
Texas.
Out & Equal Workplace Advocatesâ„¢ is a national nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. Out & Equal champions
safe and equitable workplaces for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people. The organization
advocates building and strengthening successful organizations that value all employees, customers, and
communities. See our website, www.outandequal.org, for more details.
# # #
Media contact: Jere Keys, Associate Director of Communications
Out & Equal Workplace Advocates
415-694-6512 jkeys@outandequal.org
Copyright © AMBIENTE MAGAZINE. Do not reproduce without citing this source.
First Ever Forum of Openly LGBT Executives Highlights
Corporate Closet in Today’s Workplace Culture
Key issues discussed included lack of representation in top business roles as well as
importance of LGBT role models
San Francisco, CA - Lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender (LGBT) people remain under-represented
in top corporate executive positions based on the small
number of openly LGBT C-suite executives at Fortune
500 companies.
The first annual Out & Equal Executive Forum, gathering
24 high-ranking corporate executives from diverse
industries, discussed this challenge and the potential to
continue increasing LGBT representation at the top
levels of leading companies.
Participants discussed the unique challenges of being
openly lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender in
management positions, the barriers to more equitable
representation, the competing demands of business
interests and personal interests and ways to build a
network and support one another despite coming from
different industrial or service sectors of the marketplace.
Over the course of the program, the executives
dedicated themselves to being more visible as LGBT
people and role models for other executives or potential
executives who may fear that coming out will cost them opportunities for success.
"This is the first step toward our goal of all executives being free to live and work authentically," said Out &
Equal Executive Director Selisse Berry. "Our hope is that we have created a space and a network that will
ripple outward from this event, allowing more and more LGBT executives to be open about who they are, as
well as the hundreds of thousands of employees worldwide who look to them as an example of how to be
successful while being true to oneself."
"Being with other openly LGBT executives was a rare and unique opportunity," said Donna Griffin, Managing
Director at Chubb.
"Seeing other executives who are facing the same challenges, and have the same kinds of intimidation, the
same kinds of excitement, and the same kinds of opportunity was very exciting for me," said Ken McNeely,
President of AT&T California. “It was very rewarding to see my peer group around the country and very
encouraging."
"It felt as if something special has begun," said Melinda Haag, an Executive with Crowe Chizek and Company,
LLC. "We have all committed--to each other and to the people who are not here and those people who may
come after us--to keep this going."
The event was held at Hotel Vitale and featured keynote speakers Rayona Sharpnack, founder of the Institute
for Women’s Leadership; Chip Conley, founder and CEO of Joie de Vivre; Maggie Stumpp, Chief
Investment Officer of Prudential; Kenneth McNeely, President of AT&T California; and Donna Griffin, Managing
Director of Chubb. Christie Hardwick served as moderator.
Executives who participated include:
• Ed Baklor, Senior Vice President, Adventures by Disney (Burbank, CA)
• Selisse Berry, Executive Director, Out & Equal Workplace Advocates (San Francisco, CA)
• Scott Beth, Vice President of Procurement and Order Management, Intuit (Mountain View, CA)
• Tara Bunch, Vice President Global Consumer Support and Service, Hewlett-Packard Company (Fort
Collins, CO)
• Jim Freeman, Vice President, IBM Global Services, IBM (San Francisco, CA)
• Michael Garrison, Director of Marketing, Global Services, Dell Inc. (Austin, TX)
• Donna Griffin, Managing Director, Chubb (Warren, NJ)
• Melinda Haag, Executive, Crowe Chizek and Company, LLC (Chicago, IL)
• Jane Harper, Director, Collaborative Innovation, IBM (Half Moon Bay, CA)
• Julie A. Hogan, Vice President, Xerox Services, Pacific Region, Xerox Corporation (Pleasanton, CA)
• Michael Jungen, Director/ Ticketing & Gift Card Services, Walt Disney Parks & Resorts (Celebration, FL)
• George A Kalogridis, Chief Operating Officer, Disneyland Resort Paris (Paris, France)
• Judy Lively, MD, Physician-in-Chief, Diablo Service Area, The Permanente Medical Group (Sebastopol,
CA)
• Uxio Malvido, EMEAC Diversity and Work Environment Leader, Merck & Co (Madrid, Spain)
• Pat Martel, City Manager, City of Daly City (Daly City, CA)
• Cynthia Martin, retired Vice President Blue Shield of California and Eastman Kodak (Berkeley, CA)
• Kenneth McNeely, President, AT&T California, AT&T (San Francisco, CA)
• Tom Moore, Partner, Ernst & Young LLP (San Francisco, CA)
• Steve Sears, Vice President Marketing, Stacy's Pita Chip Co. (Randolph, MA)
• Rayona Sharpnack, Founder, Institute for Women’s Leadership (Redwood City, CA)
• Kayla Shell, Legal Director, Dell Inc. (Round Rock, TX)
• Michael Welch, Partner & Chief Financial Officer, Stephan Pyles Concepts (Dallas, TX)
• Gary Wright, Distinguished Engineer, IBM (Tacoma, WA)
In addition to the Executive Forum, Out & Equal offers a wide array of programs and services to promote LGBT
workplace equality. Upcoming activities from Out & Equal include the First Annual Out & Equal Dinner and
Gala, June 12, 2008, Hotel Nikko, San Francisco; and the 2008 Out & Equal Workplace Summit--the world's
premier conference on LGBT workplace equality--September 10-13, 2008, Austin Convention Center, Austin,
Texas.
Out & Equal Workplace Advocatesâ„¢ is a national nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. Out & Equal champions
safe and equitable workplaces for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people. The organization
advocates building and strengthening successful organizations that value all employees, customers, and
communities. See our website, www.outandequal.org, for more details.
# # #
Media contact: Jere Keys, Associate Director of Communications
Out & Equal Workplace Advocates
415-694-6512 jkeys@outandequal.org
Copyright © AMBIENTE MAGAZINE. Do not reproduce without citing this source.
