LGBTQ Chief Executive Officers of Business Enterprises
History was made in 2014 when Tim Cook, the Chief Executive Officer of Apple Inc, publicly announced that he was gay. He is the first CEO of a Fortune 500 company to openly declare himself a member of the LGBTQ community. Tim Cook's venerable global profile ensured that his announcement became news around the world. This represented a major step forward in the both the visibility of the LGBTQ community and its fight for equality. His announcement filled a gap that existed in the advancement of LGBTQ rights around the world - the lack of an active LGBTQ business leader.
It is important to have prominent LGBTQ individuals in the business community. These individuals represent the public face of their corporations. As such, the CEOs represent the company's employees, many of whom also identify as LGBTQ - having an out CEO shows their inclusion in the organization. It also shows that one's sexual preference is not a barrier to either promotion or the ability to successfully manage a business enterprise. The confidence for a CEO to be comfortable with his/her sexual preference reveals the honesty of the individual, thereby reflecting the values inherent in the company's culture. Public disclosure shows leadership by example, an important trait in motivating others within a company.
The presence of LGBTQ Chief Executive Officers in business enterprises helps to advance the efforts for global human rights. These business enterprises operate differently from government organizations and non-profits through extensive networks of suppliers and customers. By having visible LGBTQ leadership in the organization they are sending a message to those partners that being a member of a minority group does not impair the economic functioning of the relationship that has been established.
There are many more current and past Chief Executive Officers of business companies around the world who identify as LGBTQ. These leaders represent industries such as media, technology, fashion, communications, sports, biotechnology, consulting, publishing,, finance, hospitality, manufacturing, and more. The CEOs come from Canada, Austria, Great Britain, Ireland, Spain, Sweden, France, Netherlands, Australia and the United States.
Argentina
- Hernan Lopez, Fox International, Fox Latin American Channels
Australia
- John Allan, Sensis
- Tanya Sale, Outsource Financial
- Jeff Weeden, Forager Funds Management
Austria
- Juergen Maier, Siemens UK
Canada
- Mark S. Bonham, BPI Financial Corporation, Strategic Value Corporation
- David Clemmer, Judy Inc.
- Heather Conway, Edelman Canada
- David Furnish, Rocket Entertainment Group
- Heward Grafftey, SafetySense
- Mark Johnston, Fusion Television
- Ken Popert, Pink Triangle Press
- Mandy Rennehan, Freshco
- Brandon Truaxe, Decieme
- Jaime Watt, Navigator Ltd.
- Massey Whiteknife, ICEIS Safety
- Dave Wilkin, Redwood Strategic
Denmark
- Tommy Ahlers, ZYB, Podio
France
- Jean-Jacques Aillagon, TV5Monde
- Jean-Paul Cluzel, Radio France Internationale, Radio France
- Sue Nabi, Orveda/Lancome/L'Oreal
- Donald Potard, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Marchpole Holdings
Great Britain
- Charles Allen, Global Radio Group, ISS, 2 Sisters Food Group
- Mark Anderson, Connect Airways
- Christopher Bailey, Burberry Group
- Inga Beale, Lloyds of London Insurance Group
- Brian Bickell, Shaftesbury PLC
- Lord John Browne, British Petroleum
- Stephen Clarke, WH Smith
- Paul Flowers, CoOp Bank
- Sara Geater, FreemantleMedia
- Tim Hely Hutchinson, Hachette Publishing
- David Hynam, BUPA
- Stephen Jacques, Key Assets - The Children's Services Provider
- Jeffrey Kofman, Trint
- Thomas Lawson, FTB Lawson Ltd.
- Scott McGregor, Camco Clean Energy PLC
- Mark McNulty, JLT Investment Management Ltd.
- Tim Millward, Extrastaff Limited
- Tracy Myhill, Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust
- Philip Bourchier O'Ferrall, Outernet Global
- Paul Reed, BP IST
- Iain Renwick, Liberty department store
- David Shelley, Hachette Publishing
- Gary Stolkin, The Talent Business
- Andrew Swaffield, Monarch Airlines Group
- Robert Taylor, Kleinwort Benson Private Banking
- Derek Walker, Wales Cooperative Centre
- Sarah Weir, Aldsgate Group
- Stephen Whitehead, ABPI (The Association of British Pharmaceutical Industries)
- Julie Wilson, Optimus Cards Group
Greece
- Nikos Morantis, Travel by Interest
Ireland
- Alan Joyce, Quantas Airways
Spain
- Alfonso Cobo, Unfold
- Jesus Encinar, Idealista.com
Sweden
- Peter Arvai, Prezi
The Netherlands
- Sander van 't Noordende, Accenture
United States
- Zel Anders, Tomboy Tailors
- Diane Anderson-Minshall, Pride Media
- Michael Belkin, Distinc..t
- Riese Bernard, Autostraddle
- Sue Black, Milwaukee Wave
- David Bohnett - GeoCities, Baroda Ventures
- Sharon Brackett, Tiresias Technologies
- Harlan Bratcher, Reed Krakoff, A/X Armani Exchange
- Michelle Brooke-Marciniak, SHEEX, Inc.
- Trevor Burgess, C1 Bank
- Natasha Case, Coolhaus (ice cream products company)
- Demion Clinco, Frontier Consulting Group, Inc.
- Paul Colichman, Here! Media
- Chip Conley, Joe de Vivre Hospitality
- Tim Cook, Apple Inc.
- Barry Diller, IAC/Interactive Corp, Expedia Inc.
- Daniel Duty, Conlego
- Amy Errett, Madison Reed, Olivia
- James Fitterling, Dow Chemical Company
- Beth Ford, Land'O Lakes, Inc.
- Tim Gill, Quark; Gill Action Fund
- Robert Greenblatt, NBC Entertainment
- Jason Grenfell-Gardner, IGI Laboratories
- Robert Hanson, John Hardy Inc, American Eagle Outfitters
- Chris McCarthy, MTV/VH1/Logo
- Kevin McClatchy, Pittsburgh Pirates Baseball Club
- Jonathan Mildenhall, TwentyFirstCenturyBrand
- Henry Munoz III, Munoz & Company
- Jennifer Pritzker, Tawani Enterprises
- Tom Rielly, PlanetOut
- Rich Ross, Discover Channel, Shine America, Walt Disney Studios
- Martine Rothblatt, United Therapeutics
- Jeffrey Schwarz, Automat Pictures
- Lauren Scott, Alkcon Corporation
- Darrell Silver, Thinkful
- Joel Simkhai, Grindr
- Peter Sisson, Line2
- Megan Smith, PlanetOut
- Theresa Sparks, Good Vibrations
- Christine Svendsen, Sapphire Books
- Peter Thiel, PayPal
- Rick Welts, Phoenix Suns Basketball Team
See Also
- LGBTQ Chief Information/Technology Officers
- Union Leaders Who Identify as LGBTQ
- LGBTQ Economists
- Noteworthy LGBTQ Individuals in the Accounting Profession
- Human Resource Professionals Who Are LGBTQ
- Marketing Professionals Who Identify as LGBTQ