HSBC banker heads the power list of gay and lesbian business leaders

 
Antonio Simoes: Head of UK banking at high street giant HSBC
HSBC

The first power list of Britain’s leading gay and lesbian business high-fliers has been published.

Antonio Simoes, the openly gay head of UK banking at high street giant HSBC, topped the rankings drawn up as part of a campaign backed by former BP boss Lord Browne.

The list was compiled by OUTstanding in Business, a professional network for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) executives that aims to fight workplace homophobia and promote greater boardroom diversity.

The publication of the list comes a week after the appointment of Christopher Bailey to the top job at fashion group Burberry, which will make him the first “out” chief executive of a FTSE-100 company when he succeeds Angela Ahrendts next Spring.

Mr Simoes said: “I’m honoured to be in the company of such high-quality business talent. I hope the list will help other LGBT executives feel more confident about their sexuality.”

Second on the list is Beth Brooke, global vice-chair of public policy at consultants EY. Paul Reed, chief executive of BP Integrated Supply and Trading is third.

Claudia Brind-Woody, London based vice-president of global intellectual property licensing at IBM, who is sixth on the list, said employers in Europe and the US had made huge strides in encouraging diversity in recent years.

She said: “We stopped saying ‘bring your wife’ to social events a long time ago. We started saying ‘bring your spouse’ and then ‘bring your partner or adult guest’.

“These things are important, language matters.”

She said it was crucial for LGBT executives to have the courage to come out because the energy spent trying to hide an important part of their identity could be far more productively directed at their job.

She said: ”One of my favourite stories is about an IBM colleague who was debating whether to come out to his most important client. He finally decided to tell the guy and the client said: ‘Really? Me too. Can we quit going to the football now and go to the theatre instead?’”

The campaign backed by blue-chip companies such as BP, Barclays, EY and Google, aims at “broadening the boardroom diversity debate beyond gender or race to include LGBT issues”.

Suki Sandhu, founder of OUTstanding in Business, said: “Our hope is this list will inspire others to embrace who they are, paving the way for change in the corporate world.”

Lord Browne, who has spoken of his regret at covering up his sexuality during his 41 years with BP, said: “The climate for LGBT employees in the workplace is steadily improving. Companies now understand that discrimination in any form is bad for business.”

Leading the way

Antonio Simoes, HSBC Head of HSBC UK & Head of Retail Banking & Wealth Management, Europe

Beth Brooke EY Global Vice Chair, Public Policy

Paul Reed BP IST CEO

Joseph Evangelisti JP Morgan Chief Communications Officer, JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Lord Allen of Kensington CBE 2 Sisters Food Group, ISS, Global Radio, Endemol Chair

Claudia Brind-Woody IBM Vice President & Managing Director, Global Intellectual Property Licensing

Colin Walsh AMEX Executive VP, Proprietary Card Services

Robert Hanson American Eagle Outfitters CEO

Anthony Watson Barclays Bank PLC Managing Director & Chief Information Officer, Europe Middle East Retail & Business Banking

Mary Jo Abler 3M Unitek President

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