Diversity in Business Blog

On October 23 the Holebifederatie, Belgian Business Association and IBM will jointly host the "lgbt@work, inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees in Belgium". During the event, there will be a press conference to announce the results of the GLBT Equality Survey 2007 and the rainbow award for most GLBT friendly employer will be awarded. There is also a speaker on 'lgbt discrimination on the workfloor' and a panel discussion.

Today we would like to announce an event which egma is organizing jointly with IBM.
 
IBM & egma extend a special invitation to all decision makers to attend the
1st Pan-European Gay & Lesbian Business Leader Forum on "Diversity & Innovation"
8th & 9th October 2007 in Zurich, Switzerland
We have high-profile speakers to showcase best practices around GLBT Diversity and Innovation:
•       Sir Michael Bishop CBE, Chairman of British Midland
•       Bruno Di Leo, General Manager for Northeast Europe, IBM
•       Out Executives from IBM and executives who are straight Allies
•       Speakers from American Express, Shell, ING and UBS as well as Stonewall
 
Key Questions to be answered
•       How are "Diversity and Innovation" key drivers for Innovation?
•       Can being a "Diversity Champion" increase productivity within your organization?
•       Why "Mentoring" works both ways and enhances collaboration?
•       Want to learn more about tapping into a growing market segment worth an estimated $3B*?
•       Why network with industry leaders about "Diversity"?
 
Purpose
In the European IT market the GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender) community is a group of decision makers whose buying power is estimated at $3B. Through this exclusive forum, IBM and egma are enabling participants to network while experiencing a unique business event which promotes deeper understanding of new and emerging markets.
 
Benefits
•       Learn how being a leader in "Diversity" can drive growth in your organization.
•       Network with peers across European industries and borders.
•       Learn how to integrate new technologies and innovation to serve client needs.
•       Understand market trends and emerging opportunities.
•       Learn how to increase productivity within your organization.
 
Information also can be found on our webpage: www.egma.eu/en/businessleader.htm
 

Diversity training is increasingly on the radar screen of HR and learning departments. I came across this CheckPoint article that describes how Aviva created a 'Respect Diversity Toolkit' with training material and how they are sharing their experiences and best practices with other firms.

I think it is great this kind of training gets more attention, and even better that companies are sharing their experiences on the topic. 

There are very few openly out top athletes. There are even less openly out CEOs. A few months ago we learned that BP CEO John Browne resigned his post, following his outing by a former lover. While the fact that Browne is gay and he had been hiding this aspect of this life for all his career, probably was just the last drop in a troubled relationship with the top of BP, it is still shocking to learn that something as trivial as this might trigger a step-down. Even if it is just perception.

You can read the full story on Newsweek. 

De Belgische Post zal op 19/5/2008 een speciale postzegel van 1,04 euro uitgeven met als thema 'Diversiteit op de werkvloer'. De beknopte mededeling in het uitgifteprogramma 2008 van De Post luidt: actie in De Post, andere bedrijven en overheidsdiensten ...