Please note that this event will took place in German!

Regularily, our board member Albert Kehrer invites an inspiring role model of the LGBT*IQ community or an LGBT*IQ Ally for a chat. You can look forward to an interesting exchange about role models and visibility in the LGBT*IQ community.

GUEST OF THE DAY

Experienced, well rounded global Human Resources leader with a demonstrated history of working in Healthcare (J&J, Roche, Novartis) as well as in high tech (T-Systems, T-Mobile, Deutsche Telekom). Skilled generalist with deep OD expertise as well as HR Consulting, Coaching, Executive Coaching, Team Building, and Leadership. Worked in roles on Corporate, global, regional and country level. Strong business minded, people and impact oriented professional with a PhD focused in Sociology from Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main. Lived in 5 countries (Germany, Switzerland, UK, Russia, Canada) and love to travel the world (over 60 countries so far). Besides family and friends my passion is Yoga and hiking.

HOW CAN I PARTICIPATE IN THE campaign?

• Inform lesbian people from your own network and beyond to make them aware of the action.
• Create a portrait photo using the templates, whether printed or digitally with the tablet. You are also welcome to use the template in grayscale, for example. (Make sure to clarify in advance whether you are allowed to use the employer’s company logo together with the template. Instead, you can use the company name or use the template without the company name).
• Post your own campaign photo on 26.04.2021 from 10:00 am with the respective hashtags and taggings on the social media channels you use

Position yourself and your company as a supporter of the campaign and for lesbian visibility and call on employees to participate.
The campaign was initiated jointly by the PROUT AT WORK-Foundation and LGBT*IQ business networks. The Lesbian and Gay Association (LSVD) and Wirtschaftsweiber e.V. support the campaign.

Regularily, our board member Albert Kehrer invites an inspiring role model of the LGBT*IQ community or an LGBT*IQ Ally for a chat. You can look forward to an interesting exchange about role models and visibility in the LGBT*IQ community.

GUEST OF THE DAY

Ernesto has over 15 years of human resources experience He is currently the global head of HR for SAP’s Customer Success organization. Passionate about transformation and the impact of leadership on people, Ernesto is a seasoned, goal oriented global HR Senior Executive with broad experience in supporting the Sales and Services organization as well as Development Groups. Accustomed to work in an international environment, Ernesto is strong in transformational work and possesses in depth expertise in all relevant HR processes with a strong ability in creating long term partnerships He speaks Italian and German, is fluent in English and has good knowledge of French and Spanish. He joined SAP in 2005 as a recruiter and had several roles within the HRBP Organization. Ernesto earned a Master Degree in General Linguistics and a PHD in German Linguistics at the University of Würzburg in Germany.

Regularily, our board member Albert Kehrer invites an inspiring role model of the LGBT*IQ community or an LGBT*IQ Ally for a chat. You can look forward to an interesting exchange about role models and visibility in the LGBT*IQ community.

GUEST OF THE DAY

Philip Heßen joined Merck KGaA, a leading science and technology company based in Germany, in 2014. Initially Philip held the position of Head of Global Rewards, followed by his role as Head of HR Germany and is currently responsible for the Global People and HR Strategy, acting as Head of HR Strategy & Transformation.  

Philips professional career started with Siemens, where he was responsible for the initiation of a share-based incentive and establishing an employee-share-culture. In 2011, he transitioned to the high-tech company OSRAM as Global Rewards and Executive HR Manager and, among other things, supported the company’s flotation (IPO) and Divesture from the parent company Siemens.

Panelists:

Julia Monro

Julia supports the German Society for Transidentity and Intersexuality e.v.  in public relations and offers counseling for transgender people. In 2018, she founded her own project called Transkids and offers workshops at schools as a lecturer of the Pädagogisches Landesinstitut. She is involved in the trans* community to improve the living situation of transgender people and reports, among other things, from her own biography of experiences of discrimination in society and the world of work.

Andrea Schuler

Andrea Schuler’s area of expertise is the impact of gender diversity in social and professional contexts. After completing her Bachelor of Arts in Management of Social Innovations, Andrea was involved in the ERASMUS+ project Transvisible on the labor market integration of trans* people for the German Trans* Association. There, she collaborated on the publication TransVisible – A Guide for Better Labor Integration and Economic Empowerment of Trans* Women, among others. Andrea works as a psychosocial counselor at the Trans*Inter*Beratungsstelle München.

In the panel, the two experts asked the following question, among others.

“HOW CAN EMPLOYERS POSITION THEMSELVES TO MAKE TRANSITIONS GO WELL?”

n addition, in order to show examples of how a good and joint transition can work in the company, besides the existing difficulties, we asked trans* people the following question.

“WHAT HELPED YOU THE MOST IN A PROFESSIONAL CONTEXT DURING TRANSITION?”

What can help me as a trans* person in a professional context? What counseling centers are there that I can turn to? Besides answers to these questions, we also offer an excerpt of possibilities that companies have to accompany a transition well. In addition, there are further tips for trans* persons and on the question of how you can be an Ally by supporting colleagues in transition.

FURTHER TIPS FOR TRANS* PEOPLE

The people quoting already offer some insight into support options. Here at a glance is an excerpt on further assistance:

• Seek allies and role models within the company.
• If possible, work with the company to create a communication and action plan.
• Very important: You set the pace!
• Connect with the LGBTIQ network, if one exists. We have compiled a list of LGBTIQ networks in companies and organizations.

TIPS FOR COMPANIES AND ALLIES

• A Transition Guide clearly specifies who is responsible. Note: the trans* person determines the pace and whether an action should be implemented. Every transition is individual.
• Enable name and pronoun changes before the official decision is made.
• Training sensitize HR and management
• Establish and strengthen an internal LGBTIQ network with dedicated trans contact persons
• Inform yourself about the topic trans*
• Use gender inclusive language, ask for a person’s pronouns so they use the one chosen by the trans* person and not their deadname. Deadname is the old, discarded name of a trans* person.
• Only ask questions that you would answer yourself
• Consciously stand up for the rights and against the discrimination of trans* persons

ADVISORY SERVICES (GErmany)

Since the publication of the joint position paper on blood donation in April 2020 with the co-initiator METRO AG and 15 other signatories, PROUT AT WORK has been publicly campaigning for a change in the hemotherapy guideline. Companies bear social responsibility: In this context, many provide premises for blood donation and call on employees to donate blood. An amended guideline will enable companies to offer a non-discriminatory working environment and at the same time fulfill their social responsibility.

On March 24, the Health Committee held a hearing on the topic of blood donation, at which PROUT AT WORK-board member Albert Kehrer was invited as an expert, among others. In the Live Talk he reported on his experiences and Nikita Baranov, Executive Assistant to CHRO at METRO AG picked you up with his impulse lecture on the topic of blood donation. He explained why it is important to advocate for policy change right now and how companies can contribute. Unfortunately, the video is only available in German.

Go directly to the hearing “Expertenstreit über die Zulassung zur Blutspende” here:

Regularily, our board member Albert Kehrer invites an inspiring role model of the LGBT*IQ community or an LGBT*IQ Ally for a chat. You can look forward to an interesting exchange about role models and visibility in the LGBT*IQ community.

Guest Of the day

Claudia Brind-Woody is currently the IBM Managing Director for the Walgreens Boots Alliance Integrated Account where she leads the IBM team in both Europe in North America.  Prior to this role, she was the Vice President and Managing Director for IBM Global Intellectual Property Licensing where she delivered more than $3 Billion of profit to IBM through IP Partnerships.   She also led the two large divestitures of IBM Software in 2019 – one was $1.77 Billion and the other was $545M.  Claudia has been with IBM since 1996, and has held multiple global roles during her tenure including work in Finland and the United Kingdom.

Claudia is an accomplished speaker who has done keynote speeches on LGBT Diversity throughout the world.   She has also contributed to the books: Out & Equal at Work: From Closet to Corner Office (2013) and The Glass Closet: Why Coming Out is Good for Business (2014).  She is featured in the book Pride and Joy: LGBTQ Artists, Icons and Everyday Heroes (2017).

Claudia serves on the Advisory Boards of WorkPlace Pride in Amsterdam, and The GayStar News.  She has also served on the Board of Directors of Out & Equal Workplace Advocates, and Lambda Legal.

In 2011, Claudia received the Out & Equal Trailblazer Award and was listed in GO Magazine’s “100 Women We Love.”  In 2012 she was included in The Guardian’s WorldPride Power List Top 100.  In 2013, she was listed as #6 on The Financial Times LGBT Role Models, in 2014 was #10  on their list, and in 2015 was #5.  In 2015, she was also listed as #2 on the Telegraph Media Group’s Out at Work LGBT Top 50 Executives.  Most recently, she was included in the Diva Power List and named to the Financial Times LGBT Role Models Hall of Fame for 2016.

Before joining IBM in 1996, Claudia worked for the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games, as an executive for CenturyLink, and as the Assistant Dean of the College & Graduate School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin.  She also served as the Assistant Athletics Director at the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Tennessee.  She was also an Assistant Basketball Coach under Pat Summitt at the University of Tennessee.

Claudia holds a J.D. degree, magna cum laude, from Georgia State University, an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin, and an M.S. from the University of Tennessee.  She is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Mary Baldwin College where she earned her B. A. summa cum laude.  She is admitted to practice law by the State Bar of Georgia.   

Regularily, our board member Albert Kehrer invites an inspiring role model of the LGBT*IQ community or an LGBT*IQ Ally for a chat. You can look forward to an interesting exchange about role models and visibility in the LGBT*IQ community.

Guest Of The Day

As the Global Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer for the Sodexo Group, a world leader in integrated facilities services, Margot has responsibility for the strategic direction, implementation and alignment of its integrated global diversity and inclusion initiatives.  

Limerick-born Margot joined Sodexo Ireland in the early 1990s and prior to her current role, was country president of Sodexo Ireland from 2015-2019.   For her work in championing successful inclusive leadership in Ireland, Margot was regularly listed on the Financial Times’ Top 100 LGBT Business Leaders and was made a Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Mérite by the French Ambassador to Ireland. She has also been the recipient of many other business and professional awards in Ireland and abroad.

Sodexo delivers services that improve the quality of life to clients in business and industry, education, financial, pharma and healthcare. These include food services, infrastructure build, facilities and estate management, optimising the workplace experience, wellness experiences, personal and homecare services.