Retail guru Mary Portas has joined the judging panel that will assess the top 50 most influential LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender)Â people in business and enterprise. The list will be officially announced on 15 January.
Portas, best-known for her work on the Channel 4 show ‘Secret Shopper’, joins the judging panel led by diversity and inclusion expert Linda Riley, Labour peer Michael Cashman and Lord Guy Black of the Daily Telegraph Group.
They aim to highlight the most successful LGBT business executives in 2015 when the Out at Work Top 50 list is announced at ceremony at the Houses of Parliament in the New Year.
For the first time Britain’s leading LGBT business powerhouses will be ranked in a comprehensive list which will be published by the Daily Telegraph in collaboration with the leading diversity and inclusion events company, Square Peg Media.
City leaders and chief executives urged to nominate
The team behind the Out at Work Top 50 today called for City leaders and chief executives to nominate the most deserving LGBT executives from across their organisations.
Nominees will be considered according to a key criteria including impact on business, involvement in internal and external diversity events, helping shape policy on LGBT issues and work to incite change.
It is the first time a list of rising LGBT stars in business has been complied.
Linda Riley, Chair of the Out at Work Judging Advisory board and who is also the Founder of European Diversity Awards said:
“Mary Portas has a fantastic track record in business so is the ideal person to join the Out at Work Top 50 judging panel.”
Nominations can be submitted at http://www.outatworktop50.com
I’m not even sure why folk are promoting alternative forms of sexuality as an executive feature within the workplace … do they get a badge?
I can see how it may seem a little patronising. When Apple’s Tim Cook officially came out as gay, I pondered whether I should even run an article on it, since not doing so would show just how unremarkable a gay CEO is in this day and age. I don’t think we’re quite there yet though and, in my opinion, championing those of different sexualities in the workplace is still very important for informing the more prejudiced amongst us.
Hopefully, within the century, an LGBT CEO will not even make headlines.