Out & Equal Announces Department of State’s Randy Berry as Keynote Speaker of Annual Executive Forum
Now In Its 9th Year, Executive Forum Will Feature Special
Envoy for the Human Rights of LGBTI Persons, Among Fortune 500 Senior
Executives
SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Out & Equal Workplace Advocates, the nonprofit dedicated to achieving
global LGBT workplace equality, will hold its annual Executive Forum
Conference from March 22 – 24, 2016 at the Palace Hotel in San
Francisco, Calif. Randy Berry, the first-ever Department of State
Special Envoy for the Human Rights of LGBTI Persons, will be a keynote
speaker.
“We are honored to have Special Envoy Berry as a keynote speaker of
Executive Forum this year,” Out & Equal Founder and CEO Selisse Berry
said. “Mr. Berry is a pioneer, holding the first-ever position of its
kind in any country. In his role, he is making noteworthy strides for
the LGBT community, in every corner of the world. As an organization
that is focused on promoting change in domestic and foreign environments
for LGBT people, Mr. Berry’s work is inspiring and crucial to our
mission.”
Special Envoy Berry will be joined by almost 90 executives and senior
leaders at Out & Equal’s annual spring conference. Executive Forum
provides LGBT and ally leadership from Fortune 500 companies an
opportunity to come together for two days of presentations, panels,
breakout sessions and networking to discuss the current state of LGBT
workplace issues in domestic and global landscapes.
“I am pleased to attend Out & Equal’s Executive Forum this year and
commend the organization for its work to achieve global LGBTI workplace
equality,” Special Envoy Randy Berry said. “Business has an important
role to play in pushing back against societal discrimination and
supporting inclusion and diversity. This isn’t a just matter of ‘it is
the right thing to do’; it is smart business. Companies have a
bottom-line incentive to create a workplace where LGBTI workers feel
accepted, valued and free to be who they are.”
In addition to Berry’s keynote session, Executive Forum will also
include three panel discussions examining global, LGBT veteran and
corporate board topics. Julie Hogan, vice president of North America
Services at NCR Corporation, will moderate the LGBT veteran panel, which
will include Major General Patricia Rose, the highest-ranking out LGBT
person in the military; Kathy Levinson, LGBT and women’s rights
advocate; and Subhi Nahas, the only openly gay Syrian refugee in the
country.
Additional panelists will include Bernie Zanck, development manager at
Walt Disney Co., Charlene Grabowski, regional sales manager at General
Electric Co., Ross LaJeuesse, global head of international relations at
Google Inc. and Ken Janssens, managing director at JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Executive Forum will conclude with the Momentum Gala, an evening
reception of cocktails, live entertainment and auctions, where winners
of the Ally Award and Outstanding Ally Award will be presented with
their awards.
About Out & Equal
Out & Equal is a San Francisco-based nonprofit organization that
collaborates with Fortune 500 corporations around the world to help them
create safe and supportive work environments for their lesbian, gay,
bisexual, and transgender employees. Out & Equal provides professional
development opportunities; establishes and supports employee resource
groups; develops hiring policies and training programs; provides
networking opportunities; and develops career advancement programs. Out
& Equal, which was founded in 1996, brings together employees and
experts from around the world each year at its Workplace Summit, where
attendees learn about current and emerging best practices to ensure
greater opportunities and equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender employees.
Contacts
Out & Equal
Jonathan Carver Moore, 415-694-6531
Associate
Director of Communications
Jmoore@outandequal.org
