Pride month conversations: A real talk with our Co-CEO

Hi everyone, I’m Mark, and I’m standing here at the beginning of Pride Month.

Can you imagine? We’re here, and we want to take a moment where, as a gay CEO myself, I want to shed light on topics and discussions that, in my opinion, we don’t hear enough about, such as: what is the real difference between environmental footprint and cultural footprint?

Again, let’s take a step back. As you know, the representation of openly gay CEOs like myself is very low globally.

In the Netherlands, we even talk about 1%, and this is due to different factors, as you all know. One is the fear of professional consequences, such as impacts on your promotion or even your work performance.

Second, there are the legal and social risks in countries where this is still happening. Do not forget that, still, you cannot be openly gay in more than 60 countries, as it is still illegal or even dangerous.

Lastly, we all feel it: cultural pressure, where we are almost told to keep our personal lives separate from our business lives as leaders. But, as you all know, why should I be a different person at home than at work?

So, if we go back to the original question, what does it mean for you?

For me, it’s all of the above: making sure you are who you are, both as a leader and as an individual.

And, to even go one step further, I believe everybody has some kind of LGBTQ+ connection in their life—a friend, a colleague, or even someone in their family.

And the question remains for you, as a listener: do you want to connect with that or not?

Enough about me. I want to hear from you. What does inclusion look like in your organisation as a leader, an employee, a manager, or even a parent, beyond our rainbow logo?

I really want to hear that from the heart. Thank you very much.