Foi-se o tempo em que a sexualidade era fator negativo na carreira de um homem de negócios, ou que sair do armário no trabalho era um tabu. Prova disso é a lista publicada pela Financial Times hoje, encabeçada pelo português António Simões, presidente do HSBC no Reino Unido, o maior banco europeu e um dos maiores do mundo.
Aos 38 anos e casado com outro homem, Simões é responsável pelos investimentos de milhões de correntistas e tem feito um trabalho reconhecido no HSBC. A lista foi elaborada pela rede de executivos LGBT OUTstanding in Business. Todos os nomeados receberam pontos e a publicação dos nomes exigiu a autorização dos listados. Simões afirmou que se sentiu honrado em poder ser exemplo para os mais jovens.
“Sempre vivi num ambiente com muito apoio dos amigos e da família. Quando comecei a trabalhar, o ambiente não era tão inclusivo como é hoje”, afirmou o executivo que também ajuda a melhorar o ambiente de trabalho na empresa que dirige, contribuição que garantiu para ele a liderança na lista. “A lista dos 50 OUTstanding é a prova de que os executivos LGBT estão a fazer uma enorme diferença e contribuição para a economia. Mostra que uma pessoa se pode assumir e ter sucesso”, afirmou Suki Sandhu, fundador da rede e idealizador da lista. O critério para a escolha dos nomes da lista foi liderança, modelo de inspiração, contribuição para a causa LGBT e ter sucesso e fazer a diferença, desafiando os estereótipos.
O presidente da Apple, Tim Cook, não consta na lista, certamente, especula-se, por não ter autorizado a sua inclusão. Mesmo assim, a lista tem nomes como Beth Brooke, vice-presidente da Ernst Young em segundo lugar; Paul Reed, CEO da British Petroleum, em terceiro; E vice presidente da IBM, Brind-Woody, em sexto lugar.
Confira a lista completa:
1. Antonio Simoes
Head of banking for the UK and head of retail banking and wealth management for Europe
HSBC Bank
2. Beth Brooke
Global vice-chair, public policy
EY, professional services firm
3. Paul Reed
Chief executive
BP Integrated Supply and Trading, energy company
4. Joseph Evangelisti
Chief communications officer
JPMorgan Chase, financial services
5. Lord Allen of Kensington
Chairman and non-executive director
2 Sisters Food Group, ISS, Global Radio, Endemol
6. Claudia Brind-Woody
Vice-president and managing director, global intellectual property licensing
IBM, IT services company
7. Colin Walsh
Executive vice-president, proprietary card services
American Express, financial services
8. Robert Hanson
Chief executive
American Eagle Outfitters, clothing and accessories
9. Anthony Watson
Managing director and chief information officer, Europe Middle East retail and business banking
Barclays Bank
10. Mary Jo Abler
President
3M Unitek, dentistry and orthodontics business
11. Robert (Bob) Greenblatt
Chairman
NBC Entertainment, broadcasting network
12. Sara Geater
Chief executive
FremantleMedia UK, media production
13. Patrick Rowe
Associate general counsel
Accenture, management consultancy
14. Pierre Landy
Deputy general counsel
Yahoo, internet company
15. Angela Darlington
Chief risk officer
Aviva UK Life, insurance company
16. Richard Beaven
Operations director, insurance division
Lloyds Banking Group
17. Dave Bradley
Group HR director
Qinetiq, defence and security technology business
18. Liz Bingham
Managing partner, people, UK and Ireland
EY, global professional services firm
19. Robert Kerse
Executive director, finance
Circle Housing, UK provider of affordable housing
20. Marianne Roling
Managing director, consumer telco
Microsoft Corporation, global IT company
21. Jan Gooding
Group brand director
Aviva, insurance
22. Alison McFadyen
Programme director, sustainability
Standard Chartered Bank
23. Steven Tallman
Partner and vice-president of global operations
Bain & Company, management consulting firm
24. Andrew Park
Senior vice-president, people support and excellence
Tate & Lyle, agribusiness
25. Rachel Harper
Director of internal audit
BP, energy company
26. Vincent Francois
Regional head of audit
Société Générale, banking and financial services company
27. Charles Myers
Senior managing director
Evercore Partners, investment banking advisory firm
28. Susie Scher
Managing director, Americas financing group
Goldman Sachs, investment bank
29. Michael Brunt
Senior vice-president, head of circulation, Americas, and global head of marketing, Economist Digital
The Economist, publisher
30. Lord Black of Brentwood
Executive director
Telegraph Media Group, publisher
31. Ken Mehlman
Head of global public affairs
KKR, private equity firm
32. Neil Bentley
Deputy director-general and chief operating officer
CBI, the UK employers’ organization
33. Margaret Stumpp
Senior adviser
Quantitative Management Associates, investment management
34. Jacqueline Davies
HR director
Financial Conduct Authority, UK regulator
35. Justin D’Agostino
Managing partner, head of Greater China office
Herbert Smith Freehills, law firm
36. Daniel Winterfeldt
Head of international capital markets
CMS Cameron McKenna, law firm
37. Scott McGregor
Chief executive
Camco Clean Energy, sustainability specialist
38. Ronnie West
HR director
Barclaycard, financial services
39. Mark Palmer-Edgecumbe
Head of diversity, Emea region
Google, internet services provider
40. Matthew Flood
General counsel and divisional manager, services division
Balfour Beatty, infrastructure group
41. Julia Hoggett
Head of short-term fixed income origination, covered bonds and Fig (financial institutions group) flow financing, Emea region
Bank of America Merrill Lynch
42. Emma Goodford
Proprietary partner and head of national offices
Knight Frank, estate agents
43. Tim Baxter
Group head of corporate communications
Standard Chartered Bank
44. Russell Martin
HR director, retail and insurance
Lloyds Banking Group
45. Harry Rich
Chief executive
Royal Institute of British Architects, professional body
46. Jeffrey Krogh
Managing director, media and telecom finance, corporate and investment banking
BNP Paribas, bank and financial services company
47. Darren Towers
Head of sustainability
EDF Energy, energy supplier
48. Barnaby Dawe
Chief marketing officer
HarperCollins Publishers
49. Svetlana Omelchenko
Vice-president, global marketing insights
Coty, beauty products manufacturer
50. Gerwin Janssen
Vice-president of marketing, L’Oréal Paris, Skin Care at L’Oréal USA
L’Oréal, cosmetics and beauty company