IBM to Sponsor Out Leadership's OutWOMEN, Which Convenes LGBT Women in Business

NEW YORK, Aug. 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- IBM will be a Founding Global Sponsor of Out Leadership's initiative OutWOMEN, which convenes LGBT women in business, for 2016, the companies announced today.

"We estimate that only about 5% of Fortune 500 CEOs, and fewer than 1% of FTSE 250 CEOs are women," said Out Leadership Managing Director Stephanie Sandberg. "Of the Financial Times' 2015 list of global leading LGBT executives, only 24% were women. But we know that diversity in senior leadership improves corporate performance and market opportunities. OutWOMEN seeks to give leading LGBT women a platform to champion their accomplishments, as well as to foster future generations of female leadership who will drive both equality and business results."

OutWOMEN launched in March 2016 in response to a perceived desire for connection and role models among LGBT women in business. The initiative hosts private dinners for senior-level executive women to convene in cities around the globe, including New York, Hong Kong, and London. OutWOMEN also hosts breakfasts and lunch panels at Out Leadership global summits, which are open to women with less executive seniority.

"At IBM, we support the business case for executive diversity and LGBT representation," said Lindsay-Rae McIntyre, IBM Chief Diversity Officer. "The company has been committed to gender equality and LGBT-inclusivity for decades, and we look forward to working with OutWOMEN and furthering our position as a global leader in workplace diversity and inclusion."

ABOUT OUT LEADERSHIP
Out Leadership is a global LGBT business advisory that partners with the world's most influential companies to build business opportunities, cultivate talent, and drive LGBT equality forward. We believe that LGBT inclusion positively impacts business results, and that including LGBT people at the most senior level of executive leadership builds business. We call this idea Return on Equality™.

Comprised of 72 member firms from the financial services, technology, legal and insurance industries, and dedicated to cross-industry collaboration, Out Leadership is a certified B Corporation. Out Leadership operates two industry-specific business initiatives: Out on the Street and Out in Law, and three talent initiatives: Quorum, which aims to increase LGBT representation on corporate boards; OutNEXT, the first global talent development program for emerging LGBT leaders; and OutWOMEN, connecting senior level LGBT women in business.

For more information, please visit www.outleadership.com

For more information about IBM, go to IBM.com/diversity

SOURCE Out Leadership