C RE LGBTQ N E T W O R K
interview series Michael Bonsor Managing Director ROSEWOOD LONDON
Do you see more/less acceptance of LGBTQ in society? I am blessed to work and socialise in a very inclusive environment. I work and live in the heart of London, and I know how lucky I am to be within a society that is multicultural, diverse, and inclusive. So, I am personally not affected by acceptance, but I see other people’s struggles. Overall, the acceptance is growing. How important is the role of inclusion and equity groups within organisations, and how is the output of such initiatives directly supporting your teams? The role of inclusion and equity is vital within an organisation. As leaders in the organisation, we need to ensure that all groups are welcome in the business, other than it being the right thing to do, the team works at its optimum level when there is cohesiveness and camaraderie. In hospitality it has been taken for granted too much, that the industry is diverse and welcoming – it mostly is of course, however in the business you must ensure that all groups have a voice, that others are aware of how minority groups may feel and provide the catalysis for people to respect each other. We know that equity, diversity, and inclusion are important for commercial success. What does it mean for you, and [how] has it impacted your own personal journey? Agreed, these factors are vital to the success of the business. As far as I know my sexuality has not stopped my career progression over the last 25 years, it may have done and I am unaware, thankfully I am not working at those organisations. Feeling at ease at work and being able to be creative and pushing the boundaries has enabled me to flourish. I have been given a lot of freedom along my career to make decisions and have the autonomy to take the business in the direction I see fit. If you are not feeling that in your workplace, it may be time to change. Stifling creativity, creating unhappy workflows clog the business and it will fail. How did you make it possible to be successful leader and at the same time, a proud member of the LGBT community?
I learnt a lot from my parents, they were incredibly supportive when I came out, as a result very little changed in my life during this time, they were always looking out for me and guided me through. I have had the same approach with team members that I can see that are struggling to be included, you have to take the time as a leader to nurture, mentor, and coach. It was a very proud moment for me to be recognised by Attitude Magazine this year as one of the 101 most influential LGBTQ+ trailblazers in the UK. My sexuality doesn’t define me, but it is a very important part of me. Has there been an organisation that helped or supported you as an active LGBT member throughout your career? At Rosewood, our associates are encouraged to be themselves and to deliver guest experiences that go beyond the expected. For us, your potential is not your professional credentials or your past: it is your personality and sense of curiosity that build the foundation of an exciting career with Rosewood. What do you think is yet to improve for the LGBT community? Ultimately, I know I live in a bubble of positivity and many LGBT community members are suffering daily in regard to being accepted at school, with family or in the workplace. There are so many things that need to be improved. We as leaders in the industry must do our part. Work alongside charities, ensure that our stories of success are heard; for example, I will be travelling to Strathclyde University, where I graduated from to tell my story. The community needs more outspoken professionals to tell their story and inspire others. How can we create spaces that are inclusive, safe, and respectful of all people? We encourage our associates to be curious to discover their natural calling and their purpose in work. We educate our leaders and teams with specialised diversity training. We celebrate the differences of all our associates. We have open channels of communications from a Loop committee with direct access to me through to Social & Family committees focusing on what’s important for our employees at work
If you would like to take part in these CORE LGBTQ+ series, you can contact Krishnan: krishnan@corecruitment.com
C RE LGBTQ N E T W O R K
interview series Oliver Hiner Director, Operations PORTICO
Do you see more/less acceptance of LGBTQ in society? My personal view is that LGBTQ is more openly discussed as part of everyday conversation, and this is a trend which is in one direction in the UK. However, this does not necessarily correlate with acceptance and there is still work to do on this. Sadly there is still a stigma in certain parts of society be-it down to culture, religion or just lack of information and awareness. I feel very fortunate to work and live in circles where I am fully accepted as who I am however I am more than aware through personal experience that many people have different and less favourable stories to tell.
How did you make it possible to be successful leader and at the same time, a proud member of the LGBT community? As mentioned before, I have been very fortunate to be part of organisations that have allowed me to be myself. I have learnt the importance of creating a culture of openness and inclusivity. I’ve been a senior leader in my current organisation for several years now and the importance of being honest and genuine cannot be underestimated. You need to bring yourself to work and show who you are....there’s only one you! What do you think is yet to improve for the LGBT community?
In the UK, the LGBT community is widely accepted and sits on a level playing field with the rest of society. However the journey has not even started in so many other counties and territories. I really enjoy travelling however having to consider where to go to because of views on LGBT is always a worry. There are some counties that are just a no-go on the whole if you want to be yourself as a gay man and this is very sad. Clearly there is still huge amounts of work to do and this will take years, and generations. I’m, happy to volunteer and help the effort How important is the role of inclusion and equity groups somewhere in the sunshine..! within organisations, and how is the output of such initiatives How can we create spaces that are inclusive, safe, and directly supporting your teams? respectful of all people? It is vital that all employees within an organisation have an It starts from the top; leadership must set the expectations and opportunity to feel part of the bigger picture, of the culture of boundaries. This in turn will create the parameters for which their organisation. This goes beyond their day to day job, it’s everyone can contribute to the culture. Everyone within an about being included and feeling that their input is heard and organisation is part of this, it cannot be led by on person or valued. Inclusion and equity groups also provide an group. it is important that everyone feels heard and different opportunity for networking outside of immediate colleagues. mediums may be needed to speak to different parts of the For me, this is about engaging the heart as well as the brain. workforce i.e. some people may really enjoy joining a network As with many industries at present, we (at Portico) place group whereas others would rather communicate through an recruitment as one of our key challenges presently. Being able office survey or suggestion box. Everyone should be given the to attract, and retain, people is as hard now as ever. By having opportunity to be heard and feel included. a workplace that is inclusive and open to everyone will greatly increase the opportunity and reduce the risk for organisations. We know that equity, diversity, and inclusion are important for commercial success. What does it mean for you, and [how] has it impacted your own personal journey? Having always worked in hospitality I count myself very lucky to have been part of organisations that have encouraged me to be myself, where my sexuality has never been a problem. This has enabled me to focus on my work and perform at my best. Having recently gone through the process of adoption with my husband I fully recognise how an individual’s performance can be impacted when they feel they have to be in deference mode. If you want to get the best from your teams then you need to ensure they feel comfortable and can focus on the job primarily.
If you would like to take part in these CORE LGBTQ+ series, you can contact Krishnan: krishnan@corecruitment.com
C RE LGBTQ N E T W O R K
interview series James Grist Head of Talent D&D LONDON
Do you see more/less acceptance of LGBTQ in society? In general there is more awareness the LGBTQ+ community and yes in turn this has led to more acceptance however there is so much more to be done in the creation of making it ‘normal’ within society and for the community to feel safe and accepted. How important is the role of inclusion and equity groups within organisations, and how is the output of such initiatives directly supporting your teams? Massively important. We want people to bring their best selves to work and one can only do that knowing their organisation supports them fully. As we focus on growing talent internally and increasing the opportunities for young people we need to them to know that they are supported by us fully, personally and professionally. We know that equity, diversity, and inclusion are important for commercial success. What does it mean for you, and [how] has it impacted your own personal journey? To be an open gay man in my workplace is incredibly empowering and it allows me to be authentic in everything I do. Knowing that I can refer to my husband openly with no make excuses or tell white lies about who is, is really important. This is the work environment and culture we all naturally crave and I feel extremely blessed to be able to allow this part of my personality be seen. How did you make it possible to be successful leader and at the same time, a proud member of the LGBT community? Make no apologies for who you are. That has always been my moto. I have never questioned my ability to be both, I guess it comes naturally when you are proud of yourself.
Has there been an organisation that helped or supported you as an active LGBT member throughout your career? Ha, I’m sure you won’t be surprised to hear Balans was the first business I worked for where they encouraged me to be me. Being an iconic Restaurant within the heart of Soho, with a huge LGBTQ+ following, working here naturally allowed me to embrace and be part of the community. Balans encouraged me to be my true self and it was a huge confidence builder for me personally. I don’t think I would be the person I am today without my experience of working at Balans. What do you think is yet to improve for the LGBT community? I think certain parts of the community need increased support. The recent conversion therapy ban for all excluding trans is mindboggling and quite frankly a disgusting decision from our government. It highlights that we still have to fight for our community.
If you would like to take part in these CORE LGBTQ+ series, you can contact Krishnan: krishnan@corecruitment.com
C RE LGBTQ N E T W O R K
interview series Colin Kimber Associate Director
PARETO FM LTD Do you see more/less acceptance of LGBTQ in society? That’s difficult one to answer. One the one hand – Yes. LGBTQ people are far more visible in society and the media now. There have been some “rights” won, such as same sex marriage. Younger generations are much more openly fluid about themselves and within their own groups this has created a much safer space for them to be themselves – but it has also created a degree of blindness to the struggles of the past that still affect other generations that came before them. Where I would say No to this question is mainly in connection with different groups within the LGBTQ community. Whilst Gay Men and Lesbians have become relatively well integrated into wider society, Bi people are still treated extremely poorly and we cannot ignore the very real struggles that are happening for Trans people – most recently in the Government decision to remove Trans people from any ban on Conversion Therapy. In short I would say we have certainly come a long way since I was a fledgling Gay in the world, but I think we have a long way to go. My worry is that we will become complacent because there has been a degree of progress. How important is the role of inclusion and equity groups within organisations, and how is the output of such initiatives directly supporting your teams? I think these groups are extremely important. We spend a large amount of our lives at work. So to see support for ourselves within the organisation is powerful and reassuring, it creates comfort at work and commitment to the organisation by individuals. It also gives opportunity to learn about other diverse groups and supports allyship from those around us. I think in many ways the business world has more opportunity to impact society as a whole as it deals with people directly. There has certainly been a noticeable increase in the number of candidates we see for roles at Pareto that specifically cite our approach to EDI as part of the reason they are attracted to the opportunity. For my Teams it has created a safe space where people can be themselves, but also allows everyone to be curious about what they don’t know. We know that equity, diversity, and inclusion are important for commercial success. What does it mean for you, and [how] has it impacted your own personal journey? EDI has had a huge impact on me personally. Being freed up to be my whole self at work has been liberating. Until I became so actively involved in this area I had no idea how hiding uses so much energy and in my case made me seem inauthentic in some of my interactions with people. I feel a real sense of self-confidence now and that gives me the opportunity to help others and be a champion for change.
How did you make it possible to be successful leader and at the same time, a proud member of the LGBT community? For me it was about being brave and open about myself. To start with I felt like I was bringing it up all the time and worried that people would view me as the person that “brought up the Gay thing” at every opportunity. But having now seen the impact I can have on other people that may be struggling themselves it makes it all worthwhile. I am really pleased to be involved in EDI on a broader scale now – this gives me such a great opportunity to learn about other groups outside of LGBTQ and hopefully have a positive effect on their lives as well. Has there been an organisation that helped or supported you as an active LGBT member throughout your career? The main organisation that has helped me in my career has been LGBT+ in FM, and of course the company I work for Pareto FM. Being part of the network has taught me a lot and given me the supportive platform I needed to grow in this area. Pareto have been almost aggressively supportive from the get go and whilst this was a little terrifying at the start, it has made me confident to be bold about the things I feel passionate about now. What do you think is yet to improve for the LGBT community? I’d like to see a real positive change for Trans rights. It makes me quite angry that Trans people are being separated from the rest of the community and penalised. Unfortunately there are differences of opinion with the LGBTQ Community itself and this is what allows the separation to happen. If we were truly unified we would be more difficult to attack. I heard a speaker recently say that if all the LGBTQ people in the world got together we would be the 2nd or 3rd largest country on the planet. This really made me think – perhaps we should realise the strength we could have together. We like to think of ourselves as individuals in society and that’s great – but it could serve us better to be able to consider ourselves as part of a group or tribe at times and put our individual needs aside. How can we create spaces that are inclusive, safe, and respectful of all people? In the workplace I think open and ongoing communication about EDI values gets the ball rolling, Senior Sponsorship, of course – but authenticity is key. Educating people on how to become great Allies is important and creating a space where ongoing discussion and challenge can happen. I always say this at some point – accept that there is no one action that can be taken to “fix” this challenge and that is fine. Getting past that and realising that this is an ongoing journey of learning really helps. I haven’t seen this perfectly delivered anywhere yet – but I am prepared to play my part in working towards it. I hope everyone else can see their way to this point too.
If you would like to take part in these CORE LGBTQ+ series, you can contact Krishnan: krishnan@corecruitment.com
C RE LGBTQ N E T W O R K
interview series Stuart Hills Managing Director COREcruitment Ltd.
Do you see more/less acceptance of LGBTQ in society? I see a greater awareness of how amazingly diverse society is in general. Music, television, theatre and movies all have so much more representation of LGBTQ than when I was growing up. We are here, we are queer, and we are now everywhere. Each step forward in seeing representation in the media is still seen as celebratory which to me says that it isn’t easy to come out and be whoever you are still. That personal journey that people take remains difficult. I’ve been there and that’s why shows such as Heartstopper are so popular. They resonate so much. I’m happy to see these stories be mainstream.
How did you make it possible to be successful leader and at the same time, a proud member of the LGBT community? For me the two go hand in hand. If you lead you have a great responsibility to be ok with who you are. No one respects a politician for example if they say one thing and do another. So, for me to be successful and a leader was always going to be about being a proud member of the LQBT society. I’m only ok with who I am due to LGBTQ society acceptance. I owe it back to be proud and show others that you can be successful and also be who you really are. What do you think is yet to improve for the LGBT community? So much has improved in terms of acceptance, representation and equality in my career but for every LGBTQ success story there are still thousands of people still facing discrimination, loss of rights, persecution. Never forget those feelings we all had when coming out. Those feeling still exist for many and until we no longer have to ‘come out’ there is still much to improve.
How important is the role of inclusion and equity groups How can we create spaces that are inclusive, safe, and within organisations, and how is the output of such initiatives respectful of all people? directly supporting your teams? We can only try. I’ve benefited from being included and feeling London has long been a cultural hotspot that attracts all colours safe at different times of my career and my social life. If you of the rainbow and for that reason alone you have to ensure look around you and you are not seeing all the colours of the that those who work and support you get that same support rainbow then did you do something wrong? Not necessarily but back. Self awareness as an organisation or business is key to it means you could try and do it better. Engage with those success. Who is representing you? You need to know who around you and see how as a team you can create those safe your team are and the only way is to ensure a safe and spaces. inclusive environment for people to work in. Inclusion and equity groups help us know who we are to be who we need to be. We know that equity, diversity, and inclusion are important for commercial success. What does it mean for you, and [how] has it impacted your own personal journey? Moving from Essex to London in the 90’s and working across many organisations in different roles really impacted on my learning in terms of the importance of inclusion, diversity and equity. You could see the change in society being reflected in your workplace if this was somewhere that wanted to do well. Commercial success is dependent on relevance and you can only maintain relevance through change. Society changes as do teams. That change, in order to be positive and commercially successful is inclusive of us all.
If you would like to take part in these CORE LGBTQ+ series, you can contact Krishnan: krishnan@corecruitment.com