SAP was a sponsor of the Out & Equal Workplace Summit 2017
It was a big week in Philadelphia, as 4,000 leaders of diversity, inclusion and equality in the workplace kicked off our annual Out & Equal Workplace Summit.
Global allies and leaders from Fortune 1000 companies come together each year to share strategies and best practices for creating workplaces inclusive of all sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions.
As Lead of Pride@SAP Canada, I was especially excited to attend my second Summit with 21 other SAP colleagues from around the world.
Global Leads of Pride@SAP
On top of learning from other organizations, we also connected with each other on what we’ve accomplished, shared our knowledge gained, and set our sights on continuing to drive innovation through diversity and inclusion at SAP.
As an organization 86,000 people strong, Pride@SAP is a global Employee Network Group and mobilizes its efforts by region, with mandates and goals that address a wide spectrum of D&I topics.
Pride@SAP Canada would not be where it is today without an impressive number of supportive employees, many of whom identify as “allies.”
“History teaches us that unity is strength, and cautions us to submerge and overcome our differences in the quest for common goals, to strive, with all our combined strength…” — Haile Selassie
The Power of Allies
“Ally:
noun, plural allies. a person, group, or nation that is associated with another or others for some common cause or purpose”
In the LGBT context, “ally” is a term used to describe someone who is supportive of LGBT people and can be non-LGBT, or identify as part of the community. (Human Rights Campaign)
My focus last week was largely around strategies and methods to rally allies at SAP Canada in order to further the notion that by supporting equality of those who are different, we are all ultimately more equal and free.
The quality of content and ideas being shared was impressive. Here’s a quick snapshot the ones I attended:
Allies: A Featured Panel
* Alicia Case, Global Communications Manager, Publicis Health
* Therese Bechet-Blake, Managing Director, JPMorgan Chase
* Maureen Gillian-Myer, Head of Human Resources, HSBC
* Gino Ramos, Equality Programs Manager, Salesforce
Diversity Marketing Demonstrating Boldness — Leaning In & On their LGBT ERG
* Mark Barfield, National President of LEAGUE @ AT&T’s LGBT ERG
* Robert Hebert, Senior Marketing Communications Manager, AT&T
* Adam Bernard, Associate Director, Competitor Intelligence, GM
Using Game Thinking to Up your Ally Game
* Aimee Broadhurst, SVP, Communications Manager and US Ally Proram Chair, Bank of America
* Shy Goldstein, Sr. Technology Manager, Bank of America
OUTTalks! Leveraging TEDTalks™ to expand Ally & Management Engagement
* Connie Rice, IBM Technical Sales & Equality Virginia: Transgender Activist Speaker
* John Curtis, Mgr Lease Marketing, ERG VP Membership & Global Outreach, XEORX/GALAXE ERG
* Linda Fairchild, Major Account Contract Manager and Ally, EOROX/GALAXE ERG
Engaging the Silent Majority: Tools to Empower Allies in the Workplace
* Carol Levey, Associate Technical Sales Manager, The Dow Chemical Company
* Christian Thoroughgood, Assistant Professor, Villanova University
* Joy Gallagher, Associate Research Scientist, The Dow Chemical Company
Our very own Monica Roldan co-presented in “Pride Connection Latin America: Diversity Multiplier Effect”
I’m incredibly proud to be part of this important initiative with SAP. As an organization that strives to help the world run better and improve people’s lives, cultivating a culture of inclusivity allows us to continue being a leader in technology by celebrating new ideas from all walks of life and driving innovation for our customers.
Reach out to me at rachel.ho@sap.com or hit me up on social!
* Twitter: https://twitter.com/rachelbtw
* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/racheleveho/
With pride,
Rachel http://bit.ly/2hJOlYW #SAP #SAPCloud #AI
