London: 16 September 2014 -- GE's gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and ally alliance (GLBTA) brought together senior GE managers, employees and external diversity leaders for a discussion with Lord Browne of Madingley, author of The Glass Closet, chaired by GE Officer Ryan Zanin, Vice President & Chief Risk Officer -- GE Capital.
Lord Browne spoke about his remarkable 40 year career at BP, including 12 years as CEO. He resigned in 2007 when a British tabloid newspaper outed him as a gay man. Earlier this year, Lord Browne wrote The Glass Closet, a commentary on the acceptance and inclusion of GLBT people in the workplace.
The themes of The Glass Closet were explored in Ryan and Lord Browne's discussion. These included the importance of a company's supportive culture, strong leadership and straight allies. Lord Browne said "when people are more authentic at work they produce more and do more, happiness and performance in work should not be separate." Companies can help support this by sending the right messages and having meaningful dialogues for GLBT people that reach everyone.
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About GE Capital International
GE Capital International is a leading, global provider of specialist finance to the mid-market, with headquarters in London and serving customers from 30 markets across EMEA and Asia Pacific. With ~25,000 employees and revenues of more than $11B, GE Capital International is focused on driving growth in its core commercial leasing & lending products and markets. It provides mid-market customers with a wide range of financing solutions including accounts receivable management, inventory finance, asset backed lending, cross-border financing, leveraged finance, leasing/vendor finance and fleet management solutions. GE Capital International focuses on sectors where it can share GE's 130+ year industrial heritage with customers -- energy, healthcare, transportation, power & water, aviation, oil & gas. Through its 'Access GE' programme, GE Capital gives customers access to GE's experience and expertise to help solve their business issues and challenges. For more information, visit www.gecapital.eu.
Paige Folta
GE Capital
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