In a heartfelt and meticulously explained statement, the COO of TikTok V(anessa) Pappas recently came out as non-binary and shared updated pronouns as they/them in addition to she/her.
In a Twitter thread, Pappas explained their thoughts and feelings about gender, sexual orientation and identity. As a person raising a family with a same-sex partner of 20 years, she describes herr orientation as pansexual. The TikTok COO laid down that they value their identity as both a woman and a non-binary person.
Pappas joins a comparatively small, but growing list of world leaders from 2SLGBTQIA+ communities. We rounded up some of the world's top executives who are proudly LGBTQ+
1. Tim Cook
Tim Cook, CEO of Apple.
Company: Apple
Position: Chief executive officer
With a net worth of $1.8B at the time of writing (per the Apple CEO's Forbes profile), Cook is at the helm of one of the biggest corporations on Earth and is indeed a recognizable name.
According to NBC News, Cook was the first Fortune 500 CEO to openly come out as gay in 2014 and has since shared his gay pride numerous times.
2. David Furnish
Company: Rocket Entertainment Group
Position: Chief operating officer
His Instagram bio describes him as both CEO of Rocket Entertainment Group and chairman of the Elton John AIDS Foundation.
Furnish is a well-known queer business leader and has been married to British artist Elton John since 2014. According to People, the couple has been together for nearly three decades.
3. Angela Darlington
Angela Darlington, CEO of Aviva UK Life.
Company: Aviva UK Life
Position: Chief executive officer
Openly lesbian Angela Darlington has been regularly featured in influential LGBTQ+ executives' lists, even earning herself, third place in a 2020 ranking.
According to Aviva's website, "Angela is a well-respected role model for LGBT and women in leadership." She also leads Aviva Pride in the U.K.
4. Moriaki Kida
Moriaki Kida, EY Japan CEO.
EY
Company: EY Japan
Position: Chief operating officer
Per Outstanding, Moriaki Kida, the openly gay regional COO of EY Japan, leads "discussions on progressing LGBT+ inclusiveness globally."
The Japanese executive "is a known voice for LGBT+ legal rights even outside of EY," and has pledged his support for "Business for Marriage Equality as well as the LGBT+ Equality Act (Anti-Discrimination) Campaign."
5. Maggie Lower
Maggie Lower, CMO of Hootsuite.
Company: Hootsuite
Position: Chief marketing officer
Lower was named Hootsuite's CMO in 2021 and is described as an "exceptional business and thought leader." She has been included in some of Outstanding's Top LGBTQ+ Executives Lists, including the 2022 edition.
According to Hootsuite, she mentors "LGBT+ professionals aspiring to C-level roles" through the Berlin-based Rahm Group.
6. Jay Lin
Jay Lin, CEO of Portico Media.
Company: Portico Media
Position: Chief executive officer
Per his LinkedIn bio, Jay Lin, CEO of Portico Media, is deeply involved in the development of queer entertainment content: from lifestyle blogs for gays GagaTai to various Asian 2SLGBTQIA+ streaming content platforms.
The 2SLGBTQIA+ executive is the head of "Asia's largest LGBT film streaming platform" GagaOOLala as well as "the first queer cinema crowdsourcing platform" GOL Studios.
Lin is known as an 2SLGBTQIA+ business leader and even made it to the eighth spot on Outstanding's list of 2021 Top 100 LGBTQ+ Executives.
7. Tamara Littleton
Company: The Social Element
Position: Founder and chief executive officer
While Littleton's companies may not make it to the Fortune 500 just yet, they definitely create that business buzz with their explosive growth and social initiatives.
According to the Marketing Society, the business leader at the head of The Social Element is "a champion of diversity, LGBTQ, female entrepreneurship and keeping children safe online."
8. Alim Dhanji
Alim Dhanji, CPO of Equinox.
Company: Equinox
Position: Chief people officer
Alim A. Dhanji was president of adidas Canada until recently. The 2SLGBTQIA+ leader is now CPO of Equinox Group, per a December 2023 company press release.
In a LinkedIn post about his inclusion in Oustanding's 2021 Top 100 LGBT+ Executives List, the queer business leader said he was humbled "to be among so many distinguished, passionate, diverse, out LGBT+ leaders from around the world who are making a big difference."
Dhanji says that such initiatives should continue "celebrating the progress we are making in driving inclusion forward and showcasing that being LGBT+ and out is not limiting to one’s ambition and career."
9. Beth Ford
Beth Ford, president and CEO of Land O' Lakes.
K-State Research and Extension | Flickr
Company: Land O' Lakes
Position: President and chief executive officer
According to what Ford said during an episode of Stanford Graduate School of Business's podcast View from the top, the 2SLGBTQIA+ executive is known to be the first openly homosexual woman at the head of a Fortune 500 company.
Not only that, but back when the queer business leader was appointed to her current position in 2018, an all-male board approved the decision.
Per a 2020 Fast Company article on the American Midwest native, Ford never even dreamed she could make it that far, blaming "lack of available role models." Her words are a great argument for supporting more diversity in boardrooms moving forward.
10. Jim Fitterling
Jim Fitterling, CEO of Dow Chemical Company.
Company: Dow Chemical Company
Position: Chief executive officer
According to the queer business executive's profile on his company's website, "Fitterling is a passionate advocate for inclusion and diversity." He is not only recognized for his corporate career, but also for his involvement in queer non-discrimination and 2SLGBTQIA+ workplace equality.
The Dow Chemical CEO has been featured numerous times on various 2SLGBTQIA+ rankings over the years. According to Forbes, the man also received The Excellence Award in Gender and Diversity at the 2021 Virtual Summit of the Women Business Collaborative.
Why Is There A Need For More Inclusivity
Traditional power structures and systems continue to remain within the eager grip of the few, particularly white, straight and able-bodied cis men, per a report by Henley &Partners.
A 2020 study, conducted by global management consulting firm McKinsey & Company, revealed "that the relationship between diversity on executive teams and the likelihood of financial outperformance has strengthened over time."
The researchers looked at over 1,000 companies in 15 countries, proving the trend is not region-specific and the results effectively convey the global need for diversity, representation and inclusion in the world's top executive positions.
The world's top business leaders are still mainly part of the same group of people as before, but, with every new top 2SLGBTQIA+ executive, the C-suites have started to gain a few queer colours along the way, clearing a path of diversity for queer business leaders of tomorrow.
How To Advocate For A More Inclusive Workplace?
According to data available in Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index 2022, only 66% of Fortune 500 companies provide their employees with trans-inclusive health care benefits, and only 56% of these same corporations offer domestic partners benefits.
And queer people are way more likely to be in domestic partnerships with a romantic partner than straight people, since same-sex marriage is only legal in less than 30 countries, per the Canadian government.
So what can you do?
You can advocate for more inclusive policies in your workplace and truly walk the walk by dismantling your inner biases.
And if you are a 2SLGBTQIA+ person with ambition reading this, next time an opportunity comes up, climb that corporate ladder and don't wait for a swift elevator ride that will never come. You got this.
If you or someone you know is struggling with harassment or discrimination related to gender identity or sexual orientation, please reach out to a trusted peer, parent or health care professional or refer to these resources available across Canada. If you need immediate assistance, please call 911 or go to your nearest hospital. Support is available.