Covington partnered with Out Leadership to host "Strength at the Intersections: Diverse Directors Working Together," a panel discussion that gathered leaders from a variety of industries and sectors.
Washington partner Jean Veta kicked off the event with opening comments addressing the importance of inclusion in the business world. She focused specifically on the LGBT+ community and Covington’s own commitment to diversity and inclusion.
The panel examined the business case for inclusion among corporate boards from several dimensions - gender, race/ethnicity, and sexual orientation. The panelists included:
- Esther Aguilera, President & CEO, Latino Corporate Directors Association
- Susan C. Keating, Chief Executive Officer, WomenCorporateDirectors Foundation
- Paul Wendel, Manager, Talent Accelerators, Out Leadership
- (Moderator) Andrew Jack, Partner, Covington & Burling
Much of the discussion centered around the benefits of board inclusion, investor demands for greater inclusion, some challenges to enhancing board inclusion and various tools and strategies for overcoming these challenges.
New York partner Bill Collins offered the closing comments. Mr. Collins stressed the need for the business community to remain focused on inclusion to achieve the desired results.
Out Leadership, an organization committed to advancing LGBT+ equality in public company C-Suites and the corporate world more generally, is highly regarded by the global business community. In 2015, Out Leadership launched Quorum, an initiative to identify and place senior LGBT+ executives on corporate boards. Covington has been a member of Out Leadership since 2014.
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