What was the motivation behind becoming a PROUT EMPLOYER and what are your wishes for this partnership?

Sascha Kuhn:Simmons & Simmons has been a Stonewall Top Global Employer for several years. We have a lot going on at the international level, and we have already been able to implement quite a few things at the national level as well. However, we would like to see stronger networking with other market participants in Germany who are concerned about the topic of LGBT*IQ diversity – especially with those who also work internationally.

Are there LGBT*IQ related activities at Simmons & Simmons?

Sascha Kuhn:The German LGBT*IQ network is part of our international network. Especially in the last months, the network work was on the one hand more difficult than usual due to Corona – on the other hand, we are now much more integrated into the global network than before. We regularly see each other at events on specific topics or in casual exchanges over coffee or – so much Englishness has to be – tea via teams. In Germany, we are regularly represented at Sticks & Stones. Finally, the support of LGBT*IQ groups is the focus of our pro bono work.

Thank you for being our interview partner! Why is the support of LGBT*IQ an important issue to you?

Sascha Kuhn: For myself as a gay man it was incredibly important that my employer offered an open work environment from the very beginning, where I could simply be myself. Today, I am a partner in my law firm myself and now it is important to me to offer other members of the LGBT*IQ community an open perspective through visibility as well. 

Where do you identify the future challenges for Simmons & Simmons regarding LGBT*IQ diversity?

Sascha Kuhn: A specific challenge at Simmons & Simmons is undoubtedly the expansion of networking and the creation of a fully open working environment in some regions. Working openly as a gay lawyer in Düsseldorf is one thing – but the reality of life for LGBT*IQ people in some other countries, such as the United Arab Emirates, is another. 

What is your piece of advice for companies, who did not yet discover LGBT*IQ diversity?

Sascha Kuhn: They should bring openness and curiosity with them. I often experience that heterosexual company representatives – without bad intentions – think that they know the reality of life of their LGBT*IQ colleagues. The direct exchange and open questions sometimes lead to an “aha” effect. And: Differentiation is necessary. The members of the LGBT*IQ community are united by many things. But there are also crucial differences in their experiences and needs. What is good for gay and lesbian colleagues can completely ignore the needs of trans* people. 

Dear Sascha Kuhn, thank you very much for the interview!

Sabine Schmitz, WHAT MOVED YOU TO BECOME A PROUTEMPLOYER?

Sabine Schmitz: FiNUM.Finanzhaus stands for openness, respect and tolerance. We live this attitude on a professional and personal level. Both internally among our employees and externally dealing with our customers, there is an absolute culture of welcome. As a holistic consulting firm, we have a dual interest in an equal society. On the one hand, as an employer and cooperation partner, we naturally want to be a role model in the equal treatment of all people. Both internally and externally, we live a corporate culture that is guided by the values of objective, demanding, human, passionate, virtuous, pioneering and focused. These values already indicate how important the issue of equal treatment is to us. We are firmly convinced that only teams in which people with the most diverse life paths and experiences contribute can be truly successful. That’s why we are a very open, fair and demanding company here. This open-mindedness is also reflected in our consulting activities, which are always empathetic and authentic. All customers should be able to talk openly and honestly with our consultants about any situation in life.

What kind of support from PROUT AT WORK do you wish for?

Sabine Schmitz: Many companies have been involved with PROUT AT WORK for a long time and have a lot of experience. We would like to share in this, be inspired and collaborate to make our world more tolerant and colorful. All the efforts so far to make a difference are impressive. However, we will only achieve the big step if everyone is willing to take a stand for the topic of equality and against discrimination. With the help of the network, we want to become even more active in the future. We are looking forward to learning and making contacts.

FiNUM.Finanzhaus AG belongs to the younger PROUT EMPLOYER with the start of cooperation in 2021. What activities have there been so far in your company on LGBT*IQ in the workplace and are there already plans for the current year?

Sabine Schmitz: We are just getting started in the collaboration. Therefore we are trying to participate in many events and to take part in many activities. So far, it has been enough for us not to live any differences internally in FiNUM.Finanzhaus: we have employees of all gender identities, old and young, many nationalities, people of different faiths and sexual orientations. Now we want to contribute to promote our lived basic attitude and to carry it into our society, where still too big differences are lived. To this end, we have started to fly the flag for diversity on our social media channels and also to position ourselves in customer communications with subtle signs, such as the rainbow colors in the email signature. Unfortunately, we are convinced that it still takes a lot of courage for many people to openly and honestly acknowledge their own identity.

Where do you see the challenges concerning LGBT*IQ diversity at FiNUM.Finanzhaus AG in the coming years?

Sabine Schmitz:Too many people in Germany still don’t dare to come out at the workplace. Our challenge is to show that FiNUM.Finanzhaus offers an open working environment where everyone is welcome just as they are. We have put a lot of thought into our set-up here and see ourselves on a good development path. We would be pleased if we could find more people who appreciate our way and see their professional future with us.

Dear Sabine Schmitz, thank you very much for the interview!

Juan Perea Rodríguez, what was your motivation for becoming a PROUT EMPLOYER?

Juan Perea Rodríguez: We wanted to set an example. Allyship is important and, for me, this also includes to openly and visibly stand up for LGBT*IQ. The more companies position themselves here, the more “normality” the topic will hopefully achieve. We want to make a contribution here. In addition we wanted to promote internal networking, especially in Germany, because we already have a great global network with FUJITSU Pride and would like to see even more commitment from our German Workforce.

In 2016 Fujitsu was the first multinational corporation from Japan who promoted LGBT*IQ friendly workspaces throughout the global organisation. How did this come about and what were the reactions to this?

Juan Perea Rodríguez: There is a lot happening around women’s equality in Japan and as this happens, perceptions of other diversity dimensions are also changing. This cultural shift has made diversity increasingly important and LGBT+ friendly workplaces are part of what we do at Fujitsu, true to our motto “be completely you”. The signing of the UN LGBTI Standards by our former President was a special moment and brought us a lot of positive feedback internally and externally.

How did D&I and the corporate culture change since that time?

Juan Perea Rodríguez: With the revision of the Fujitsu Way, our current President Tokita-san has now also “literally” anchored Diversity and Inclusion in our Code of Values. This has given them the status they deserve internally and in society in general. As topics such as mutual respect, tolerance and cooperation were already clearly anchored in Fujitsu Way before, this was only cosmetics. The culture was already there.

Based on your experiences: What is your advice for global corporations who plan to engage within LGBT*IQ diversity?

Juan Perea Rodríguez: Speak to all employees and listen to all of them. Encourage the LGBT*IQ community within the company to openly share their experiences, needs, etc. Offer help and, if necessary, support in countries where discrimination is on a completely different scale than in Western Europe.

Where do you identify future challenges concerning your engagement for LGBT*IQ diversity within Fujitsu?

Juan Perea Rodríguez: To sensitize everyone in the company and to make the explicit preoccupation with the topic of D&I obsolete at some point. Because it is firmly anchored in all we do and we naturally all treat each other with respect and appreciation.

Dear Juan Perea Rodríguez, thank you for the interview!