Egon Zehnder and Out Leadership Announce Partnership

Goal to transform LGBTQ+ workplace representation globally

NEW YORK & ZURICH--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Egon Zehnder, the world’s leadership advisory firm, and Out Leadership, the first and only global platform for CEOs and multinational companies to advocate for LGBTQ+ inclusion and equality, today announce a partnership aimed at promoting LGBTQ+ representation at senior levels of business.

Egon Zehnder will be the newest member of Out Leadership’s coalition, which includes such companies as P&G, Publicis Sapient, Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, Mastercard, National Australia Bank, Nomura, KPMG, Citi, Coca Cola, Dow Chemical, and LVMH. The two firms will work together on advisory and executive search services, thought leadership and events, with the goal of building a more robust pipeline for senior leadership positions and Board appointments. Per the agreement, Egon Zehnder will become a member of Out Leadership's business network and will be the exclusive search firm partner/sponsor of Quorum, Out Leadership’s brand covering all events and thought leadership initiatives related to promoting LGBT representation on corporate boards.

“At Egon Zehnder, we understand that diversity of background and thought is an imperative for business success,” says Jill Ader, Chair, Egon Zehnder. “We are thrilled to partner with Out Leadership on our joint commitment to ensure that the LGBTQ+ community is represented at the top levels of business and elsewhere in society.”

"The push for broader diversity on boards globally has too often excluded LGBTQ leaders, both in policy, placement and practice,” says Todd Sears, Founder and CEO of Out Leadership. “Out Leadership, and our Quorum initiative, have been striving since 2010 to increase LGBTQ inclusivity--especially at the board level where the greatest impact often is made. We're proud to have Egon Zehnder as our newest partner and the first of the major leadership advisory firms to recognize the importance of LGBTQ diversity both in the U.S. and around the world.”

The first joint effort between the two firms will involve the copromotion of Egon Zehnder’s Global Board Diversity Tracker, which will be released December 8^th and which for the first time will involve analysis beyond gender, including research provided by Out Leadership. Ultimately the two organizations will develop proprietary research, events, and other joint projects.

About Egon Zehnder

Egon Zehnder is the world’s preeminent leadership advisory firm, sharing one goal: to help people and organizations transform. We know what great leaders can do and are passionate about delivering the best solutions for our clients. At Egon Zehnder, we passionately believe that diverse and inclusive leaders are able to create a better world where individuals and organizations not only grow; they thrive. It is central to our core values and fundamental belief that organizations deliver better performance when diverse voices are heard and individuals feel they belong. For this reason, Egon Zehnder is committed to celebrating, supporting and advocating for the LGBTQ+ community globally.

As One Firm, our more than 500 Consultants in 68 offices and 40 countries combine our individual strengths to form one powerful collaborative team. We partner closely with public and private corporations, family-owned enterprises, and non-profit and government agencies to provide a comprehensive range of integrated services: Board advisory, CEO search and succession, executive search, executive assessment, leadership development and organizational transformation.

Our leadership solutions cover individual, team and organizational effectiveness, development and cultural transformation. We work with world-class partners including Mobius Executive Leadership, a transformational leadership development firm. In addition, we have partnered with Paradox Strategies, co-founded by Harvard University Professor Linda Hill, to develop the Innovation Quotient (IQ), a proprietary culture diagnostic.

Our goal is that the work we do contributes to successful careers, stronger companies – and a better world.

For more information, visit www.egonzehnder.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

About Out Leadership:

Out Leadership is the oldest and largest global LGBTQ+ business advisory that partners with the world’s most influential companies to build business opportunities, cultivate talent, and drive LGBTQ+ equality forward. We believe that LGBTQ+ inclusion positively impacts business results, and that including LGBTQ+ people at the most senior level of executive leadership builds business. We call this idea Return on Equality™.

Comprising 85 global member firms and dedicated to cross-industry collaboration, Out Leadership is a certified B Corporation. Out Leadership convenes CEOs, business leaders and allies at exclusive invitation only events across 4 continents. Out Leadership also operates three talent initiatives: Quorum, which aims to increase LGBTQ+ representation on corporate boards; OutNEXT, the first global talent development program for emerging LGBTQ+ leaders; and OutWOMEN, connecting senior level LGBTQ+ women in business. To learn more, please visit https://outleadership.com/