Recent News

COMMON GROUND: REPORT FOR POPE FRANCIS

25 January 2023

In 2019, our founder and chair Jon Miller produced a report for His Holiness Pope Francis on the human and economic cost of criminalisation. The report, Common Ground, has not been made public until today. Produced with sponsorship from Deutsche Bank, it outlines how criminalisation runs counter to the teachings of the Church in areas such as education, health, livelihood and basic human dignity.

Common Ground was written as part of a dialogue which began when Open For Business joined a Private Audience at the Vatican in 2019 – the first ever formal meeting with LGBTQ+ groups in the history of the Church. We led a high-level business delegation, alongside the International Bar Association. The purpose of this dialogue was to get the Pope to make a clear statement against the criminalisation of homosexuality.

In 2023, Pope Francis has made a clear statement that homosexuality is not a crime. He still maintains homosexuality is a sin – but even so, this is a big moment: he’s called on the Catholic Church to work towards ending these “unjust laws”. This is important because we know that in many countries the Church is doing precisely the opposite. If the Church were to become an advocate for decriminalisation, the lives of millions would change for the better.

Report here

19 January 2023

Open For Business names Dominic Arnall (he/him) as new CEO

London, 23 January, 2023 – The Board of Trustees of Open For Business, a coalition of global companies committed to advancing Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) rights, today named Dominic Arnall its new Chief Executive Officer. He will assume his duties on 20 February.

Mr. Arnall is a dynamic leader in the LGBTQ+ and charity sectors, most recently as Chief Executive of the UK LGBTQ+ young people’s charity Just Like Us, which he grew into one of the leading LGBTQ+ organisations in the UK. Previously he held senior roles with the mental health charity Mind, as well as with Stonewall, where he worked on international LGBTQ+ campaigns.

Jon Miller, Founder and Chair at Open for Business said:

The time has come for Open For Business to change gears: we have a proven model, but we need to accelerate and scale the impact we can make. As a passionate, experienced LGBTQ+ leader, we believe Dominic can take Open For Business to the next level.

Dominic Arnall, incoming Open For Business CEO said:

It’s a critical time for LGBTQ+ rights globally, and the voice of business has never been more important. I’m excited to join an organisation that has done so much groundbreaking work mobilising businesses to support equality for LGBTQ+ people around the world.

About Open For Business

Open For Business is a coalition of global companies making the case that inclusive and diverse societies are better for business and better for economic growth. The purpose of the coalition is to advance LGBT+ rights globally.

The coalition has live regional programs in the Caribbean, Central and Eastern Europe and East Africa, with a program in South East Asia in development. Each of these programs works with local civil society partners to mobilise advocates in local business communities and facilitate data-driven advocacy.

Coalition members include:

ABB, Accenture, American Express, AT&T, BD, Boston Consulting Group, Brunswick Group, C&A, Deloitte, Deutsche Bank, DLA Piper, Dow, EY, Google, GSK, HSBC, IBM, IKEA, Inditex, JP Morgan Chase, KPMG, LEGO, LinkedIn, Linklaters, L'Oreal, MasterCard, McKinsey, Meta, Microsoft, Pinsent Masons,PwC, RELX Group, Sidley Austin, Standard Chartered, Unilever, Virgin Group and Wabtec Corp

15 December 2022

Open for Business Response to Barbados Favorable Same-Sex Intimacy Ruling

Open For Business is a coalition of leading global companies dedicated to LGBTQ+ inclusion. Our task is to present the business rationale on global LGBTQ+ inclusion: successful, enterprising businesses thrive in diverse, inclusive societies and the spread of anti-LGBTQ+ policies runs counter to the interests of business and economic growth.

Open for Business and business leaders across the region welcome the historic ruling that render down harmful laws against same-sex intimacy in Barbados unconstitutional. LGBTQ+ Barbadians society can today breathe a sigh of relief, no longer being criminalized under antiquated colonial laws. Barbadians from all walks of life can feel at ease because today Barbados is one step closer to being a more inclusive society. Human beings are at the center of this invasive law, their livelihoods and the future of Antigua and Barbuda as a progressive and inclusive society.

According to a two-year research project and report conducted by Open for Business, the Caribbean stands to gain a collective increased revenue of USD$ 2.1 billion due to the eradication of these laws and the same rings true for Barbados. Areas of our economies that will be impacted include:

Brain Drain – Talent will be less likely to leave our shores and contribute to the economies of larger countries where they feel safe and welcomed.

– Barbados can benefit from an improved international reputation and an increase in foreign direct investment by extension.

Tourism – Barbados tourism industry only stands to gain from this historic ruling, ensuring a feeling of safety and a welcoming signal for LGBTQ+ travelers and allies alike.

The Open For Business report, The Economic Case for LGBT+ Inclusion in the Caribbean also notes that Caribbean countries that have already decriminalized same-sex intimacy also report better economic outcomes and better education, labor market and safety outcomes for members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Donnya (Zi) Piggott, Open For Business Caribbean Campaign Lead says - “It’s a long time coming, and the advocacy journey has been arduous we’re thankful to all the advocates who worked hard on this. It’s beautiful to see Barbados’ step towards inclusion and we hope it signals to other Caribbean islands that our people only stand to benefit from decriminalization as well as other inclusive laws, and the economic opportunities it brings for the entire region.”

Juha Jarvinen, Chief Commercial Officer, Virgin Atlantic commented: “At Virgin Atlantic we believe everyone should be able to be themselves no matter who they are or who they love, and we welcome this historic decision to repeal the harmful laws against same-sex intimacy. It’s an extremely positive step for Barbados and its people and, as the Open for Business research shows, will bring huge economic benefits to the region. We look forward to welcoming more LGBTQ+ travellers onboard, flying them to explore the beautiful beaches and experience the culture of Barbados. We now urge other Caribbean islands to follow in their footsteps, making themselves inclusive and welcoming to all.”

Neil Brennan, Chief Administrative Officer of CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank, which recently sponsored a conference on gender diversity in the Caribbean, noted “CIBC FirstCaribbean has an expressed policy of embracing diversity, articulated in our Diversity Statement that says in part: “When you work at CIBC FirstCaribbean you know that you are part of a team that embraces individuality and inclusivity, treating everyone with respect regardless of race, national or ethnic origin, language, colour, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, educational background, marital status, family status or physical ability. We see this therefore as an excellent development for the advancement of diversity in Barbados.”

1 November 2022

Open For Business is delighted to announce that Fabrice Houdart has been appointed as a new Senior Advisor to the Board of Trustees.

Fabrice is a leader in LGBTQ+ inclusion, with a substantial experience working with businesses to advance LGBTQ+ rights. He is the Executive Director of the newly created Association of LGBTQ+ Corporate Directors and advises Fortune 500 firms on human rights issues. His previous roles include Human Rights Officer at the United Nations in New York, where he co-authored and led the United Nations Global LGBTQ+ standards of conduct for Business; and as a Senior Country Officer at the World Bank, where he authored economic development analyses on Yemen, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Tunisia

Alongside Open For Business, Fabrice volunteers on the Boards of Outright Action International, Housing Works, Fondation Emergence (Governor), TransNewYork, Witness to Mass Incarceration (President), the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (Treasurer), the Institute of Current World Affairs (Trustee), and is a member of L'Oreal Global Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Board. He is an advisor of the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) Center for Inclusive Governance and serves on the Editorial Board of the Women's Forum.

Fabrice has shared some his views on the role of Open For Business and importance of the economic case of LGBTQ+ inclusion:

The corporate demarcation between LGBTQ+ "have" and "have not"

Open for Business bridges the unsustainable gap between least and most tolerant countries

India seems to be moving towards marriage equality. Some African countries are on the brink of decriminalization. Serbia has a lesbian Prime Minister. And societal acceptance of homosexuality has improved almost everywhere in the past two decades even if only marginally (see Pew Research, 2020).

But looking at the big picture, only a handful of LGBTQ+ people – mostly gay men employed in the formal economy in large urban areas in the Americas and Europe - have achieved some level of equality. This is just the tip of the spear: we only scratched the surface of global equality. For the vast majority of LGBTQ+ people a life of dignity and economic opportunity remains elusive for themselves and generations to come. Additionally, decriminalization and marriage equality in the most progressive countries is often not accompanied with economic empowerment. Anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric, crackdowns on civil society and clear economic demarcations have created an unsustainable gap between LGBTQ+ "have" and "have-not".

“Unsustainable” is the key word here.

The global divide on acceptance of homosexuality, exacerbated by local divides along religious, political or generational lines, is creating tensions that threaten our world’s stability. As an example, Canada-based international organization Rainbow Railroad, is experiencing a continuous increase in LGBTQ+ people attempting to escape state-sponsored homophobia and transphobia - including 4500 requests in 2021 from Afghans (see report here). Larger waves of pink migrations could become impossible to handle in a context of tightening borders and anti-immigration sentiments. Similarly, in the most progressive areas, such as the UK or the US, the economic divide between educated urban white collar gay people and the rest of the community has created visible fractures in the movement.

There is a real risk that the line of demarcation between the LGBTQ+ "have" and the "have not" will be employment in the formal economy. Ours is a capitalist society and having a small LGBTQ+ bourgeoisie is a key sign progress but it is not a panacea.

Conversations about what it means to be a socially responsible company are now common in Western boardrooms. The social factors within ESG are gaining acceptance albeit from a low base. There is also a greater understanding of how an open culture at headquarters does not always translate in the factory, local subsidiaries and beyond the walls of the company.

Companies are increasingly pressured to balance responding to the expectations of LGBTQ+ employees, consumers and investors and ensuring that their actions go beyond a Pride presence, VIP dinners, LGBTQ+ influential people in business lists or philanthropic engagement around the “easiest” issues.

Human rights responsibilities of companies, as highlighted in the UN LGBTQ+ Corporate Standards of Conduct I co-authored in 2017, are indeed limited to employees and the supply chain. However, sustainability is about opportunities rather than responsibilities. This is this opportunity that Open for Business has been harnessing since 2015.

Open For Business is a response by a growing number of leading global businesses to the “unsustainable gap”. Launched 7 years ago at the Clinton Global Initiative Annual Summit, the coalition has made an impact on LGBTQ+ inclusion globally by focusing on the parts of the world and sections of the economies which have least benefited from progress. In particular, it developed unique strategies to accelerate social change in places where the human rights argument is showing its limits, articulating the business and economic case for equality, but also focusing on local governments and other institutions when the central government is unresponsive.

I feel privileged to have been asked by Open for Business to volunteer as an advisor to its Board. My focus will be on contributing to their work articulating the LGBTQ+ lens to the ESG agenda, supporting the business response to recent developments in Asia and developing economic opportunities for LGBTQ+ people globally including through inclusive finance.

I first worked with Open For Business when they collaborated with the UN’s Free & Equal campaign to produce the Channels of Influence framework, which sets out what actions companies can take in hostile “have not” countries. I saw first-hand how powerful it can be when companies work together and learn from each other to use their influence in these channels.

While no one solution will eradicate a history of marginalization and social change is a tricky sport, it’s time for the private sector to expand its achievements within its walls to society at-large. I look forward to supporting Open for Business has it scales up its unique model to foster global social change.

18 June 2021

Open For Business appoints four new Trustees

Open For Business, a coalition of global companies promoting LGBT+ inclusive societies, appointed Ken Chan, Liam Rezende, Netanya Clixby and Nicolas Patrick as Trustees of the Board.

10 December 2020

Open For Business strengthens its coalition with the addition of Ten World-Class Companies

We are excited to announce the addition of ten new companies to our coalition of global companies promoting LGBT+ inclusive societies.

By joining, these companies are not only showing their commitment to LGBT+ inclusion around the world, but also committing to further collaboration with their new coalition partners to build the economic and business case for LGBT+ inclusion. The companies joining are Allen & Overy, BD, Deloitte, Dow, Facebook, Herbert Smith Freehills, IKEA (Ingka Group), Kearney, L’Oréal, and Unilever.

23 April 2020

Open For Business appoints new Trustees: Antonio Zappulla and Julian Curtis

Open For Business, a coalition of global companies promoting LGBT+ inclusive societies, appointed Antonio Zappulla and Julian Curtis as Trustees of the Board.

18 November 2019

Emerging-market companies are embracing LGBT+ inclusion to achieve their global ambitions - finds a first-of-its-kind study

Open For Business, a coalition of global companies promoting LGBT+ inclusive societies, published the first-ever quantitative analysis of the financial impact of LGBT+ inclusion on emerging-market companies in a new report today. “New Global Champions: Why the fastest growing companies from emerging markets are embracing LGBT+ inclusion” highlights the direct relationship between an emerging-market company’s support for LGBT+ inclusion and its ability to more effectively connect with global markets and supply chains, without seeing any negative financial impacts.

14 August 2019

Open For Business strengthens its Board with the appointment of a new Trustee

Open For Business appointed Dinah McLeod as the sixth Trustee on its Board.

2 May 2019

Freedom to Love: 21 CEOs and global leaders sign a letter celebrating the freedom to love and condemning laws that criminalize the LGBT+ community

Led by Virgin, the B Team and Open For Business, 21 CEOs, led by Richard Branson, released a letter today calling for the freedom to love all over the world. In response to the 70+ countries that have anti-LGBT+ laws in place, the letter calls for business leaders to collectively take action to advance LGBT+ inclusion globally, including by working with Open For Business to connect with local civil society.

29 April 2019

Open For Business boosts its Research Advisory Board with the appointment of two new members

Open For Business appointed two new members – Dr Vivienne Ming and Paul Jansen – to its Research Advisory Board.

5 April 2019

Delegation of senior executives meet with senior Vatican official to discuss LGBT+ discrimination

Open For Business sent a delegation of senior executives to represent the business community at a private audience with His Eminence Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of the Holy See.

7 March 2019

New Study on How Businesses Can Promote LGBT+ Rights Globally

Open For Business launched a new report titled “Channels of Influence: How can business promote LGBT+ inclusive societies?” which will provide companies with a clear framework on how to act in the public sphere to promote LGBT+ inclusion in the countries where they operate.

25 February 2019

New research shows LGBT+ discrimination is costing Kenya between $181 million to $1.3 billion per year, demonstrating the catalytic power of LGBT+ inclusion in helping Kenya achieve its economic goals

Open For Business released new research today which found that LGBT+ discrimination is costing Kenya between $181 million to $1.3 billion (Sh18.5 billion and Sh130 billion) per year, or 0.2% to 1.7% of Kenya’s annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This is equivalent to roughly 30% of the Government’s total spending on education and 144% of its spending on health in 2018.

24 January 2018

New Report From Open For Business Coalition Shows Economic Upside for LGBT+ Inclusive Cities

Cities that are LGBT+ inclusive have greater competitive advantages because they are open to new ideas, welcoming to people of different backgrounds and foster an environment that encourages the free flow of innovation, according to Open For Business, a coalition of 25 global companies making the case that inclusive, diverse societies are better for business and economic growth.

19 September 2016

Open For Business Announces Two New Coalition Partners During The 2016 Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting In New York

PwC, the multinational accounting firm, and The Boston Consulting Group, the global management consulting firm, today joined Open For Business, a Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Commitment to Action that brings together a coalition of leading global companies supporting LGB&T inclusion around the world.

25 February 2016