M&G DIRECTOR, MARK MCLANE: “I CAME OUT TO COLLEAGUES AT A WORK PARTY” an interview by Shruti Tripathi Chopra, FT
M&G’s director of diversity and inclusion Mark McLane worked at Whirlpool when he decided to introduce Carlos — his then-partner, now husband — to all his colleagues and put the company’s commitment on diversity and inclusion to the test. He became the first out chief diversity officer for Whirlpool in the US.
This is his story:
Why did you decide to come out at work? I came out at work because my colleague and dear friend Don was concerned about inviting me to a company function he was hosting at his home and not inviting Carlos. To compound matters, I am godfather to Don’s oldest daughter. Although Carlos didn’t mind, I didn’t want to tell my young god-daughter and her brother that I’d be attending her father’s party with all our work friends but without Carlos. Equally, I didn’t want to say we couldn’t talk about “Uncle Carlos” around our work friends. The children had never known anything other than Uncle Mark and Carlos and I did not want to have a conversation that would change that reality.
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