Qantas CEO Alan Joyce comes second on global top 100 LGBT executives list

THE openly-gay chief executive of Australia’s biggest airline has been named the world’s second most powerful LGBT corporate executives.

Alan Joyce, who has led Qantas since 2008, was one of the few Australians on the list and was only beaten by Lloyd’s of London chief executive Inga Beale — the first-ever woman to have topped the 2015 Leading 100 LGBT Executives.

[showads ad=MREC]Now in its third year, the annual list is complied by OUTstanding, a not-for-profit organisation for LGBT executives and their allies, and published by the Financial Times.

The list profiles executive leaders from a broad range of business sectors and industries, and they are judged by their seniority, influence, and by their initiatives to make their workplaces LGBT-inclusive and affirming. Work they have done to advocate for LGBT people at a broader scale outside their workplace is also considered.

Joyce publicly came out to the media in 2012, although his colleagues, family and friends already knew about him before.

Qantas was also one of the first major companies to become an official supporter of Australian Marriage Equality, and Joyce remains one of the few openly-gay chief executives in Australia.

Number 27 on the list is Herbert Smith Freehills Asia and Australia managing partner Justin D’Agostino, recognised for his advocacy of the law firm’s Australian LGBTI network.

OUTstanding also put together the 2015 Leading 30 Ally Executives, which saw Australian-born Dow Chemicals chief executive Andrew Liveris listed in third place, while Sydney-based Accenture managing director Lis Brown came in at 18th.

Taking the top two spots of the leading allies list were Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg and Virgin Group founder Richard Branson.

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