You were immediately ready for an interview
– thank you again for that!
Why is it important for you to support queer topics?

Raphael Otto: Diversity in all dimensions; gender, nationality, physical / mental ability or sexual orientation, just to name a few, is very close to my heart. I believe that as a society we benefit from different perspectives. I also believe that as an employer we have a responsibility when it comes to living and promoting our values. I am striving to live and promote the value of diversity in my direct area of responsibility, but do not shy away from supporting beyond that. So, when I was asked if I would be available as a sponsor to our LGBT* & Friends Community, I felt very honored and agreed immediately.

What initiative related to equal opportunities
for queer people was successful at Infineon?

Raphael Otto: In June, during Pride Month, Infineon participated in several pride parades (e.g. Munich) to show support and raise awareness for the LGBTQIA+ community, their history, culture and ongoing work for equal opportunities. The very positive feedback we received from our employees and external stakeholders has shown that our commitment is well received and motivates us to continue with our support for LGBTQIA+.

What are your wishes and goals in your role as sponsor
for the Infineon LGBT* & Friends community?

Raphael Otto: While the LGBT* & Friends Community already achieved a lot, we are still in the beginning of a journey here at Infineon. My wish is to support the community by providing advice, visibility and hands-on support during various activities and events. In particular I want to support the colleagues when addressing LGBTQIA+ inclusion globally. As we are a globally operating company, we face the reality of different levels of awareness and acceptance of LGBTQIA+ issues which can be challenging for our internal community. I hope I can help with that and advocate for them.

How do you react when people question
the importance of queer inclusion?

Raphael Otto: As for every dimension of diversity and inclusion I am typically trying to listen to the argumentation behind the reservation first. I will challenge the arguments highlighting the importance of diversity for successful teams and the need for all humans to feel a sense of belonging and acceptance in society and of course in the workplace. I make clear that everyone wants to be accepted as they are and that this is a human right which should not be questioned.

What motivated Infineon to become a PROUT EMPLOYER
and what would Infineon like to see in this cooperation?

Raphael Otto: At Infineon, we want to offer a workplace where everyone is accepted, feels a sense of belonging and can bring their authentic self to work. Participating in the PROUT EMPLOYER Program is a great chance for us to express our commitment to Diversity & Inclusion and to further increase our knowledge about how to support Infineon’s LGBTQIA+ members as a PROUT EMPLOYER. We are very happy about the cooperation with PROUT AT WORK, which will accompany us with their expertise to create the best Infineon for people of any sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.

Dear Raphael Otto,
thank you for the interview!

Hogan Lovells has been a PROUT EMPLOYER since 2017 – so it has been committed to LGBT*IQ diversity for a long time. Why is this particularly important to you?

Dr. Stefan Schuppert: As a global law firm, we have been committed to equal opportunity, appreciation and respect for many years. The diversity of our employees is important to me – not only because of my role as Managing Partner and Diversity Sponsor, but also personally. As a company, we function best when people feel comfortable with us and have trust in our working relationship. In an open working atmosphere, we can be creative and find innovative solutions for our clients. And the work is fun! It’s a positive sign for all our employees when we commit to equal treatment for all people and an appreciative, respectful working atmosphere.

In 2022, Hogan Lovells’ LGBT*IQ network, Pride+, celebrates its 5th birthday. Congratulations! What do you see as the biggest success of the network so far?

Dr. Stefan Schuppert: Thank you! We are very proud that this network has been part of our everyday life for five years. Pride+ is present and active at all our locations and provides assistance even in countries where it is not so easy to promote LGBT*IQ issues. Pride+ promotes knowledge about the LGBT*IQ community, sensitizes people to diversity issues and supports the visibility of role models. And it connects us to one another – because as “allies” we demonstrate our solidarity with our LGBT*IQ colleagues.

What advice would you give to companies that are still at the very beginning of their commitment to LGBT*IQ diversity?

Dr. Stefan Schuppert: My advice would be:  just do it and keep at it, even if the seats at the first diversity events are not booked out right away. It’s important to raise awareness of the issues. Because it’s often ignorance that leads to discrimination. This is where PROUT AT WORK, as an important partner, can help to overcome uncertainties and build up knowledge.

For the acceptance of the topic, it’s also important that the “tone from the top” is visible every day. My advice is to win over important role models in the senior management team for the topic.

Where do you see the challenges to LGBT*IQ diversity at Hogan Lovells in the coming years?

Dr. Stefan Schuppert: Especially after the pandemic and in times of many very present crisis situations, it is important to sensitize employees again to LGBT*IQ and other diversity topics. Here we would like to create as many opportunities and incentives as possible. We offer exciting lunch talks with external and internal speakers, workshops, team events and much more. Because it is often ignorance that leads to insecurity, this is where we can provide our employees with concrete support. For example, with our guideline for gender-sensitive language, which we have been using for our general internal and external communications since the beginning of the year. We attach great importance to offering everyone in our office an open working environment in which they can be themselves, every day.

Which joint initiatives on LGBT*IQ diversity do you particularly remember, and which projects are you looking forward to in the coming period?

Dr. Stefan Schuppert: I remember many great joint initiatives that we have carried out with PROUT AT WORK in the past five years. For example, our inspiring networking and awareness workshops, or the ToGathering event on inclusive language with clients and the PROUT AT WORK dinner with very interesting keynote speakers. We can’t do enough to further the visibility of the LGBT*IQ community, so I’m looking forward to many more exciting projects in our cooperation.

Dear Dr. Stefan Schuppert, thank you very much for the interview!