Lunch Talk Archive - Prout at Work

Regularily, our board member Albert Kehrer invites an inspiring role model of the LGBT*IQ community or an LGBT*IQ Ally for a chat. You can look forward to an interesting exchange about role models and visibility in the LGBT*IQ community.

This event took place in German.

GUEST OF THE DAY

Lars Ottmer
Head of controlling, SWISS International Airlines, 13^th place PROUT EXECUTIVES 2021

Lars has worked in various positions at SWISS International Airlines and its parent Lufthansa Group since 2000. At the moment, he is the Head of Controlling at SWISS, and before that he held senior positions in HR, leadership development, market and fleet strategy within the Group. He has twice acutely fought for the survival of SWISS during this time, most recently because of the Corona pandemic.

Within the Group, Lars is committed to the LGBT*IQ community and open interaction. For example, he helped SWISS take a barely veiled stand in the “marriage for all” referendum in Switzerland, and in his younger years he was also a political activist, including as a member of the city of Zurich’s parliament. In his wild party years, he was also a co-organizer of the Zurich “Street Parade”.

This event took place in German.

Guest of the day

Max Appenroth
Trans* activist, diversity consultant, moderator, PhD student at Charité University Medicine Berlin, Research & Community Sexual Health Officer for GATE -Global Action for Trans Equality.

Max is so involved in so many ways that we don’t really know where to start – Max is a trans* activist, diversity consultant, moderator and is doing his PhD at the Institute for Public Health at Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin. Max also works as a Research & Community Sexual Health Officer for GATE – Global Action for Trans Equality. Besides all his work and commitment, Max also won the election for Mr. Gay Germany 2022.

With their own company ‘diversity sparq’, Max offers workshops and trainings for companies, institutions and med/nursing care facilities that want to experience and learn more about sexual and gender diversity.

This event took place in German.

GUEST OF THE DAY

Erwin Aljukic
Ensemble member at Münchner Kammerspiele
2^ndPlace PROUTinMediaArtCulture 2021

In addition to his work as an actor, dancer, speaker and model, Erwin Aljukic, an artist with a disability, migration background and homosexual, has been continuously active in intersectional public relations for equal rights and equal opportunities for various marginalized groups for 24 years now.

Accompanying his artistic work in film/TV and on stage, he takes part in various campaigns, is an interview partner on TV, radio as well as in print and on social media channels, with the goal of making people with disabilities, the LGBT community and people with a migration background visible in media as well as in art.

This event took place in German.

GUEST OF THE DAY

Sandra Vollmer
Board Member Finance and HR at 1&1 Mail & Media Applications SE
2^ndPlace PROUTExecutives 2021

Sandra Vollmer is responsible for the financial management of the 1&1 Mail und Media subgroup, known by its Web.de and GMX brands. In particular, she is responsible for supporting the company’s transition to a data platform-based digital business model and the associated change processes. She is also responsible for Corporate Controlling, Accounting, Tax and Procurement at the United Internet Group’s shared service company.

For Sandra Vollmer, equal opportunity is a fundamental part of the business. After all, it’s all about motivating qualified employees with exciting tasks and delivering top performance. In this context, nationality, ethnic origin, religion, gender and gender identity, age, disability or sexual orientation are completely irrelevant, but rather reflect the reality of a modern society to which, on the other hand, we provide our products and services.
In reality, unfortunately, we still encounter people who do not fully accept equal opportunities and in some cases represent traditional, outdated world views. Therefore, it is of great importance to Sandra Vollmer to actively demonstrate her own understanding of equal opportunities every day, for example in the staffing of projects, jobs and management positions. In addition, Sandra Vollmer supports internal company initiatives, such as the promotion of women in management positions. Her outing in a professional context took place in December 2020, so that her own transition, i.e. acceptance and “arriving” as a woman, was the main focus.

This event took place in German.

GUEST OF THE DAY

Sven Bäring
Lieutenant
Chair of QueerBw
1^stPlace PROUTinthePublicService 2021

Sven Bäring is chair of QueerBw. The 26-year-old has been leading the network for queer members of the German Bundeswehr since 2019. The network consists of around 300 members who are active throughout Germany. In his role as chairman, he is in close exchange with those affected and their superiors, advises the military and political leadership on diversity issues, and provides support for education and training in the area of diversity. The network operates a 24-hour hotline, which is ensured by him.

Sven Bäring strongly values a collective queer community and sees cohesion and solidarity as essential components of his commitment.

Together with his deputy Anastasia Biefang he works on the rehabilitation of discriminated soldiers. In addition to networking with other associations and organizations, this also includes exchanges with politicians in the Bundestag.
The goal is to come to terms with the decades of injustice that queer soldiers have had to endure. Until 2000, homosexuality was an eligibility criterion in the German armed forces.

In Munich, Sven Bäring not only supports the regional group of the network, but also volunteers at the SUB, organizes community events and is involved in other associations.

This event took place in German.

GUEST OF THE DAY

Nico Hofmann
CEO of UFA GmbH
10^th Place PROUTExecutives 2021

Diversity is a central part of UFA’s corporate culture, which Nico Hofmann as CEO has been actively promoting for years – whether in front of or behind the camera, diversity in teams is essential and inspires UFA in its daily business. As Nico Hofmann’s stance and commitment to LGBT*IQ+ issues has changed UFA’s corporate culture, he makes an important contribution to an open, tolerant, respectful and democratic society not only inside but also outside his workplace. From the employees of UFA originates the strong will to live diversity, inclusion, equal opportunities and tolerance as a self-explanatory matter. To drive this forward, UFA was the first German media company to dedicate itself to more diversity.

This event will took place in English.

GUEST OF THE DAY

Angela Matthes
Founder/Creator of becurious.li
Former CEO of Baloise Life (Liechtenstein) AG

Until recently, Angela Matthes was CEO of a subsidiary of a European insurance group for 8 years. She also transitioned during this role in 2014. Since the beginning of the year, she has started her own business “becurious.li” to focus on innovation and disruption in the area of prevention and protection. Her website will always have a strong human component with a focus on diversity and inclusion. Firstly, because Angela Matthes is deeply convinced that our ever faster changing business environments need teams that have the ability to look at challenges from as many different angles as possible. And secondly, because through her own personal journey of change, she knows first-hand how much energy is released when we create environments where we can all bring our best authentic selves to work. On the latter, she is fortunate to be able to speak at lectures or panel discussions time and time again.

Please note that this event will took place in German!

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GUEST OF THE DAY

^{© Thorsten Eger / Johnson & Johnson}

Thorsten Eger
Head HR Switzerland, Johnson & Johnson

Experienced, well rounded global Human Resources leader with a demonstrated history of working in Healthcare (J&J, Roche, Novartis) as well as in high tech (T-Systems, T-Mobile, Deutsche Telekom). Skilled generalist with deep OD expertise as well as HR Consulting, Coaching, Executive Coaching, Team Building, and Leadership. Worked in roles on Corporate, global, regional and country level. Strong business minded, people and impact oriented professional with a PhD focused in Sociology from Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main. Lived in 5 countries (Germany, Switzerland, UK, Russia, Canada) and love to travel the world (over 60 countries so far). Besides family and friends my passion is Yoga and hiking.

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Guest Of the day

Claudia Brind-Woody
Managing Director, Walgreens Boots Alliance at IBM
Global Co-Chair for the IBM LGBT+ Executive Taskforce
Part of INvolve’s Role Model Hall of Fame

Claudia Brind-Woody is currently the IBM Managing Director for the Walgreens Boots Alliance Integrated Account where she leads the IBM team in both Europe in North America. Prior to this role, she was the Vice President and Managing Director for IBM Global Intellectual Property Licensing where she delivered more than $3 Billion of profit to IBM through IP Partnerships. She also led the two large divestitures of IBM Software in 2019 – one was $1.77 Billion and the other was $545M. Claudia has been with IBM since 1996, and has held multiple global roles during her tenure including work in Finland and the United Kingdom.

Claudia is an accomplished speaker who has done keynote speeches on LGBT Diversity throughout the world. She has also contributed to the books: Out & Equal at Work: From Closet to Corner Office (2013) and The Glass Closet: Why Coming Out is Good for Business (2014). She is featured in the book Pride and Joy: LGBTQ Artists, Icons and Everyday Heroes (2017).

Claudia serves on the Advisory Boards of WorkPlace Pride in Amsterdam, and The GayStar News. She has also served on the Board of Directors of Out & Equal Workplace Advocates, and Lambda Legal.

In 2011, Claudia received the Out & Equal Trailblazer Award and was listed in GO Magazine’s “100 Women We Love.” In 2012 she was included in The Guardian’s WorldPride Power List Top 100. In 2013, she was listed as #6 on The Financial Times LGBT Role Models, in 2014 was #10 on their list, and in 2015 was #5. In 2015, she was also listed as #2 on the Telegraph Media Group’s Out at Work LGBT Top 50 Executives. Most recently, she was included in the Diva Power List and named to the Financial Times LGBT Role Models Hall of Fame for 2016.

Before joining IBM in 1996, Claudia worked for the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games, as an executive for CenturyLink, and as the Assistant Dean of the College & Graduate School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin. She also served as the Assistant Athletics Director at the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Tennessee. She was also an Assistant Basketball Coach under Pat Summitt at the University of Tennessee.

Claudia holds a J.D. degree, magna cum laude, from Georgia State University, an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin, and an M.S. from the University of Tennessee. She is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Mary Baldwin College where she earned her B. A. summa cum laude. She is admitted to practice law by the State Bar of Georgia.

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Guest Of The Day

Margot Slattery
Global Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer, Sodexo Group

As the Global Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer for the Sodexo Group, a world leader in integrated facilities services, Margot has responsibility for the strategic direction, implementation and alignment of its integrated global diversity and inclusion initiatives.

Limerick-born Margot joined Sodexo Ireland in the early 1990s and prior to her current role, was country president of Sodexo Ireland from 2015-2019. For her work in championing successful inclusive leadership in Ireland, Margot was regularly listed on the Financial Times’ Top 100 LGBT Business Leaders and was made a Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Mérite by the French Ambassador to Ireland. She has also been the recipient of many other business and professional awards in Ireland and abroad.

Sodexo delivers services that improve the quality of life to clients in business and industry, education, financial, pharma and healthcare. These include food services, infrastructure build, facilities and estate management, optimising the workplace experience, wellness experiences, personal and homecare services.