A compelling look at the challenges facing members of the LGBTQ+ community, as they navigate their chosen career paths – with advice from many senior professionals who have smashed their own rainbow ceilings. Currently there are only four LGBTQ+ CEOs in the Fortune 500; only 0.38% of these 500 companies’ board positions are filled by LGBTQ+ people. In the UK, the numbers are just as uninspiring: there are no out CEOs on the FTSE 100, and numbers in the public sector are not dissimilar. This gives us insight into some of the hidden differences in, and challenges to, professional opportunity that continue to play out out for LGBTQ+ people around the world. Breaking the Rainbow Ceiling explores why this community remains underrepresented at the most senior levels of professional life, and how all of us – from companies, boards, and HR professionals, through to LGBTQ+ professionals navigating their career paths – can address these barriers to help everyone thrive and succeed. The book includes insights based on interviews with high-profile LGBTQ+ CEOs (and equivalent in other professional sectors) to identify where challenges and opportunities exist, and the common problems that people can face as they find their way in work environments. It also shares strategies on how to overcome those challenges and empower LGBTQ+ people to reach their full professional potential. A special feature of the book is a composite ‘letter to our younger selves’, written by the interviewees, which will provide an inspiring and moving message to every reader.
