Webcast: LGBTQ+ leadership in the boardroom: Insights from the USA

Overview

Recording date – 25 November 2025

Join us for a timely and thought-provoking discussion on LGBTQ+ representation in governance, and what this might mean for New Zealand. International speaker and human rights leader Fabrice Houdart will share global perspectives on LGBTQ+ inclusion in corporate boardrooms, including observations from the United States where progress is both celebrated and contested.

Fabrice is founder and executive director of the Association of LGBTQ+ Corporate Directors and a former UN Human Rights Officer. His work spans international policy, diversity metrics and corporate advocacy, and he has been a prominent voice for inclusive governance and accountability.

This session will explore:

- How inclusive governance adds long-term value and resilience to organisations
- The current state of LGBTQ+ representation among corporate directors in the USA and broader lessons for New Zealand boards from international approaches to diversity and inclusion
- Learnings around effectively supporting LGBTQ+ representation on boards, and how this may apply in New Zealand

Directors will gain a deeper understanding of how inclusive leadership, including LGBTQ+ representation, can be a strategic asset. And as a governance community this session will give us chance to reflect on the overseas experience and how it can inform our ongoing work in New Zealand.