About
OVERVIEW
The International Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (IGLCC) was founded in 2006 in Hamburg, Germany and is based in Montreal, Canada.
The IGLCC is the world’s leading international LGBT business network with members in 15 countries:
Argentina, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom and the United States of America.
Our network connects business leaders locally and worldwide. Together we represent millions of LGBT business owners, entrepreneurs, professionals and consumers.
With its 15 member countries, the IGLCC represents:
– 55 million LGBT consumers 1
– US $2.1 trillion in purchasing power 1
– the equivalent of the world’s fifth largest economy: the United Kingdom 2
1 Based on estimates by Double Platinum / BC 3 Strategies.
2 Based on UK population and GDP. Source: IMF
Mission
The IGLCC is dedicated to create a diverse international coalition to defend the interests of the LGBT business community worldwide and to contribute to its social-economic development.
Vision
The advancement of diversity in the business world through initiatives that promote equality and the creation of opportunities for the members of the international LGBT business community.
HISTORY
2005
With the Quebec LGBT business community onboard, Pascal Lépine, president of Atypic and the President of the Quebec Gay Chamber of Commerce (CCGQ) travels in North America and Europe to invite other business professionals to participate in what would become the first truly international LGBT business conference and to further advance his idea of creating an international LGBT business organization.
2006
Over 400 professionals coming from all around the world accepted the invitation and gathered in Montreal, Canada, were in July the Out for Business Conference is held as part of the World Outgames 2006, to discuss the challenges that we were facing as LGBT employees, business owners and consumers. Ultimately the conference was also a forum to discuss the vast opportunities for our community.
Later in October in Hamburg, Germany, the IGLCC is officially created by the national LGBT business organizations and national LGBT Chambers of Commerce of the following countries: Austria, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland and the United States.
2007
In April, the IGLCC started officially operating from its head office in Montreal, Canada, under the leadership of Founding President & Secretary General Pascal Lépine and thanks to the great support of Montreal International.
September marks the first IGLCC Global Summit in Barcelona, Spain.
2008
In early April, in partnership with BC3 Strategies, the IGLCC unveils its First LGBT Market Overview covering its 13 member countries.
Later in the month, coinciding with its first anniversary, the IGLCC hosts its First Annual Congress in Montreal, Canada. During the Gala Dinner a series of awards recognizing leadership is given to the following individuals and organizations:
Xarxagay, The LGBT Professionals (Spain)
Juan Julia, owner of Axel Hotels (Spain)
IBM Corporation
Cynthia Wade, documentary producer and 2008 Oscar winner for Freeheld (USA)
The City of Montreal (Canada)
In September, in partnership with the Affiliate Member from the United Kingdom, The Gay Business Association, the IGLCC hosts its Second Global Summit. The launching of demo versions of the International Business Equality Index and the International LGBT Business Data Base mark the event.
2009
The IGLCC partners with its Netherlands’ Affiliate Member The Company Pride Platform Foundation to hold its Second Annual Congress in Copenhagen, Denmark. The congress is part of the Out for Business track of the Second World Outgames Human Rights Conference. The series of awards for 2009 is presented to the following recipients:
The Company Pride Platform Foundation (The Netherlands)
KPMG
His Excellency Mr. Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, President of the Federative Republic of Brazil (Brazil)
Matthew Mitcham, Olympic Gold Medalist swimmer (Australia)
In July the results of the First International Business Equality Index were announced in Copenhagen. The top 3 corporations were BT, IBM and The Dow Chemical Company.
The official version of the International LGBT Business Data Base is online in November of 2009.
SECRETARY GENERAL
The IGLCC's mission is to ensure that everyone, regardless of sexual orientation, or gender identity, has the same opportunities. Unfortunately, we still live in a world in which there are many countries where LGBT employees are harassed at work; LGBT employees cannot provide health benefits to their same-sex partners; gay and lesbian employees cannot be accompanied by their partners when they are relocated for work reasons; transgender employees face violent discrimination because of who they are; and a simple family photo on a worker’s desk can lead to severe consequences.
These are the realities of many parts of the world, and the realities that IGLCC is determined, by the strength of its membership and mission, to address and change, using the power that comes from an economic force such as a Chamber of Commerce.
In a short time, we have witnessed the realization of our mission in small, but important ways. We have seen the transformations that we are capable of bringing together. And, we have seen how everywhere the IGLCC goes, with its international mission, a movement of change follows.
Today, the IGLCC is the world’s leading international LGBT business network. We operate in 15 countries through 17 chambers of commerce and business organizations, and we represent the interests of over 55 million lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees, business owners and consumers worldwide.
We are proud to have become, in a very short time, a new face for business. And we also hope we are becoming a new face for LGBT equality around the world.
We invite you to come along for the ride.
Pascal Lépine
Founding President & Secretary General
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Chairman
Claudia Woody (USA)
Managing Director – Intellectual Property Licensing, IBM
Vice-Chairman
Angelo Caltagirone (Switzerland)
Member of the Board – Responsible for Foreign Affairs, NETWORK
President
Pascal Lépine (Canada)
Secretary General, IGLCC
Treasurer & Secretary
Daniel Pellerin (Costa Rica)
President, Investissements Pellerin
Directors
Ken Batty (United Kingdom)
Executive Director of Human Resources for Western Europe, Lenovo
Stephanie Blackwood (USA)
Co-Founder & Client Services Director, Double Platinum
Irwin Drucker (USA)
Program Director GLBT and International Programs Supplier Diversity, IBM
Chance Mitchell (USA)
Co-Founder & CEO, NGLCC
David Polard (Netherlands)
Chairman, Company Pride Platform Foundation
Jorgen Weis (Denmark)
Chairman, Copenhagen Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce
Chi Mun Woo (Australia)
Director – Sustainability, Climate Change & Water Advisory, KPMG
COMMITTEES & COUNCILS
International Business Equality Index Committee
The international committee in charge of this unique initiative to promote diversity in the business world includes gay, lesbian and transgender professionals that live and work in eight different European and North American countries.
Committee chair:
David Pollard - Company Pride Platform (Netherlands)
Members:
Silvan Agius – ILGA Europe (Belgium)
Stephen Barris – ILGA World (Belgium)
Angelo Caltagirone – EGMA (Switzerland)
Lenna Cumberbatch – Gingerbeer (United Kingdom)
Irwin Drucker – IBM (USA)
Marion Gross – Wybernet (Switzerland)
Paul Overdijk – TNT (Netherlands)
Pascal Lépine – IGLCC (Canada)
Jean-Luc Vey - PrOut@Work (Germany)
César Maschmann – IGLCC (Canada)
Persia West – A place at the table (United Kingdom)
Manfred Wondrak – Agpro (Austria)
International LGBT Business Data Base Committee
The IGLCC LGBT Business Data Base is the single international Data Base where corporations seeking certified LGBT-owned business providers can find products and services that fulfill their Supplier Diversity needs and where LGBT business owners can register to gain opportunities to bid for contracts with major international corporations.
Committee Chair:
Irwin Drucker – IBM (USA)
Members:
Angelo Caltagirone – EGMA (Switzerland)
Pascal Lépine – IGLCC (Canada)
Susan Martinez – Intel (USA)
César Maschmann – IGLCC (Canada)
Justin Nelson – NGLCC (USA)
Manfred Wondrak – Agpro (Austria)
Women's Council
To promote women in business and their major interests, the IGLCC has created a unique platform in which women’s voices and their issues at work and in life are at the center stage.
It counts with the experience, dedication and vision of a great businesswomen and a natural leader. Marion Mulder is the International Chair of ING’s LGBT Network and also on the Board of the Company Pride Platform Foundation, based in Amsterdam, Holland.
Marion Mulder will chair the Council bringing along her vitality, knowledge and experience. The Council will be active from today in recruiting the best international talent to listen and to create a forum to women and from women.
During the IGLCC 3rd Annual Congress in Amsterdam (June 9 to 11, 2010), a seminar will be focusing on the discussion of women’s issues with the participation of renowned international members of the LGBT community and experts on women’s subjects. It will be during this seminar that the IGLCC and the Women’s Council will launch an international initiative focusing on women in business.
We invite all members to participate in the dialogue and to come along to celebrate women in business with the IGLCC on June 11th, 2010.
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