Top business leaders praise Tim Cook for coming out
A number of top CEOs have praised Apple boss Tim Cook’s decision to come out as gay.
Mr Cook – who took the reigns of the technology firm from Steve Jobs before his death – spoke about his sexuality for the first time this week.
He said: “I’m proud to be gay, and I consider being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me.
“For years, I’ve been open with many people about my sexual orientation. Plenty of colleagues at Apple know I’m gay, and it doesn’t seem to make a difference in the way they treat me.
“Of course, I’ve had the good fortune to work at a company that loves creativity and innovation and knows it can only flourish when you embrace people’s differences. Not everyone is so lucky.”
Other than Mr Cook, there are zero openly gay CEOs across the 1000 biggest US companies – but several leaders affiliated with Out Leadership have spoken out to praise him.
Patrick Burke, CEO of HSBC USA: “Tim Cook has taken a bold step and should be congratulated for doing so. His action raises the importance of leading from the front and robustly paves the way for others.”
Lloyd Blankfein, CEO of Goldman Sachs, said: “His words resonate, especially the importance of a workplace that embraces people’s differences.”
Jacques Brand, CEO of Deutsche Bank North America, said: “Apple has inspired us yet again. We applaud Tim for his personal and powerful message and Apple for its long-standing commitment to diversity.”
Former BP CEO Lord Browne added: “Significant moment for Tim Cook, Apple and LGBT people everywhere. He’ll change the corporate world.”
