London Business School student Dr. Nicholas Deakin, ‘17 MBA, was among the honorees named to this year’s Financial Times “2016 OUTstanding LGBT + Future Leaders” list, coming in at an impressive fifth overall.
Dr. Deakin has already made a long-standing positive impact in the LGBT community as an acting co-president of the LBS Out In Business Club and volunteer member of the school’s Diversity Role Models program. He was one of three LBS alumni named to the “Future Leaders” list, alongside Samuel Rensing, ‘16 MBA, and Emmeline Tang ‘15 MBA. Elliot Vaughn, a ‘05 LBS graduate and current partner and managing director at the Boston Consulting Group, was named to the “Top 100 LGBT Executives” list as well.
“Diversity is part and parcel of life at London Business School, whether you look at the professional backgrounds, nationalities, genders or the sexuality of LBS students,” Deakin told LBS after earning the honor. “We are united by difference and represent the truly cosmopolitan nature of London.”
Co-leading the school’s Out In Business Club, Dr. Deakin helped land the school’s largest ever LGBT student intake in 2015.
“The Out in Business Club has developed into one of the most active clubs on campus, driven by corporate support from the school’s biggest recruiters and buy in from the very highest levels of the School including faculty,” he noted.
“We are tremendously grateful to LBS for providing the funding for our first ever LGBT+ scholarship candidate. Sitting between the school and the professional community, we connect our students with the most forward-thinking recruiters, current LGBT+ leaders and professional organisations who are demonstrating the return on diversity in business.”
The Financial Times’ methodology behind this year’s “Future Leaders” ranking weighed performance and potential, with a strong focus on LGBT inclusion. Those honored on both the “Future Leaders” and “Top 100 LGBT Executives” list were nominated by their peers explicitly with permission that they be published, hence why Apple CEO Tim Cook is curiously missing from the latter. Gigi Chao, executive vice-chairman, Cheuk Nang Holdings Ltd. led the “Top 100 LGBT Executives” ranking—the first time an Asian executive has earned the top honor.
This year’s “2016 OUTstanding LGBT + Future Leaders” list can be read here.