Tony Wood, Mercer Marsh Benefits’ UK & Ireland regional leader, has been named in the OUTstanding 100 LGBT+ Executives List for the third consecutive year.
Wood is listed no 71 in the ranking compiled by INvolve in collaboration with Yahoo Finance UK.
INvolve is a not-for-profit professional network for LGBT executives and their allies that helps member firms create inclusive workplaces.
As executive sponsor of Mercer’s LGBT+ Pride group in the UK for the past five years, Wood has been instrumental in growing the network and building an inclusive workplace.
During 2019 and 2020, he and the network helped Mercer implement trans healthcare benefits, gender neutral language and explicit LGBT+ examples in all HR policies, gender neutral toilets, dual photo ID cards, the use of pronouns in email signatures and a graduate recruitment LGBT+ support programme.
Wood is regularly invited to speak on LGBT+ topics at events and conferences. Recent talks include a joint event with the Human Dignity Trust as part of a global Pride event and a European Pride event on better allyship.
Wood said that he is “delighted” to have been recognised among so many leading executives who play such “key roles in driving workplace diversity and inclusion”.
He said: “I am passionate about supporting my fellow LGBTQ+ colleagues by creating more inclusive workplaces and through shaping our society to drive positive change and acceptance. At Mercer, we understand the need to create a space that enables people to be authentic and the importance of fostering an inclusive culture where everyone can succeed.”