This year's Amsterdam Canal Pride lived up to its billing as a vibrant celebration of love, diversity, and inclusion, and we were proud to be part of the festivities.
Aegon colleagues joined together with open minds and open hearts on our canal-side terrace on Saturday, August 3. The fun-filled and sunny Amsterdam Pride event was also a powerful reminder of the importance of supporting the LGBTQIA+ community and advocating for equality and acceptance in all spheres of life. It was extra special that members of LGBT Asylum Support came to celebrate Pride with us. These courageous individuals have faced immense challenges, and this was our chance to show them our support and celebrate together.
Let's move beyond tolerance to genuine appreciation and connection. Because together, we create a more inclusive, compassionate world.
Here are some highlights
Rainbow changemakers
During Aegon’s Pride week, Aegon’s employee resource group Proud organized a ‘Rainbow changemakers’ training together with Workplace Pride. The session was hosted by Siobhan Martin (Global head of Inclusion & Diversity at Aegon Ltd., and invited CFO Matt Rider and Chief Technology Officer Deb Waters as speakers.
The conversation centered around the importance of allyship and advocacy for LGBTQIA+ inclusion in the workplace. Speakers shared personal experiences and strategies for creating more inclusive environment, emphasizing the need for everyone, especially executives, to prioritize inclusivity and psychological safety. Something as simple as customizing email signatures with pronouns is a small example of what can be done to help create a safe space the LQBTQIA+ colleagues.
While the session also acknowledged the challenges of navigating different cultural norms and expectations in a global workplace, all speakers emphasized the importance of being visible and showing up for marginalized communities.