Wells Fargo’s LGBT Marketing Journey

By John Lake, LGBT Segment Leader, Wells Fargo Marketing 

Early in my career I spent a lot of energy trying to maintain a firewall between my personal life and the life I led at the office. As a gay man in a client-facing role at an advertising agency, pronouns and weekend plans were carefully edited. In June, Pride month was not yet something companies would acknowledge — much less celebrate. The only visual indications in the workplace were the sunburned faces and bleary eyes of a few employees the Monday after the annual LGBT Pride parade — a parade which, at that time, counted very little corporate support save for some pioneering beverage brands.

Now, as we see LGBT employees march proudly alongside corporate senior leaders and allies in parades around the country, it’s worth reflecting on how much progress has been made. Bringing your “full self to work” is not just possible in many companies, but it’s an imperative. As the leader of Wells Fargo’s LGBT marketing efforts, I’ve witnessed firsthand the role inclusive-minded companies have played, alongside great non-profit organizations like the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) and Out & Equal, to help advance the connection between corporate America and the LGBT community. When I think about Wells Fargo’s LGBT initiatives, I usually consider them in terms of three very important pillars: Our customers, our team members and our communities.

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