National Coming Out Day: Ryan Mangan On Being Yourself at Work

Interview with Ryan Mangan, Consultant and PRIDE network lead at Capco

Hi Ryan, thanks for chatting with us - can you please, tell us a bit about yourself and your role within your organization?

Hey Folks! I’m Ryan Mangan, and my role within Capco is a consultant with the esteemed pleasure of leading the UK’s PRIDE @ Capco network – our LGBTQ+ affinity group, which means I get to shape and deliver our strategy and how we make the biggest impact within our communities.

How does your organization support and empower its LGBTQ+ employees?

Capco is a company that really champions people to be themselves at work, in fact, ‘Be Yourself At Work’ is our motto. It’s super important to me that companies take their Diversity & Inclusion agendas seriously, and our PRIDE @ Capco is a true testament to how Capco does that. I know that regardless of who I interact with internally or externally, I can be confident that I am never met with judgement or prejudice, everybody has value to add, and everyone has an equal voice – regardless of background.

Do you feel that by coming out, you can encourage others to live authentically?

There’s definitely power in visibility – I know from working in the corporate world that over the years, I’ve seen ever-increasing numbers of LGBTQ+ people in leadership/influential positions. Back when I started my career, I don’t think I would have been able to name one person, but as I’ve progressed and seeing others in these positions has given me the inspiration to further myself and feel a lot more comfortable with who I am in the context of the workplace. PRIDE @ Capco stands for supporting colleagues in whichever way they need - be it looking at our internal policies, to supporting our wider community through volunteering – it connects us to what is important.

What advice would you give the younger generations of LGBTQ+ people wanting to follow a similar career to you?

You are awesome, just as you are. Rather than trying to please everybody and feeling you have to ‘act’ or ‘present’ in a certain way, your superpower is really just being true to yourself. That way, you will soak up so much more through learning and navigating your way through the industry, and you will have a better idea of what your strengths are without having to pretend. Connect with all different types of people, expand your own outlook and be keen to grow.

How do you think allies can support their colleagues coming out?

It’s the simple stuff that counts. Personally, I know when someone has their pronouns visible on their e-mail signature – that they have paused for a second and thought about how they can make someone from the LGBTQ+ community more comfortable. That is a huge impact from such a simple action. Allies can also be crucial in helping people feel more at ease, finding out more about the individuals that they work with and building a rapport – over time, this will help foster an environment where people can feel safe talking openly about things as simple as ‘what did you do over the weekend’.

Do you think there an enough LGBTQ+ people at C-level in the workplace? How do you see this evolving in the future?

I’ve seen progress in this space for sure, but I don’t think there are enough visible leaders in our industry. I have 100% confidence in this evolving, we a living in a time where talent is nurtured, and people from diverse backgrounds are actively being sought. Who knows… I may even take over as CEO myself some day 😊