Pride in Oracle: LGBTQ+ Belonging Matters to Us All
Interviews
“My view is that we should put our energy in improving the experience of our community day by day, at work,”
VP of Finance, Xavier Pinneau has more than a decade of experience at Oracle. In that time, he’s overseen finance operations across divisions in Hong Kong and Singapore. He currently supports the Japan and Asia Pacific region for divisional lines of business, consolidations, and compensations.
It’s a role he relishes. His team is embracing a new era of automation and he gets to be front and center during the transformation. He’s also executive sponsor of the Oracle Pride Employee Network (OPEN) where he advocates for the employee resources group across the entire company.
Oracle caught up with Xavier during this busy time to get his thoughts on Pride Month, what it means to him—and for the future of inclusion in the workplace.
Dignity
When asked to reflect, he goes all the way back to the beginning: the Stonewall Uprising of 1969. Xavier stresses the importance of the ‘I shall not be ashamed’ reaction that followed, giving birth to the first Pride marches.
So, what is Pride to him? “Simply put, Pride is about the fact that no human being should have to be ashamed of who they are. You can call it pride, dignity, self-worth, or self-esteem,” he says.
It’s a timeless message of diversity and inclusion that bears repeating. It’s also a message that’s evolved in step with the times to become even more expansive.
Progressing Inclusion
He’s quick to emphasize that despite enormous progress, the battle is far from over for many. “Today, there is also an agenda focused on progressing inclusion for the LGBTQ+ community and recognizing that some groups have limited access to the tools they need to be successful. May it be access to education, jobs, financial support, legal recognition, family relationship recognition, and healthcare,” he says.
Xavier’s outlook is pragmatic, and he recognizes that there can’t be complacency in LGBTQ+ inclusion. It’s what drew him to the role of executive sponsor alongside his other duties.
“OPEN unites and empowers our LGBTQ+ communities around the world. I see being executive sponsor as being of service to the OPEN chapters in the countries. I also see myself as a resource they can tap into, a voice to relay their message, an adviser, and when needed—a visible leader who happens to be a gay man.”
It’s something that continues to fuel OPEN as an employee-led group across Oracle’s global footprint.
Connection
Allyship is another thing that drives him in this endeavor. He believes that by challenging barriers and raising up relationships, we can tap into an incredible well of talent and understanding.
“What I love about Oracle is that we are very clear that we are a business. And we are quite down to earth. We focus on the fact that the LGBTQ+ community in Oracle contributes to the success of the company. And very importantly for allyship: we promote connection and exchanges.”
“I just really believe that lack of connection is a key issue between the LGBTQ+ community and the employee population at large. The more our LGBTQ+ community gets connected to all other Oracle employees, the more we will be able to break down the stereotypes, the anxiety, and the barriers.”
Authenticity
He encourages others to be on the lookout for examples in everyday life and to seize those opportunities to make a change—even in small ways.
“As a manager, you could be missing out on a great engineer if you are struggling with how they look or how they dress,” he says. “Because as an LGBTQ+ person, they don’t fit your image of what engineers look like.”
Above all, Xavier thinks we can each make the biggest strides by taking Pride as a reminder to be authentic. This helps people and organizations avoid ‘rainbow washing’—a superficial show of support that fades quickly—and embrace really making a difference.
“My view is that we should put our energy in improving the experience of our community day by day, at work,” he adds. "There is so much we can do in our work environment to help the community (and all minorities really).”
Energy
At work, this can be as simple as having the right policies in place, training for employees, helpline support, mental health support, ensuring your recruiting practices do not discriminate, and having health benefits that cover the community properly.
“The energy we expend improving the working conditions of our community is definitely worth it,” Xavier enthuses.
Pride is for everyone then. It’s a statement of courage, a call for inclusion, and hope for the future.
“It’s like a kick-off event for the new year,” he adds. “You celebrate, you feel the great energy, and you get back to focusing on what you can do to make Oracle a better place for all of us. To me, that is the best of Pride.”
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