• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Billionaire Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong says most charities are 'net negative'—and that he has no plans to make his own foundation

2

Tennessee linebacker Arion Carter was suspended over a $427 flight—now he's donating that amount to charity for every tackle he makes this season

3

As the U.S. Treasury shells out $95 billion a month in interest to cover deficits, Trump pitches a $1.3 trillion payout to voters if Republicans win the midterms

1

Billionaire Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong says most charities are 'net negative'—and that he has no plans to make his own foundation

2

Tennessee linebacker Arion Carter was suspended over a $427 flight—now he's donating that amount to charity for every tackle he makes this season

3

As the U.S. Treasury shells out $95 billion a month in interest to cover deficits, Trump pitches a $1.3 trillion payout to voters if Republicans win the midterms
MPWMost Powerful Women

Why This Female CEO Came Out As Bisexual

Claire Zillman
By
Claire Zillman
Claire Zillman
Editor, Leadership
Down Arrow Button Icon
Claire Zillman
By
Claire Zillman
Claire Zillman
Editor, Leadership
Down Arrow Button Icon
June 13, 2017, 3:28 PM ET
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Peter Dench for Fortune Magazine
Google source logo
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Lloyd’s of London CEO Inga Beale has a reverse mentor—a Lloyd’s employee who’s in his or her 20s and just starting out. She switches them out about every six months, but one message is consistent: “The feedback constantly is, ‘We want to see you as a real person,'” Beale told the Fortune Most Powerful Women International Summit in London on Monday. “‘We want to see you all over Instagram. We want to know you as an individual.’ They don’t want to see this CEO sitting up in this ivory tower, untouchable.”

It’s a message that Beale has abided by for years but nevertheless bears repeating. She still struggles to meet all of her reverse mentors’ expectations—”I am the worst at taking selfies,” Beale admits—but she is remarkably candid about one aspect of her life: her bisexuality.

Beale first disclosed her sexuality in 2008 during a job interview for a role on the group management board at Zurich Insurance. She’d tired of hiding the reality; of leading a dual life. “I can now be much more myself; I can be my own personality,” she said on Monday. And she’s found that personal transparency is a way “to engage with that younger generation.”

“Coming out, just being natural at work is going to be the winner,” she said.

Subscribe to The World’s Most Powerful Women, Fortune’s daily must-read for global businesswomen.

Beale wanted to infuse a culture of authenticity into Lloyd’s when she became the 325-year-old insurer’s first-ever female CEO in January 2014. That meant addressing diversity and inclusion—including LGBT rights—openly. She wanted to put those issues “on the table because Lloyd’s is extremely traditional.” In the past two years, it’s managed to improve the share of women on its executive teams in London—albeit slightly—from 3% to 5%.

“So, we have made a little step, but fundamentally we have got a really serious issues,” she said, noting that Lloyd’s is far behind other FTSE 100 companies.

Affecting such change is not easy, even with a CEO who’s all-in. “It takes courage to speak out about it every single day,” she says.

About the Author
Claire Zillman
By Claire ZillmanEditor, Leadership
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Claire Zillman is a senior editor at Fortune, overseeing leadership stories. 

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in MPW


Most Popular

Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

    Latest in MPW


    Most Popular

    © 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
    FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.