Membership Directory - Individual
Ann Lynch
Business Analyst - Change Management at Schroders
About
Bio: Ann Lynch joined Schroders in 1998 and has held a variety of roles within the organisation, taking advantage of various career moves that became available. Her current role is a Business Analyst within Group Change. With over twenty years' experience in one organisation, she has had the opportunity to witness both personally and at an organisation level the shifts of culture to address, what - back in the early days - didn't always feel like a comfortable place to be her authentic self. Ann feels extremely proud of the organisation Schroders has become today, it goes further than just addressing diversity and inclusion at corporate level, it also ensures all employees know that it's ok to be themselves when at work - in some cases even where being themselves outside of work still holds barriers and challenges.
Three years ago Ann and her colleagues founded "SchOUT", the Schroders LGBT+ employee network. While one of the big highlights was taking part in London Pride, for Ann this was surpassed at seeing a packed auditorium of colleagues and friends who came to events to celebrate diversity and inclusion in the workplace. The committee today has not only doubled in size but is an even split of people who identify as LGBTQ+ and their allies.
Ann says: "I come from a lovely town in the West of Ireland. Raised catholic, the Ireland of the 80's/90's was a very different Ireland than it is today. Knowing you were "different" was something you tried to push to the back of your mind but lived with the niggling little fear that someone might guess your dark secret. I mostly kept this secret to myself until my mid 20's when I decided to move to London. I had made a decision that the family I adored were not going to be "shamed" by my choices. Roll on 20+ years. What a day 22<sup>nd</sup> May 2015 was in Ireland, a referendum by the people of Ireland who voted overwhelmingly that same sex marriage should be allowed. This was the first time that a state legalised same sex marriage through a popular vote. No longer hiding behind the label of "my friend", my partner Debbie is very much part of my family and my life both in London and in Ireland. As with a lot of you reading this, we still face the challenges of "coming out" in various circumstances; booking the holiday, mentioning a partner can be met with "What's <em>his</em> name". I'm please to say those situations are becoming fewer and fewer.
How blessed am I to have such positive endings to the above little snippets of my life. Let's not forget those countries and cultures who don't yet have the positive ending."
Three years ago Ann and her colleagues founded "SchOUT", the Schroders LGBT+ employee network. While one of the big highlights was taking part in London Pride, for Ann this was surpassed at seeing a packed auditorium of colleagues and friends who came to events to celebrate diversity and inclusion in the workplace. The committee today has not only doubled in size but is an even split of people who identify as LGBTQ+ and their allies.
Ann says: "I come from a lovely town in the West of Ireland. Raised catholic, the Ireland of the 80's/90's was a very different Ireland than it is today. Knowing you were "different" was something you tried to push to the back of your mind but lived with the niggling little fear that someone might guess your dark secret. I mostly kept this secret to myself until my mid 20's when I decided to move to London. I had made a decision that the family I adored were not going to be "shamed" by my choices. Roll on 20+ years. What a day 22<sup>nd</sup> May 2015 was in Ireland, a referendum by the people of Ireland who voted overwhelmingly that same sex marriage should be allowed. This was the first time that a state legalised same sex marriage through a popular vote. No longer hiding behind the label of "my friend", my partner Debbie is very much part of my family and my life both in London and in Ireland. As with a lot of you reading this, we still face the challenges of "coming out" in various circumstances; booking the holiday, mentioning a partner can be met with "What's <em>his</em> name". I'm please to say those situations are becoming fewer and fewer.
How blessed am I to have such positive endings to the above little snippets of my life. Let's not forget those countries and cultures who don't yet have the positive ending."