Highlights:
- Pride Month is celebrated internationally in June.
- We sat down with Vice President of Talent Management Steven Myers, to discuss his career journey as an LGBTQIA+ individual and learn more about RingCentral’s commitment to inclusivity.
Pride Month is recognized internationally each June in celebration and commemoration of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender pride. In 1969, after a series of gay liberation protests in New York City, most notably Stonewall, Pride Month was created. In honor of international Pride, Steven Myers, Vice President of Talent Management and RingCentral Rainbow Alliance ERG member sat down with us to share his career journey as an LGBTQIA+ individual and discuss how RingCentral empowers individuals to live their most authentic lives at work.
Leading a global team.
Before joining RingCentral, Steven oversaw the HR business partner organization for video game publisher 2K Games. Steven has been in his current role as RingCentral’s Vice President of Talent Management for about 10 months, leading a global team that includes the HR business partner organization, Learning and Development, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). Despite holding a very serious role in human resources, Steven says he brings a certain light-heartedness along with a sense of humor to the job, qualities which are “helpful in relationship building.”
Career-building experiences.
At the beginning of his career, Steven encountered some challenging professional environments but eventually found companies where he could be himself:
Early on, there were some workplaces where I did not feel supported and even experienced outright homophobia. Those experiences informed my decision to just be myself. Later, I found myself in organizations where I did feel comfortable and fully embraced and fortunately, that’s been the majority of my professional journey—being able to bring my authentic self to work.
Those early challenges helped him develop strength and resilience along with the determination to make the workplace an environment where everyone can thrive.
Affecting real change.
In his current role, Steven is leveraging his unique perspective on inclusion to inform policy and affect substantive changes benefiting the LGBTQIA+ community. That starts with asking informed questions: Does this benefits package include coverage for same-sex partners? Do our benefits include gender-affirming healthcare? Are restrooms and gym facilities gender-inclusive? Writing employment policies that take into consideration the needs of the LGBTQIA+ community helps foster an inclusive workplace where everyone feels recognized, empowered, and supported.
Coming-out advice and support.
For individuals who want to come out at work, Steven advises having strong support systems both inside and outside of the workplace. In the past, he’s had the privilege of helping a colleague navigate work-related challenges during their transition. Finding allies who can be a resource at work is imperative. At RingCentral, our Rainbow Alliance Employee Resource Group (ERG) provides a safe space for employees to share their experiences with like-minded individuals, a space for freedom, empowerment, and visibility.
Pride lineup.
This year, RingCentral hosted Pride celebrations virtually and on-site at many of RingCentral’s US and international offices.
Pride Month is a time of reflection, empowerment, and unity in the pursuit of equality and fairness for the LGBTQIA+ community in our workplaces, communities, and beyond. We’ve made significant progress and will continue to promote awareness and acceptance.”
Employees were encouraged to celebrate Pride Month and participate in these June events celebrating the theme “Reflect. Empower. Unite.
- June 11th – Executive Keynote with Steven Myers
We were honored to host an executive keynote with Vice President of Talent Management Steven Myers, who shared how embracing his identity shaped his successful career. A testament to the power of authenticity and resilience, his story is both empowering and enlightening. - In addition to this keynote presentation Steven participated in a podcast for Pride Month in Manila with local leaders under the theme “Supercharging Your Career: How to Power Up at Work & In Life” Manila also hosted one with members of Bahaghari Manila – a group of people under RingCentral Manila who are advocates & supporters of DEI
- June 15th – Manila Pride Mixer
The Manila office hosted the very first Manila Pride Mixer featuring over 70+ employees, LGBTIA+ & Allies. It was an orientation and getting-to-know-you event where employees connected with fellow employees from different business units. - June 18th – Belmont “Drag Brunch” Cooking Class with Chef
A unique and entertaining Belmont “Drag Brunch” Cooking Class was streamed live to all employees, who learned to prepare delicious brunch dishes with a drag queen surprise. It was the perfect blend of culinary skills and creative expression! - June 22 – Manila: Pride Parade
The Manila Office joined the Pride Festival and March in Quezon City. Last year, this was dubbed as the biggest Pride Parade in Asia with over a 100K participants. - June 25th – Diversity Talk! Ensuring Workplace Inclusion for LGBTQIA+
The Lean In French team hosted an engaging panel featuring Steven Myers. They discussed how employees and managers can ensure better workplace inclusion for all.
Embracing authentic Pride.
Ultimately, Steven is proud to bring greater equity and visibility to the LGBTQIA+ community through authenticity in his leadership role at RingCentral.
When I started out, it wasn’t common to see gay senior executives. It sticks with you and becomes a narrative you tell yourself—that maybe I can’t get there because no one in leadership is a vocal member of the LGBTQIA+ community.
Steven says it’s critical to see LGBTQIA+ individuals in positions of leadership because it demonstrates that anyone can excel based on their merits and ambition, “I certainly don’t want to be labeled as a ‘gay executive.’ I want to be known as a competent and effective executive.”
We’re proud to have Steven on our leadership team, trailblazing toward a more inclusive tech industry. At RingCentral, we are committed to supporting the LGBTQIA+ community year-round.
As a person of influence, I am excited about the opportunity to advance initiatives that support our LGBTQIA+ employees and the broader community not just during Pride Month, but throughout the entire year and beyond.
For more information about RingCentral’s Rainbow Alliance visit our careers page.
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Originally published Jun 28, 2024
