Alumni Q&A: Stuart Meek (Executive MBA 2018)

As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, how do you think leaders and the world of business can help to create an inclusive environment?

Our job as leaders is to use our positions of power and influence carefully to contribute to our communities in the best way possible. Working in public transport, we have an important role in society both in terms of the communities we serve as an operator and those we employ.

One of the most important lessons I have learnt in my career is to have faith and know that you are doing the right thing. It can be a lonely experience when you implement initiatives, trying to create positive change, and there isn’t immediate feedback. You put something out there and then it is just quiet, or in some cases you just hear the negative. I have done things which have ended up in tabloid newspapers about painting rainbows on trains and all you get is negative feedback.

However, the workplace can have a huge influence on people’s lives, and we shouldn’t underestimate the ripple effect we can have. I’ve spoken to members of staff on the frontline who tell me that, because of our diversity initiatives, they have felt more informed and less scared when, for example, their child comes out as a member of the LGBTQ+ community.

I think it takes courage and a bit of blind faith to just go with it and know that what we are doing is sowing seeds to make a positive impact.

Although society has changed over the years, we need to recognise and address that it certainly isn’t equal for everybody. As a gay man, it has become a lot easier for me, however that isn’t the case for all gay men or for other parts of the community - sadly, I don’t think that the same progress has been made in the transgender community for example. We also need to recognise that the journey isn’t one-way, and we need to try and stop any regression; so we can’t take the progress that has been made over the past 20 years for granted. On a personal level, it has become easier for me to be open about who I am because I am at a more senior position. I now have the opportunity and a responsibility to use my platform and be a role model for others.

What initiatives have you implemented that you are particularly proud of?

One of the first initiatives I was involved with was at Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR). I felt there was a vacuum in the LBGT space and, as I was in a fairly senior position, I felt I could step forwards to set up their first LGBT network. The reason I’m proud of it, is because it engaged some of that community for the first time who hadn’t been engaged before. It sent a very clear message to everyone else in the organisation that we are here, we are seen, and we want to progress things.

More recently, I saw there was a worrying rate of discrimination on public transport as part of the LGBTQ+ community. Working with colleagues at South Western Railway, I wanted it to be obvious to customers and staff that everybody is welcome on the network. We created the All Aboard campaign, with a sign saying ‘All aboard. Everyone is welcome at SWR.’ It sounds like such a simple idea, but if you think about the number of people who use our network every day and just by having that sign everywhere – when you buy a ticket, when you are sat on the train – it starts to get into the public psyche. For me, it isn’t just about making it a good workplace, it is about proactively using our role in the community to state everyone is welcome, and therefore, by definition it is not okay to discriminate against different members of the community. However, we’re using a positive message rather than a punitive one.

Is there anything specific you learnt from your Executive MBA that you have brought to your current role?

A huge amount! When you’re doing the MBA, you don’t quite realise how the different subjects will form part of your tapestry going forward. As you move into leadership positions you are going to start looking after broader subject areas. Finance is a good example of that. At the time, if you’re not naturally inclined to be a finance person, that subject might seem like quite a challenge, but you really draw on it later!

As well as all the specific knowledge you learn, it is also about the experience meeting other people at Imperial from different walks of life and going on this journey together. The MBA is taught in a collaborative way, and you get the benefit of lots of different people’s experiences and world views and that is absolutely brilliant.

You have returned to the Business School quite a few times to give talks to students. What does it mean for you to keep that connection with Imperial?

When I was doing my MBA, being part of the Imperial community was really important and valuable for me. A big part of that was the ideas and perspectives from outside that were otherwise unfamiliar to me. I think that most of the students at Imperial would not have had much experience with the transport industry and it’s probably a sector which is quite interesting to learn about because of the amount of change, politics and leadership challenges around it.

Every time I come in to give a session, I learn a lot just from the questions that are being asked. The fresh perspectives on some of the problems that I’ve talked to students about are really quite insightful.

When you’ve been at Imperial, I think you’re always an Imperial person and you always feel a sense of belonging to that community and so there is no hesitation for me to give something back.