Otis named one of the "Best Places to Work for LGBTQ Equality"

FARMINGTON, CT — Otis has been deemed one of the "Best Places to Work for LGBTQ Equality," according to the Human Rights Campaign, a U.S.-based organization for promoting LGBTQ rights.

The designation is given to companies that achieve the highest score on the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index survey, which assesses companies on their policies and practices related to LGBTQ equality.The full report is available online at www.hrc.org/cei.

Mariana Monteiro the director of diversity, equity and inclusion at Otis, welcomed the news."At Otis, not only do we commit to change, but we are determined to identify and prioritize the actions we need to take to make them a reality," Monteiro said. "We are proud of this recognition, but also aware that our LGBTQ colleagues still face intolerance around the world. Achieving a CEI score of 100 is a reflection of our colleagues' and leaders' character and our culture of respect and appreciation. Our journey continues, because we understand that for our business to succeed, we need all of our colleagues to be able to come to work as their authentic selves, contributing their best ideas, and feeling safe and welcomed."

Connecticut companies recognized were:

• AQR Capital Management LLC, Greenwich
• Boehringer Ingelheim USA Corp., Ridgefield
• Bridgewater Associates LP, Westport
• CIGNA Corp., Bloomfield
• Diageo North America, Norwalk
• FactSet Research Systems Inc., Norwalk
• Gartner Inc., Stamford
• Hartford Financial Services Group Inc., Hartford
• Nestlé Waters North America Inc., Stamford
• Otis Worldwide Corporation, Farmington
• Pitney Bowes Inc., Stamford
• Stanley Black & Decker Inc., New Britain
• Synchrony, Stamford
• Thomson Reuters, Stamford
• Xerox Corp., Norwalk

Michael Begale, co-president of the Otis PRIDE Employee Resource Group in the United States, and general manager of service in San Francisco called recognition by the Human Rights Campaign "an important step in creating a stronger and more inclusive Otis."

Beagle added, "Bringing your authentic self to work in the construction world takes immeasurable courage and I am excited that Otis is leading the way. We are on a journey and this is a call to action not just to our colleagues that are members of the LGBTQ-plus community, but to allies from all backgrounds to actively participate in making all members of the Otis Family feel valued."

Co-president of the Otis PRIDE Employee Resource Group in the United States and Associate Director of Project Management in Washington DC Milica Rojas, said, "At Otis, we understand that an inclusive workplace creates a stronger workforce. We are committed to finding new ways to elevate diversity across our company and the construction industry. While our work is not finished and our journey is ongoing, we are honored to be recognized by the Human Rights Campaign