Taking the Lead on LGBT Advocacy: Karrie’s Story
Karrie Trauth, SVP Shipping and Maritime, feels it’s her duty as a leader to create an environment where people feel confident being who they are. This belief has motivated her to act as a role model to others who still feel hesitant about coming out.
After spending most of her career in the closet, Karrie Trauth’s life changed when she applied for a position at Shell and had her first meeting with Grahaeme Henderson, VP for the Shipping and Maritime Department.
She worked up the courage to tell him she’d heard about the role through her female partner, and was amazed when “Grahaeme didn’t even blink”. This initial experience not only confirmed that Shell was an inclusive company but that this value was lived out by senior leadership as well.
Now, in her role as General Manager for Shipping and Maritime Technology and Innovation, Karrie feels it’s her duty as a leader to continue to create an environment where people feel confident being who they are.
This is her story.
Before Shell, I didn’t realise the energy spent hiding who I was. Working long days on complex problems is exhausting; it’s doubly so when you can’t be yourself.
As a former Navy naval architect, I operated under the "don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. You didn’t tell anyone you were gay, or act in a way that gave it away. A scholarship led me to the Navy, an incredible career opportunity. I referred to my partner as my “friend,” keeping my personal life hidden. This contributed to my team’s perception of a terrible work-life balance. Even at a diversity-focused shipyard, my secretary removed LGBT+ awareness posters. That’s how closeted I was.
A Turning Point at Shell
Years later, my partner, a Shell employee, told me about a job opening. In my first meeting with a VP, I mentioned my partner, a woman in HR. His nonchalant reaction showed me I could be myself at Shell. No more hiding.
“I knew I’d finally found a work environment I could be my true self in.”
The Impact of Authenticity and Leadership
Working at Shell, I’ve realised the wasted energy of LGBT+ employees who hide. Studies show a productivity decrease when employees aren’t out. Shell does well in this area, but senior leadership’s advocacy has a greater impact. Our Chairman’s engagement at an LGBT+ conference sent a strong message.
As a leader, I create an environment where people are confident being themselves. I’m vocal, even when uncomfortable, to show support. I hope my actions encourage other leaders to do the same.
How I believe companies can create a safe environment for people to bring their “whole selves” to work:
Understand that role models are vital
If senior leaders can feel comfortable to be out at work, they can prove that sexual orientation has no bearing on your career potential. I’ve experienced the impact of being a role model firsthand as a woman who’s also an engineer. Every time I took on a new role in the shipyard industry I was the first female in that role, and there was always a new group of young women behind me realising they too could succeed in any role they wanted.
I challenge companies to encourage senior leadership to stand up and speak out about their sexuality, because I believe this will have the biggest impact on closeted employees.
Live out your values
At Shell we have equal opportunity policies and non-discrimination policies. But these are just policies. At the end of the day company culture and employee behaviours are really what new hires are looking for. Use your employee networks to live out these values and encourage your team to get involved in ally programs where they can really show their support for the LGBT+ community.
Promote visible symbols
I was once at a Shell ally program in Holland, and about 40% of the staff were wearing rainbow lanyards. From the perspective of a new LBGT+ employee, who has never been out at work, this sort of visible symbol is a sure way to make them feel comfortable and safe.
Expose employees to diverse people from around the globe
This is a great way to shift behaviours within your company. Getting LGBT+ employees, or even straight LGBT+ allies, to work on assignment in areas where being gay is not illegal but isn’t necessarily accepted, is a great way to build awareness within various branches of your company. What I love about Shell is that it truly has a global footprint, and this creates a common culture of inclusivity among every staff member, all over the world.
Stick to your standards
In many countries, being out is against the law. At Shell, we believe we have an obligation to continue to work with governments in an attempt to encourage a change of policy. We do this by ensuring we hold to the values we believe in as a company. It’s a company’s duty to create a safe space for their employees, which means employees should expect to be treated with the same standards no matter what country the company is based in.
