OPEN Finance

About our work

OPEN Finance is a volunteer network that combines the expertise of our member firms’ employee resource groups to drive forward LGBT equality and diversity in the financial services sector and beyond. We help to advance workplace policies across the industry; assist firms in collaborating on events, community service and philanthropy; drive positive change in the communities in which our participating firms do business; and provide a networking forum for LGBT finance professionals. We are a 501(c)(6) non-profit organization.

Best Practices

At the heart of what we do, our workshops and benchmarking have helped improve policies and benefits for our participating firms. We strive to help firms anticipate questions on new policies, and offer implementation strategies.

Marketing

We help to celebrate the industry’s successes, and publish this website and our newsletter to publicize industry events and news about what OPEN Finance and our member firms have accomplished. You can also follow us on social media.

Networking

From regular happy hours to fundraising events benefiting not-for-profit organizations, and career development, OPEN Finance’s networking opportunities strengthen the LGBT financial services community.

Community Service

Through cross-firm collaboration, we’re able to create a bigger impact for LGBT related non-profit organizations. Our partnerships with select non-profits allow us to offer our member firms a greater range of opportunities.

Membership

Driving increased participation and awareness across the industry results in more widespread progress. We strive to reach the most individual members and firms as possible in the New York area.

Speaker Series

Every year, we host high profile LGBT and ally leaders to speak about their work to promote inclusive environments. Through these events, we hope to inspire, inform and elevate OPEN Finance member firms.

Our ‘network of networks’ has over 40 participating firms from across financial services, and we reach more than 5,000 individuals through our participating firms’ LGBT employee resource groups.

Our leadership team

OPEN Finance's leadership team is comprised of volunteers from across the industry.

Matthew Toole

Co-Chair, and Co-Chair of Marketing

Matt is a Director in the Deals Intelligence team at Thomson Reuters.

Jon Tilli

Co-Chair

Jon Tilli works at Deutsche Bank.

Ben Salinas

Treasurer

Ben, a manager at Deloitte, focuses on providing risk advisory services to the energy industry with a specialization in accounting and reporting solutions. He also serves on the NYC leadership committee of Deloitte’s LGBT business resource group, GLOBE.

Brett Hemmerling

Secretary

Brett is part of the Diversity & Inclusion Team at Moody’s, and is responsible for campus recruiting and the Summer Intern Program.

Matthew Toole

Co-Chair, and Co-Chair of Marketing

Matt is a Director in the Deals Intelligence team at Thomson Reuters.

Mark Lane

Co-Chair of Marketing

Mark is a Director in Corporate Communications at Barclays, where he focuses on media relations, structural reform and regulatory matters. He also leads Barclays’ LGBT ERG in the Americas, and serves on the board of The Ali Forney Center.

Carlos McGrath

Co-Chair of Networking

Chester White

Co-Chair of Networking

Chester is a Vice President & Director in the Professional Services Group at Aon Risk Solutions.

Richard Schwartz

Co-Chair of Best Practices

Richard is a Director in the Compliance Department at DTCC, responsible for anti-money laundering (AML) compliance and employee trade monitoring.

Michael Wilhelm

Co-Chair of Best Practices

Zachary White

Co-Chair of Membership

Zachary is a Finance & Risk Management Consultant at Accenture Consulting. He works in the Regulatory and Compliance practice, helping financial services clients respond to the challenges and risks of operating in a global regulatory environment.

Patrick Kennedy

Co-Chair of Membership

Patrick Kennedy is an Executive Director in Wealth Management at Morgan Stanley.

ANDREA LERDO

Co-Chair of Speaker Series

Andrea is the Latin American Head of the Office of Legal Obligations, and oversees the Regulatory Change Management Team at JPMorgan Chase & Co. She is on the leadership team for JPMorgan’s Pride Tri-State group, and established JPMorgan’s Mexico Pride chapter.

ETHAN PAN

Co-Chair of Speaker Series

Genesis Garcia

Co-Chair of Community Service

Genesis is a Vice President in the Global Strategy, Marketing & Communications group at Pershing LLC, a BNY Mellon Company.

Veronica Henry

Co-Chair of Community Service

Our history

We're celebrating a full decade of helping to keep the financial services industry at the forefront of LGBT diversity and inclusion.

2006

OPEN Finance’s origins trace back to January 2006 when a small group of gay bankers set about contacting friends and colleagues at other firms, seeking to promote more networking in the industry. The first meeting of the Interbank Roundtable, as we were then known, was on May 25 that year, with 15 firms and four non-profits attending.

By September a further three firms joined, and a networking committee was established. The first-ever Interbank Roundtable social took place in November 2006, bringing together representatives from 18 firms.

2007

Membership reached 19 firms, which ensured a strong showing of Interbank Roundtable firms at the LGBT Center’s first Out To Work Career Fair in September. Recognizing the growth of the organization, then in October a formal mission and vision statement were established.

2008-2009

Working through the financial crisis, the Interbank Roundtable continued to bring its members together. In December 2009, the Interbank Roundtable re-launched as IRC, adopting a new logo and growth plans.

2010

Extending our partnership with LGBT-focused non-profits, the IRC hosts the first ever Out On Deck fundraiser boat cruise, benefitting GLAAD.

2011

IRC helps a host of firms adopt same-sex domestic partner benefits tax equalization, using one firm's lead and expertise to benefit a large portion of the industry and have an impact on the broader corporate landscape in the US.

2012

In recognition of IRC's industry leadership, New York City's Anit-Violence Project honors IRC.

2013

The Empire State Pride Agenda recognizes IRC's work at its Equality@Work awards.

With membership reaching 31 firms and featuring several companies outside of banking, the IRC adopts the OPEN Finance branding. The new name reflects the organization's goals: Out Professional Exchange Network for Finance. By the end of the year, a further four companies had joined.

In November, OPEN Finance recognizes the 14 firms signing the Bingham amicus brief in United States v. Windsor at an awards ceremony.

2014

We incorporated and earned non-profit status, becoming a 501(c)(6) organization.

2015

In April, twenty-nine firms participating in OPEN Finance sign the business amicus curiae brief for Obergefell v. Hodges.

Get in touch

Contact us through the form below. You can also receive regular updates by signing up for our emails on the Newsletter page.