In 1992, Professor Robert Hooijberg caught a glimpse of what it means to be anything other than a white heterosexual male in the workplace. Since then, he has taught diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) programs across the globe. 

Hooijberg, too, has a special insight into the importance of allyship. He does not identify as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, but his son does. As a transgender man, he has encountered incredible biases and even violence in the workplace.  

Professor Hooijberg says it’s our collective responsibility to combat such hatred. He passionately believes that the workplace needs to be a safe space regardless of your sexual orientation or gender identity. He is interested in creating an environment where everybody can flourish and thinks commercial enterprises need to be invested in that goal. 

In this in-depth interview, Professor Hooijberg talks about the importance of allyship, how to support family, friends, and colleagues in the face of adversity, and the pride he feels for his son. 

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Robert Hooijberg is a Professor of Organizational Behavior at IMD. His areas of interest include leadership, negotiations, team building, digital transformation, and organizational culture, with a specific focus on the alignment of culture and strategy. He helps organizations create powerful performance-oriented cultures aligned with strategy and has developed an innovative approach to the study of cases on the topic.