An openly gay boss at Barclays has become the first non-American ever to join the board of LGBT media advocacy group GLAAD.

Anthony Watson, who is a senior executive at the bank, hopes to use his expertise to further the organization’s global work.

He said: ‘GLAAD’s critical work transcends national boundaries. It is of vital importance that the global LGBT community becomes stakeholders in [this work].

‘The United States media is by far the most widely consumed and syndicated media internationally and is affecting cultural change not only in the US, but also around the world.’

President of GLAAD, Dave Montez, said: ‘Media images people see around the globe as a result of GLAAD’s work have a tremendous impact in growing support and acceptance for LGBT people, as well as passing laws that provide vital protections for our families.

‘We are very fortunate to have Anthony’s valuable contribution to our board and to begin working with him as GLAAD’s international work continues to evolve.’

Watson is managing director and chief information officer (CIO) of Europe Middle East Retail and Business Banking and Global Operations at Barclays Bank. He is the only openly gay CIO of a Fortune 100 company in the world.

He is also joining GLAAD’s finance committee.