Bank of America’s Tony Agostini is passing on valuable life lessons

Tony Agostini talks to myGwork about paying forward what he was given as part of his outlook at Bank of America.

Growing up at the tip of Belgium, Tony Agostini remembers his childhood fondly. “I realised early on that I was gay – actually when I was watching He-man! My godmother is a lesbian, so there was never really any stigma.” Tony grew up in a nurturing family, which he is very aware is not the case for everyone in his position, and watched Absolutely Fabulous with his mum in the evenings. With that supportive environment, he came out on a school trip, on a coach, in front of all his friends. “I was 17, and we were coming back from Madrid. I got up and sang George Michael’s Let’s Go Outside, and that was pretty much it.” Despite describing Belgium as being very open, and the fact that it had equal marriage since 1999, he did experience a few comments.

“You know, in society at large, you do hear derogatory terms. Of course, it affected me to a certain extent. That’s what kids do, and anything that makes you stand out, kids call that out. Deciding to step away from his home comforts and influenced by the television programmes he watched with his mum, he packed up and moved to London at the age of 18. “Being in London was such a contrast to where I grew up – somewhere very small, where everyone knew everyone, and I had never left before”.

Tony arrived without knowing where he was going to sleep, without a job, but on the first evening encountered a stranger that had a profound and lasting impact on him. “My memory of that night is so vivid for me… I arrived at Waterloo station; that’s where the Eurostar came in in those days. Then one of my bag straps broke, and I burst out in tears in total dismay. The next thing I knew, a stranger approached me and said: ‘I’ll help you carry your bags, but remember you need to keep your chin up, life is tough, you need to carry on’. That never left me”.

Tony took the advice to heart and made a life for himself in the UK. “I love living here, and we have a great culture”. Now he is the proud parent of little Lola, a cat that found him and his husband and fitted right into the family. He has been with his husband, William, for ten years, and being happy and content at home is something he also wants others to experience.

Now Tony works as the EMEA Regional Head for Banking Loans & Trade Finance Operations at Bank of America, and he passes all those lessons on to others. “I’ve been with the bank for close to twenty years, and my role really is to look after everything operational from a credit and trade finance standpoint. The people are what makes the team so brilliant. From the word go, I always wanted to be a people enabler, and as a leader, that’s how I approach my every day. It is important for me to ensure that I am supporting my team in everything they want to achieve but also creating an environment where everyone can bring their whole self to work.”

As co-chair for the Bromley LGBTQ+ Pride Network, paying it forward is something he wants to influence others to do too. “I do feel that we have a duty to pay forward what we’ve been given. I have been fortunate enough to be given so much by my parents, the bank, and everyone around me. While I’ve never been in the closet and never had any problems in any job or team, I don’t want to rest on my laurels and assume that will always be the case for everyone”. Tony is determined to pass on the baton to others and takes that approach not just in the community but also by volunteering as a Pride Network co-chair. He is present and attentive in other groups, for example, women’s and disability groups, to make sure that everyone is really being listened to.

“What is really important around nurturing the environment we work in is not being complacent. We all must stand up for our own ideals, as inclusiveness means respecting each other’s points of view. It is not just about winning people over. With the LGBTQ+ conversation, at times, it can be you agree with me, or you’re against me, and I don’t always think it is that simple. I think we can have more conversations and everyone on all sides can explain their points of view. Ostracising people with different views is not going to get anyone onside or help them understand things they may not understand. I’m visible as a senior leader and definitely go where I’m not expected.”

Tony actively participates in all the different Diversity and Inclusion employee groups and urges others to look around and consider doing the same, perhaps thinking bigger. “We can stop ourselves and say, ‘Who am I supporting? Who am I the ally of?’ We can all make a difference.”

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