Executive Sponsorship for TMxGs

Every GitLab‑recognised TMxG has an Executive Sponsor – an E‑Group, Functional Leader, or VP who provides strategic support, advocacy, and visibility.

This page summarises what Executive Sponsors do and how TMxG leads can work with them effectively. For the full sponsor onboarding materials and engagement process, see the internal Executive Sponsor resources and the TMxG Leaders Resource Hub.

What an Executive Sponsor is (and isn’t)

Executive Sponsors:

• Champion TMxG initiatives and surface successes/challenges to senior leadership.
• Provide strategic guidance on annual and quarterly plans.
• Help remove organisational barriers that limit impact.
• Provide visibility opportunities (for example, speaking at events, amplifying work in leadership forums).
• Commit to a minimum engagement cadence (typically 1–2 hours per quarter).

Executive Sponsors are not:

• The DIB team – they don’t own day‑to‑day event logistics or budget approvals.
• Expected to design programming or run the group – that remains with TMxG leaders, supported by DIB.

Sponsor commitments (summary)

Executive Sponsor expectations include:

• Time commitment: ~1–2 hours per quarter.
• Engagement plan: Co‑create and maintain an Executive Sponsor Engagement Plan with your TMxG and DIB.
• Quarterly touchpoints: Participate in regular syncs (live or async) with TMxG leaders.
• Event engagement: Attend and, where appropriate, speak at key TMxG events.
• Advocacy: Use their influence to support TMxG goals, escalate issues, and secure visibility.

The detailed role definition and two‑pager for sponsors is maintained internally and linked from the TMxG Leaders Resource Hub.

How TMxG leads should work with Executive Sponsors

1. Start with an engagement meeting

When a new sponsor is assigned (or annually):

• Schedule a 60‑minute initial engagement session with DIB facilitation where possible.
• Cover:
  • TMxG mission, current state, and goals.
  • Annual and quarterly plans.
  • How the sponsor prefers to engage (channels, frequency).
  • Concrete commitments (events, communications, advocacy).

Use the Executive Sponsor Meeting Agenda template for this session (see Templates & Tools).

2. Be specific in your asks

In ongoing meetings:

• Bring a short update (recent wins, upcoming events).
• Make clear, concrete asks, such as:
  • “Can you provide 3 minutes of opening remarks at our Q2 event?”
  • “Can you help us get buy‑in from [team/leader] for this initiative?”
  • “Can you share this update in your leadership call or #company-fyi?”

3. Use data and stories

Support requests with:

• Activity and attendance data from the shared activity tracker.
• Engagement survey themes (if available).
• Short impact stories or testimonials from members/allies.

This helps sponsors understand why your request matters and how they can help.

4. Respect time, keep meetings focused

• Send an agenda in advance and keep to time.
• Focus on decisions, barriers, and specific support needed.
• Follow up with a short written summary and next steps.

Pods and Executive Sponsorship

Some TMxGs have pods (sub‑communities) organised by function/role or region.

For Executive Sponsors and TMxG leads:

• Pods are part of the same overall community you sponsor; they are not separate organisations.
• By default, pods use the same Executive Sponsor as their parent TMxG.
• Pod organisers and TMxG leads should coordinate together on when, where, and how the sponsor engages (for example, which events they join, which updates they receive).
• In rare cases, a pod may propose a dedicated Executive Sponsor (for example, closely tied to a specific function). When that happens:
  • The arrangement is agreed with the parent TMxG leads, existing sponsor, and DIB, and
  • The parent sponsor remains connected to the overall community.

If you are unsure how to engage your sponsor with pods in your TMxG, discuss options with your DIB partner first.

When to involve your Executive Sponsor

Definitely involve sponsors when:

• Reviewing annual or quarterly TMxG plans.
• Large or strategically important events (for example, observance month events, external‑facing activities).
• Facing systemic barriers (for example, access, resourcing, or policy challenges).
• You need additional budget or cross‑division support beyond standard TMxG allocations.

DIB team typically handles:

• Event logistics and vendor processes (with you).
• Budget approvals within TMxG allocations.
• Templates, trackers, and detailed how‑tos.

If you’re unsure whether something should go to your sponsor, check with your DIB partner first.

If sponsorship isn’t working

Sometimes sponsorship relationships need adjustment. If:

• The sponsor is consistently unavailable, or
• Commitments are not being met despite clear communication,

then:

1. Discuss concerns with your DIB partner first.
2. Agree on a plan for a direct, respectful conversation with the sponsor.
3. If issues persist, DIB can help reassess sponsorship and explore changes.

TMxG leaders should not have to “fix” sponsorship issues alone.

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