• On this week's episode of our podcast "Brought to you by…" we look at how, starting in 1969, Black activists in Cleveland challenged McDonald's over its role in their community.
• The question of what US corporations can do to help end economic and racial injustice has again come into focus after weeks of protests and marches after the killing of George Floyd.
• Insider Audio host Charlie Herman sat down with Linette Lopez, a columnist who writes about US politics and economics, and Marguerite Ward, a senior reporter who covers diversity and inclusion, to discuss how this moment differs from past reckonings with racial injustice, and what concrete steps corporations, employees, and consumers can take to help bring about meaningful and lasting change.
• To hear more episodes of "Brought to you by..." subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app.

The following is a transcript of the conversation, lightly edited for clarity.

Charlie Herman: How do you compare the response from companies this time compared to other times, say, after the death of Michael Brown, in Ferguson, or even going all the way back to the protests that came after the Rodney King verdict?

Linette Lopez: I mean, the fact that there is a response is notable. The fact that companies feel like they need to make a statement, that they need to show that their values are with the protesters, shows you who is winning this argument on a grander social scale. The fact that the NFL apologized-ish to Colin Kaepernick, even though it kind of looked like Roger Goodell was reading from a note card, and maybe one of his kids had been kidnapped or he was under duress in some strange spy movie or something. But at least he said what he said.

Herman: But is it actually making a change? Are some of these empty promises, if at the same time the NFL is saying, "Hey, we stand with Black Lives Matter," but we've also been penalizing Colin Kaepernick for years?

Lopez: Absolutely. Well, now you can call them hypocrites. The argument has changed. You're asking an institution to live up to its own values now, and that is a different conversation than trying to change the values of an institution. And there's more accountability there.

Herman: But what do you think has changed? Like, if you look at the evolution and the progression to get to this point, in the example of the NFL, what's different?

Lopez: White people. White people recognize that there is a problem and that racism impacts their communities as well, that it makes this country less democratic, and that it is a violation of people's human rights. That's the real difference here, is that white people have woken up.

Herman: Marguerite, for some time now companies have been saying that they're committed to doing more for diversity and inclusion about hiring, promotions, other programs. How would you say they're actually doing?

Marguerite Ward: They're not doing enough. I've talked to a number of race and racism experts, and they said that for years companies have tiptoed around anti-Black racism. They have said, "Oh, we're hiring more diverse candidates," but what does a "diverse candidate" even mean?

One thing that's really coming to light right now is they're not only talking about diversity and inclusion but they're talking about specifically racism against Black people and what's holding them back in the workforce. There's more research being done by corporate leaders. And there's more investments in programs to bring Black people to the table.

Herman: But for years now, we've seen programs and billions of dollars spent on diversity-and-inclusion programs. And if we're not seeing results, what's going to change this time? How will it be different?

Ward: What's different now is you have a level of outrage, specifically fueled by technology. You know, we can see racism now. More people who were living in bubbles of privilege are opening their eyes and saying, "My god — it's 2020, and this stuff is still happening on a consistent level." People are demanding — employees are demanding — change. And so it's not enough to talk about these programs or institute them; they want to see KPIs, they want to see, you know, where is this money going and how effective is it in increasing diversity initiatives?

Herman: Marguerite, you mentioned the word KPI — key performance indicators — and usually it's about things like total sales or subscriptions or, you know, some sort of measurable thing. What is it that companies could do when it comes to issues of diversity to make sure that there is advancements for brown and Black employees?

Ward: So the people I've talked to on this are saying it's time to tie diversity and inclusion to managers' bonuses, to who gets promoted. And how do you do that? You start by looking at your teams to begin with: Are mid-level managers and senior level managers, are they only overseeing majority white colleagues, majority cisgender colleagues? If so, that needs to change.

So what are you doing differently in your hiring practices? Are you at least, at the very least, abiding by the "Rooney Rule," which, you know, says that you should interview candidates from all backgrounds, specifically Black candidates and candidates who have been excluded from the table. Who is getting promoted — and why? And in turn, doing surveys with employees, how included do employees from different racial backgrounds feel? And if they're not feeling included, that could very well tie to your compensation.

Herman: Linette, when you hear what Marguerite is talking about, some of the possible changes happening at companies, the fact that they're coming out with statements, I mean, that's not nothing considering that they normally don't get involved in social issues.

Lopez: I think this is a very different kind of examination of what we need to do about racism. Before, and certainly throughout my entire lifetime — I'm 34 — the idea is that we should all try not to be racist, right? And calling someone a racist is very insulting, and people get up in arms about it, and that was kind of the way we dealt with racism as a society, as an individual issue. Now we look at racism as an institutional problem, right? We admit that institutional racism is real, and to change institutions you have to take concrete actions, right?

And you make rules and you install different people at the top. It's a very action-oriented anti-racist movement. Not one that kind of says, "OK, you need to examine yourself, and maybe make some Black friends." This is an anti-racist movement that requires people to do something about the institutions.

I personally have no patience for convincing someone's uncle at Thanksgiving that they don't need to be a racist. I don't have time for that in my life, but I do have time for making sure that schools are integrated. I do have time for making sure that judges are promoted who see equal rights as an important thing. I am interested and making sure that companies are transparent about diversity.

Herman: Yeah, but does that work? For some time now Silicon Valley companies have been coming out with their diversity numbers and they have not changed much at all, they're still pretty dismal — not to pick one particular industry, but there's a lot that are like that, that have for years now said, you know, "Here are our numbers and we want to do more." But they aren't. So how do you make sure that in this moment, it just doesn't pass, and that it actually is sustained.

Lopez: But we weren't demanding more than that either. I think it's up to the employees to demand more. It's up to customers to demand more, to vote with their feet, to vote with their wallet. But that first step is transparency. And then the next step is, what do we demand once we know what's going on?

Herman: So Marguerite, a CEO of a company comes up to you and says, "Well, how do I make sure that I keep this commitment going?" What do you tell him or her?

Ward: So I actually just asked that question from a number of Black and brown HR consultants and leadership consultants. I said, "What are some actionable steps?" And the first was exactly what Linette said: Start being transparent. If you have a problem, recognize it. You can't push it under the rug anymore. And that means doing a survey of how many Black and brown employees you have. So the first step is transparency.

And the second step is really addressing your recruitment. If you're only hiring from Ivy leagues, you're probably hiring a certain type of person. What about HBCUs, historically Black colleges and universities? Are you recruiting just from your social networks? If so, that's problematic because a lot of us run in homogenous circles. So get transparent, check your recruitment, and then check what you're doing to make sure that Black and brown employees are not only in your office but are succeeding.

Do they feel included? Are they being microaggressed? Which is subtle forms of racism or indirect forms of racism. If so, you need more than just a one-off unconscious-bias training. You need to integrate that into all employee handbooks, into all training, and you need to make sure you pay particular attention to Black and brown employees' careers, make sure they're excelling.

Herman: So that's from the leadership point of view. Now, if you're an employee, what can you do to try and make sure that this movement doesn't lose steam?

Ward: So you can absolutely put pressure on your leaders and HR teams. I'm sure that most people listening know that they have company-wide meetings where their leaders speak and you can ask questions. Stand up and ask questions and demand answers.

As an employee, if you're in an employee resource group — such as Black and brown employees, or women employees, or differently abled employees — propose a letter and send it to management, making sure that leadership is really advocating for change. Employees will listen if the CEO is saying, "Listen, we have a problem and we need to address it." If it's only coming from HR or a diversity-and-inclusion leader, people might not be as willing to listen.

Herman: Linette, what is it that consumers can do to make sure that the companies are actually making changes?

Lopez: You've got to stay informed and make sure that if you have a commitment to anti-racism, that the products you buy and the companies behind them also stand for that too. I think one way to keep this momentum going, and like I said, at an institutional level, is to enshrine anti-racist practices.

To make sure that you have rules for hiring and firing that consider racism. That make sure that you have an environment where people feel comfortable talking about racism or reporting racist things when they see them. That is how you continue anti-racism is you institutionalize it so that it becomes a normal practice.

Herman: How much do you think, when you see companies coming out and making these statements in support of Black Lives Matter, that the companies are really going to follow through? How much can we trust this moment?

Lopez: I don't — I don't trust companies at all.

Herman: So what does it take? What would it take for you to begin trusting them that they're actually going to make these changes?

Lopez: I've got to see it. I've got to see it. And until we see it I don't think anybody should rest easy.

Ward: I think that's where the work of journalists particularly comes into play, where if we don't lose this moment, if we continue to embrace anti-racism, that's when we're going to continue to talk to sources who say, "Listen, there's a big problem at company X" or "Listen, you know, at company Y they're not doing what they were saying."

So that's where we can continue to apply pressure. Linette said it really well when she talked about your money should align with your values. And if you're someone who truly is committed to being anti-racist, then you buy products from companies that you know are truly anti-racist. And that's all about staying informed.

Herman: Marguerite and Linette, thank you so much.

Insider Audio's reporter roundtables are available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. You can subscribe to our narrative podcast, "Brought to you by...," on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you listen.

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Retail's favorite holiday, Black Friday, is just around the corner, but before they can welcome eager holiday shoppers, stores will have to survive Election Day.

An already contentious campaign season is projected to result in an unprecedented election, and retailers across the country are gearing up for the possibility of another round of civil unrest in the aftermath. 

Protests in the wake of George Floyd's killing in May saw over $1 billion in damages over a 13-day period from May 26 to June 8, Axios reported, the costliest in insurance history. 

Activist groups across the country are already planning potential protests and demonstrations for after Election Day, anticipating foul play at the polls or in the ballot counting room. In Philadelphia, progressive groups are banding together to ensure a fair election process, and will stage protests if there appears to be any foul play, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

The stakes are high, as the winner of the election will set the course for the US' recovery from the coronavirus pandemic and guide the country's reopening, as 12.6 million Americans remain unemployed.

An influx of mail-in ballots this election cycle will likely delay the announcement of a winner on election night. That departure from Election Day norms is also setting up the country for uncertainty in the days following as the prospect of a contest election lingers and both parties prepare for a 2000-esque showdown to declare a winner.

How retailers are preparing

Already reeling from the effects of the pandemic combined with a summer of nationwide protests curtailing business, retailers are once again preparing for the worst as the country heads to the polls.

As Bloomberg reported, the famed Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, Calif., is going dark, and the entire street won't be accessible to pedestrian or vehicle traffic. Shopping districts in other major cities are staying open but implementing plans in case protesters resort to violence, looting, or vandalism. 

Chicago's Magnificent Mile along Michigan Avenue will be armed with "everything from snow plows to salt trucks" to control crowds, Rich Gamble, chairman of the Magnificent Mile Association, told Bloomberg. 

Some stores are building fortifications as they prepare for the election and spending in the tens of thousands to do so. One industry's misfortune is another's time to shine as ServiceChannel, a broker of sorts for commercial construction work, has seen $20 million in invoices come across its platform for civil unrest claims, CEO Tom Buiocchi told Forbes.  

Boarding up a storefront to withstand vandalism can cost up to $31,000, depending on the structure, Forbes reported. Unbreakable window glass, as Bloomberg reported, is also in high demand with manufacturer Riot Glass turning away new clients to accommodate existing ones, according to CEO Brad Campbell.

That's why some businesses are picking and choosing which locations they'll protect, with flagship stores taking the highest priority for most. 

Louis Vuitton is taking its defenses beyond traditional plywood boards, opting instead for stronger metal plates. Painted in the high-end retailer's signature shade of orange, street-facing storefronts in high-risk locales are now covered in the metallic shielding. 

The extent and duration of any potential unrest are still unknown as the country hasn't settled on a set end date for ballot counting and both sides will be angling for their candidate. In Portland, Ore., shops downtown are still boarded up as protests have continued for months. 

Walmart won't be pulling guns from its shelves, after all

Walmart reversed a decision to remove firearms from its sales floors amid civil unrest less than one day after the policy was implemented, as Business Insider's Mary Meisenzahl reported. The original announcement Thursday to remove the weapons from stores followed the looting of a Philadelphia Walmart after protests in the city turned violent. The protests began after the death of Walter Wallace Jr., a 27-year-old Black man who police shot multiple times after responding to a call about a man with a knife. 

Following the initial announcement, a Walmart spokesperson in a statement to Business Insider cited previous instances of civil unrest in justifying the policy change. Walmart had previously pulled guns from its shelves over the summer as protests gripped the nation following the police killing of George Floyd.

Walmart sells firearms in around 2,350 stores nationwide, and those seeking to purchase one could still do so under the new policy. Stores would shift to an on-request system, Meisenzahl reported, instead of displaying the merchandise on the sales floor.

In its statement quickly reversing the policy, Walmart cited the "geographically isolated" nature of the unrest. 

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After the violent pro-Trump riot on Capitol Hill last week, some businesses began cutting ties with President Donald Trump, while some corporations decided to suspend political donations to one or both political parties. 

Walgreens and Pfizer are two of the most recent companies to suspend PAC contributions to the 147 Republican lawmakers who opposed the certification of Democrat Joe Biden as the next president.

Walgreens confirmed to Insider on Saturday that it has suspended contributions to the GOP members of congress who voted to overturn the election results.

"Walgreens holds in high regard the role of government and the peaceful transition of power that is core to our democracy. As such, our political action committee suspended contributions to members of Congress who voted to object the certification of U.S. electoral college votes," Walgreens wrote in a statement.  "As Walgreens continues to deliver the essential testing and vaccinations that will help America end the COVID-19 pandemic, we value the importance of unity as a means for addressing the many challenges we face together as one great nation."

Read more: We analyzed Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey's thread on barring Trump for life. Here's why it missed the mark.

Pfizer will also reportedly suspend political contributions to the 147 lawmakers who moved to object to Biden's Electoral College victory. The 139 representatives and eight senators continued with a plan to try and overturn the election results even after the deadly siege on the US Capitol by Trump supporters who had been fueled by baseless allegations of voter fraud. 

Judd Legum, who writes the political newsletter Popular Information, posted an internal memo from Pfizer on Twitter that says the COVID-19 vaccine-maker was halting donations to the GOP lawmakers for six months. It will review how it will proceed after that time. 

Pfizer isn't the only healthcare corporation to pause contributions to the Republican lawmakers. News-site Stat wrote PhRMA, Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, and American Hospital Association will suspend contributions to those who opposed the certification. Stat notes that initially American Hospital Association  announced it would stop all political contributions.

Quartz also lists Pfizer as one of the 33 companies part of S&P 500 "that have stopped PAC contributions to politicians who voted against election certification." The same Quartz story notes that there are 77 companies part of S&P 500 that have stopped all contributions to politicians.

Pfizer did not immediately respond to Insider for comment.

Walgreens and Pfizer join a growing list of corporations who have shared they will stop political contributions to the GOP lawmakers involved in the objection. Other corporations include Amazon, Marriott and Walmart. Some companies, like Microsoft and Facebook, have paused all political donations to both Republicans and Democrats.

The American Bankers Association, the second-biggest PAC donor to the 147 senators and representatives, is one organization that told Insider it is pausing political donations. Insider's Grace Dean wrote it "hasn't announced plans to halt any funding."

AT&T and Comcast who are also big donors to these lawmakers have already said they would halt contributions to those who voted to overturn the results.

SEE ALSO: Walmart, Amazon, and other US corporate giants cut off donations to Republican lawmakers who opposed Biden's certification as president

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More than half of executives, or 51%, say they will require employees to receive the vaccine before returning to work, according to a poll of 150 C-Suite executives released Tuesday.

A COVID-19 immunization record could become a business essential. Employers can legally require workers to get a COVID-19 vaccine and even ban them from the office if they don't, according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

In West Monroe's Quarterly Executive Poll, a company's desire for employees to get the vaccine directly correlates to their location. 

Read more: What's coming next for COVID-19 vaccines? Here's the latest on 11 leading programs.

East and West Coast companies, 59% and 55% respectively, said they would require workers to receive vaccine doses. While in the Midwest and south, CEOs are more likely to not require a vaccine, with 53% and 57% respectively saying they would not force employees to get a COVID-19 vaccination.

The majority of the executives do not expect their companies to stabilize or return to pre-pandemic revenue levels until near the end of 2021, the poll found. That's the same timeframe that the vaccine is expected to be widely distributed.

While the Center for Disease Control and Prevention says the vaccine could be available to the general public as soon as the spring of 2021, the vaccine roll-out has failed to hit several key targets set by the Trump Administration. Recent vaccine timelines do not anticipate the US will achieve herd immunity until the end of the year.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's leading infectious disease expert, says he expects the COVID-19 vaccine will become mandatory in many institutions.

"I would not be surprised, as we get into the full scope of [COVID-19] vaccination, that some companies, some hospitals, some organizations might require [COVID-19] vaccination," he said in an interview with Newsweek the first week of January.

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In a December poll of 150 current and recent CEOs of major companies, 72% of respondents,  — including Walmart, Goldman Sachs, and UPS —  said they were open to COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

Despite the potential mandates, corporate workers are a low priority in vaccine distribution plans.  Healthcare workers and frontline workers, as well as at risk members of the community take precedence over employees that can more easily work from home. The vaccine will likely not be available for non-essential workers for many months to come.

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On January 26, 2020, Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, died in a helicopter crash. The next day, a Black assistant for Comedy Central's in-house creative team was still reeling from the news.

"I could barely get on the subway," she said. "I was crying and honestly really shouldn't have gone in to work that day."

She managed to make it to the network's headquarters in New York City. When she arrived, she was immediately called into a daily meeting.

Chris McCarthy, the president of ViacomCBS's MTV Entertainment Studios, had emailed the team that morning, instructing them to publish content memorializing the Los Angeles Lakers legend.

"Why the f--- would we do that? Isn't that BET's job?" the former assistant said she recalled the VP who was leading the meeting saying, referring to the Black Entertainment Television channel.

The VP denied saying this. 

The assistant discussed the VP's comment with two colleagues, both of whom confirmed the conversations to Insider. The assistant said she didn't formally report the incident because she was worried it would jeopardize her career and put her at odds with executives at the company.

"I didn't think anyone would care to listen," the assistant said.

For the past three decades, Comedy Central has been lauded for pushing comedic boundaries with shows including "South Park,""The Daily Show with Trevor Noah,""Broad City" and "Inside Amy Schumer." 

Despite the network's progressive content, current and former employees for Comedy Central's creative team told Insider that the company culture was not without discriminatory behavior. The insiders said that top creative executives at the New York headquarters sometimes tokenized employees of color and fostered a culture rampant with microaggressions. Of the 17 past and current employees Insider spoke to, 15 said they either witnessed or experienced inappropriate behavior they believe was influenced by colleagues' race. 

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Aimee Greczmiel was a stellar competitor in the 13 years she spent running the rat race in the world of finance. In a male dominated industry, Greczmiel did what other women have done before her: She put on her best heels, held her shoulders back, and walked into each meeting with confidence, quickly slaying board rooms and becoming vice president at TIAA Bank. 

While working in banking in Washington DC and then in Charlotte, North Carolina, she often found herself to be the only woman in the room, but says she was never bothered by it. In fact, she let it fuel her desire for success. 

"In the culture we live in, there is so much pressure put on achievement, and I was addicted to it," said Greczmiel. "It served me well in my career, because I was able to achieve a lot." 

Living the 'DINK' lifestyle

When she got married in 2010, Greczmiel says she and her husband were living a life of freedom

"We were married for six years before we had kids, living the DINK life, you know — double income no kids," she said, "We were traveling and just enjoying our life. I never really had the burning desire to have kids. I just knew it wasn't the time."

When she entered her 30s, however, Greczmiel said there was a quiet, subtle want to have a child that crept up and surprised her. "I knew I was ready for the next step and next challenge in my life," she said. 

She says having her first child in 2016 at age 35 changed her in ways she never expected.

"I wondered how I would navigate this," said Greczmiel. "Becoming a mother was the biggest life change that I had experienced, and that's when I first started working with coaches." 

Greczmiel says it was challenging to transition from  corporate America, where her work is measurable and expectations are clear, to being a mom, where success wasn't so easily defined. 

"The working world and the parenting world operate at two very different speeds," she said. "In your career you're working towards efficiency and accuracy, and kids are the exact opposite of that. They're incredibly inefficient and inaccurate, so to go from spending 8 hours a day in this mindset of being organized and analytical and then coming home and flipping it like a pancake, was hard for me. In parenthood, you don't get [affirmation] from kids like you would in a performance review from your boss." 

Greczmiel said she never felt the need to work with a life coach until she had her first child. "I did the work on my mindset, on being intentional on how I show up in my work life versus my mom life. That was critical. 

After having her child, Greczmiel began working with a life coach to develop a more intentional mindset around how she shows up in her work life versus her life as a mom. Since she had her first child in 2016 she's worked with five coaches; not because she was unhappy with each coach, but because they each offered a unique approach to the challenges she was facing at that time.

Instead of being driven by work, Greczmiel says she "became addicted to something else- (my own) internal work, especially when I began to see results."

"I was becoming a better person, and better mom, and showing up with more patience, presence and ease," Greczmiel said. "Each coach taught me something new and helped me realize that I wanted to be a coach myself."

Read more: I left my $500,000 a year job in tech after starting my own thriving coaching business. Here's the email template that helped me land my first 10 paying clients.

Leaving the corporate world

Greczmiel says it wasn't until the COVID-19 pandemic that she realized it was time to follow her passion and become a coach herself. 

"I knew the time was right to pivot to focus on something that I was passionate about," said Greczmiel. "I always had an interest in coaching, particularly after I became a mother myself."

When the pandemic hit and she saw a great need coming from women to manage their mental health and mindset, Greczmiel says she it was time to exit corporate America and help them.

Greczmiel says her experience as a working mom in the corporate world has helped her teach other  working moms how to balance their lives successfully. 

"You have to be able change speeds [between working and parenting] and go in and out of them moment to moment all day long. You have to be intentional about what your goal or plan is and have real expectations for that day." 

Having a safety net

Greczmiel says that because both she and her husband were in the financial industry, they felt fiscally prepared for her to leave her corporate job and pursue coaching. They'd spent years saving and were both prepared for her to start her own business. 

"This has been a vision of mine for several years, so I had time to save," she said. "I knew I wanted to leave corporate and do coaching, so we started a savings that would allow me to do that. We've always been good at budgeting and for the most, always lived below our means,  so the financial peace wasn't a big driver for me. I had confidence in myself that I could do it, and knew I had a purpose and a passion to follow through."

For other women who are considering following their passion to start a business, Greczmiel says to set an intentional exit date and start saving money in preparation.

"The stability is not going to be the same as corporate, but that's OK, because you're gaining so many intangibles: a flexible schedule, time with your family, and the ability to make your own rules," she said.

Read more: 4 things I focused on to go from freelancer and digital nomad to earning $100,000 in 4 months running my own online coaching business

Using social media to find coaching clients

When she started her coaching business, Greczmiel hired a business coach immediately. After hiring a coach, she hired a developer to build her website and created a business model, with a focus on reaching women through social media. 

After launching in November 2020, Grezcmiel gained three full-time clients, all of whom she found through her company's private Facebook group, Corporate Mom Mindset. 

"Before I started my coaching business, I was barely on social media," said Greczmiel. "Now I have an active group of women, which has led directly to calls where we discuss struggles and determine if working one-on-one is the right thing to do."

Fighting working mom guilt

With her clients, Greczmiel addresses the one thing every mom, working or not, has experienced: guilt. She says she hears women saying repeatedly that they struggle with the time component of their lives, and trying to balance quality time with both their families and in their careers. 

"Ask yourself: 'Why would I feel guilty about providing for my family? I'm proving a positive and hopeful future for my kids by working right now, either monetarily or by being a positive influence.' The guilt can be shifted."

Grezcmie

l wants fellow working moms to know that they don't have to bootstrap their way through life. 

"We shouldn't have to endure motherhood or struggle through motherhood until our kids are out of the house," she said. "It can be an incredible fulfilling experience if we learn to navigate it the right way."

SEE ALSO: I improved my work-life balance by getting rid of negative thinking — here are 7 daily habits that helped me do it

READ MORE: 3 things to stop doing at work to improve your self-confidence, according to a life coach

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Corporate boards are changing. For instance, more boards are recognizing they have enough directors with financial experience and are now looking for senior executives with experience in 21st-century challenges such as cybersecurity, human resources, digital marketing, enterprise risk, and sustainability.

Boards are also being pushed to add members who offer gender, racial, and ethnic diversity. In December, Nasdaq filed a proposal with the US Securities and Exchange Commission that would require all companies listed on Nasdaq's US exchange to publicly disclose consistent, transparent diversity statistics regarding their board of directors. In addition, the rules would require most Nasdaq-listed companies to have, or explain why they don't have, at least two diverse directors, including one who self-identifies as female and one who self-identifies as either an underrepresented minority or LGBTQ+. 

Further pushing boards to change is a 2018 California law requiring that more women be placed on boards. Since then, women have filled 669 board seats on publicly-held corporations in California, according to a March 2020 "Women on Boards" report by the California Secretary of State. At least 665 women will need to be added to California public company boards by the end of 2021 to fulfill the gender requirement of the law, the report finds.

Other states, including Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, and New York, have passed laws mandating that publicly-held corporations disclose the number of women on their boards. The Illinois law also requires boards to disclose the number of minorities on the board as well as their plans to promote diversity. Hawaii, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, and Washington state are considering similar legislation.

"This evolution began in 2017," said Shannon Gordon, CEO of theBoardlist, a group that connects highly qualified women and underrepresented minorities with opportunities to serve on private and public company boards. "The #MeToo movement kicked off a lot of changes with boards," Gordon added. Soon after, corporate investors such as BlackRock, Vanguard, and Morgan Stanley started putting pressure on the boards of the companies they invest in to add female directors.

As a result, there's more opportunity than ever to join a corporate board. "Corporations are recognizing the need to have more specialized talent on boards," Gordon said. For instance, boards are realizing they need executives who can deal with data breaches or who understand what drives younger customers. "White men, age 60+, might not be the best suited to tackle those challenges, and that moves the search out of CEO/CFO range to other executives," she said.

Here are 10 things to know if you want a corporate board seat.

Don't assume an opportunity will come to you

Unless you're already serving on a board or the CEO or CFO of a company, it's unlikely that someone will ask you out of the blue, Gordon said. 

If your goal is to serve as a board director, you'll need to tap into your network and get your resume in front of other board directors and CEOs, added Betsy Berkhemer-Credaire, CEO of 2020 Women on Boards, a national campaign to increase the percentage of women on US company boards to 20% or greater. (Because women now hold 22.6% of the board seats of companies in the Russell 3000 Index, 2020 Women on Boards recently changed its name to 50/50 Women on Boards to reflect the need for gender balance on boards.) 

Determine your unique value proposition

Identify the expertise you would bring to a board. 

"Be clear and specific about what this is," Gordon said. "Boards want people who have been there and done that." 

For instance, if the board is serving a company that's trying to scale from $10 million to $100 million, then it will want board members who've operated at that level of scale, she said. If the company is planning an IPO, they will want board members who have taken a company public. 

Stella Connect, a SaaS platform that measures and integrates real-time customer feedback and quality assurance to improve performance of frontline teams, reached out to Yael Zheng, chief marketing officer at Bill.com, to join it's board because it was looking to beef up its marketing experience. "The company was still defining its product and market fit and that was something I'd been through many times," she said.

Prepare a board profile that outlines your achievements and ability to strategize

When Zheng spoke with a colleague about how to find a board seat, he asked for her "board profile." Zheng soon discovered a board profile isn't the same as a resume. Rather than list all your accomplishments, a board profile syntheses your resume and highlights your ability to strategize, she said. 

"Describe your approach to a problem or how you worked with the leadership team to suggest how the skill you have would serve you well in a board capacity, which is less about executing and more about overseeing and guiding," said Zheng, who, with the help of theBoardlist, found a seat on the board of Stella Connect until it was acquired by Medallia last year. Zheng recently also joined the board of Poly, a global communications company that brings together Polycom and Plantronics and reported fourth quarter 2020 revenues of $403 million.

When writing your board profile, focus on your ability to lead business growth rather than your specific skills, Berkhemer-Credaire said. "Skills are what managers do," she said. "Boards are looking for strategy and vision, and avenues to expand their business." 

"People tend to paint themselves as jack of all trades in order to make themselves attractive as board candidates to a broad range of companies," Gordon added. "Unfortunately, they often come off as being a master of none." Instead, be specific about industries you have experience in, areas where you have deep functional expertise and strong networks, she said. Highlight experiences in areas such as mergers and acquisition.

"Articulating this experience might mean that you close some opportunities but are much more likely to be the perfect fit for others," Gordon said.

Identify colleagues who can help 

Make a list of people in your network who are either serving on a corporate board or know someone serving on a corporate board. Bankers, CPAs, and attorneys as well as anyone serving on a board are likely to be asked to recommend new members, Berkhemer-Credaire said. 

"Board openings aren't published," she said. "You have to get yourself on the list of people who those board members trust so that you're recommended."

Once you've identified colleagues who might be able to help, ask if you can hop on a quick call to get their advice. "Don't ask them to be a sponsor or mentor or if you can serve on their board," Berkhemer-Credaire said.

You could ask your contact to give their thoughts or suggestions on your board profile. Or you can ask them to help you develop sound bites about your "value-added" experience, or what standing committee on a board they think you would be most suited for, or to keep you in mind when they hear of boards looking to add members or women specifically.

Develop a board brand

Audit your social media and make sure it aligns to your board profile. 

"When someone hears your name, they will Google you," Gordon said. "In searching for a board candidate, a thorough sweep of social media will be conducted, typically to look for evidence that the candidate is a thought leader in their industry," Gordon said.

Boards will typically check to see if the candidate has published any thought-leadership pieces on LinkedIn or Medium, the number of followers they have on social media, or any mentions in the press or speaking engagements at conferences.

Carefully evaluate offers

Before saying yes to a board appointment, it's important to do due diligence on the company and gain a greater understanding of the company's product, services, market, and competitors, Gordon said.

Find out if there's any pending litigation or crises that could potentially impact the company. While you're not risking any money as a board member, you are risking your name and reputation, Berkhemer-Credaire added.

If you're seriously being considered and interviewed, you might want to ask how litigious the company is, and whether there are more lawsuits currently than in previous years. You can also ask to speak to the company's general counsel.

If you're just learning about a company and not in current discussions with them, you can do an online search for lawsuits against the company or look at the Risks Section of its annual report. 

Gordon suggested also considering whether the value the board is expecting you to provide matches the value you think you can provide. Find out why the board is interested in having you join. They might say it's because you're a woman or a person of color, but Berkhemer-Credaire cautioned that shouldn't be the only reason they asked you to join. "You want to know that they want a specific business experience that is yours," she said. 

Lastly, make sure the company produces something you're interested in or provides services you can get passionate about. Berkhemer-Credaire's friend once joined the board of a cement company and soon realized she wasn't interested in cement but had to fulfill a three-year term.

"It can feel flattering to be asked," said Liza Landsman, a general partner at the venture capital firm NEA. "But I do think it is imperative to be thoughtful, especially about your first board seat."

Landsman, who serves on several boards, including Choice Hotels and Squarespace, once turned down a board seat because it would have required her to spend 12 business days a year in Atlanta. "I didn't have any other reason to be in Atlanta," she said. "I don't have 12 business days a year to be in a city where I can't transact other business." 

Understand that serving on a board is time consuming

Serving on a board is more than a prestigious assignment; it's also a serious responsibility. 

"It's much more than showing up for X number of meetings," Zheng said. There's additional work to be done outside the board meetings — serving on committees and providing your perspective and guidance to the CEO and leadership team, for example. 

PayScale Chief Marketing Officer Adrianna Burrows puts in late nights before each Stack Overflow board meeting she's a part of to understand the financials and anything else that will be discussed during the meeting. "It would be one thing if they asked me to offer up expertise on marketing, but a board member has to vote on all subjects, so I need to be up to speed on everything," she said.

Anticipate that your board search will take time

It took Zheng about a year to find her first board seat at Stella Connect. "There was no specific moment or day I started working on" finding a seat, she said. "It was fairly ad hoc to begin with and then gradually it kicked into high gear."

Expect to learn best practices that can be applied to your full-time job

One of the unexpected benefits of serving on a board is it gives you new insight into your full-time job. 

"It has given me a more balanced view, and I apply that to my day-to-day decisions and the fiscal year ahead," Zheng said. Previously, she would only consider how her team or CEO would look at a decision, but now Zheng said she considers how the board at Bill.com would react, too. "This has helped me to be more deliberate," she said.

Work with partners

Consider working with organizations such as theBoardlist, which in August announced it was expanding its platform to include underrepresented minorities regardless of gender, or 50/50 Women on Boards, which holds workshops to help women define their value proposition, write their board profile, and build their network.

SEE ALSO: You've raised funding for your startup — now what? 8 founders reveal the must-take financial steps.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Sarah McBride made history becoming the first openly trans person elected to a state Senate seat. In 2018, she explained why the Trump administration wouldn't discourage her work.

Donald Trump got dumped, Republicans lost Congress, and corporate America — typically conservatives' suitor — finds itself engaged in a budding courtship with Democrats.

Can this Big Business-Biden romance last?

It's … complicated.

Increases in the federal minimum wage, higher corporate taxes, and stricter environmental regulations are among issues that could dampen any affection between them.

But leaders and lobbyists for 10 of the nation's top trade and business groups — including the US Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers, and the American Petroleum Institute — said that they had had encouraging early conversations with President Joe Biden and administration officials.

All signaled enthusiasm for at least some of the items on Biden's business agenda and described common interest in COVID-19 relief, infrastructure investment, and immigration reform. 

Some also welcomed the end of the unpredictability often associated with the Trump administration, and the removal of a man who frequently trashedcorporations by name and whose economic ideas sometimes scratched no deeper than the slogan "America First."

"Our companies have been very concerned about former President Trump's rise in protectionism and chaotic governing," said Nancy McLernon, the president and CEO of the Global Business Alliance, which represents the domestic interests of 200 multinational companies, including BP, Honda, and Sony.

"A lot of our executives were just confounded when we'd meet with some folks in the Trump administration and they were basing their trade policies on the dynamics of the 1980s rather than the 2000s and today."

On trade, "it's really about returning to a sense of normalcy," Aric Newhouse, a senior vice president of policy and government relations at the National Association of Manufacturers, said.

Josh Bolten, the president and CEO of the Business Roundtable, told reporters in January that he believed Biden and Congress "have a number of opportunities to enact policies that will support long-term economic growth and create more opportunity for all Americans." Those policies include making progress on immigration, climate change, and racial equity and justice.

The White House declined to answer specific questions from Insider. But a Biden spokesperson said the administration immediately engaged the business world, and they offered examples of business-friendly actions it's taken since Biden became president on January 20.

Those include a January 22 roundtable with business owners led by Vice President Kamala Harris and a February 9 meeting with Biden, Harris, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, and business leaders.

The spokesperson also mentioned Biden's advocacy for the American Rescue Plan (the White House's name for the COVID-19 relief bill) and efforts through the Small Business Administration to improve the nation's Paycheck Protection Program.

The billionaire Tom Steyer, who ran for president as a Democrat in 2020 and is now a loyal Biden backer, said he believed business was longing for political stability and a semblance of normalcy.

"I don't think there are any legitimate businesspeople in the United States of America who say that [Trump's] kind of behavior is the basis for a safe, democratic, and prosperous society," Steyer said.

But don't expect Republicans, despite losing the White House and Senate, to stand idly by.

"Let's be clear: Republicans, not Democrats, cut taxes and burdensome regulations that held American businesses back for decades," said Rep. Nancy Mace, a Republican from South Carolina who ran a consulting business before entering Congress in January. 

"Democrats have made it abundantly clear they're determined to repeal those tax cuts and restore cumbersome regulations … they're looking to destroy small businesses with drastic minimum-wage hikes and endless unemployment benefits."

Following are five areas of intrigue that could help determine whether the Biden administration and Big Business truly hit it off.

Political dowries: campaign contributions

If the language of business is spoken through money, corporate America hasn't been shy about whispering sweet numbers to Biden.

About one in four US billionaires contributed to Biden's presidential campaign, Forbes reported. Numerous business types gave the maximum of $5,000 to Biden's presidential transition fund, an Insider analysis found.

Biden also decided to accept most corporate contributions of up to $1 million toward the festivities surrounding his inauguration. Remember Katy Perry singing "Firework" as actual fireworks exploded over the National Mall?

While Biden isn't expected to release a full accounting until April, Insider has identified numerous large companies that obliged the new president with six- or seven-figure contributions, including Boeing, AT&T, Verizon, Microsoft, Comcast, Centene, Dow Chemical, and Coca-Cola.

Holland & Knight — one of the US's most notable lobbying firms whose recent clients include the American Chemistry Council, Bacardi, CrossFit Inc., and the Financial Services Institute — also made an unspecified contribution.

During the 2019-20 election cycle, even the political-action committee of the US Chamber of Commerce — the country's most powerful business lobby — sent about $1 of every $4 it spent on congressional campaign contributions to Democrats, the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics found.

As recently as the 2013-14 election cycle, the chamber didn't donate a dime to Democrats. 

"We won't always agree, but where we find agreement with folks, we want to work with anyone who shares our priorities," Neil Bradley, the Chamber of Commerce's executive vice president and chief policy officer, told Insider. "From our perspective, we want Republicans and Democrats to be the party of free enterprise and entrepreneurship and business."

Despite his public pronouncements against "dark money" in politics, Biden has tolerated Democrat-backing super PACs and politically active nonprofit organizations accepting secret cash in service of his political and policy ambitions.

One such group, which The Wall Street Journal identified as the newly formed nonprofit Build Back Together, will seek to build support for Biden's business and economic policies, among others. The group has not decided whether it will voluntarily disclose its donors, who could legally contribute unlimited amounts of money.

For now, at least, it gives corporations looking to cozy up to the Biden administration and Democrats another avenue to do so.

But the National Republican Congressional Committee, for one, doesn't envision business interests supporting Democrats en masse if they enact, for example, tax increases and a slew of federal regulations making commerce more costly.

"It's impossible for Democrats to be pro-business when they're pushing a job-killing socialist agenda in the middle of a pandemic," NRCC spokesman Mike Berg said. "Republicans are, and will continue to be, the party that fights for the American worker by promoting pro-growth economic policies."

Infrastructure: narrow or broad?

Biden wants to go big with a $2 trillion infrastructure plan that he hopes will appeal both to big business and to labor unions, the latter being a critical Democratic political constituency.

Business interests generally told Insider that the bigger the plan the better. Many expressed hope that Biden and congressional Democrats craft the plan with a broad definition of "infrastructure."

Translation: Instead of only mentioning standard fare, such as roads, railroads, bridges, highways, and the like, it should include "modern" infrastructure essential to 21st-century life.

"It's also water and wastewater, it's also modernizing the electric grid and broadband and having resiliency in terms of climate change," Bradley from the Chamber of Commerce said. "A real infrastructure package is going to be broader in scope than maybe many on the right would prefer, but that's going to be narrower and scale than many on the left would prefer. And that's probably the right place to land."

Improvements to pipelines, ports, and waterways are three other infrastructure areas on which the American Petroleum Institute will lobby, said Frank Macchiarola, senior vice president at API, which represents the interests of companies operating in the fossil-fuels production and transportation industry.

A federal minimum-wage hike

A top economic priority for many left- and far-left Democrats is increasing the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour — nearly twice the current amount.

Several business organizations described this issue as a sort of litmus test for the Biden administration and Congress, which is controlled by Democrats.

Small businesses, for example, are "very appreciative" of Biden's sustained attention to their concerns, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has throttled or killed many operations, said Holly Wade, the executive director of the National Federation of Independent Business Research Center.

Enhancements to the Paycheck Protection Program and the aggressive approach to COVID-19 economic relief are indications of the administration's commitment, Wade said.

But a recent internal survey of her organization's membership suggested that about two-thirds employ someone earning less than the proposed $15 federal minimum wage that many Democrats support.

A forced increase in the minimum wage "would be a massive cost increase for many small businesses across the country," Wade added. "And they're terrified of having to absorb this cost increase, especially when they're trying to navigate kind of the pandemic economy and making those adjustments and then trying to think ahead."

There's room for an increase in the federal minimum wage — just not to $15 an hour, Bradley said.

"[Democrats] are going to have to decide, 'Hey, are you willing to work with the business community? Are you willing to work with Republicans and more business-minded Democrats to get an achievable increase in the minimum wage? Are you going to hold off for $15?'"

A conversation about the federal minimum wage is "totally appropriate, and I think it's time to have that conversation," said Matthew Haller, a senior vice president for government relations and public affairs at the International Franchise Association. "I also think $15 is too far, too fast, and with the wrong prescription at the wrong time."

But Adam Green, a cofounder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, said that Democrats must always remember their pro-worker roots when corporate America lobbies hard on a policy priority.

"We definitely lose way more than we gain if we've sold out on core issues," Green said. "There's a right way and a wrong way to be on the same side of issues with big business. The wrong way is siding with corporate CEOs against the workers they employ."

Common ground on climate change

California wildfires have incinerated entire California towns. Massive hurricanes have shattered and submerged coastlines from the Gulf of Mexico to lower Manhattan. Texas' janky power grid recently failed during a deadly winter storm, imperiling millions.

One of Biden's first acts as president was to again tether the US to the Paris Agreement, the treaty in which nearly 200 nations agree to dramatically reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. 

Biden's administration has argued that aggressively addressing climate change isn't bad for business — it's essential for the economy's long-term health.

"We have gone irrevocably from asking the question 'Do we need to deal with this climate crisis?' to now 'How are we going to deal with this climate crisis?'" Steyer told Insider.

"Our hope is that President Biden's desire to work with allies is going to provide a really great opportunity to focus on environmental protection and climate change," McLernon of the Global Business Alliance said. "This is an area of strength for our companies because they come from countries that have prioritized dealing with climate change."

The American Chemistry Council "is committed to working with the Biden administration and leaders from both parties in Congress in a constructive bipartisan manner to find common ground on the solutions needed to help solve the world's most pressing challenges," Scott Openshaw, a spokesperson, said.

The US Chamber ranks among those who lauded Biden for rejoining the Paris Agreement. But Biden will have to beat back some members of his own party who want to make law the Green New Deal.

During his presidential campaign, Biden described the Green New Deal's "crucial framework" but wouldn't endorse it wholesale. Instead, he promoted his own, somewhat similar environmental plan — the Biden Green Deal — that goes heavy on energy efficiency, clean-energy sources, and emission reduction.

Even the American Petroleum Institute said it could work with Biden on climate issues, at least in certain respects. "We share the president's goal of reducing emissions and we support the ambitions of the Paris Agreement," Macchiarola of API said.

But one early Biden decision angered several business associations: the revoking a presidentpermit that allowed the Keystone XL oil pipeline to be constructed through several US states.

"That was a mistake that's going to cost jobs at a time when we don't need to be taking regulatory steps that cost jobs," Newhouse, of the National Association of Manufacturers, said.

The US and Canada will be producing oil regardless of whether the Keystone XL pipeline is built. Macchiarola argued that pipelines were safer and more environmentally friendly than other means of transportation.

Separately, in a February 22 letter to Biden, 17 Republican governors petitioned Biden to withdraw an executive order that prohibits new oil and gas development on federal land and in offshore waters.

Corporate taxes

Biden has proposed notable changes to the nation's tax structure, including increasing the corporate income tax to 28% from 21%.

It is one of several significant changes that Biden and Congress are floating that could unravel aspects of Trump's massive tax cuts from 2017.

Businesses, of course, don't generally like increased taxes, so expect some serious pushback.

"The 2017 tax bill created jobs, drove wages up, drove capital invested in our sector," Newhouse said. "And we think that the rates need to be where they are," not higher.

But Stephanie Silverman, the president and CEO of the Employee-Owned S Corporations of America, is optimistic for a bipartisan resurrection of a bill that would make it easier for workers at the companies the group represents to save for retirement. The legislation — Promotion and Expansion of Private Employee Ownership Act — failed in the last Congress. 

The Employee-Owned S Corporations of America advocates for the interests of corporations that, as the IRS defines it, "elect to pass corporate income, losses, deductions, and credits through to their shareholders for federal tax purposes."

Such a bill, Silverman said, would help hundreds of thousands of employee-owners, "particularly at a time when lawmakers are seeking smart ways to encourage retirement savings for Americans, in addition to helping create stable jobs and financial security."

More moderate Democrats have expressed confidence that Biden-era tax policy can prioritize the interests of American workers while still addressing the needs of business owners and leaders.

"Democrats will always put the American people first, and a part of that is making sure there are quality, good-paying jobs to support a renewed middle class," said Rep. Suzan DelBene, a Democrat from Washington state who serves as chair of the New Democrat Coalition, a group of 94 "business-friendly" Democrats in the House.

"When in power, Democrats have consistently ushered in stronger periods of economic growth and created more jobs, which benefits businesses, workers, and families."

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NOW WATCH: Why these Gucci clothes are racist

Across corporate America, the struggle to place women — especially Black women — at the helm of major companies continues. Paving the way forward are women like Thasunda Brown Duckett, who was just named CEO of retirement and investment manager TIAA. She will become only the fourth Black woman chief executive of a Fortune 500 company.

Duckett is one of 67 women featured in this collection of responses from influential Black businesswomen in America. Insider asked these executives, from leading companies like Google, Salesforce, and Amazon, to reflect on their rise to the top, the struggle of being a Black woman in white corporate America, and the best career advice they've received. Their answers — raw and poignant, emotional and inspiring — are below.

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.byline-logo.svelte-10msyw5{display:flex;margin-top:-5px;padding-bottom:1rem;align-items:end}#graphic-footer-holder.svelte-10msyw5 .byline-logo .left-hold.svelte-10msyw5{width:100%;display:inline-block}#graphic-footer-holder.svelte-10msyw5 .byline-logo .logo.svelte-10msyw5{padding-bottom:1px;display:inline;text-align:right;height:100%}@media screen and (max-width: 400px){#graphic-footer-holder.svelte-10msyw5 .byline-logo.svelte-10msyw5{flex-wrap:wrap}#graphic-footer-holder.svelte-10msyw5 .byline-logo .logo.svelte-10msyw5{padding-left:1px}}.embed-graphic-header.svelte-1xf3ahf.svelte-1xf3ahf{text-align:center;justify-content:center;font-family:var(--sans);margin-bottom:2em}.embed-graphic-header.svelte-1xf3ahf h1.graphic-hed.svelte-1xf3ahf{font-family:var(--sans);font-weight:800;font-style:normal;font-size:29px;text-align:center;margin:0 auto 6px;max-width:500px}.embed-graphic-header.svelte-1xf3ahf h3.graphic-subhed.svelte-1xf3ahf{font-family:var(--sans);font-style:normal;font-weight:400;font-size:15px;line-height:18px;max-width: 450px;margin: 0 auto;}.embed-graphic-header.svelte-1xf3ahf .graphic-key.svelte-1xf3ahf{margin:0 auto;padding:0;text-align:center;justify-content:center;flex-wrap:wrap;max-width:500px;line-height:1}.embed-graphic-header.svelte-1xf3ahf .graphic-key .key-holder.svelte-1xf3ahf{margin:0px auto 0.1rem;line-height:1;display:inline-block}.embed-graphic-header.svelte-1xf3ahf .graphic-key .key-holder .key-text.svelte-1xf3ahf{display:inline-block;vertical-align:middle}.embed-graphic-header.svelte-1xf3ahf .graphic-key .key-holder .key-text.svelte-1xf3ahf{font-family:var(--sans);font-size:13px;font-weight:500;margin:0 15px 0 5px}.embed-graphic-header.svelte-1xf3ahf .graphic-key .key-holder span.key-circle.svelte-1xf3ahf{font-size:13px;height:1rem;width:1rem;line-height:1rem;display:inline-block;border-radius:50%;background-color:#fff}svg.svelte-bka31n{width:2rem;height:2rem;overflow:visible;transform-origin:50% 50%;display:inline}</style><div class="embed-graphic-header svelte-1xf3ahf"><h1 class="graphic-hed svelte-1xf3ahf">67 powerful Black women CEOs and executives in corporate America</h1> <h3 class="graphic-subhed svelte-1xf3ahf">Click on the photos to read personal stories of how they made it — and heartfelt career advice for others looking to do the same. </h3> </div><div class="photo-grid content-well svelte-u96sy0" id="photo-grid"> <a href="#alissa-abdullah" class="photo-card-wrapper svelte-2tzre8"><div class="photo-card-full svelte-2tzre8"><img class="headshot svelte-2tzre8" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/alissa-abdullah.jpg" alt="Headshot of Alissa Abdullah"> <div class="photo-card svelte-2tzre8"><h2 class="cardName svelte-2tzre8">Alissa Abdullah</h2> <h5 class="cardCompany svelte-2tzre8">Mastercard</h5></div></div></a><a href="#sheryl-adkins-green" class="photo-card-wrapper svelte-2tzre8"><div class="photo-card-full svelte-2tzre8"><img class="headshot svelte-2tzre8" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/sheryl-adkins-green.jpg" alt="Headshot of Sheryl Adkins-Green"> <div class="photo-card svelte-2tzre8"><h2 class="cardName svelte-2tzre8">Sheryl Adkins-Green</h2> <h5 class="cardCompany svelte-2tzre8">Mary Kay</h5></div></div></a><a href="#erika-alexander" class="photo-card-wrapper svelte-2tzre8"><div class="photo-card-full svelte-2tzre8"><img class="headshot svelte-2tzre8" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/erika-alexander.jpg" alt="Headshot of Erika Alexander"> <div class="photo-card svelte-2tzre8"><h2 class="cardName svelte-2tzre8">Erika Alexander</h2> <h5 class="cardCompany svelte-2tzre8">Marriott International</h5></div></div></a><a href="#peggy-alford" class="photo-card-wrapper svelte-2tzre8"><div class="photo-card-full svelte-2tzre8"><img class="headshot svelte-2tzre8" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/peggy-alford.jpg" alt="Headshot of Peggy Alford"> <div class="photo-card svelte-2tzre8"><h2 class="cardName svelte-2tzre8">Peggy Alford</h2> <h5 class="cardCompany svelte-2tzre8">PayPal</h5></div></div></a><a href="#kelly-baker" class="photo-card-wrapper svelte-2tzre8"><div class="photo-card-full svelte-2tzre8"><img class="headshot svelte-2tzre8" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/kelly-baker.jpg" alt="Headshot of Kelly Baker"> <div class="photo-card svelte-2tzre8"><h2 class="cardName svelte-2tzre8">Kelly Baker</h2> <h5 class="cardCompany svelte-2tzre8">Pentair</h5></div></div></a><a href="#aj-barkley" class="photo-card-wrapper svelte-2tzre8"><div class="photo-card-full svelte-2tzre8"><img class="headshot svelte-2tzre8" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/aj-barkley.jpg" alt="Headshot of AJ Barkley"> <div class="photo-card svelte-2tzre8"><h2 class="cardName svelte-2tzre8">AJ Barkley</h2> <h5 class="cardCompany svelte-2tzre8">Bank of America</h5></div></div></a><a href="#camille-batiste" class="photo-card-wrapper svelte-2tzre8"><div class="photo-card-full svelte-2tzre8"><img class="headshot svelte-2tzre8" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/camille-batiste.jpg" alt="Headshot of Camille Batiste"> <div class="photo-card svelte-2tzre8"><h2 class="cardName svelte-2tzre8">Camille Batiste</h2> <h5 class="cardCompany svelte-2tzre8">Archer Daniels Midland</h5></div></div></a><a href="#selece-beasley" class="photo-card-wrapper svelte-2tzre8"><div class="photo-card-full svelte-2tzre8"><img class="headshot svelte-2tzre8" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/selece-beasley.jpg" alt="Headshot of Selece Beasley"> <div class="photo-card svelte-2tzre8"><h2 class="cardName svelte-2tzre8">Selece Beasley</h2> <h5 class="cardCompany svelte-2tzre8">Kindred at Home</h5></div></div></a><a href="#ebony-beckwith" class="photo-card-wrapper svelte-2tzre8"><div class="photo-card-full svelte-2tzre8"><img class="headshot svelte-2tzre8" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/ebony-beckwith.jpg" alt="Headshot of Ebony Beckwith"> <div class="photo-card svelte-2tzre8"><h2 class="cardName svelte-2tzre8">Ebony Beckwith</h2> <h5 class="cardCompany svelte-2tzre8">Salesforce</h5></div></div></a><a href="#marcy-benton" class="photo-card-wrapper svelte-2tzre8"><div class="photo-card-full svelte-2tzre8"><img class="headshot svelte-2tzre8" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/marcy-benton.jpg" alt="Headshot of Marcy Benton"> <div class="photo-card svelte-2tzre8"><h2 class="cardName svelte-2tzre8">Marcy Benton</h2> <h5 class="cardCompany svelte-2tzre8">Publix Super Markets</h5></div></div></a><a href="#veronica-braker" class="photo-card-wrapper svelte-2tzre8"><div class="photo-card-full svelte-2tzre8"><img class="headshot svelte-2tzre8" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/veronica-braker.jpg" alt="Headshot of Veronica Braker"> <div class="photo-card svelte-2tzre8"><h2 class="cardName svelte-2tzre8">Veronica Braker</h2> <h5 class="cardCompany svelte-2tzre8">Archer Daniels Midland</h5></div></div></a><a href="#ann-marie-campbell" class="photo-card-wrapper svelte-2tzre8"><div class="photo-card-full svelte-2tzre8"><img class="headshot svelte-2tzre8" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/ann-marie-campbell.jpg" alt="Headshot of Ann-Marie Campbell"> <div class="photo-card svelte-2tzre8"><h2 class="cardName svelte-2tzre8">Ann-Marie Campbell</h2> <h5 class="cardCompany svelte-2tzre8">The Home Depot</h5></div></div></a><a href="#karen-s-carter" class="photo-card-wrapper svelte-2tzre8"><div class="photo-card-full svelte-2tzre8"><img class="headshot svelte-2tzre8" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/karen-s-carter.jpg" alt="Headshot of Karen S. Carter"> <div class="photo-card svelte-2tzre8"><h2 class="cardName svelte-2tzre8">Karen S. Carter</h2> <h5 class="cardCompany svelte-2tzre8">Dow Chemical Co.</h5></div></div></a><a href="#kerry-chandler" class="photo-card-wrapper svelte-2tzre8"><div class="photo-card-full svelte-2tzre8"><img class="headshot svelte-2tzre8" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/kerry-chandler.jpg" alt="Headshot of Kerry Chandler"> <div class="photo-card svelte-2tzre8"><h2 class="cardName svelte-2tzre8">Kerry Chandler</h2> <h5 class="cardCompany svelte-2tzre8">Endeavor</h5></div></div></a><a href="#titi-cole" class="photo-card-wrapper svelte-2tzre8"><div class="photo-card-full svelte-2tzre8"><img class="headshot svelte-2tzre8" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/titi-cole.jpg" alt="Headshot of Titi Cole"> <div class="photo-card svelte-2tzre8"><h2 class="cardName svelte-2tzre8">Titi Cole</h2> <h5 class="cardCompany svelte-2tzre8">Citi</h5></div></div></a><a href="#deneen-donnley" class="photo-card-wrapper svelte-2tzre8"><div class="photo-card-full svelte-2tzre8"><img class="headshot svelte-2tzre8" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/deneen-donnley.jpg" alt="Headshot of Deneen Donnley"> <div class="photo-card svelte-2tzre8"><h2 class="cardName svelte-2tzre8">Deneen Donnley</h2> <h5 class="cardCompany svelte-2tzre8">Con Edison</h5></div></div></a><a href="#thasunda-duckett" class="photo-card-wrapper svelte-2tzre8"><div class="photo-card-full svelte-2tzre8"><img class="headshot svelte-2tzre8" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/thasunda-duckett.jpg" alt="Headshot of Thasunda Duckett"> <div class="photo-card svelte-2tzre8"><h2 class="cardName svelte-2tzre8">Thasunda Duckett</h2> <h5 class="cardCompany svelte-2tzre8">JPMorgan Chase</h5></div></div></a><a href="#debbie-dyson" class="photo-card-wrapper svelte-2tzre8"><div class="photo-card-full svelte-2tzre8"><img class="headshot svelte-2tzre8" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/debbie-dyson.jpg" alt="Headshot of Debbie Dyson"> <div class="photo-card svelte-2tzre8"><h2 class="cardName svelte-2tzre8">Debbie Dyson</h2> <h5 class="cardCompany svelte-2tzre8">ADP</h5></div></div></a><a href="#aicha-s-evans" class="photo-card-wrapper svelte-2tzre8"><div class="photo-card-full svelte-2tzre8"><img class="headshot svelte-2tzre8" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/aicha-s-evans.jpg" alt="Headshot of Aicha S. Evans"> <div class="photo-card svelte-2tzre8"><h2 class="cardName svelte-2tzre8">Aicha S. Evans</h2> <h5 class="cardCompany svelte-2tzre8">Zoox</h5></div></div></a><a href="#rhonda-ferguson" class="photo-card-wrapper svelte-2tzre8"><div class="photo-card-full svelte-2tzre8"><img class="headshot svelte-2tzre8" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/rhonda-ferguson.jpg" alt="Headshot of Rhonda Ferguson"> <div class="photo-card svelte-2tzre8"><h2 class="cardName svelte-2tzre8">Rhonda Ferguson</h2> <h5 class="cardCompany svelte-2tzre8">Allstate</h5></div></div></a><a href="#pia-flanagan" class="photo-card-wrapper svelte-2tzre8"><div class="photo-card-full svelte-2tzre8"><img class="headshot svelte-2tzre8" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/pia-flanagan.jpg" alt="Headshot of Pia Flanagan"> <div class="photo-card svelte-2tzre8"><h2 class="cardName svelte-2tzre8">Pia Flanagan</h2> <h5 class="cardCompany svelte-2tzre8">MassMutual</h5></div></div></a><a href="#camille-chang-gilmore" class="photo-card-wrapper svelte-2tzre8"><div class="photo-card-full svelte-2tzre8"><img class="headshot svelte-2tzre8" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/camille-chang-gilmore.jpg" alt="Headshot of Camille Chang Gilmore"> <div class="photo-card svelte-2tzre8"><h2 class="cardName svelte-2tzre8">Camille Chang Gilmore</h2> <h5 class="cardCompany svelte-2tzre8">Boston Scientific</h5></div></div></a><a href="#karen-hale" class="photo-card-wrapper svelte-2tzre8"><div class="photo-card-full svelte-2tzre8"><img class="headshot svelte-2tzre8" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/karen-hale.jpg" alt="Headshot of Karen Hale"> <div class="photo-card svelte-2tzre8"><h2 class="cardName svelte-2tzre8">Karen Hale</h2> <h5 class="cardCompany svelte-2tzre8">AbbVie</h5></div></div></a><a href="#kimberley-harris" class="photo-card-wrapper svelte-2tzre8"><div class="photo-card-full svelte-2tzre8"><img class="headshot svelte-2tzre8" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/kimberley-harris.jpg" alt="Headshot of Kimberley Harris"> <div class="photo-card svelte-2tzre8"><h2 class="cardName svelte-2tzre8">Kimberley Harris</h2> <h5 class="cardCompany svelte-2tzre8">NBCUniversal</h5></div></div></a><a href="#val-harris" class="photo-card-wrapper svelte-2tzre8"><div class="photo-card-full svelte-2tzre8"><img class="headshot svelte-2tzre8" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/val-harris.jpg" alt="Headshot of Val Harris"> <div class="photo-card svelte-2tzre8"><h2 class="cardName svelte-2tzre8">Val Harris</h2> <h5 class="cardCompany svelte-2tzre8">JCPenney</h5></div></div></a><a href="#cheryl-harris" class="photo-card-wrapper svelte-2tzre8"><div class="photo-card-full svelte-2tzre8"><img class="headshot svelte-2tzre8" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/cheryl-harris.jpg" alt="Headshot of Cheryl Harris"> <div class="photo-card svelte-2tzre8"><h2 class="cardName svelte-2tzre8">Cheryl Harris</h2> <h5 class="cardCompany svelte-2tzre8">Allstate</h5></div></div></a><a href="#salene-hitchcock-gear" class="photo-card-wrapper svelte-2tzre8"><div class="photo-card-full svelte-2tzre8"><img class="headshot svelte-2tzre8" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/salene-hitchcock-gear.jpg" alt="Headshot of Salene Hitchcock-Gear"> <div class="photo-card svelte-2tzre8"><h2 class="cardName svelte-2tzre8">Salene Hitchcock-Gear</h2> <h5 class="cardCompany svelte-2tzre8">Prudential Financial</h5></div></div></a><a href="#ramona-hood" class="photo-card-wrapper svelte-2tzre8"><div class="photo-card-full svelte-2tzre8"><img class="headshot svelte-2tzre8" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/ramona-hood.jpg" alt="Headshot of Ramona Hood"> <div class="photo-card svelte-2tzre8"><h2 class="cardName svelte-2tzre8">Ramona Hood</h2> <h5 class="cardCompany svelte-2tzre8">FedEx</h5></div></div></a><a href="#rosilyn-houston" class="photo-card-wrapper svelte-2tzre8"><div class="photo-card-full svelte-2tzre8"><img class="headshot svelte-2tzre8" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/rosilyn-houston.jpg" alt="Headshot of Rosilyn Houston"> <div class="photo-card svelte-2tzre8"><h2 class="cardName svelte-2tzre8">Rosilyn Houston</h2> <h5 class="cardCompany svelte-2tzre8">BBVA Compass</h5></div></div></a><a href="#attica-jacques" class="photo-card-wrapper svelte-2tzre8"><div class="photo-card-full svelte-2tzre8"><img class="headshot svelte-2tzre8" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/attica-jacques.jpg" alt="Headshot of Attica Jaques"> <div class="photo-card svelte-2tzre8"><h2 class="cardName svelte-2tzre8">Attica Jaques</h2> <h5 class="cardCompany svelte-2tzre8">Google/Alphabet</h5></div></div></a><a href="#zabrina-jenkins" class="photo-card-wrapper svelte-2tzre8"><div class="photo-card-full svelte-2tzre8"><img class="headshot svelte-2tzre8" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/zabrina-jenkins.jpg" alt="Headshot of Zabrina Jenkins"> <div class="photo-card svelte-2tzre8"><h2 class="cardName svelte-2tzre8">Zabrina Jenkins</h2> <h5 class="cardCompany 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Purvis</h2> <h5 class="cardCompany svelte-2tzre8">Northrop Grumman</h5></div></div></a><a href="#desiree-ralls-morrison" class="photo-card-wrapper svelte-2tzre8"><div class="photo-card-full svelte-2tzre8"><img class="headshot svelte-2tzre8" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/desiree-ralls-morrison.jpg" alt="Headshot of Desiree Ralls-Morrison"> <div class="photo-card svelte-2tzre8"><h2 class="cardName svelte-2tzre8">Desiree Ralls-Morrison</h2> <h5 class="cardCompany svelte-2tzre8">Boston Scientific</h5></div></div></a><a href="#nadia-rawlinson" class="photo-card-wrapper svelte-2tzre8"><div class="photo-card-full svelte-2tzre8"><img class="headshot svelte-2tzre8" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/nadia-rawlinson.jpg" alt="Headshot of Nadia Rawlinson"> <div class="photo-card svelte-2tzre8"><h2 class="cardName svelte-2tzre8">Nadia Rawlinson</h2> <h5 class="cardCompany svelte-2tzre8">Slack</h5></div></div></a><a href="#farrell-redwine" class="photo-card-wrapper svelte-2tzre8"><div class="photo-card-full svelte-2tzre8"><img class="headshot svelte-2tzre8" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/farrell-redwine.jpg" alt="Headshot of Farrell Redwine"> <div class="photo-card svelte-2tzre8"><h2 class="cardName svelte-2tzre8">Farrell Redwine</h2> <h5 class="cardCompany svelte-2tzre8">Nordstrom</h5></div></div></a><a href="#rashaan-reid" class="photo-card-wrapper svelte-2tzre8"><div class="photo-card-full svelte-2tzre8"><img class="headshot svelte-2tzre8" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/rashaan-reid.jpg" alt="Headshot of Rashaan Reid"> <div class="photo-card svelte-2tzre8"><h2 class="cardName svelte-2tzre8">Rashaan Reid</h2> <h5 class="cardCompany svelte-2tzre8">Bank of America</h5></div></div></a><a href="#nneka-rimmer" class="photo-card-wrapper svelte-2tzre8"><div class="photo-card-full svelte-2tzre8"><img class="headshot svelte-2tzre8" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/nneka-rimmer.jpg" alt="Headshot of Nneka Rimmer"> <div class="photo-card svelte-2tzre8"><h2 class="cardName svelte-2tzre8">Nneka Rimmer</h2> <h5 class="cardCompany svelte-2tzre8">McCormick &amp; Co.</h5></div></div></a><a href="#lori-robinson" class="photo-card-wrapper svelte-2tzre8"><div class="photo-card-full svelte-2tzre8"><img class="headshot svelte-2tzre8" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/lori-robinson.jpg" alt="Headshot of Lori Robinson"> <div class="photo-card svelte-2tzre8"><h2 class="cardName svelte-2tzre8">Lori Robinson</h2> <h5 class="cardCompany svelte-2tzre8">McCormick &amp; Co.</h5></div></div></a><a href="#dawn-rock" class="photo-card-wrapper svelte-2tzre8"><div class="photo-card-full svelte-2tzre8"><img class="headshot svelte-2tzre8" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/dawn-rock.jpg" alt="Headshot of Dawn Rock"> <div class="photo-card svelte-2tzre8"><h2 class="cardName svelte-2tzre8">Dawn Rock</h2> <h5 class="cardCompany svelte-2tzre8">Encompass Health</h5></div></div></a><a href="#teresa-roseborough" class="photo-card-wrapper svelte-2tzre8"><div class="photo-card-full svelte-2tzre8"><img class="headshot svelte-2tzre8" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/teresa-roseborough.jpg" alt="Headshot of Teresa Roseborough"> <div class="photo-card svelte-2tzre8"><h2 class="cardName svelte-2tzre8">Teresa Roseborough</h2> <h5 class="cardCompany svelte-2tzre8">The Home Depot</h5></div></div></a><a href="#julia-simon" class="photo-card-wrapper svelte-2tzre8"><div class="photo-card-full svelte-2tzre8"><img class="headshot svelte-2tzre8" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/julia-simon.jpg" alt="Headshot of Julia Simon"> <div class="photo-card svelte-2tzre8"><h2 class="cardName svelte-2tzre8">Julia Simon</h2> <h5 class="cardCompany svelte-2tzre8">Mary Kay</h5></div></div></a><a href="#marie-sylla-dixon" class="photo-card-wrapper svelte-2tzre8"><div class="photo-card-full svelte-2tzre8"><img class="headshot svelte-2tzre8" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/marie-sylla-dixon.jpg" alt="Headshot of Marie Sylla-Dixon"> <div class="photo-card svelte-2tzre8"><h2 class="cardName svelte-2tzre8">Marie Sylla-Dixon</h2> <h5 class="cardCompany svelte-2tzre8">Raytheon Technologies</h5></div></div></a><a href="#brandi-thomas" class="photo-card-wrapper svelte-2tzre8"><div class="photo-card-full svelte-2tzre8"><img class="headshot svelte-2tzre8" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/brandi-thomas.jpg" alt="Headshot of Brandi Thomas"> <div class="photo-card svelte-2tzre8"><h2 class="cardName svelte-2tzre8">Brandi Thomas</h2> <h5 class="cardCompany svelte-2tzre8">General Electric</h5></div></div></a><a href="#charlene-thomas" class="photo-card-wrapper svelte-2tzre8"><div class="photo-card-full svelte-2tzre8"><img class="headshot svelte-2tzre8" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/charlene-thomas.jpg" alt="Headshot of Charlene Thomas"> <div class="photo-card svelte-2tzre8"><h2 class="cardName svelte-2tzre8">Charlene Thomas</h2> <h5 class="cardCompany svelte-2tzre8">UPS</h5></div></div></a><a href="#monica-turner" class="photo-card-wrapper svelte-2tzre8"><div class="photo-card-full svelte-2tzre8"><img class="headshot svelte-2tzre8" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/monica-turner.jpg" alt="Headshot of Monica Turner"> <div class="photo-card svelte-2tzre8"><h2 class="cardName svelte-2tzre8">Monica Turner</h2> <h5 class="cardCompany svelte-2tzre8">Procter &amp; Gamble</h5></div></div></a><a href="#carla-vernon" class="photo-card-wrapper svelte-2tzre8"><div class="photo-card-full svelte-2tzre8"><img class="headshot svelte-2tzre8" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/carla-vernon.jpg" alt="Headshot of Carla Vern&amp;#243;n"> <div class="photo-card svelte-2tzre8"><h2 class="cardName svelte-2tzre8">Carla Vern&#243;n</h2> <h5 class="cardCompany svelte-2tzre8">Amazon</h5></div></div></a><a href="#laysha-ward" class="photo-card-wrapper svelte-2tzre8"><div class="photo-card-full svelte-2tzre8"><img class="headshot svelte-2tzre8" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/laysha-ward.jpg" alt="Headshot of Laysha Ward"> <div class="photo-card svelte-2tzre8"><h2 class="cardName svelte-2tzre8">Laysha Ward</h2> <h5 class="cardCompany svelte-2tzre8">Target</h5></div></div></a><a href="#lisa-wardell" class="photo-card-wrapper svelte-2tzre8"><div class="photo-card-full svelte-2tzre8"><img class="headshot svelte-2tzre8" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/lisa-wardell.jpg" alt="Headshot of Lisa Wardell"> <div class="photo-card svelte-2tzre8"><h2 class="cardName svelte-2tzre8">Lisa Wardell</h2> <h5 class="cardCompany svelte-2tzre8">Adtalem Global Education</h5></div></div></a><a href="#dantaya-williams" class="photo-card-wrapper svelte-2tzre8"><div class="photo-card-full svelte-2tzre8"><img class="headshot svelte-2tzre8" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/dantaya-williams.jpg" alt="Headshot of Dantaya Williams"> <div class="photo-card svelte-2tzre8"><h2 class="cardName svelte-2tzre8">Dantaya Williams</h2> <h5 class="cardCompany svelte-2tzre8">Raytheon Technologies</h5></div></div></a><a href="#kamilah-williams-kemp" class="photo-card-wrapper svelte-2tzre8"><div class="photo-card-full svelte-2tzre8"><img class="headshot svelte-2tzre8" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/kamilah-williams-kemp.jpg" alt="Headshot of Kamilah Williams-Kemp"> <div class="photo-card svelte-2tzre8"><h2 class="cardName svelte-2tzre8">Kamilah Williams-Kemp</h2> <h5 class="cardCompany svelte-2tzre8">Northwestern Mutual</h5></div></div></a></div><div id="accordion-wrapper" class="content-well svelte-u96sy0"><ul class="accordion svelte-u96sy0"><li id="alissa-abdullah" class="li-accordion-wrapper svelte-en2lo4"><input type="checkbox" unchecked class="svelte-en2lo4"> <i class="svelte-en2lo4"></i> <p class="svelte-en2lo4"></p><h2 class="accordion-title svelte-en2lo4">Alissa Abdullah</h2> <div class="description svelte-en2lo4"><div class="accordion-hed svelte-en2lo4"><h4 class="accordion-job-title svelte-en2lo4">SVP, Deputy Chief Information Security Officer at Mastercard</h4></div><a href="#photo-grid"><img class="headshot-full svelte-en2lo4" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/alissa-abdullah.jpg" alt="Headshot of Alissa Abdullah"></a> <div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">What's the best career advice you ever received? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">One of the most important roles I've had in my career was working as the deputy CIO of the White House under President Obama. The hiring process took nearly six months to work through due to the extensive interviews, vetting, and security reviews. As you can imagine, my anticipation and anxiety grew as each day passed and another hiring process milestone was reached. </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">The day had come when I was to inform my current manager that I had accepted a new job and would be leaving. As I shared with him details about the role, he asked me how I felt. Nothing can describe the feeling of responsibility, influence, duty, uncertainty, and nervousness that I felt all at once. As I expressed that to him, he responded with, &#8220;That's great!&#8221; I was shocked and pretty taken aback by his response. </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">It had been ingrained in me since childhood that you always have to appear to keep it together. Many times, we are told to put on a stoic exterior. Don't share weaknesses or vulnerabilities at work. But in that moment, I shared my truest feelings because I was leaving and had nothing to lose. </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">After I gathered myself from his response, he continued with one of the best pieces of advice I have ever received. He said, &#8220;If you are nervous going to your next job, next project, or next opportunity, then it is the perfect opportunity for you. It means you will push yourself to give your all and be the best leader you can be.&#8221; </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Never before had I considered my uncertainty to be an asset nor how nervousness could be used as motivation. In a time where companies progress, technologies expand, and cultures evolve, it is OK to use our emotional consciousness to make us better and to drive us to great success.</p></div><div class="return"><a href="#photo-grid" class="noHighlight svelte-en2lo4"><h5 class="return svelte-en2lo4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="feather feather-chevron-up svelte-bka31n" style="transform: rotate(0deg);"><g><polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15"></polyline></g></svg> Back to top </h5></a></div></div></li><li id="sheryl-adkins-green" class="li-accordion-wrapper svelte-en2lo4"><input type="checkbox" unchecked class="svelte-en2lo4"> <i class="svelte-en2lo4"></i> <p class="svelte-en2lo4"></p><h2 class="accordion-title svelte-en2lo4">Sheryl Adkins-Green</h2> <div class="description svelte-en2lo4"><div class="accordion-hed svelte-en2lo4"><h4 class="accordion-job-title svelte-en2lo4">CMO at Mary Kay</h4></div><a href="#photo-grid"><img class="headshot-full svelte-en2lo4" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/sheryl-adkins-green.jpg" alt="Headshot of Sheryl Adkins-Green"></a> <div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">Is there anything you would do differently if you could go back to the beginning of your professional career? What is the lesson? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">I would invest less energy in trying to &#8220;fit in&#8221; and devote more energy into standing out.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Early on in my career, I received signals that I might &#8220;intimidate others,&#8221; including more-senior managers, because my credentials included a Harvard Business School MBA. I naively listened to this guidance.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">However, it didn't take me long to figure out that playing &#8220;small&#8221; would not serve me &#8212; or my employer &#8212; well. Once I empowered myself to fully be myself in every role, I achieved greater results and recognition. The lesson learned? &#8220;Own your bold!&#8221;</p></div><div class="return"><a href="#photo-grid" class="noHighlight svelte-en2lo4"><h5 class="return svelte-en2lo4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="feather feather-chevron-up svelte-bka31n" style="transform: rotate(0deg);"><g><polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15"></polyline></g></svg> Back to top </h5></a></div></div></li><li id="erika-alexander" class="li-accordion-wrapper svelte-en2lo4"><input type="checkbox" unchecked class="svelte-en2lo4"> <i class="svelte-en2lo4"></i> <p class="svelte-en2lo4"></p><h2 class="accordion-title svelte-en2lo4">Erika Alexander</h2> <div class="description svelte-en2lo4"><div class="accordion-hed svelte-en2lo4"><h4 class="accordion-job-title svelte-en2lo4">Chief Global Officer, Global Operations at Marriott International</h4></div><a href="#photo-grid"><img class="headshot-full svelte-en2lo4" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/erika-alexander.jpg" alt="Headshot of Erika Alexander"></a> <div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">As a Black woman, when did you realize you had "made it" in a white, male-dominated corporate America? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Truth be told, it is unlikely that I will ever experience that sensation in the way a question like this typically infers. Many women and people of color intuitively understand that it's a difficult and nuanced explanation as to why that's so. Suffice it to say that it's rooted in an awareness that the lens through which the world assesses our performance is perhaps sharper and longer than the lens used to evaluate others. </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">So I simply choose to reframe what success looks like to me and what it means to &#8220;make it.&#8221; I love making a difference. Any pride in my personal advancements to date has less to do with my accomplishments and more to do with the success of others. The impact I've had on the lives and professional journeys of young leaders, especially women, that extends beyond my tenure at Marriott is important to me. My purpose is to model and remind them that they have a voice, they are required to use it, and that it's not the destination that defines us, but the quality of the unique journey we create for ourselves that matters most. </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">There's no greater honor and responsibility than to lead people, to develop an environment that inspires, motivates, and helps others unleash their talent and reach their full potential. I love the work I do. I aspire to be the best leader I can and bring the best version of myself to work every day so that I, too, am ready for the tasks at hand.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4"> As I've matured as a leader over the last 30 years or so, my sense of what's possible for me in life has grown commensurately. I knew that I could make an impact. I wanted to make my family proud and be part of an organization whose values aligned with mine. </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">I've done that, and I am exceptionally proud of &#8212; and profoundly grateful for &#8212; my Marriott journey. And from that perspective, I have made it.</p></div><div class="return"><a href="#photo-grid" class="noHighlight svelte-en2lo4"><h5 class="return svelte-en2lo4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="feather feather-chevron-up svelte-bka31n" style="transform: rotate(0deg);"><g><polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15"></polyline></g></svg> Back to top </h5></a></div></div></li><li id="peggy-alford" class="li-accordion-wrapper svelte-en2lo4"><input type="checkbox" unchecked class="svelte-en2lo4"> <i class="svelte-en2lo4"></i> <p class="svelte-en2lo4"></p><h2 class="accordion-title svelte-en2lo4">Peggy Alford</h2> <div class="description svelte-en2lo4"><div class="accordion-hed svelte-en2lo4"><h4 class="accordion-job-title svelte-en2lo4">EVP, Global Sales at PayPal</h4></div><a href="#photo-grid"><img class="headshot-full svelte-en2lo4" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/peggy-alford.jpg" alt="Headshot of Peggy Alford"></a> <div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">What's the best career advice you ever received? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">I was a consultant in a big firm at the start of my career and kept getting assigned to engagements with a manager who was very difficult to work for. She provided little direction or guidance but was quick to criticize. She made my work environment unpleasant, and I strongly considered leaving the firm as a result.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">I had a mentor who was a partner at the firm, and I shared my experience and that I was considering leaving the company. The advice he gave me has stayed with me my whole career, and I have often shared this with people who have come to me for advice in similar situations. He said to me, &#8220;This manager of yours could leave the firm tomorrow, or next week or next month. Do you like this job? Are you learning? Are you growing? Never base a decision about your career on another person. That person could leave, be fired, change roles, and then you would have made a decision that was the wrong one for you and your career.&#8221;</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Sure enough, that manager was gone from the firm within a year. I learned that it is dangerous to both run to or away from opportunities based solely on who your current boss is. I have used that advice in a broader sense during my career in that I focus on making decisions about roles I take based on whether I feel they are additive to my skill set, progressive for my career, and that I like and believe in what I and the company are doing in the world.</p></div><div class="return"><a href="#photo-grid" class="noHighlight svelte-en2lo4"><h5 class="return svelte-en2lo4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="feather feather-chevron-up svelte-bka31n" style="transform: rotate(0deg);"><g><polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15"></polyline></g></svg> Back to top </h5></a></div></div></li><li id="kelly-baker" class="li-accordion-wrapper svelte-en2lo4"><input type="checkbox" unchecked class="svelte-en2lo4"> <i class="svelte-en2lo4"></i> <p class="svelte-en2lo4"></p><h2 class="accordion-title svelte-en2lo4">Kelly Baker</h2> <div class="description svelte-en2lo4"><div class="accordion-hed svelte-en2lo4"><h4 class="accordion-job-title svelte-en2lo4">EVP, Chief HR Officer at Pentair</h4></div><a href="#photo-grid"><img class="headshot-full svelte-en2lo4" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/kelly-baker.jpg" alt="Headshot of Kelly Baker"></a> <div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">What's the best career advice you ever received? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">The best advice I received early in my career, and one I try to impart on young women and men as they start out, is that you have to take control of your own development and career path. It is up to you, and only you, to define and achieve your professional goals.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Do not rely on your manager or others to set the path for you. Then, once you have your goals defined, it is important to continually examine yourself and actively seek constructive feedback. Don't simply accept only positive feedback &#8212; ask pointed questions for critique that will help you grow as a leader.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Be proactive. Be inquisitive. Be mindful. In doing so, you will control your own destiny to achieve your goals.</p></div><div class="return"><a href="#photo-grid" class="noHighlight svelte-en2lo4"><h5 class="return svelte-en2lo4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="feather feather-chevron-up svelte-bka31n" style="transform: rotate(0deg);"><g><polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15"></polyline></g></svg> Back to top </h5></a></div></div></li><li id="aj-barkley" class="li-accordion-wrapper svelte-en2lo4"><input type="checkbox" unchecked class="svelte-en2lo4"> <i class="svelte-en2lo4"></i> <p class="svelte-en2lo4"></p><h2 class="accordion-title svelte-en2lo4">AJ Barkley</h2> <div class="description svelte-en2lo4"><div class="accordion-hed svelte-en2lo4"><h4 class="accordion-job-title svelte-en2lo4">Managing Director; Neighborhood Lending Executive, Consumer Lending at Bank of America</h4></div><a href="#photo-grid"><img class="headshot-full svelte-en2lo4" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/aj-barkley.jpg" alt="Headshot of AJ Barkley"></a> <div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">What's the best career advice you ever received? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Listen, learn, and apply. You will always make mistakes. Don't be discouraged by them &#8212; they can teach you behaviors, skills, and tactics that will help you improve next time.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">I've learned to always be prepared, know my business, understand what might disrupt that business, and seek solutions, not just for today but for the future. </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">I'd recommend seeking mentors to provide candid and transparent feedback. Earlier in my career, this advice would have positioned me to step out of my comfort zone. When seeking feedback, look for people who support your current journey and also those inclined to be more critical of your work and decisions. Seek out mentors with balanced feedback &#8212; it helps to build your confidence early in your career.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">When I mentor today, I make it a point to challenge the comfort level of the mentees and encourage them to take on challenging assignments that they would have overlooked before. Those assignments can strengthen and add to their skills &#8212; skills that are transferable and can open doors to new opportunities.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Finally, your personal brand is very important. All of us are pleased and fulfilled when things are going well, but how you lead, coach, and manage when things are not going so well distinguishes good leaders from great leaders.</p></div><div class="return"><a href="#photo-grid" class="noHighlight svelte-en2lo4"><h5 class="return svelte-en2lo4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="feather feather-chevron-up svelte-bka31n" style="transform: rotate(0deg);"><g><polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15"></polyline></g></svg> Back to top </h5></a></div></div></li><li id="camille-batiste" class="li-accordion-wrapper svelte-en2lo4"><input type="checkbox" unchecked class="svelte-en2lo4"> <i class="svelte-en2lo4"></i> <p class="svelte-en2lo4"></p><h2 class="accordion-title svelte-en2lo4">Camille Batiste</h2> <div class="description svelte-en2lo4"><div class="accordion-hed svelte-en2lo4"><h4 class="accordion-job-title svelte-en2lo4">President, Global Supply Chain at Archer Daniels Midland</h4></div><a href="#photo-grid"><img class="headshot-full svelte-en2lo4" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/camille-batiste.jpg" alt="Headshot of Camille Batiste"></a> <div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">What's your best advice to young Black women and men who aspire to your level of power, influence, or paycheck? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">It's not all about how hard you work. Leadership and influence is personal. You have to connect with people. Some young Black women think you have to work twice as hard, and perhaps you do, but you also have to network, be visible, inspire others, and be inspired.</p></div><div class="return"><a href="#photo-grid" class="noHighlight svelte-en2lo4"><h5 class="return svelte-en2lo4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="feather feather-chevron-up svelte-bka31n" style="transform: rotate(0deg);"><g><polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15"></polyline></g></svg> Back to top </h5></a></div></div></li><li id="selece-beasley" class="li-accordion-wrapper svelte-en2lo4"><input type="checkbox" unchecked class="svelte-en2lo4"> <i class="svelte-en2lo4"></i> <p class="svelte-en2lo4"></p><h2 class="accordion-title svelte-en2lo4">Selece Beasley</h2> <div class="description svelte-en2lo4"><div class="accordion-hed svelte-en2lo4"><h4 class="accordion-job-title svelte-en2lo4">Chief Compliance Officer at Kindred at Home</h4></div><a href="#photo-grid"><img class="headshot-full svelte-en2lo4" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/selece-beasley.jpg" alt="Headshot of Selece Beasley"></a> <div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">As a Black woman, when did you realize you had "made it" in a white, male-dominated corporate America? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">To say that I have &#8220;arrived&#8221; means that I have reached a destination. I don't believe I've arrived, I continue to evolve and grow, with many miles to go before I rest.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">As a Black woman in a white, male-dominated corporate America, I've had many experiences that enable me to pause, reflect, and examine my accomplishments and the impact that they've had on others. One thing I've learned is that the last word is mine. I can influence ideas and behaviors and can serve as a resource to others. I want to do my part to dispel myths and preconceived notions about what is possible so that others may follow.</p></div><div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">What's your best advice to young Black women and men who aspire to your level of power, influence, or paycheck? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Stay focused and find a great mentor for support. Ask questions and never be afraid to accept a challenge. Get the best education you can in your area of interest. Be self-aware and understand and appreciate your self-worth. Don't let someone else define that for you. It is OK to stumble, but pick yourself up and keep going. Be flexible and willing to learn alternate methods to accomplish your goals. Being flexible does not equate to being weak. Remember that compromise is not a bad word. You can win the battle but lose the war, but giving up is the enemy of success.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Those challenging moments were those when I felt invisible, when people looked beyond or through me. That behavior enabled me to pause, self-reflect, and move forward to engage with those who did not reciprocate the courtesy. Although I would not equate this behavior as a hardship of being a Black woman in corporate America, it is only a hardship if women retreat instead of continuing their journey.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">If I could go back to the beginning of my career, I am not sure that I would do anything differently. Each stage of growth was calculated and helped prepare me for my current role. I was blessed to have mentors, managers, and coworkers that supported me and recognized my talents and contributions. I have always had the support of family and was never told what I could not do. When I graduated from law school, my grandfather told me that I could make a difference in this world, and that is what I plan to continue to do. I'm not finished making a difference. &#8220;To whom much is given, much is expected.&#8221;</p></div><div class="return"><a href="#photo-grid" class="noHighlight svelte-en2lo4"><h5 class="return svelte-en2lo4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="feather feather-chevron-up svelte-bka31n" style="transform: rotate(0deg);"><g><polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15"></polyline></g></svg> Back to top </h5></a></div></div></li><li id="ebony-beckwith" class="li-accordion-wrapper svelte-en2lo4"><input type="checkbox" unchecked class="svelte-en2lo4"> <i class="svelte-en2lo4"></i> <p class="svelte-en2lo4"></p><h2 class="accordion-title svelte-en2lo4">Ebony Beckwith</h2> <div class="description svelte-en2lo4"><div class="accordion-hed svelte-en2lo4"><h4 class="accordion-job-title svelte-en2lo4">Chief Philanthropy Officer at Salesforce</h4></div><a href="#photo-grid"><img class="headshot-full svelte-en2lo4" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/ebony-beckwith.jpg" alt="Headshot of Ebony Beckwith"></a> <div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">What's the best career advice you ever received? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">My mom used to say to me, &#8220;Know your place but take your space.&#8221; While this wasn't shared with me as career advice per se &#8212; more like &#8220;mom wisdom&#8221; &#8212; it's something I've called to mind more than once throughout my professional journey.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">The intention is about understanding and respecting the boundaries of a professional dynamic but adding your voice in a way that shows your value. It's also about self-awareness and your ability to read the room, understanding when to push and show your authenticity, and when to hold back and accept a &#8220;no.&#8221;</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Though you may not always get the answer you want, people will remember how you showed up, and that's what will define you as a leader.</p></div><div class="return"><a href="#photo-grid" class="noHighlight svelte-en2lo4"><h5 class="return svelte-en2lo4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="feather feather-chevron-up svelte-bka31n" style="transform: rotate(0deg);"><g><polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15"></polyline></g></svg> Back to top </h5></a></div></div></li><li id="marcy-benton" class="li-accordion-wrapper svelte-en2lo4"><input type="checkbox" unchecked class="svelte-en2lo4"> <i class="svelte-en2lo4"></i> <p class="svelte-en2lo4"></p><h2 class="accordion-title svelte-en2lo4">Marcy Benton</h2> <div class="description svelte-en2lo4"><div class="accordion-hed svelte-en2lo4"><h4 class="accordion-job-title svelte-en2lo4">VP, HR at Publix Super Markets</h4></div><a href="#photo-grid"><img class="headshot-full svelte-en2lo4" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/marcy-benton.jpg" alt="Headshot of Marcy Benton"></a> <div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">Is there anything you would do differently if you could go back to the beginning of your professional career? What is the lesson? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">If I could go back to the beginning of my professional career, I would define what success looks like to me. I would discover my purpose &#8212; my why &#8212; sooner, along with the value of building relationships.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Several years ago, while attending a leadership program, it became clear to me that I hadn't taken the time to enjoy life. I was focused on chasing my next success, personally and professionally, but hadn't taken the time to clearly define it for myself. Doing so allows one to enjoy the journey and celebrate the achievements along the way.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Taking ownership over one's goals is another nugget. Often, we look to others to help us achieve our goals, but we possess more power over our destiny than we realize. We need to have personal vision to achieve goals. Having a vision board can help. It allows one to clearly see and reflect on personal goals and the legacy you want. It also helps guide decisions and keeps one true to their purpose.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">My son, family, minorities that have come before me, and the next generation of leaders drives my purpose. I believe success is a gift, and I want to use my gift to improve the lives of others. I keep pictures in my office of family, historical pictures of our first store, and our founder and students who interned at Publix to keep me focused on what's important. They keep me grounded, and I recognize that it isn't about self &#8212; it's for a greater purpose. This provides reinforcement to persevere.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Lastly, find a mentor, a sponsor, and prot&#233;g&#233;s. These are all different people that are important for your journey. A sponsor assumes the role of speaking on your behalf. They often have a seat at the table and value the contributions you bring. They see your potential before you see it in yourself. A mentor is closer to you, meets with you regularly to advise and invest in your development. Having prot&#233;g&#233;s allows you to invest in others, helping them grow and develop. A journey traveled with others is always more meaningful.</p></div><div class="return"><a href="#photo-grid" class="noHighlight svelte-en2lo4"><h5 class="return svelte-en2lo4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="feather feather-chevron-up svelte-bka31n" style="transform: rotate(0deg);"><g><polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15"></polyline></g></svg> Back to top </h5></a></div></div></li><li id="veronica-braker" class="li-accordion-wrapper svelte-en2lo4"><input type="checkbox" unchecked class="svelte-en2lo4"> <i class="svelte-en2lo4"></i> <p class="svelte-en2lo4"></p><h2 class="accordion-title svelte-en2lo4">Veronica Braker</h2> <div class="description svelte-en2lo4"><div class="accordion-hed svelte-en2lo4"><h4 class="accordion-job-title svelte-en2lo4">SVP, Global Operations at Archer Daniels Midland</h4></div><a href="#photo-grid"><img class="headshot-full svelte-en2lo4" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/veronica-braker.jpg" alt="Headshot of Veronica Braker"></a> <div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">What's the best career advice you ever received? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">My best advice came from a senior leader early in my career. I was a new leader, and I had this suffocating fear of failure. I was often uncomfortable when interacting with senior leaders because I didn't want to make a mistake.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">After a meeting, this leader pulled me aside, and he told me, &#8220;Never let them see you sweat.&#8221; This turned into a great discussion about confidence. I had always assumed that leaders had to have all the answers. He taught me that while it's important to be competent, it's OK to be vulnerable, as no one has all the answers.</p></div><div class="return"><a href="#photo-grid" class="noHighlight svelte-en2lo4"><h5 class="return svelte-en2lo4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="feather feather-chevron-up svelte-bka31n" style="transform: rotate(0deg);"><g><polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15"></polyline></g></svg> Back to top </h5></a></div></div></li><li id="ann-marie-campbell" class="li-accordion-wrapper svelte-en2lo4"><input type="checkbox" unchecked class="svelte-en2lo4"> <i class="svelte-en2lo4"></i> <p class="svelte-en2lo4"></p><h2 class="accordion-title svelte-en2lo4">Ann-Marie Campbell</h2> <div class="description svelte-en2lo4"><div class="accordion-hed svelte-en2lo4"><h4 class="accordion-job-title svelte-en2lo4">EVP, US Stores & International Operations at The Home Depot</h4></div><a href="#photo-grid"><img class="headshot-full svelte-en2lo4" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/ann-marie-campbell.jpg" alt="Headshot of Ann-Marie Campbell"></a> <div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">Is there anything you would do differently if you could go back to the beginning of your professional career? What is the lesson? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Early on in my career, there were times where I felt pigeonholed or lacked the confidence to take the next step in my career. It wasn't until I received encouragement from my mentors that I unlocked my potential and began to grow. I learned to show up, keep up, and speak up daily.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Once I became more confident in myself, I was able to take on many different challenges and positions across the company.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">So if I could give my younger self advice, I would tell myself to be more confident. And when you make a mistake or face a challenge, to learn quickly and move on.</p></div><div class="return"><a href="#photo-grid" class="noHighlight svelte-en2lo4"><h5 class="return svelte-en2lo4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="feather feather-chevron-up svelte-bka31n" style="transform: rotate(0deg);"><g><polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15"></polyline></g></svg> Back to top </h5></a></div></div></li><li id="karen-s-carter" class="li-accordion-wrapper svelte-en2lo4"><input type="checkbox" unchecked class="svelte-en2lo4"> <i class="svelte-en2lo4"></i> <p class="svelte-en2lo4"></p><h2 class="accordion-title svelte-en2lo4">Karen S. Carter</h2> <div class="description svelte-en2lo4"><div class="accordion-hed svelte-en2lo4"><h4 class="accordion-job-title svelte-en2lo4">Chief HR Officer & Chief Inclusion Officer at Dow Chemical Co.</h4></div><a href="#photo-grid"><img class="headshot-full svelte-en2lo4" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/karen-s-carter.jpg" alt="Headshot of Karen S. Carter"></a> <div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">As a Black woman, when did you realize you had "made it" in a white, male-dominated corporate America? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">I am incredibly proud and honored to be the first Black woman officer at Dow, but my mission is to make sure I am not the only and I am not the last.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">The reality is it has taken companies too long to get women to the C-suite &#8212; especially women of color. For example, less than 7% of Fortune 500 CEOs are women, and only three are women of color.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">There are several reasons for this, including culture and the lack of a diverse pipeline. It's important to cultivate corporate cultures where inclusion and equity are not just programs or initiatives but are business imperatives that are built into the fabric of the way companies operate and how they hold themselves accountable. When inclusion and equity exist in corporate cultures, programs, policies, practices, and behaviors, you can build a more diverse pipeline.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">As I think about my own journey, there have been critical moments that I believe made a difference: when I moved to Asia and worked as a general manager, when I became the commercial vice president for Dow's largest business in the largest region, and when I became Dow's first ever chief inclusion officer reporting directly to the CEO.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">What may surprise you is that each of these opportunities was less about me climbing the corporate ladder and more about my leveraging my career to fulfill my life's purpose: make the biggest difference possible with the time I have on the planet. My career allowed me to maximize my influence to help as many people as possible, be a visible example (because representation matters), and utilize my position to open doors and provide opportunities for others.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">So, you ask, when did I realize I had &#8220;made it&#8221;? I would contend I haven't &#8220;made it&#8221; until everyone has a fair chance to compete, everyone feels and is included, and I look back at a pipeline that is robust, diverse, and represents all talent. In other words, I will not have &#8220;made it,&#8221; until we have all &#8220;made it."</p></div><div class="return"><a href="#photo-grid" class="noHighlight svelte-en2lo4"><h5 class="return svelte-en2lo4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="feather feather-chevron-up svelte-bka31n" style="transform: rotate(0deg);"><g><polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15"></polyline></g></svg> Back to top </h5></a></div></div></li><li id="kerry-chandler" class="li-accordion-wrapper svelte-en2lo4"><input type="checkbox" unchecked class="svelte-en2lo4"> <i class="svelte-en2lo4"></i> <p class="svelte-en2lo4"></p><h2 class="accordion-title svelte-en2lo4">Kerry Chandler</h2> <div class="description svelte-en2lo4"><div class="accordion-hed svelte-en2lo4"><h4 class="accordion-job-title svelte-en2lo4">Chief HR Officer at Endeavor</h4></div><a href="#photo-grid"><img class="headshot-full svelte-en2lo4" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/kerry-chandler.jpg" alt="Headshot of Kerry Chandler"></a> <div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">What's the best advice to young Black women and men who aspire to your level of power, influence, or paycheck? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Well, my advice is not tied to an aspiration of pay or power but to an aspiration of purpose, which can take some time to discover.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Focus on how you want to make a difference in this life. It's never too early to start the journey of discovering your purpose as the first step in being able to make a difference.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Purpose is not discovered through your position but through living a life of authenticity, in both your career and your personal life. It took some time, but I discovered that my purpose is about creating positive change, which I've learned can only occur through the formation of rich and authentic relationships.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Forming such relationships requires being bold enough to give of your heart and your soul. It means accepting vulnerability as a true human emotion, being courageous, and using your voice to have those difficult conversations.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">To do so may mean we risk how we are seen and heard and, ultimately, how we are accepted. It may also mean the risk of putting yourself in a lonely place because others are often not willing to go to that place of conflict where change happens.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">But vulnerability begets vulnerability, and courage begets courage. And I've learned that when our fellow colleagues &#8212; including the many white men in power &#8212; are willing to meet me on the bridge, it is courage that can move mountains and make beauty happen.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Being a Black woman in corporate America is often excruciatingly lonely. But it is also empowering when I give all that I have and use my voice to speak up when so many others do not have the access to do so. So give of yourself, use your voice, be vulnerable and courageous. The positive change that can happen when you do so reaps rewards beyond measure.</p></div><div class="return"><a href="#photo-grid" class="noHighlight svelte-en2lo4"><h5 class="return svelte-en2lo4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="feather feather-chevron-up svelte-bka31n" style="transform: rotate(0deg);"><g><polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15"></polyline></g></svg> Back to top </h5></a></div></div></li><li id="titi-cole" class="li-accordion-wrapper svelte-en2lo4"><input type="checkbox" unchecked class="svelte-en2lo4"> <i class="svelte-en2lo4"></i> <p class="svelte-en2lo4"></p><h2 class="accordion-title svelte-en2lo4">Titi Cole</h2> <div class="description svelte-en2lo4"><div class="accordion-hed svelte-en2lo4"><h4 class="accordion-job-title svelte-en2lo4">Global Head of Operations & Fraud Prevention; Chief Client Officer, Consumer Banking at Citi</h4></div><a href="#photo-grid"><img class="headshot-full svelte-en2lo4" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/titi-cole.jpg" alt="Headshot of Titi Cole"></a> <div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">What's the best career advice you ever received? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">The best career advice has come from my female mentors, beginning with Ronke Bammeke, who urged me to pursue my MBA at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management, despite my concerns about moving so far away and leaving behind a promising career at Guaranty Trust Bank in Lagos, Nigeria.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Ronke showed me the importance of taking a &#8220;bet&#8221; on myself and the power of embracing change &#8212; growth happens when you step out of your comfort zone. Her advice opened up the world to me: I spent a summer interning in Australia, and after graduation I worked and traveled extensively across North America and Europe as a consultant with McKinsey & Co.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">I left McKinsey to take on my first P&L role at BMO Harris Bank, where Sandra Hanington quickly became another mentor. Shortly after she hired me, a reorganization positioned me for a bigger role working for someone else. I hesitated, but Sandra reminded me of the importance of leaning into change and challenge.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">This mindset later gave me the confidence to question the status quo while developing new products and, four years ago, to leave a P&L role to oversee operations. I sought operations experience for the enormous insight it has provided me into the heartbeat of the organization, leading the tens of thousands of colleagues who serve our clients every day. A willingness to embrace change again gave me the confidence last year to join Citi in the middle of a global pandemic.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Stepping out of your comfort zone helps you learn something new, and over the years, it has kept me curious, energized, and humble. It has also helped me expand my network and created opportunities to broaden my impact as a leader.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">This is advice that I now share as a mentor. While many transitions come with some level of uncertainty and the risk of failure, you should feel confident in your abilities &#8212; and take that &#8220;bet&#8221; on yourself, knowing that if you put in the hard work, you can learn, adapt, and thrive through change.</p></div><div class="return"><a href="#photo-grid" class="noHighlight svelte-en2lo4"><h5 class="return svelte-en2lo4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="feather feather-chevron-up svelte-bka31n" style="transform: rotate(0deg);"><g><polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15"></polyline></g></svg> Back to top </h5></a></div></div></li><li id="deneen-donnley" class="li-accordion-wrapper svelte-en2lo4"><input type="checkbox" unchecked class="svelte-en2lo4"> <i class="svelte-en2lo4"></i> <p class="svelte-en2lo4"></p><h2 class="accordion-title svelte-en2lo4">Deneen Donnley</h2> <div class="description svelte-en2lo4"><div class="accordion-hed svelte-en2lo4"><h4 class="accordion-job-title svelte-en2lo4">SVP, General Counsel at Con Edison</h4></div><a href="#photo-grid"><img class="headshot-full svelte-en2lo4" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/deneen-donnley.jpg" alt="Headshot of Deneen Donnley"></a> <div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">What's your best advice to young Black women and men who aspire to your level of leadership? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Despite my career progression, if I had it to do it all over, I'd be more confident in my abilities during my work life's earliest phases. I'd rely more heavily upon the individuals and groups who provide communities of support.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Since moving to New York City and working at Con Edison, I've encountered professional support networks in abundance and have benefited deeply from engaging those communities on a more frequent basis. The concept of having a &#8220;kitchen cabinet&#8221; &#8212; friends, counselors, and other professionals whose varied opinions you value and respect &#8212; is part of embracing that community.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">My best advice for young people is to tap into communities of support, recognize and embrace the importance of being confident and taking risks, don't be afraid to try, and don't be afraid to fail, because if you're afraid to fail, you will never try anything.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Learn from every experience, and apply a standard of excellence. Hold yourself to it in everything you do. Be honest, with yourself and others. Build relationships: Remember how important it is to engage others when you don't need anything from them.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Don't hesitate to take full advantage of the community that's here to help you grow and thrive. And when you make it &#8212; and you will &#8212; remember where you came from and open the door for others.</p></div><div class="return"><a href="#photo-grid" class="noHighlight svelte-en2lo4"><h5 class="return svelte-en2lo4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="feather feather-chevron-up svelte-bka31n" style="transform: rotate(0deg);"><g><polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15"></polyline></g></svg> Back to top </h5></a></div></div></li><li id="thasunda-duckett" class="li-accordion-wrapper svelte-en2lo4"><input type="checkbox" unchecked class="svelte-en2lo4"> <i class="svelte-en2lo4"></i> <p class="svelte-en2lo4"></p><h2 class="accordion-title svelte-en2lo4">Thasunda Duckett</h2> <div class="description svelte-en2lo4"><div class="accordion-hed svelte-en2lo4"><h4 class="accordion-job-title svelte-en2lo4">CEO, Chase Consumer Banking at JPMorgan Chase</h4></div><a href="#photo-grid"><img class="headshot-full svelte-en2lo4" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/thasunda-duckett.jpg" alt="Headshot of Thasunda Duckett"></a> <div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">What's your best advice to young Black women and men who aspire to your level of power, influence, or paycheck? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">It's important to have people on your side who believe in you and your purpose. And that doesn't just mean the CEO or your manager. Mentors are all around you. Look to the left and right. Those are the relationships that matter just as much, if not more: your relationship with your peers and equals. These are the people who will advocate on your behalf and will help build (and defend) your reputation and personal brand.</p></div><div class="return"><a href="#photo-grid" class="noHighlight svelte-en2lo4"><h5 class="return svelte-en2lo4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="feather feather-chevron-up svelte-bka31n" style="transform: rotate(0deg);"><g><polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15"></polyline></g></svg> Back to top </h5></a></div></div></li><li id="debbie-dyson" class="li-accordion-wrapper svelte-en2lo4"><input type="checkbox" unchecked class="svelte-en2lo4"> <i class="svelte-en2lo4"></i> <p class="svelte-en2lo4"></p><h2 class="accordion-title svelte-en2lo4">Debbie Dyson</h2> <div class="description svelte-en2lo4"><div class="accordion-hed svelte-en2lo4"><h4 class="accordion-job-title svelte-en2lo4">President, National Account Services at ADP</h4></div><a href="#photo-grid"><img class="headshot-full svelte-en2lo4" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/debbie-dyson.jpg" alt="Headshot of Debbie Dyson"></a> <div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">What's your best advice to young Black women and men who aspire to your level of power, influence, or paycheck? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">It is imperative to drive consistency in your own performance so that it never wavers from your true authentic self. By doing that, others will always know what to expect, and it ensures that the conversations for and about you never waver.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">These are the key attributes to always bring to the table and stay grounded in.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">&#8226;Be heard for what you say and why you say it &#8212; stand behind your words. Don't let someone else speak for you.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">&#8226;Be honest with your capabilities and confident in your abilities.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">&#8226;Show up and be seen by showcasing the skills you possess &#8212; why are you there?</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">&#8226;Be additive to a conversation and not disruptive. Never talk to just talk. </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">&#8226;Be memorable, not remembered.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">&#8226;Making lasting impressions last.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">&#8226;Drive outcomes with sustainable results.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">&#8226;And lastly, be recognized and respected for your contributions.</p></div><div class="return"><a href="#photo-grid" class="noHighlight svelte-en2lo4"><h5 class="return svelte-en2lo4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="feather feather-chevron-up svelte-bka31n" style="transform: rotate(0deg);"><g><polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15"></polyline></g></svg> Back to top </h5></a></div></div></li><li id="aicha-s-evans" class="li-accordion-wrapper svelte-en2lo4"><input type="checkbox" unchecked class="svelte-en2lo4"> <i class="svelte-en2lo4"></i> <p class="svelte-en2lo4"></p><h2 class="accordion-title svelte-en2lo4">Aicha S. Evans</h2> <div class="description svelte-en2lo4"><div class="accordion-hed svelte-en2lo4"><h4 class="accordion-job-title svelte-en2lo4">CEO at Zoox</h4></div><a href="#photo-grid"><img class="headshot-full svelte-en2lo4" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/aicha-s-evans.jpg" alt="Headshot of Aicha S. Evans"></a> <div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">What is the best career advice you ever received? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">When I was at Intel, I was fortunate to be mentored by Andy Grove, third employee and eventual CEO of Intel. He gave me the best advice I've heard, especially today: &#8220;In a crisis, bad companies die, good companies survive, great companies thrive.&#8221;</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">As with, I'm sure, the rest of the world, 2020 was an incredibly challenging year for Zoox and myself personally. When the first shelter-in-place orders were put in place, my immediate thought was: &#8220;Zoox is done.&#8221;</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">But in the hardest of times, I found myself coming back to Andy's words and telling myself that Zoox will emerge from this situation stronger.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">It ended up being self-fulfilling. At the end of the year, Zoox found the perfect partner for us, Amazon, and we successfully showcased the world's first driving purpose-built robotaxi capable of operating up to 75 mph. This also included more than 100 safety innovations that aren't in traditional cars &#8212; an incredible engineering feat.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">The journey was hard, but it also pushed us to think creatively, lean on each other, and cut away the nonessential work. I'm grateful for his advice, since it encouraged me to persevere and build a resiliency in myself and Zoox that carried us through the year.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Now, I share my own version of this advice to others: Strengthen your resiliency muscles by raising your hand for the hard problems. You will either succeed, or you will learn. You will not fail either way.</p></div><div class="return"><a href="#photo-grid" class="noHighlight svelte-en2lo4"><h5 class="return svelte-en2lo4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="feather feather-chevron-up svelte-bka31n" style="transform: rotate(0deg);"><g><polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15"></polyline></g></svg> Back to top </h5></a></div></div></li><li id="rhonda-ferguson" class="li-accordion-wrapper svelte-en2lo4"><input type="checkbox" unchecked class="svelte-en2lo4"> <i class="svelte-en2lo4"></i> <p class="svelte-en2lo4"></p><h2 class="accordion-title svelte-en2lo4">Rhonda Ferguson</h2> <div class="description svelte-en2lo4"><div class="accordion-hed svelte-en2lo4"><h4 class="accordion-job-title svelte-en2lo4">EVP, Chief Legal Officer, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary at Allstate</h4></div><a href="#photo-grid"><img class="headshot-full svelte-en2lo4" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/rhonda-ferguson.jpg" alt="Headshot of Rhonda Ferguson"></a> <div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">What's the best career advice you ever received? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Be coachable. From the start of my career, I found value in looking to my &#8220;board of directors&#8221; for insight and feedback. I'm referring to the close-knit inner circle who have helped me to make the right personal and professional decisions.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">My board of directors includes my husband and children, close friends, and others who share my values such as perseverance, resilience, and spiritual faith.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">I have achieved success by seeking input early and often from my personal board, and I trust their feedback. They believe in me, care about me, and challenge me to step outside my comfort zone, which has emboldened me to take risks and reach new heights in my career.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Additionally, I don't take myself too seriously, and that keeps me grounded and real. I have written and own my narrative, and I make a conscious effort to stay positive, seek joy, and be grateful, empathetic and fun. </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">So ask yourself: Who sits on your personal board of directors? Seek out the counsel of those who will encourage and support but also push and challenge you when you need it most. Be coachable.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">And be sure to give back as well. To be an effective member of someone else's personal board, you must share honestly the life lessons you've learned and encourage the development of deep, lasting relationships. Serve as a mentor, especially when your experiences enable you to make a difference, as I do with first-generation African American college students and graduates. </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Life is full of opportunities to help others by using your unique gifts, talents, and voice &#8212; and don't forget to laugh along the way.</p></div><div class="return"><a href="#photo-grid" class="noHighlight svelte-en2lo4"><h5 class="return svelte-en2lo4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="feather feather-chevron-up svelte-bka31n" style="transform: rotate(0deg);"><g><polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15"></polyline></g></svg> Back to top </h5></a></div></div></li><li id="pia-flanagan" class="li-accordion-wrapper svelte-en2lo4"><input type="checkbox" unchecked class="svelte-en2lo4"> <i class="svelte-en2lo4"></i> <p class="svelte-en2lo4"></p><h2 class="accordion-title svelte-en2lo4">Pia Flanagan</h2> <div class="description svelte-en2lo4"><div class="accordion-hed svelte-en2lo4"><h4 class="accordion-job-title svelte-en2lo4">COO, CEO Action for Racial Equity and Chief of Staff to the CEO at MassMutual</h4></div><a href="#photo-grid"><img class="headshot-full svelte-en2lo4" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/pia-flanagan.jpg" alt="Headshot of Pia Flanagan"></a> <div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">Is there anything you would do differently if you could go back to the beginning of your professional career? What is the lesson? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">I've learned many lessons throughout my career, and one that most resonates with me is the value of relationships. I grew up in an environment where I didn't have lawyers or corporate professionals to look up to or learn from. I had to learn the soft skills and unwritten rules of corporate America while I was on the job.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Early on in my career, I didn't fully appreciate the importance of relationship building and networking. I thought that hard work was the surefire path to success and that your efforts will be recognized.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">The reality is that who you know is just as important &#8212; if not more important &#8212; than what you know. It's vital to focus on building and maintaining a presence outside of the office, because that's where you create the space for future opportunities. It's how you develop relationships with individuals, whether within or outside of your company, who make sure you're being included in conversations about high-potential talent, job opportunities, or speaking engagements.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">As an introvert, building these relationships required focus and intentionality. As a Black woman, I faced the additional challenge of not having people in my organization who looked like me.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">I received feedback that I was too reserved, and that isn't often seen as a trait for strong leadership. I soon learned that while you don't need to be an extrovert to succeed, you do need to develop relationships that will be critical to your success. For me, this involved stepping out of my comfort zone and forcing myself to engage with new and different people.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">It's important to identify your blind spots early and foster connections that you can tend to and grow over the course of your career. One way to do this is getting involved in associations where you can meet like-minded peers in your professional space. Taking on a leadership role will help you build even stronger connections in those spaces. Whether it's attending events, investing in a career coach, or finding a mentor or sponsor, I came to realize that early investment in relationship building is a game changer.</p></div><div class="return"><a href="#photo-grid" class="noHighlight svelte-en2lo4"><h5 class="return svelte-en2lo4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="feather feather-chevron-up svelte-bka31n" style="transform: rotate(0deg);"><g><polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15"></polyline></g></svg> Back to top </h5></a></div></div></li><li id="camille-chang-gilmore" class="li-accordion-wrapper svelte-en2lo4"><input type="checkbox" unchecked class="svelte-en2lo4"> <i class="svelte-en2lo4"></i> <p class="svelte-en2lo4"></p><h2 class="accordion-title svelte-en2lo4">Camille Chang Gilmore</h2> <div class="description svelte-en2lo4"><div class="accordion-hed svelte-en2lo4"><h4 class="accordion-job-title svelte-en2lo4">Chief DEI Officer at Boston Scientific</h4></div><a href="#photo-grid"><img class="headshot-full svelte-en2lo4" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/camille-chang-gilmore.jpg" alt="Headshot of Camille Chang Gilmore"></a> <div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">As a Black woman, when did you realize you had "made it" in a white, male-dominated corporate America? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">When someone asks how I &#8220;made it,&#8221; I can honestly tell them I don't believe I have. One of my mentors taught me that you will never &#8220;arrive&#8221; if you're in continual pursuit of growth. If you think you're there, you definitely aren't, but you have probably lost sight of who you are. Who I am is always striving.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">I focus on servant leadership &#8212; giving more of myself for others than for my own gain. As a Black Jamaican Chinese woman, I stand on the shoulders of those who came before me in very real ways. I also carry the weight of a lot of people on my shoulders, but I've learned that it's OK to carry it. As a Black woman, I can't afford to make mistakes. If I do risk failure, I have to fail fast and recover faster &#8212; but I try to use that knowledge as fuel.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Humility and grace remind me that carrying that weight is part of reaching a certain level of success &#8212; carrying that weight means performing a service I have earned for others. That can mean living with the pressure to always make a good first impression as a Black woman in business, knowing that the impression I leave may be imprinted on someone's mind as their definition of Black womanhood. Or it may mean dropping off snacks at a shelter for Black youth with my husband over the weekend, to help kids who haven't caught a break. It may even mean deciding to pray for detractors who may see me only through the damaging filter of their own prejudice, when they choose to see my mere presence as a threat.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">If humility is accepting that we can always push ourselves further, grace is seeking to understand the experiences of those around us &#8212; or when we can't understand them, to send them off on their journey, rather than engage in a toxic dialogue. As my mom taught me, grace reminds us of who we are and what life is all about, and I'll always be grateful for that.</p></div><div class="return"><a href="#photo-grid" class="noHighlight svelte-en2lo4"><h5 class="return svelte-en2lo4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="feather feather-chevron-up svelte-bka31n" style="transform: rotate(0deg);"><g><polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15"></polyline></g></svg> Back to top </h5></a></div></div></li><li id="karen-hale" class="li-accordion-wrapper svelte-en2lo4"><input type="checkbox" unchecked class="svelte-en2lo4"> <i class="svelte-en2lo4"></i> <p class="svelte-en2lo4"></p><h2 class="accordion-title svelte-en2lo4">Karen Hale</h2> <div class="description svelte-en2lo4"><div class="accordion-hed svelte-en2lo4"><h4 class="accordion-job-title svelte-en2lo4">VP & Deputy General Counsel at AbbVie</h4></div><a href="#photo-grid"><img class="headshot-full svelte-en2lo4" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/karen-hale.jpg" alt="Headshot of Karen Hale"></a> <div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">What's your best advice to young Black women and men who aspire to your level of power, influence, or paycheck? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">First and foremost, I would say not to focus on a level of power, influence, or paycheck but instead focus on doing something that you absolutely love.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Second, focus on doing that with people you like, respect, and share the same values as you. If you do those things with genuine passion and enjoyment, you will be set up to excel, and you'll be recognized and rewarded for your contributions.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">I love what I do and the people with whom I work at AbbVie. As vice president and deputy general counsel, I have fun every day because I am passionate about my work, endlessly curious, and I enjoy my time with coworkers. In addition to my litigation work, I also lead racial-equity philanthropic initiatives that seek to bring lasting and real change to help secure quality education, jobs, healthcare, and justice for underserved Black communities.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Throughout my career at AbbVie, I have been fortunate that my talent was recognized, and I was rewarded, which would not have happened had I not found my unique calling and the right fit for me. I encourage all young people to pursue a career that brings them joy and to surround themselves with those they respect.</p></div><div class="return"><a href="#photo-grid" class="noHighlight svelte-en2lo4"><h5 class="return svelte-en2lo4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="feather feather-chevron-up svelte-bka31n" style="transform: rotate(0deg);"><g><polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15"></polyline></g></svg> Back to top </h5></a></div></div></li><li id="kimberley-harris" class="li-accordion-wrapper svelte-en2lo4"><input type="checkbox" unchecked class="svelte-en2lo4"> <i class="svelte-en2lo4"></i> <p class="svelte-en2lo4"></p><h2 class="accordion-title svelte-en2lo4">Kimberley Harris</h2> <div class="description svelte-en2lo4"><div class="accordion-hed svelte-en2lo4"><h4 class="accordion-job-title svelte-en2lo4">EVP of Comcast Corp. & General Counsel at NBCUniversal</h4></div><a href="#photo-grid"><img class="headshot-full svelte-en2lo4" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/kimberley-harris.jpg" alt="Headshot of Kimberley Harris"></a> <div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">What's the best career advice you ever received? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">When I was a young lawyer, I was singularly focused on making partner at my law firm in the typical time frame of eight years and was concerned that having children and taking maternity leave would slow me down. I went to a senior woman partner at my law firm to seek her advice, and she asked me a simple but profound question: &#8220;Why are you in a rush?&#8221; </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Her advice was to take my time and make the career decisions that worked for me. It was the best advice I ever received because I stopped focusing on reaching specific career milestones in a specific time frame based on conventional wisdom and instead focused on making career decisions that were both professionally rewarding and worked with my life. </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">That approach ultimately led to the career opportunity of a lifetime: working in the Obama administration, first in the Justice Department and ultimately at the White House as a deputy White House counsel. It was an unplanned detour from my private-practice path but an incredible professional experience that changed the trajectory of my career.</p></div><div class="return"><a href="#photo-grid" class="noHighlight svelte-en2lo4"><h5 class="return svelte-en2lo4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="feather feather-chevron-up svelte-bka31n" style="transform: rotate(0deg);"><g><polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15"></polyline></g></svg> Back to top </h5></a></div></div></li><li id="val-harris" class="li-accordion-wrapper svelte-en2lo4"><input type="checkbox" unchecked class="svelte-en2lo4"> <i class="svelte-en2lo4"></i> <p class="svelte-en2lo4"></p><h2 class="accordion-title svelte-en2lo4">Val Harris</h2> <div class="description svelte-en2lo4"><div class="accordion-hed svelte-en2lo4"><h4 class="accordion-job-title svelte-en2lo4">SVP Design, Product Development, Trend, & Global Services at JCPenney</h4></div><a href="#photo-grid"><img class="headshot-full svelte-en2lo4" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/val-harris.jpg" alt="Headshot of Val Harris"></a> <div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">What is the best career advice you ever received? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">The best career advice I have gleaned has truly come from my lived experiences. It's a time to reflect on how and why something happened, then understand what you can do to be better prepared in the future.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">A defining moment in my career was when I was terminated from JCPenney in 2012 during a company repositioning. I had been working here for 34 years in various levels of responsibility, and while my performance was not in question, I was unexpectedly terminated from the company. I had grown up and relocated with this company, and this was the place that had provided me with many opportunities for growth.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">The termination gave me time to breathe and reflect. I learned that I had not been completely true to myself and had been operating under the &#8220;corporate mask.&#8221; I was eventually rehired by JCPenney &#8212; what I call &#8220;phase two&#8221; of my career &#8212; and since then, I have repositioned myself to be unapologetically me. This includes being transparent with my team, asking the questions others may not want to ask, fighting for what's right, and demonstrating vulnerability. The advice I give myself and others is: You have a chance every day to show up and be your authentic self &#8212; if it makes others uncomfortable, let them make the adjustment. That doesn't mean be rude or inappropriate; it means you deserve to operate without second-guessing your every move or filtering every thought because you're female or because you're Black.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Upon my rehire, I put a mannequin in my office that remained undressed. That was my daily reminder to be authentic, don't get comfortable, and don't make others comfortable. In addition, that experience taught me to always be prepared for whatever twists and turns my career may take or decisions the company may make. We all perform better when we operate from a more authentic place and without fear of the future.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">I believe that everything does happen for a reason &#8212; fast-forward to today, and that growth period and experience prepared me for life's new challenges and being able to now navigate corporate life with a neurological disease that is impacting my vocals and mobility. It's a liberating place to be when your mindset and your preparedness allows you to just be you.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">&#8220;She is clothed in strength and dignity and she laughs without fear of the future.&#8221; &#8212; Proverbs 31:25</p></div><div class="return"><a href="#photo-grid" class="noHighlight svelte-en2lo4"><h5 class="return svelte-en2lo4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="feather feather-chevron-up svelte-bka31n" style="transform: rotate(0deg);"><g><polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15"></polyline></g></svg> Back to top </h5></a></div></div></li><li id="cheryl-harris" class="li-accordion-wrapper svelte-en2lo4"><input type="checkbox" unchecked class="svelte-en2lo4"> <i class="svelte-en2lo4"></i> <p class="svelte-en2lo4"></p><h2 class="accordion-title svelte-en2lo4">Cheryl Harris</h2> <div class="description svelte-en2lo4"><div class="accordion-hed svelte-en2lo4"><h4 class="accordion-job-title svelte-en2lo4">Chief Procurement Officer at Allstate</h4></div><a href="#photo-grid"><img class="headshot-full svelte-en2lo4" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/cheryl-harris.jpg" alt="Headshot of Cheryl Harris"></a> <div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">What was the most challenging personal moment that illustrates the hardship of being a Black woman in corporate America? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">About 10 years ago, I got an incredible opportunity to lead Allstate's procurement strategy, but there was a catch. The HQ was more than an hour north of our house on the South Side of Chicago &#8212; the one with deep roots, the one where we raised our children, a home where the doors were always open and the bicycles piled up outside. It was our family's anchor and I was heartbroken.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">I remember the encouragement of a close friend saying, "Cheryl, you have to do this. You have to go.&#8221;</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">In order to succeed as a Black woman in corporate America, I felt a pull to get in earlier, stay later, work harder. I had made those sacrifices for my career over the years, but I didn't want to move. My friend insisted, &#8220;Leaving people behind is OK because you can help a new group of people now."</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">So we left the house, but I didn't leave my people behind.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">For me, the decision to move allowed me to not only advance my career but also to inspire and support the next generation of people who look like me. It brought me to a company where I make an impact through my work. I see racial equity increase here because our leaders understand it's about more than just chasing a number: It's about changing a mindset. It's about putting the right people with the right skills in the right roles. </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">If you look at corporate America, you'll see a few more people now who look like me, but how do we keep the momentum? In the era of remote work, we don't necessarily have to move away from home to make a difference. Instead, our role is to speak up to move people and companies out of their comfort zones. So let's keep moving forward, together.</p></div><div class="return"><a href="#photo-grid" class="noHighlight svelte-en2lo4"><h5 class="return svelte-en2lo4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="feather feather-chevron-up svelte-bka31n" style="transform: rotate(0deg);"><g><polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15"></polyline></g></svg> Back to top </h5></a></div></div></li><li id="salene-hitchcock-gear" class="li-accordion-wrapper svelte-en2lo4"><input type="checkbox" unchecked class="svelte-en2lo4"> <i class="svelte-en2lo4"></i> <p class="svelte-en2lo4"></p><h2 class="accordion-title svelte-en2lo4">Salene Hitchcock-Gear</h2> <div class="description svelte-en2lo4"><div class="accordion-hed svelte-en2lo4"><h4 class="accordion-job-title svelte-en2lo4">President, Individual Life Insurance at Prudential Financial</h4></div><a href="#photo-grid"><img class="headshot-full svelte-en2lo4" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/salene-hitchcock-gear.jpg" alt="Headshot of Salene Hitchcock-Gear"></a> <div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">What's your best advice to young Black women and men who aspire to your level of power, influence, or paycheck? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">In today's environment, it's more important than ever to network with others in your industry and create relationships in the workplace. Skills, talent, and enthusiasm are a winning formula for success in any career, but meaningful opportunities rarely present themselves to people who are not socially engaging.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">This can include an occasional lunch or coffee &#8212; even virtually &#8212; as well as formal mentorships or coaching arrangements. While you don't have to &#8220;overshare,&#8221; you certainly should round out your work-related skills and attributes with enough personal details so that people feel like they know you.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Simple things such as whether you come from a big or small family, have a favorite sports team or hobby, or any other information that you are comfortable sharing will give people around you a fuller sense of who you are and creates stronger working relationships.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">This is foundational for success for many, but is more important for young Black professionals who may not always have as many opportunities to engage on a more informal level. Make it a point to get to know people, and let them get to know you.</p></div><div class="return"><a href="#photo-grid" class="noHighlight svelte-en2lo4"><h5 class="return svelte-en2lo4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="feather feather-chevron-up svelte-bka31n" style="transform: rotate(0deg);"><g><polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15"></polyline></g></svg> Back to top </h5></a></div></div></li><li id="ramona-hood" class="li-accordion-wrapper svelte-en2lo4"><input type="checkbox" unchecked class="svelte-en2lo4"> <i class="svelte-en2lo4"></i> <p class="svelte-en2lo4"></p><h2 class="accordion-title svelte-en2lo4">Ramona Hood</h2> <div class="description svelte-en2lo4"><div class="accordion-hed svelte-en2lo4"><h4 class="accordion-job-title svelte-en2lo4">President & CEO, FedEx Custom Critical at FedEx</h4></div><a href="#photo-grid"><img class="headshot-full svelte-en2lo4" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/ramona-hood.jpg" alt="Headshot of Ramona Hood"></a> <div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">What's your best advice to young Black women and men who aspire to your level of power,influence, or paycheck? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">My 28-year journey to CEO of FedEx Custom Critical has taught me three important lessons inadvancing your career to the next level: Be intentional with your career, prepare to getcomfortable with the uncomfortable, and build your personal board of directors.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Be sure to set a direction and develop a road map to ensure you stay on track with your careergoals. Your decisions should be focused on those goals. Continue to grow and stretch yourselfso that you are moving out of your comfort zone, into environments that challenge and growyour skill set.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Build a personal board of directors. These directors are people who have authority to advocatefor you for your next career opportunity. Having individuals who are mentors, coaches, andsponsors can directly impact your career trajectory. Start with a mentor &#8212; a person who canhelp navigate your career. Mentors understand your goals and can give you the properguidance. A coach can help you sharpen your skill set. Once you have identified your careergoals, a sponsor can advocate for career advancement.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Your board of directors can evolve. Your board will grow and change as your career aspirationsdevelop and/or you advance in your career. When you are intentional with your career, part ofthat is building relationships with people outside of your organization.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Once you reach that success, your viewpoint might again evolve. My undefined dream ofsuccess I had as a child has evolved. I now define success as being able to have a positive effecton others, helping them grow and reach their full potential. I challenge young Black women andmen to never stop learning &#8212; never stop growing.</p></div><div class="return"><a href="#photo-grid" class="noHighlight svelte-en2lo4"><h5 class="return svelte-en2lo4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="feather feather-chevron-up svelte-bka31n" style="transform: rotate(0deg);"><g><polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15"></polyline></g></svg> Back to top </h5></a></div></div></li><li id="rosilyn-houston" class="li-accordion-wrapper svelte-en2lo4"><input type="checkbox" unchecked class="svelte-en2lo4"> <i class="svelte-en2lo4"></i> <p class="svelte-en2lo4"></p><h2 class="accordion-title svelte-en2lo4">Rosilyn Houston</h2> <div class="description svelte-en2lo4"><div class="accordion-hed svelte-en2lo4"><h4 class="accordion-job-title svelte-en2lo4">Senior EVP, Chief Talent & Culture Executive at BBVA Compass</h4></div><a href="#photo-grid"><img class="headshot-full svelte-en2lo4" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/rosilyn-houston.jpg" alt="Headshot of Rosilyn Houston"></a> <div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">What's your best advice to young Black women and men who aspire to your level of power, influence, or paycheck? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">I would tell these ambitious young men and women not to be consumed with a quest for personal success. Being successful is absolutely fulfilling, but I would ask these individuals to consider the definition of success, and more so how to get there. Success takes many forms, and it's not always expressed in power, influence, or paycheck.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">In my experience, success, whatever your definition of it, is the result of three things.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">First is consistently doing the right thing, followed by working at the highest level of your personal ability and finally showing up each and every day with the goal to make an impact, whether that's in the lives of those around you or in your work. Success is a natural outcropping of these things. </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Ultimately, the real success &#8212; and satisfaction in it &#8212; comes from how you make a difference in the lives of people you lead, those that lead you, and the organization for which you work. It is impossible to rise to the top and achieve success without the inspired believers who are willing to serve alongside you to bring about change. You cultivate these inspired believers by making a difference in their lives and helping them fulfill their potential. That's how you find success.</p></div><div class="return"><a href="#photo-grid" class="noHighlight svelte-en2lo4"><h5 class="return svelte-en2lo4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="feather feather-chevron-up svelte-bka31n" style="transform: rotate(0deg);"><g><polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15"></polyline></g></svg> Back to top </h5></a></div></div></li><li id="attica-jacques" class="li-accordion-wrapper svelte-en2lo4"><input type="checkbox" unchecked class="svelte-en2lo4"> <i class="svelte-en2lo4"></i> <p class="svelte-en2lo4"></p><h2 class="accordion-title svelte-en2lo4">Attica Jaques</h2> <div class="description svelte-en2lo4"><div class="accordion-hed svelte-en2lo4"><h4 class="accordion-job-title svelte-en2lo4">Head of Global Brand Marketing, Consumer Apps at Google/Alphabet</h4></div><a href="#photo-grid"><img class="headshot-full svelte-en2lo4" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/attica-jacques.jpg" alt="Headshot of Attica Jaques"></a> <div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">As a Black woman, when did you realize you had "made it" in a white, male-dominated corporate America? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">I am always on a constant journey of learning and growing. I've never had a moment of feeling like I've &#8220;made it.&#8221; I tend to take on challenges that make me feel slightly uncomfortable or have an element of the unknown &#8212; that's when we experience the most growth and transformation.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">This is evident in my heading up marketing in Japan and Asia, or pivoting from sport and fashion to tech. I will feel like I've &#8220;made it&#8221; when we normalize underrepresented people in positions of power and when there is more equal representation of women in all fields at all levels.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">So I haven't made it until we all make it.</p></div><div class="return"><a href="#photo-grid" class="noHighlight svelte-en2lo4"><h5 class="return svelte-en2lo4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="feather feather-chevron-up svelte-bka31n" style="transform: rotate(0deg);"><g><polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15"></polyline></g></svg> Back to top </h5></a></div></div></li><li id="zabrina-jenkins" class="li-accordion-wrapper svelte-en2lo4"><input type="checkbox" unchecked class="svelte-en2lo4"> <i class="svelte-en2lo4"></i> <p class="svelte-en2lo4"></p><h2 class="accordion-title svelte-en2lo4">Zabrina Jenkins</h2> <div class="description svelte-en2lo4"><div class="accordion-hed svelte-en2lo4"><h4 class="accordion-job-title svelte-en2lo4">SVP, Deputy General Counsel at Starbucks</h4></div><a href="#photo-grid"><img class="headshot-full svelte-en2lo4" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/zabrina-jenkins.jpg" alt="Headshot of Zabrina Jenkins"></a> <div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">What's the best career advice you ever received? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">My dad always told me: &#8220;The best doesn't come easy. That's why there's nothing else like it.&#8221; Those words have always rung true in my life, and I reflect upon them often.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">As a leader, a lawyer, and a partner (what Starbucks calls its employees), I always strive to do my best, but I also recognize that as humans, we are never done learning. Being the best doesn't mean you're an expert on everything &#8212; it means through challenges, you welcome the opportunity to grow and build your tool kit to better prepare yourself for the next situation.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">In my experience, it has been in the times when I have pushed myself outside of my comfort zone where I have learned the most. You don't realize it at the time, but it's in how you navigate unfamiliar territory and find solutions that you grow the most and define yourself. So embrace the challenge, surround yourself with people who have diversity of thought and experience, and recognize you don't need to know everything on your own. You can be the best without being the best at everything.</p></div><div class="return"><a href="#photo-grid" class="noHighlight svelte-en2lo4"><h5 class="return svelte-en2lo4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="feather feather-chevron-up svelte-bka31n" style="transform: rotate(0deg);"><g><polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15"></polyline></g></svg> Back to top </h5></a></div></div></li><li id="susan-somersille-johnson" class="li-accordion-wrapper svelte-en2lo4"><input type="checkbox" unchecked class="svelte-en2lo4"> <i class="svelte-en2lo4"></i> <p class="svelte-en2lo4"></p><h2 class="accordion-title svelte-en2lo4">Susan Somersille Johnson</h2> <div class="description svelte-en2lo4"><div class="accordion-hed svelte-en2lo4"><h4 class="accordion-job-title svelte-en2lo4">CMO at Prudential Financial</h4></div><a href="#photo-grid"><img class="headshot-full svelte-en2lo4" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/susan-somersille-johnson.jpg" alt="Headshot of Susan Somersille Johnson"></a> <div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">What is the best piece of career advice you ever received? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">The best piece of career advice I ever received was that you need to be in the room even when you are not in the room.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">This was passed down to me by a female mentor who helped me early in my career. A former employer hosted a mentoring program that paired us with female leaders from other companies, so she was both wise in her counsel and not involved in the day-to-day business or politics of my company.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">She explained to me that most of the really important decisions about our careers are happening behind closed doors, so it's crucial to build a presence and a profile that will keep you top of mind with decision-makers even when not physically in front of them.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">To do this, you need to connect with &#8212; and become real to &#8212; as many leaders in your organization as possible. As my career progressed, I became extremely methodical and intentional about building relationships, regularly setting up meetings whether in my home office or another city or country. I went into the conversations eager to learn more about these leaders and found they were equally interested in learning more about me and my work.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">My natural tendency was to shy away from speaking about myself and my projects because I didn't want this to be seen as self-promotion. With time, and more conversations, it became clear that there was a double benefit to sharing my work. The people I met with offered new insights and fresh perspectives that made me better at my job, and they took away a deeper understanding of my capabilities and thought processes.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Many people hate networking, but I deliberately sought out leaders who I admired and respected so the meetings always felt exciting for me rather than onerous. I always learned a huge amount about the company, my role, and the industries I worked within.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Following this advice has paid dividends many times in my career. One of the most pivotal career breaks I ever received was from an executive who I had never met, who lived halfway around the world, but had received a recommendation from someone else I had connected with. When I got the call offering me a new role, it felt as if it came out of the blue, when, in fact, it came from my taking a methodical approach to being in the room even when I wasn't in the room.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">This piece of advice has been so powerful for me that regularly connecting with people whom I admire is something I do still to this day. I am less focused these days about doing this to advance my career and more focused on staying fresh in my own thinking and challenging my perspective.</p></div><div class="return"><a href="#photo-grid" class="noHighlight svelte-en2lo4"><h5 class="return svelte-en2lo4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="feather feather-chevron-up svelte-bka31n" style="transform: rotate(0deg);"><g><polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15"></polyline></g></svg> Back to top </h5></a></div></div></li><li id="kimberly-johnson" class="li-accordion-wrapper svelte-en2lo4"><input type="checkbox" unchecked class="svelte-en2lo4"> <i class="svelte-en2lo4"></i> <p class="svelte-en2lo4"></p><h2 class="accordion-title svelte-en2lo4">Kimberly Johnson</h2> <div class="description svelte-en2lo4"><div class="accordion-hed svelte-en2lo4"><h4 class="accordion-job-title svelte-en2lo4">EVP & COO at Fannie Mae</h4></div><a href="#photo-grid"><img class="headshot-full svelte-en2lo4" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/kimberly-johnson.jpg" alt="Headshot of Kimberly Johnson"></a> <div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">What's your best advice to young Black women and men who aspire to your level of power, influence, or paycheck? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">My advice to early career professionals, particularly young Black women and men, is first and foremost to do your current job well. The most reliable way to advance is to demonstrate a track record of high performance.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">The next most important aspect of advancement is to make yourself replaceable. Developing strong successors enables you to take advantage of opportunities that may arise.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">The last piece of the puzzle for moving up the ladder is forgetting about the ladder. Every move doesn't have to be straight toward the top. Lateral moves can be great ways to broaden your skill set and gain business experience. Plus, working in different areas of the company can help you increase your organizational empathy and create more optionality for career growth. </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">I also encourage young Black professionals to be authentic at work. Authenticity is critical to creating trust in the workplace, but it's often easier said than done. It may be challenging to show up as our true selves, but people have to know you to trust you. I have also found that talking about ourselves and our experiences is what makes an inclusive and engaged workforce.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Finally, make time to prioritize self-care. I am a big believer that to keep from feeling out of balance, it is essential to make time for yourself and to invest in your friendships. Having friends who show up for you, and who count on you to show up for them, helps to keep it all in perspective.</p></div><div class="return"><a href="#photo-grid" class="noHighlight svelte-en2lo4"><h5 class="return svelte-en2lo4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="feather feather-chevron-up svelte-bka31n" style="transform: rotate(0deg);"><g><polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15"></polyline></g></svg> Back to top </h5></a></div></div></li><li id="suzan-b-kereere" class="li-accordion-wrapper svelte-en2lo4"><input type="checkbox" unchecked class="svelte-en2lo4"> <i class="svelte-en2lo4"></i> <p class="svelte-en2lo4"></p><h2 class="accordion-title svelte-en2lo4">Suzan B. Kereere</h2> <div class="description svelte-en2lo4"><div class="accordion-hed svelte-en2lo4"><h4 class="accordion-job-title svelte-en2lo4">Global Head of Merchant Sales & Acquiring at Visa</h4></div><a href="#photo-grid"><img class="headshot-full svelte-en2lo4" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/suzan-b-kereere.jpg" alt="Headshot of Suzan B. Kereere"></a> <div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">What's your best advice to young Black women and men who aspire to your level of power, influence, or paycheck? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">There is no simple piece of advice that solves the Black experience. It's complex. What I have come to understand is that embracing your difference can be a source of power.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">I grew up with a mother who was often the &#8220;only.&#8221; She was the first person in her family to start a business and one of a few women who worked outside the home. I learned from her how to be at peace with tension, how to navigate adversity, and how to thrive when going against the grain.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">As a Black woman in tech, I have lived through my own set of &#8220;only&#8221; experiences. Constantly having to orient my world view to that of others, a spotlight always shined on me. It wasn't always a good one and not one I asked for. There was also plenty of rejection and isolation. The first few times it felt awful &#8212; walking away is not easy and, of course, you can't walk away from yourself.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">I realized that moving forward meant going against the grain, so I embraced the habits I had formed to manage my differences, using my ability to see both sides of a problem to become a stronger negotiator, empathetic leadership to curate people with difference, always stirring the pot, and pushing others to join me in the constructive tension where innovation flourishes.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Seeking out opportunities to go against the grain even further, great personal satisfaction and professional success is found when taking the most underserved, undervalued segments and turning them to significance. Whether advocating for female entrepreneurs, going overseas to emerging markets or taking complex jobs, I raise my hand for opportunities to stay uncomfortable. Most importantly, I make sure to be chasing more: to do meaningful work, to give back, to contribute. Purpose sustains passion; passion fuels success.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">My mother was resilient. She went against all the norms, with plenty of failings along the way. Each one was a learning that widened the net for me. I hope my experiences will cast the net even further giving the next generation the courage to take bold risks and embrace their &#8220;only."</p></div><div class="return"><a href="#photo-grid" class="noHighlight svelte-en2lo4"><h5 class="return svelte-en2lo4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="feather feather-chevron-up svelte-bka31n" style="transform: rotate(0deg);"><g><polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15"></polyline></g></svg> Back to top </h5></a></div></div></li><li id="rose-stuckey-kirk" class="li-accordion-wrapper svelte-en2lo4"><input type="checkbox" unchecked class="svelte-en2lo4"> <i class="svelte-en2lo4"></i> <p class="svelte-en2lo4"></p><h2 class="accordion-title svelte-en2lo4">Rose Stuckey Kirk</h2> <div class="description svelte-en2lo4"><div class="accordion-hed svelte-en2lo4"><h4 class="accordion-job-title svelte-en2lo4">Chief Corporate Social Responsibility Officer at Verizon</h4></div><a href="#photo-grid"><img class="headshot-full svelte-en2lo4" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/rose-stuckey-kirk.jpg" alt="Headshot of Rose Stuckey Kirk"></a> <div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">Is there anything you would do differently if you could go back to the beginning of your professional career? What is the lesson? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">I have always been a hard-working, make-it-happen type of person, but it took me too long to embrace the power and advantages of one specific skill: networking.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Early on, if I had learned to network more effectively, I would have found supporters, sponsors, and helpers a lot sooner.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">My biggest lesson from this is that there often are many people rooting for you. Learning to reach out and network allows you to meet them sooner and allows them to have a more hands-on role in helping you grow.</p></div><div class="return"><a href="#photo-grid" class="noHighlight svelte-en2lo4"><h5 class="return svelte-en2lo4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="feather feather-chevron-up svelte-bka31n" style="transform: rotate(0deg);"><g><polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15"></polyline></g></svg> Back to top </h5></a></div></div></li><li id="natalie-lamarque" class="li-accordion-wrapper svelte-en2lo4"><input type="checkbox" unchecked class="svelte-en2lo4"> <i class="svelte-en2lo4"></i> <p class="svelte-en2lo4"></p><h2 class="accordion-title svelte-en2lo4">Natalie Lamarque</h2> <div class="description svelte-en2lo4"><div class="accordion-hed svelte-en2lo4"><h4 class="accordion-job-title svelte-en2lo4">SVP & General Counsel at New York Life Insurance</h4></div><a href="#photo-grid"><img class="headshot-full svelte-en2lo4" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/natalie-lamarque.jpg" alt="Headshot of Natalie Lamarque"></a> <div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">What was the most challenging personal moment that illustrates the hardship of being a Black woman in corporate America? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">The question presupposes one defining experience. But for me and many others, it has been a smorgasbord of negative experiences which start at a young age. This includes outsize discipline or criticism for behavior frequently exhibited by children in the majority and low expectations coupled with moments of shock and awe when mundane tasks are accomplished. Unfortunately, these are experiences I now relive through my two sons. There were variations on this theme throughout my education.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">When I moved into professional life, certain undermining experiences occurred with frequency: (1) having my counterpart speak directly to my subordinate (usually a white male) assuming he was the decision-maker when I, the Black woman, was; (2) being mistaken for support staff; (3) receiving looks of confusion when I stated my title. These are but a few examples.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">On my first day as an Assistant United States Attorney in Manhattan, I went to court to watch another AUSA complete an arraignment proceeding. When I began to introduce myself to my colleague, he barely made eye contact and directed me to another table. He then asked that I provide a report on the defendant. My confusion led to his frustration, and he sharply asked again. &#8220;I am a new AUSA,&#8221; I explained, &#8220;and I am here to watch you do an arraignment.&#8221; &#8220;Oh, sorry, then I guess you should sit over by me at the government's table,&#8221; he responded with surprise. </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">This experience may seem minor, but some iteration of that moment where people assumed I was anything but an AUSA happened so regularly over the course of my tenure that I didn't have the luxury of outrage. Rather, I used these experiences to identify true allies and we focused our energy on supporting each other.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Why articulate these challenging personal moments? Two reasons. </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">First, to highlight how commonplace these slights and diminutions are and to show that despite the hurt they cause, ultimately, they are not determinative if and only if we surround ourselves with allies, supporters, and those that help sustain us. </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Second, to speak directly to other Black women who have had similar experiences &#8212; a sort of Michelle Obama/Kamala Harris &#8220;finger-point&#8221; moment &#8212; I see you, I am here, now go out and be great because you are.</p></div><div class="return"><a href="#photo-grid" class="noHighlight svelte-en2lo4"><h5 class="return svelte-en2lo4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="feather feather-chevron-up svelte-bka31n" style="transform: rotate(0deg);"><g><polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15"></polyline></g></svg> Back to top </h5></a></div></div></li><li id="erika-brown-lee" class="li-accordion-wrapper svelte-en2lo4"><input type="checkbox" unchecked class="svelte-en2lo4"> <i class="svelte-en2lo4"></i> <p class="svelte-en2lo4"></p><h2 class="accordion-title svelte-en2lo4">Erika Brown Lee</h2> <div class="description svelte-en2lo4"><div class="accordion-hed svelte-en2lo4"><h4 class="accordion-job-title svelte-en2lo4">SVP, Assistant General Counsel, Privacy & Data Protection at Mastercard</h4></div><a href="#photo-grid"><img class="headshot-full svelte-en2lo4" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/erika-brown-lee.jpg" alt="Headshot of Erika Brown Lee"></a> <div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">What's the best career advice you ever received? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">The best piece of career advice I've received came from a mentor when I was beginning my journey in the legal profession. It was to remember to keep my eyes on the horizon: A career path isn't always linear, but if I continue to deliver top-notch work product and keep the ship pointed in the right direction, the hard work will pay off.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">If it hadn't been for that advice, I might not have gotten into privacy. It was a fairly new field at the time, and many were surprised that I would leave a more senior position to take a more junior position in a lesser-known area of law. &#8220;Why would you want to do that?&#8221; was a common question people asked. But I was excited about the challenge, willing to put in the work, and ready to expand my skill set. Most importantly, I believed that no matter what, the direction was a good one and that the path would serve me well. All these years later, the field continues to be incredibly simulating, and the continued hard work has led to multiple opportunities for advancement. And I still look forward to the horizon.</p></div><div class="return"><a href="#photo-grid" class="noHighlight svelte-en2lo4"><h5 class="return svelte-en2lo4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="feather feather-chevron-up svelte-bka31n" style="transform: rotate(0deg);"><g><polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15"></polyline></g></svg> Back to top </h5></a></div></div></li><li id="patricia-lewis" class="li-accordion-wrapper svelte-en2lo4"><input type="checkbox" unchecked class="svelte-en2lo4"> <i class="svelte-en2lo4"></i> <p class="svelte-en2lo4"></p><h2 class="accordion-title svelte-en2lo4">Patricia Lewis</h2> <div class="description svelte-en2lo4"><div class="accordion-hed svelte-en2lo4"><h4 class="accordion-job-title svelte-en2lo4">EVP & Chief HR Officer at UnitedHealth Group</h4></div><a href="#photo-grid"><img class="headshot-full svelte-en2lo4" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/patricia-lewis.jpg" alt="Headshot of Patricia Lewis"></a> <div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">What's the best career advice you ever received? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">The best advice I ever received was to take risks and embrace challenging roles. Too often, we tend to stay in our comfort zones, focusing on jobs that are familiar and aligned to our current skills. One of my mentors encouraged me to never take the easy way out. It's OK to be slightly scared of a daunting challenge, which is a mindset that has guided me throughout my career. </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Taking risks comes in many forms. I've accepted roles that have required me to lead widespread change across an organization, implement new and progressive talent strategies, and fix organizational deficiencies.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">As a Black female leader, I've also embraced joining organizations in which there were few people of color in senior management. I found these roles challenged me to sharpen my influencing skills, introduce new ways of thinking, and enable cultures that lead to more diverse and inclusive workforces.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">I also believe that mission-driven organizations provide depth to my work, knowing that I am contributing to goals that seek to improve society. This was one of the main reasons I was attracted to my current role as chief human-resources officer at UnitedHealth Group. Looking back now at my first year with the company, the challenge of supporting a global healthcare workforce of 330,000 during a pandemic certainly was the ultimate stretch assignment.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">From a personal standpoint, I've learned to be comfortable with being a pioneer of new ideas, making bold decisions that may conflict with conventional views, and staying true to my belief system. I've had the chance to relocate eight times over the course of 25 years for the right opportunities. When you accept the vulnerability that comes from taking risks and being uncomfortable, it can lead to rewarding growth &#8212; professionally and personally.</p></div><div class="return"><a href="#photo-grid" class="noHighlight svelte-en2lo4"><h5 class="return svelte-en2lo4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="feather feather-chevron-up svelte-bka31n" style="transform: rotate(0deg);"><g><polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15"></polyline></g></svg> Back to top </h5></a></div></div></li><li id="pam-lifford" class="li-accordion-wrapper svelte-en2lo4"><input type="checkbox" unchecked class="svelte-en2lo4"> <i class="svelte-en2lo4"></i> <p class="svelte-en2lo4"></p><h2 class="accordion-title svelte-en2lo4">Pam Lifford</h2> <div class="description svelte-en2lo4"><div class="accordion-hed svelte-en2lo4"><h4 class="accordion-job-title svelte-en2lo4">President, Warner Bros. Global Brands, Franchises & Experiences at Warner Bros.</h4></div><a href="#photo-grid"><img class="headshot-full svelte-en2lo4" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/pam-lifford.jpg" alt="Headshot of Pam Lifford"></a> <div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">What's the best career advice you ever received? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">A very smart man asked me two questions at the age of 15. The first was, &#8220;What race are you?&#8221;</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">At 15, it gave me pause because I thought he knew what race I was. I said, "I'm Black." And he said, "OK."</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">The man then asked, "What are you? Are you a male or a female?"</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">I said, "Well, of course, I'm a female." He replied, "OK. All that means is that you might need to run a little faster and jump a little higher to get to the starting line. But once you're there, you're just like everybody else &#8212; you're equal."</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">At the time, I didn't quite understand what he was saying. But as I matured, I knew what he meant: Be prepared and know your value. Your life should be filled with preparation, and once you really know your value, you'll build self-confidence. And with that, you'll be able to withstand the challenges of feeling that even though your looks might set you apart from others, knowing your value is your truth, your center. And no one, not even your boss, can take that away.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">So when I put my feet on the ground every morning, I get up and I go to work for myself. I don't get up and go to work for my boss or the company. I work for Pam. I get up being my best self and delivering my best work, and no matter what the outcome is, I'm comfortable. I'm OK with the negative and the positive because what I've done is given my very best.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">If you pull all these things together, that is what success means for me. It means personal self-value and your own placement in the world.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">My father was a very smart man.</p></div><div class="return"><a href="#photo-grid" class="noHighlight svelte-en2lo4"><h5 class="return svelte-en2lo4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="feather feather-chevron-up svelte-bka31n" style="transform: rotate(0deg);"><g><polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15"></polyline></g></svg> Back to top </h5></a></div></div></li><li id="nino-marapachi" class="li-accordion-wrapper svelte-en2lo4"><input type="checkbox" unchecked class="svelte-en2lo4"> <i class="svelte-en2lo4"></i> <p class="svelte-en2lo4"></p><h2 class="accordion-title svelte-en2lo4">Ninon Marapachi</h2> <div class="description svelte-en2lo4"><div class="accordion-hed svelte-en2lo4"><h4 class="accordion-job-title svelte-en2lo4">Managing Director; Head of Asset Manager Relationships, Investment Solutions Group at Bank of America</h4></div><a href="#photo-grid"><img class="headshot-full svelte-en2lo4" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/ninon-marapachi.jpg" alt="Headshot of Ninon Marapachi"></a> <div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">What was the most challenging personal moment that illustrates the hardship of being a Black woman in corporate America? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">I'm originally from Tanzania, where my family lived in poverty. Our home had no running water, electricity, windows, or doors. I worked incredibly hard in school and was one of two students in the country selected to attend an international high school in Norway. I then received a scholarship to attend Mount Holyoke College in the US, and while in college, I interned at Merrill through SEO, an organization that helps diverse students secure internships on Wall Street and other top companies. SEO is a great organization that I continue to support today.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">In order to stay in the US after graduation, I had to secure a job offer and graduate early. I pitched a senior Merrill executive for a job with a clear deadline, and on the day of the deadline, the offer came through. I have been growing and advancing my career at Merrill ever since. Recently, I was promoted to head of asset-manager relationships for the investment-solutions group.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">From completing high school in a foreign country speaking a foreign language to crossing an ocean with only $20 in my pocket and having to graduate early and secure a job to maintain my Visa, I have faced many obstacles on my journey. I attribute my ability to overcome these obstacles and success to working incredibly hard toward specific goals.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Two goals kept me focused and driven. First, I want to help my family back in Tanzania. My success has afforded them many advancements, such as a new house, a car, and education for my siblings. Honestly, failure was never an option for me because of this.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Second, I want to inspire others to overcome obstacles and strive for success. A lot of people out there might not believe someone with my background can be where I am today, but I'm proof that with hard work, clear goals, and the support of a great company, anything is possible.</p></div><div class="return"><a href="#photo-grid" class="noHighlight svelte-en2lo4"><h5 class="return svelte-en2lo4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="feather feather-chevron-up svelte-bka31n" style="transform: rotate(0deg);"><g><polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15"></polyline></g></svg> Back to top </h5></a></div></div></li><li id="charlon-mcintosh" class="li-accordion-wrapper svelte-en2lo4"><input type="checkbox" unchecked class="svelte-en2lo4"> <i class="svelte-en2lo4"></i> <p class="svelte-en2lo4"></p><h2 class="accordion-title svelte-en2lo4">Charlon McIntosh</h2> <div class="description svelte-en2lo4"><div class="accordion-hed svelte-en2lo4"><h4 class="accordion-job-title svelte-en2lo4">SVP, Group and Military Segment Service and Business Operations at Humana</h4></div><a href="#photo-grid"><img class="headshot-full svelte-en2lo4" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/charlon-mcintosh.jpg" alt="Headshot of Charlon McIntosh"></a> <div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">What was the most challenging personal moment that illustrates the hardship of being a Black woman in corporate America? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">There are many personal moments to which I can point that illustrate the hardships of being a Black woman in corporate America. While the marks left from these moments are often indelible, put into perspective and in isolation, many of these moments could be considered rather insignificant. The true hardship and stress can come from the persistence and the aggregation of these moments/microaggressions over time.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">One such microaggression is that of mistaken identity. In a prior role, my organization would host annual events for our executive clients. As one of the senior leaders on the team, I was expected to attend the events along with my peers and my boss, the division president. During the welcome dinner for one of the sessions, a customer approached me and said, &#8220;You're who answers the phone when I call. Nice to finally meet you!&#8221; I knew I had never spoken to this person before, and in that moment I realized he had mistaken me for my boss' administrative assistant. As the only Black woman in the room, I did not fit the description of an &#8220;executive,&#8221; so I had to be something other than.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">This certainly was not the first time in corporate America that I had been mistaken for something other than an executive, and it would not be the last. As a Black female executive, it can be challenging to assume my rightful place in the room when I am not who others expect. The hardship is not created the first time nor the last time this happens &#8212; it is all of the times added together. However, strength and motivation are often born out of hardship. These moments teach me that my role as a leader is less likely to be presumed and I have to be confident enough in who I am to assume that rightful place whether others expect me there or not.</p></div><div class="return"><a href="#photo-grid" class="noHighlight svelte-en2lo4"><h5 class="return svelte-en2lo4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="feather feather-chevron-up svelte-bka31n" style="transform: rotate(0deg);"><g><polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15"></polyline></g></svg> Back to top </h5></a></div></div></li><li id="suzan-morno-wade" class="li-accordion-wrapper svelte-en2lo4"><input type="checkbox" unchecked class="svelte-en2lo4"> <i class="svelte-en2lo4"></i> <p class="svelte-en2lo4"></p><h2 class="accordion-title svelte-en2lo4">Suzan Morno-Wade</h2> <div class="description svelte-en2lo4"><div class="accordion-hed svelte-en2lo4"><h4 class="accordion-job-title svelte-en2lo4">EVP & Chief HR Officer at Xerox</h4></div><a href="#photo-grid"><img class="headshot-full svelte-en2lo4" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/suzan-morno-wade.jpg" alt="Headshot of Suzan Morno-Wade"></a> <div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">What was the most challenging personal moment that illustrates the hardship of being a Black woman in corporate America? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Early in my career, I was selected to be part of a development program and was thrilled to be part of this elite group. But I quickly learned my inclusion was not welcomed by the program leader. Comments like &#8220;you need extra help&#8221; or &#8220;you are lucky to be here&#8221; were frequently mentioned. They were always said privately, accompanied by a feigned smile. </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">I soon discovered similar comments had been said to another woman, a Mexican woman, whom I will call Anna. It did not take much time for Anna and me to form a strong friendship, and we decided to complete a required make-or-break project as part of this program. We worked diligently for months and had mentors who were always willing to hear our ideas, answer questions, and provide guidance. We were confident our proposal was sound.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Judging our plan was a panel of executives. During our pitch, we answered every tough question. At the end, drenched in anticipation and pride, the oddest thing happened. The panel met privately, came back, and decided that our proposal needed to be fact-checked.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Anticipation and pride were replaced by shock. I remember wondering if I had heard them correctly. Of course, we knew this was our work, down to the selection of the baby-blue cover sheets and 2-inch spiral binder. We quickly came to discover ours was the only pitch questioned. </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Ultimately, the truth prevailed. The panel confirmed the business plan was ours. We later learned through a source that our pitch was one of the best seen in years: redemption &#8212; you would think. Nonetheless, this event damaged our confidence and sense of worth.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">As leaders, we must remember we have a tremendous gift. We have the power to not only influence one's career but to shatter one's confidence with our words and actions. Use this gift to empower and build up young professionals, especially women and people of color.</p></div><div class="return"><a href="#photo-grid" class="noHighlight svelte-en2lo4"><h5 class="return svelte-en2lo4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="feather feather-chevron-up svelte-bka31n" style="transform: rotate(0deg);"><g><polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15"></polyline></g></svg> Back to top </h5></a></div></div></li><li id="tamla-oliver" class="li-accordion-wrapper svelte-en2lo4"><input type="checkbox" unchecked class="svelte-en2lo4"> <i class="svelte-en2lo4"></i> <p class="svelte-en2lo4"></p><h2 class="accordion-title svelte-en2lo4">Tamla Olivier</h2> <div class="description svelte-en2lo4"><div class="accordion-hed svelte-en2lo4"><h4 class="accordion-job-title svelte-en2lo4">Chief Customer Officer, Senior Vice President, Customer Operations at Exelon</h4></div><a href="#photo-grid"><img class="headshot-full svelte-en2lo4" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/tamla-oliver.jpg" alt="Headshot of Tamla Olivier"></a> <div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">What is the best career advice you've ever received? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">&#8220;Ask for what you want to get what you need.&#8221;</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">My whole career changed when I put this advice into practice. I had worked in human resources for many years, rising to vice president and overseeing HR efforts for Constellation's commercial retail and wholesale businesses and enterprise risk management for Exelon. I was comfortable in my craft, solid in my skills. But I got the itch to stretch myself, to move into the business side of the organization and try something new.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">What if I failed? The thought of it made me feel unsettled and uncomfortable. Choosing success can be scary. But FEAR is just False Evidence Appearing Real. It can cripple us if we allow ourselves to listen to it. I listened to my own voice instead.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">&#8220;You have taken many different risks at work and in your personal life,&#8221; I told myself. &#8220;You've always made it work. Why would this be any different?&#8221; </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">And then I asked for what I wanted. I told the CEO and president of retail I was ready to move into a business role. Within a few months, I was leading BGE Home as president and CEO. My career has continued to grow from there, with the help of my community of family, friends, and sponsors who were willing to place bets on me and strong relationships with people of different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">As professional men and women of color, we can't hope that if we put our heads down and work really hard people will simply notice it and make great things happen for us. It just doesn't work that way. So ask for that assignment. Ask for help when you need it. Ask for career development, expanded roles, and compensation commensurate with your contributions. Don't let discomfort disable you. Speak up &#8212; closed mouths don't get fed.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">And dream big. As Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the first woman president of Liberia, famously said, &#8220;If your dreams do not scare you, they are not big enough.&#8221; Now go out, be great, and slay.</p></div><div class="return"><a href="#photo-grid" class="noHighlight svelte-en2lo4"><h5 class="return svelte-en2lo4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="feather feather-chevron-up svelte-bka31n" style="transform: rotate(0deg);"><g><polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15"></polyline></g></svg> Back to top </h5></a></div></div></li><li id="lisa-opoku" class="li-accordion-wrapper svelte-en2lo4"><input type="checkbox" unchecked class="svelte-en2lo4"> <i class="svelte-en2lo4"></i> <p class="svelte-en2lo4"></p><h2 class="accordion-title svelte-en2lo4">Lisa Opoku</h2> <div class="description svelte-en2lo4"><div class="accordion-hed svelte-en2lo4"><h4 class="accordion-job-title svelte-en2lo4">Managing Director, Global COO, Engineering at Goldman Sachs Group</h4></div><a href="#photo-grid"><img class="headshot-full svelte-en2lo4" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/lisa-opoku.jpg" alt="Headshot of Lisa Opoku"></a> <div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">What's the best career advice you ever received? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Everyone should continuously measure their own performance to better understand if they are meeting expectations. Each day, you should be able to determine how much value you've added and rate yourself accordingly.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">If you had a good day, continue to push yourself to succeed, but if you fell short, be open to challenging yourself to accomplish more in the future. On an annual basis, when it's time to close out the year, consider these accomplishments a distant memory, start over, and begin to demonstrate your value again.</p></div><div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4"> Is there anything you would do differently if you could go back to the beginning of your professional career? What is the lesson? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">I would encourage myself to be more confident in taking risks in my career. There were many opportunities presented to me that were outside of my comfort zone, but I didn't take any major risks until I moved to Asia later in my career journey.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">I believe the lesson is to be confident in what you bring to each role and to rely on your talents as insurance against the risk. As a friend of mine once advised, &#8220;Sometimes not taking a risk is itself risky.&#8221;</p></div><div class="return"><a href="#photo-grid" class="noHighlight svelte-en2lo4"><h5 class="return svelte-en2lo4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="feather feather-chevron-up svelte-bka31n" style="transform: rotate(0deg);"><g><polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15"></polyline></g></svg> Back to top </h5></a></div></div></li><li id="arielle-patrick" class="li-accordion-wrapper svelte-en2lo4"><input type="checkbox" unchecked class="svelte-en2lo4"> <i class="svelte-en2lo4"></i> <p class="svelte-en2lo4"></p><h2 class="accordion-title svelte-en2lo4">Arielle Patrick</h2> <div class="description svelte-en2lo4"><div class="accordion-hed svelte-en2lo4"><h4 class="accordion-job-title svelte-en2lo4">Chief Communications Officer at Ariel Investments</h4></div><a href="#photo-grid"><img class="headshot-full svelte-en2lo4" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/arielle-patrick.jpg" alt="Headshot of Arielle Patrick"></a> <div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">What's the best career advice you ever received? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">The best piece of advice I got from a mentor early in my career, which has absolutely come true, is: &#8220;Having a plan is a good foundation, but it only takes you so far. Remaining nimble and open is the key to success.&#8221;</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">To me, this has meant that my fear of failure is far outweighed by my capability to exceed my own expectations. All professionals, especially women, should be more receptive to this possibility. Don't shy away from the unexpected.</p></div><div class="return"><a href="#photo-grid" class="noHighlight svelte-en2lo4"><h5 class="return svelte-en2lo4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="feather feather-chevron-up svelte-bka31n" style="transform: rotate(0deg);"><g><polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15"></polyline></g></svg> Back to top </h5></a></div></div></li><li id="cheryl-pegus" class="li-accordion-wrapper svelte-en2lo4"><input type="checkbox" unchecked class="svelte-en2lo4"> <i class="svelte-en2lo4"></i> <p class="svelte-en2lo4"></p><h2 class="accordion-title svelte-en2lo4">Cheryl Pegus</h2> <div class="description svelte-en2lo4"><div class="accordion-hed svelte-en2lo4"><h4 class="accordion-job-title svelte-en2lo4">EVP, Health & Wellness at Walmart</h4></div><a href="#photo-grid"><img class="headshot-full svelte-en2lo4" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/cheryl-pegus.jpg" alt="Headshot of Cheryl Pegus"></a> <div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">What's your best advice to young Black women and men who aspire to your level of power, influence, or paycheck? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">In short, focus on what you can control. While larger problems exist &#8212; such as institutional bias &#8212; these are much more complex issues that we don't have immediate control over. It's our shared responsibility to fight against institutional bias, but the best way to do that is by focusing on what you can directly and immediately impact &#8212; your work, your contributions, and how you show up every day.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">In each moment, you have control over how you present yourself, the effort you put in, the outcome of your work, and the value you add to each conversation or project. By drawing attention to the ways in which you are positively contributing, you are naturally fighting against institutional bias by demonstrating your value.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">This is important regardless of our background, color, religion, etc. This is the best way that we, as individuals, can fight these larger battles &#8212; all while being more fulfilled in your daily life because you are making a difference in the things for which you have direct control.</p></div><div class="return"><a href="#photo-grid" class="noHighlight svelte-en2lo4"><h5 class="return svelte-en2lo4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="feather feather-chevron-up svelte-bka31n" style="transform: rotate(0deg);"><g><polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15"></polyline></g></svg> Back to top </h5></a></div></div></li><li id="tracy-preston" class="li-accordion-wrapper svelte-en2lo4"><input type="checkbox" unchecked class="svelte-en2lo4"> <i class="svelte-en2lo4"></i> <p class="svelte-en2lo4"></p><h2 class="accordion-title svelte-en2lo4">Tracy Preston</h2> <div class="description svelte-en2lo4"><div class="accordion-hed svelte-en2lo4"><h4 class="accordion-job-title svelte-en2lo4">EVP, Chief Legal Officer, Corporate Secretary & Chief Compliance Officer at Neiman Marcus Group</h4></div><a href="#photo-grid"><img class="headshot-full svelte-en2lo4" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/tracy-preston.jpg" alt="Headshot of Tracy Preston"></a> <div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">What's the best career advice you ever received? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">It's not necessarily a single piece of advice but more of a compilation of wisdom gained through my mentorship network and the course of my career.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">&#8226;Be purpose-driven: Work for companies and people whose mission you believe in, where your contribution makes a difference, and with people who believe in you.<div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">&#8226;Build diverse networks, and find mentors that have achieved the position, skills, and outcomes you are interested in achieving.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">&#8226;Ask powerful questions.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">&#8226;Feedback is the breakfast of champions &#8212; embrace it and value failure. While valuing failure may run counterintuitive to what we have been taught about success, if you are committed to defying the odds or producing incredible outcomes, &#8220;No, not that&#8221; is as much a part of the equation toward success as &#8220;More of this&#8221; and &#8220;What's missing&#8221; is to the vision itself.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Rinse, wash, and repeat.</p></div><div class="return"><a href="#photo-grid" class="noHighlight svelte-en2lo4"><h5 class="return svelte-en2lo4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="feather feather-chevron-up svelte-bka31n" style="transform: rotate(0deg);"><g><polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15"></polyline></g></svg> Back to top </h5></a></div></div></li><li id="bridgett-price" class="li-accordion-wrapper svelte-en2lo4"><input type="checkbox" unchecked class="svelte-en2lo4"> <i class="svelte-en2lo4"></i> <p class="svelte-en2lo4"></p><h2 class="accordion-title svelte-en2lo4">Bridgett Price</h2> <div class="description svelte-en2lo4"><div class="accordion-hed svelte-en2lo4"><h4 class="accordion-job-title svelte-en2lo4">Global HR Officer at Marriott International Inc.</h4></div><a href="#photo-grid"><img class="headshot-full svelte-en2lo4" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/bridgett-price.jpg" alt="Headshot of Bridgett Price"></a> <div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">What's the best career advice you ever received? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">The best career advice I have ever received came from my father, who rose to chief master sergeant, the highest rank for an enlisted man in the USAF. First, he told me that I needed to work harder than anyone else because as a minority, nothing was ever going to be given to me. And secondly, he told me not to worry about what others received &#8212; I just always needed to do my best. My dad instilled in me a strong work ethic and the confidence that if I did my best, I could achieve anything. I am so grateful for his advice. I try to pass it on whenever I can.</p></div><div class="return"><a href="#photo-grid" class="noHighlight svelte-en2lo4"><h5 class="return svelte-en2lo4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="feather feather-chevron-up svelte-bka31n" style="transform: rotate(0deg);"><g><polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15"></polyline></g></svg> Back to top </h5></a></div></div></li><li id="shawn-n-purvis" class="li-accordion-wrapper svelte-en2lo4"><input type="checkbox" unchecked class="svelte-en2lo4"> <i class="svelte-en2lo4"></i> <p class="svelte-en2lo4"></p><h2 class="accordion-title svelte-en2lo4">Shawn N. Purvis</h2> <div class="description svelte-en2lo4"><div class="accordion-hed svelte-en2lo4"><h4 class="accordion-job-title svelte-en2lo4">Corporate VP & President of Enterprise Services at Northrop Grumman</h4></div><a href="#photo-grid"><img class="headshot-full svelte-en2lo4" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/shawn-n-purvis.jpg" alt="Headshot of Shawn N. Purvis"></a> <div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">Is there anything you would do differently if you could go back to the beginning of yourprofessional career? What is the lesson? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">If I could go back and speak to my younger self, I would tell me to enjoy the journey, embrace the challenges, and lean into my network. I look back and realize that at times. I was so stressed about not achieving perfection or not having all the answers that I missed the opportunity to appreciate the learning moment that I was in the middle of living.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Whether it be a challenging customer, a discerning boss, or feeling like I did not measure up, with every challenge I faced, I would first find criticism within myself. And yet I always came through the other side better, stronger, and more knowledgeable about how to face the next opportunity. I have learned to believe that while I may not have all the answers, I start from a place of wisdom. I am a collection of all my experiences, and I have the will and tenacity to be anything I put my mind to.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">I also learned that my network was critical. They supported me, partnered with me, and many times were my advocate or sponsor. Earlier in my career, I did not appreciate that your network requires nourishing. It requires you to give as much as you take. Your network should be complex, diverse, and inclusive. It should include those at different levels, different backgrounds, and varying race and gender. A strong network makes you better because you learn from them as they learn from you. Life doesn't always introduce you to the people you want to meet. Sometimes life brings you people who will help you turn into the person you were meant to become.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">My encouragement to all, whether you are beginning, in the middle of, or wrapping up your career, is to live each moment to the fullest. Learn from every mistake and success. Learn to love yourself just a little bit more each day. And create a culture where your team can learn, thrive, and reach their full potential. And don't forget that when you have the opportunity to help, to support, to promote, to be kind, do so.</p></div><div class="return"><a href="#photo-grid" class="noHighlight svelte-en2lo4"><h5 class="return svelte-en2lo4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="feather feather-chevron-up svelte-bka31n" style="transform: rotate(0deg);"><g><polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15"></polyline></g></svg> Back to top </h5></a></div></div></li><li id="desiree-ralls-morrison" class="li-accordion-wrapper svelte-en2lo4"><input type="checkbox" unchecked class="svelte-en2lo4"> <i class="svelte-en2lo4"></i> <p class="svelte-en2lo4"></p><h2 class="accordion-title svelte-en2lo4">Desiree Ralls-Morrison</h2> <div class="description svelte-en2lo4"><div class="accordion-hed svelte-en2lo4"><h4 class="accordion-job-title svelte-en2lo4">SVP, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary at Boston Scientific</h4></div><a href="#photo-grid"><img class="headshot-full svelte-en2lo4" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/desiree-ralls-morrison.jpg" alt="Headshot of Desiree Ralls-Morrison"></a> <div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">What was the most challenging personal moment that illustrates the hardship of being a Black woman in corporate America? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">As I reflect on my career journey, there are many moments when I've experienced the hardship of being a Black woman in America. In two of those moments for me &#8212; one very early in my career and the other much later &#8212; I was treated the same way. Why? Because no matter how successful I had become, I was still a Black woman.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">The first occurred when I was a new lawyer. I was about to take my first deposition and arrived at the opposing law firm's office. As I arrived in the room with the other lawyers, one of the white male partners in the firm said to me, &#8220;Oh, good. I'm glad you're here. Can you get us all coffee?&#8221; I was stunned as I awkwardly explained that I was the lawyer taking the deposition, not an assistant. After the deposition was over, I pulled the partner aside and explained to him how inappropriate his assumption was and how it made me feel. He was shocked and extremely apologetic.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Twenty years later, I was promoted to a high-level position at a major Fortune 500 company, which came with exclusive executive parking-garage perks. As I drove up, the white male parking attendant literally laughed in my face as he explained multiple times that I needed to go to the other parking garage because this one was for the &#8220;higher-ups.&#8221; His clear implication was there was no way I was one of the &#8220;higher-ups.&#8221; A week later, I found myself in his boss' office, where he uncomfortably apologized to me while his boss tried to justify his behavior by blaming the situation on a paperwork mix-up.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Most Black women in corporate America endure this type of disrespect frequently, judiciously determining which battles to fight and which ones to swallow, and yet we still manage to lift up our chins, put our feelings aside, and perform excellent work. These experiences build strength and resilience in Black women; however, I hope that through navigating and sharing these encounters, we are also educating the ignorant and shifting their perception of what a corporate executive looks like in America.</p></div><div class="return"><a href="#photo-grid" class="noHighlight svelte-en2lo4"><h5 class="return svelte-en2lo4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="feather feather-chevron-up svelte-bka31n" style="transform: rotate(0deg);"><g><polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15"></polyline></g></svg> Back to top </h5></a></div></div></li><li id="nadia-rawlinson" class="li-accordion-wrapper svelte-en2lo4"><input type="checkbox" unchecked class="svelte-en2lo4"> <i class="svelte-en2lo4"></i> <p class="svelte-en2lo4"></p><h2 class="accordion-title svelte-en2lo4">Nadia Rawlinson</h2> <div class="description svelte-en2lo4"><div class="accordion-hed svelte-en2lo4"><h4 class="accordion-job-title svelte-en2lo4">Chief People Officer at Slack</h4></div><a href="#photo-grid"><img class="headshot-full svelte-en2lo4" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/nadia-rawlinson.jpg" alt="Headshot of Nadia Rawlinson"></a> <div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">What's the best career advice you ever received? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Some of the best career advice I've received is to keep saying yes &#8212; especially to the nonobvious choice. Too often, I think young professionals can feel pressured to take the &#8220;right&#8221; path toward growing their career. This is particularly true for women and young professionals of color who may feel pressured to tick off certain boxes in order to achieve success commensurate with their white male peers. </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Coming out of my undergraduate degree, I was a history major &#8212; I went to Stanford and I had student loans. But rather than become a professor or pursue my law degree, I decided I was going to go the business route, and I worked at a company that sold nuts, bolts, and screws (wearing steel-toed boots every day). Risks, once you take them, often aren't as risky as you thought from the outside. </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Every unconventional choice you make &#8212; whether that's taking a job overseas, or at a company no one has heard of, or in an industry people aren't familiar with &#8212; gives you a unique experience that ultimately pays off in spades and increases the value you bring to a role.</p></div><div class="return"><a href="#photo-grid" class="noHighlight svelte-en2lo4"><h5 class="return svelte-en2lo4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="feather feather-chevron-up svelte-bka31n" style="transform: rotate(0deg);"><g><polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15"></polyline></g></svg> Back to top </h5></a></div></div></li><li id="farrell-redwine" class="li-accordion-wrapper svelte-en2lo4"><input type="checkbox" unchecked class="svelte-en2lo4"> <i class="svelte-en2lo4"></i> <p class="svelte-en2lo4"></p><h2 class="accordion-title svelte-en2lo4">Farrell Redwine</h2> <div class="description svelte-en2lo4"><div class="accordion-hed svelte-en2lo4"><h4 class="accordion-job-title svelte-en2lo4">SVP, HR at Nordstrom</h4></div><a href="#photo-grid"><img class="headshot-full svelte-en2lo4" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/farrell-redwine.jpg" alt="Headshot of Farrell Redwine"></a> <div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">What's your best advice to young Black women and men who aspire to your level of power,influence, or paycheck? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">I offer three pieces of advice for young Black people entering the workforce &#8212; be your own advocate, have a strong network of mentors, and embrace who you are.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Advocating for yourself is crucial. Believe in yourself, and take the seat at the table if it's been given to you &#8212; and use your voice to share different insights or perspectives that may not otherwise be represented.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">As far as mentorship goes, everyone needs allies and truth tellers you can trust and connect with on a personal and professional level. My father was an incredible mentor for me early in my career, and I learned this lesson from him, which has been core to my career journey &#8212; and priceless. I have made a conscious effort to pass this sage advice forward wherever I've been able.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Lastly, it's not often that I am at a table with others who look like me. It's hard to articulate how that feels, but what it has manifested for me is resiliency, a strong sense of personal agency, and a desire to sponsor and support other Black women on their career journey. My advice is to make career choices that will help you remain true to who you are &#8212; your style, personality, values, and experiences are unique. Do not shy away from who you are for a job.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">One of the things I value about Nordstrom is that we are an organization that fosters a culture of belonging for all employees, and we have recently announced goals to increase diversity throughout all parts of our company &#8212; from the brands we carry to the talent we hire and promote.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">We've spent a lot of time exploring what diversity, inclusion, and belonging should mean at Nordstrom, which helped define our strategy and leader-led approach. The events of 2020 accelerated our work and being more transparent by publicly communicating organizational goals that will drive key actions and outcomes in the next phase of our journey. We're committed to doing the work, being transparent about our progress, listening to feedback, and holding ourselves accountable.</p></div><div class="return"><a href="#photo-grid" class="noHighlight svelte-en2lo4"><h5 class="return svelte-en2lo4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="feather feather-chevron-up svelte-bka31n" style="transform: rotate(0deg);"><g><polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15"></polyline></g></svg> Back to top </h5></a></div></div></li><li id="rashaan-reid" class="li-accordion-wrapper svelte-en2lo4"><input type="checkbox" unchecked class="svelte-en2lo4"> <i class="svelte-en2lo4"></i> <p class="svelte-en2lo4"></p><h2 class="accordion-title svelte-en2lo4">Rashaan Reid</h2> <div class="description svelte-en2lo4"><div class="accordion-hed svelte-en2lo4"><h4 class="accordion-job-title svelte-en2lo4">Managing Director; Head of Global Senior Relationship Management at Bank of America</h4></div><a href="#photo-grid"><img class="headshot-full svelte-en2lo4" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/rashaan-reid.jpg" alt="Headshot of Rashaan Reid"></a> <div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">What's the best career advice you ever received? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Reflecting on my career and the fortunate opportunities I have been blessed to have, I am reminded of a compilation of career advice I've received, and that has guided me. The best one is simply this: Tell your story through your own lens, and don't shy away from sharing your cultural experiences, cultural achievements, and hardships, when relevant, that have made you you.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Conformity is boring. I have learned to lead with my strengths, like my dedicated work ethic and burning desire to learn (not all opportunities came my way fairly, nor with ease); strength of empathy, having experienced injustices personally and as a Black race; strength of relationship building and finding common ground; and strength of &#8220;going for the gold&#8221; because you may only have one shot.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">I try to lead with all those mentioned in my work life, with clients, and in other important areas of my life, as such strengths are important parts of who we are.</p></div><div class="return"><a href="#photo-grid" class="noHighlight svelte-en2lo4"><h5 class="return svelte-en2lo4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="feather feather-chevron-up svelte-bka31n" style="transform: rotate(0deg);"><g><polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15"></polyline></g></svg> Back to top </h5></a></div></div></li><li id="nneka-rimmer" class="li-accordion-wrapper svelte-en2lo4"><input type="checkbox" unchecked class="svelte-en2lo4"> <i class="svelte-en2lo4"></i> <p class="svelte-en2lo4"></p><h2 class="accordion-title svelte-en2lo4">Nneka Rimmer</h2> <div class="description svelte-en2lo4"><div class="accordion-hed svelte-en2lo4"><h4 class="accordion-job-title svelte-en2lo4">President, Global Flavors and Extracts at McCormick & Co.</h4></div><a href="#photo-grid"><img class="headshot-full svelte-en2lo4" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/nneka-rimmer.jpg" alt="Headshot of Nneka Rimmer"></a> <div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">As a Black woman, when did you realize you had "made it" in a white, male-dominated corporate America? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">I remember it as clear as day. At the time, I was a partner at a large consulting company where I felt that every other partner was more accomplished than I was, more successful than I was, and smarter than I was.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Later on during a partner meeting, we were having a discussion that seemed as if it wouldn't end optimally. In the meeting, I gathered my thoughts and offered three reasons why I thought we should do something completely different from where it sounded like we were headed.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">A few minutes later, I further underscored my three points &#8212; reemphasizing one verbatim and nuancing another slightly &#8212; but still reiterating the same three points. And then I waited.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">After the discussion ended, we voted anonymously on which direction we should take, and the result was unanimously in favor of the decision I recommended.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">After the meeting closed, one of my mentors &#8212; a 30-year veteran &#8212; came to me with his hand outstretched to say, &#8220;Thank you for what you said. You changed my mind today.&#8221;</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">When you can influence those that are more accomplished than you, more successful than you, and maybe even smarter than you to do what you think is right &#8212; that's when you've made it.</p></div><div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">What's the best career advice you ever received? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">The best piece of advice I've ever been given is one from a professional mentor. He said I needed to &#8220;Stop trying to bat .600. If I aimed for .400, I'd be a better leader and team member because I would invite ways to make my ideas better.&#8221;</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">At first, I was devastated by the advice. I hadn't been trying to bat .600 &#8212; I was trying to bat .800.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">It took a day to realize he was saying my power was in opening myself to being wrong more, not less.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">The shift was difficult because it required so much trust that my being &#8220;wrong&#8221; wouldn't be judged too harshly. And it required working with amazing leaders who did, in fact, provide space to make ideas better.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">When I accepted his advice and acted on it, it was the shift that unlocked my career.</p></div><div class="return"><a href="#photo-grid" class="noHighlight svelte-en2lo4"><h5 class="return svelte-en2lo4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="feather feather-chevron-up svelte-bka31n" style="transform: rotate(0deg);"><g><polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15"></polyline></g></svg> Back to top </h5></a></div></div></li><li id="lori-robinson" class="li-accordion-wrapper svelte-en2lo4"><input type="checkbox" unchecked class="svelte-en2lo4"> <i class="svelte-en2lo4"></i> <p class="svelte-en2lo4"></p><h2 class="accordion-title svelte-en2lo4">Lori Robinson</h2> <div class="description svelte-en2lo4"><div class="accordion-hed svelte-en2lo4"><h4 class="accordion-job-title svelte-en2lo4">VP, Corporate Communications, Branding & Social Responsibility at McCormick & Co.</h4></div><a href="#photo-grid"><img class="headshot-full svelte-en2lo4" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/lori-robinson.jpg" alt="Headshot of Lori Robinson"></a> <div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">What's the best career advice you ever received? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">The best advice I've ever received came from a male mentor when I first entered the middle-management stage of my marketing career. He told me about the importance of working for a company that respected and valued me for my authentic self. His advice was: &#8220;Ultimately, if you can't bring your full self to work, it's really not worth it.&#8221;</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">As an ambitious, proud African American woman and the mother of young twins, I realized that my &#8220;business-only, buttoned-up, I'm at the top of my game, always polished&#8221; engagement with my mostly white male colleagues was actually emotionally draining.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">That year, I decided to openly share my challenges as a new parent, my career ambitions as one of the only Black women in marketing, my faith, and my love of sports as a former Division I track athlete with my colleagues.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">The true connections I was able to make that year actually propelled my career, and I still maintain many of those relationships today. I was promoted to VP of marketing that very next year. I'll never forget when my mother unexpectedly passed away in 2009 due to kidney failure. The entire executive leadership team of the company showed up for her funeral. They didn't just sign the book and leave, they stayed and met my personal friends and family members. Most importantly, they cared and were there to support me. This truly touched me during one of the most difficult times of my life, and it's one of the reasons I'm still with the company today.</p></div><div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4"> Is there anything you would do differently if you could go back to the beginning of your professional career? What is the lesson? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">When I graduated from Brown University in the late 1980s, business-career opportunities working for Black-owned businesses or for organizations dedicated to helping improve the lives of African Americans were not promoted heavily. Careers in investment banking or consulting were valued much more.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">If I could go back to the beginning of my professional career, I would definitely broaden my career search to include both large and small Black-owned businesses and organizations with community-building missions. Young, talented people entering the workforce today can have a tremendous impact on the world.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">It's not always about how much money you make, it's about loving what you do and being able to make a difference. Our aspirations should not be limited and should include opportunities to serve.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">I eventually found my passion later on in my career, as I now lead global corporate communications and corporate social-responsibility efforts for a global company. Today, I help fund and support hundreds of organizations and causes, including those focused on economic empowerment and social justice. It's the most rewarding work I do.</p></div><div class="return"><a href="#photo-grid" class="noHighlight svelte-en2lo4"><h5 class="return svelte-en2lo4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="feather feather-chevron-up svelte-bka31n" style="transform: rotate(0deg);"><g><polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15"></polyline></g></svg> Back to top </h5></a></div></div></li><li id="dawn-rock" class="li-accordion-wrapper svelte-en2lo4"><input type="checkbox" unchecked class="svelte-en2lo4"> <i class="svelte-en2lo4"></i> <p class="svelte-en2lo4"></p><h2 class="accordion-title svelte-en2lo4">Dawn Rock</h2> <div class="description svelte-en2lo4"><div class="accordion-hed svelte-en2lo4"><h4 class="accordion-job-title svelte-en2lo4">SVP & Chief Compliance Officer at Encompass Health</h4></div><a href="#photo-grid"><img class="headshot-full svelte-en2lo4" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/dawn-rock.jpg" alt="Headshot of Dawn Rock"></a> <div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">What's your best advice to young Black women and men who aspire to your level of power, influence, or paycheck? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">It's important to understand that being a leader at this level entails much more than being skilled in your specialty. I often hear people say they want to be judged solely on the merits of their work. You're expected to know how to do the work &#8212; that skill set got you to your current level.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">To make the leap from middle to upper management and beyond, you must be able to demonstrate leadership skills. As you might expect, these include critical thinking, accountability, emotional intelligence, problem-solving, and the ability to communicate clearly, among others. These skills are useful at any level of your career but become even more critical in upper management and executive level positions.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">There are certain extraneous behaviors that are also crucial to those seeking to climb the corporate ladder. These behaviors are arguably more important in your journey because without them, it would be impossible to get on decision-makers' radars.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Paramount on the list is making a name for yourself. Often referred to as personal branding, this describes how you show up. If you appear unapproachable, detached, or disengaged, you're unlikely to be sought out for coveted assignments and stretch projects, thereby losing the opportunity to be judged on the merits of your work.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">If others only know you by name because you spend the workday behind closed doors and only interact via email, you've lost an opportunity to gain one or more advocates. On the other hand, being fully present, having a positive attitude, and being confident &#8212; without being arrogant &#8212; will often draw others to you and allow them to observe your leadership skills on full display.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Likewise, take advantage of opportunities to engage with decision-makers in informal settings. Too often employees refuse invitations to business events such as the annual holiday party or office retreat because they occur after hours. These events provide a unique opportunity to casually interact with decision-makers and potential advocates. Allowing them to see who you are in a relaxed setting can often work to your benefit.</p></div><div class="return"><a href="#photo-grid" class="noHighlight svelte-en2lo4"><h5 class="return svelte-en2lo4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="feather feather-chevron-up svelte-bka31n" style="transform: rotate(0deg);"><g><polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15"></polyline></g></svg> Back to top </h5></a></div></div></li><li id="teresa-roseborough" class="li-accordion-wrapper svelte-en2lo4"><input type="checkbox" unchecked class="svelte-en2lo4"> <i class="svelte-en2lo4"></i> <p class="svelte-en2lo4"></p><h2 class="accordion-title svelte-en2lo4">Teresa Roseborough</h2> <div class="description svelte-en2lo4"><div class="accordion-hed svelte-en2lo4"><h4 class="accordion-job-title svelte-en2lo4">EVP, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary at The Home Depot</h4></div><a href="#photo-grid"><img class="headshot-full svelte-en2lo4" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/teresa-roseborough.jpg" alt="Headshot of Teresa Roseborough"></a> <div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">What's the best career advice you've ever received? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">I've been lucky to have mentors who have given me great advice throughout my career. One that I always keep in mind is that you can't lead others effectively if you don't show genuine care for who they are, where they are in their career journey, and where they want to be.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">You have to really know the people you work with and commit to being part of the process of helping them grow.</p></div><div class="return"><a href="#photo-grid" class="noHighlight svelte-en2lo4"><h5 class="return svelte-en2lo4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="feather feather-chevron-up svelte-bka31n" style="transform: rotate(0deg);"><g><polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15"></polyline></g></svg> Back to top </h5></a></div></div></li><li id="julia-simon" class="li-accordion-wrapper svelte-en2lo4"><input type="checkbox" unchecked class="svelte-en2lo4"> <i class="svelte-en2lo4"></i> <p class="svelte-en2lo4"></p><h2 class="accordion-title svelte-en2lo4">Julia Simon</h2> <div class="description svelte-en2lo4"><div class="accordion-hed svelte-en2lo4"><h4 class="accordion-job-title svelte-en2lo4">Chief Legal Officer & Corporate Secretary at Mary Kay</h4></div><a href="#photo-grid"><img class="headshot-full svelte-en2lo4" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/julia-simon.jpg" alt="Headshot of Julia Simon"></a> <div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">As a Black woman, when did you realize you had "made it" in a white, male-dominated corporate America? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">I think one key to success for me is to never feel like I've &#8220;made it.&#8221; I certainly appreciate and celebrate my accomplishments, but then it's time for me to get back to work, find my next challenge, and stay relevant.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">As far as how I was able to navigate the less-than-diverse legal field and corporate boardrooms, I was very fortunate to have grown up in an atmosphere where I was extremely proud to be Black. I was very well aware of the discriminatory laws, policies, and attitudes that were hurdles for my parents, grandparents, older siblings, and extended family. And yet, they rose above them all with their heads held high, breaking barriers with a smile on their face and the knowledge that no one was better than them.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">As a result, I was never intimidated when I was the only woman or the only person of color in the room. My mere presence in the room is a victory for all those who helped clear the path for me. It is my job to demonstrate excellence once I am at the table so that my race and gender are only a backdrop to the value I bring to the organization.</p></div><div class="return"><a href="#photo-grid" class="noHighlight svelte-en2lo4"><h5 class="return svelte-en2lo4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="feather feather-chevron-up svelte-bka31n" style="transform: rotate(0deg);"><g><polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15"></polyline></g></svg> Back to top </h5></a></div></div></li><li id="marie-sylla-dixon" class="li-accordion-wrapper svelte-en2lo4"><input type="checkbox" unchecked class="svelte-en2lo4"> <i class="svelte-en2lo4"></i> <p class="svelte-en2lo4"></p><h2 class="accordion-title svelte-en2lo4">Marie Sylla-Dixon</h2> <div class="description svelte-en2lo4"><div class="accordion-hed svelte-en2lo4"><h4 class="accordion-job-title svelte-en2lo4">Chief Diversity Officer at Raytheon Technologies</h4></div><a href="#photo-grid"><img class="headshot-full svelte-en2lo4" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/marie-sylla-dixon.jpg" alt="Headshot of Marie Sylla-Dixon"></a> <div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">What's your best advice to young Black women and men who aspire to your level of power, influence, or paycheck? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">There is an African proverb that says, &#8220;If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.&#8221;</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Over the years, I've learned that the best success stories emerge when talented people with vision and a strong work ethic are supported by a &#8220;village&#8221; that makes it possible for them to be their best and most complete selves. Learning your strengths early and leaning into them &#8212; while cultivating opportunities to refine those areas where you might be lacking &#8212; is important. But equally important is your ability to build a strong team around you who can help make the space for you to perform to the utmost of your ability, whether they play a formal or informal role in your career trajectory. And once you've achieved your desired level of success, be sure to pay it forward.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">In the spirit of those who helped build and lift you up over the years, be sure that you're creating new opportunities for others. We can all benefit from a helping hand &#8212; even if we don't want to fully acknowledge or accept it &#8212; and there's great value in uplifting others, opening new doors, and paving new paths along our journeys.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">As you rise, be a mentor or a sponsor for others, and continue to seek out people who can do the same for you. Expand your village, including people who don't look like you or have a similar background. You never know where your strongest advocates will come from, and only time will tell who your best advocates will be. </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Know that you belong at any table where you want to be and that you should never doubt yourself or your abilities. The road to success is anything but linear, and you must remain open, persistent, willing to learn, and capable of getting up and dusting yourself off any time you don't succeed or fall short of the expectations you've set for yourself. Opportunities abound &#8212; if one door closes, find an open window to make your entrance. Shine bright and never give up.</p></div><div class="return"><a href="#photo-grid" class="noHighlight svelte-en2lo4"><h5 class="return svelte-en2lo4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="feather feather-chevron-up svelte-bka31n" style="transform: rotate(0deg);"><g><polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15"></polyline></g></svg> Back to top </h5></a></div></div></li><li id="brandi-thomas" class="li-accordion-wrapper svelte-en2lo4"><input type="checkbox" unchecked class="svelte-en2lo4"> <i class="svelte-en2lo4"></i> <p class="svelte-en2lo4"></p><h2 class="accordion-title svelte-en2lo4">Brandi Thomas</h2> <div class="description svelte-en2lo4"><div class="accordion-hed svelte-en2lo4"><h4 class="accordion-job-title svelte-en2lo4">VP, Chief Audit Executive at General Electric</h4></div><a href="#photo-grid"><img class="headshot-full svelte-en2lo4" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/brandi-thomas.jpg" alt="Headshot of Brandi Thomas"></a> <div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">As a Black woman, when did you realize you had "made it" in a white, male-dominated corporate America? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">I don't ever feel like I have &#8220;made it&#8221; in corporate America. There is always something to learn, someone to help. With that said, I recognize that as an officer of a Fortune 100 company, I have made it to a level that many Black women aspire to. I will know that I have contributed something when I see more people who look like me (and who don't &#8212; more diversity) sitting in C-level conversations. I measure my success in step functions of people I have helped, as well as business outcomes that were better as a result of my participation. I don't think I will ever feel like I have made it. I try to re-earn my offer letter every day.</p></div><div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">What's your best advice to young Black women and men who aspire to your level of power, influence, or paycheck? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Three words: Don't give up. Our climb looks different than others moving through corporate America. There have been times that I have been passed up for jobs that I knew I was qualified for. When that happened, I had to take a hard look at myself and ask myself where I could improve. Many times when I looked in the mirror, there were things that I needed to refine. Other times, I was experiencing the bias we all know is there in corporate America. I can look back over my career and remember those times, and it was devastating. The difference between those who move on and up comes in those who can recognize the bias and not wear it as a chip on the shoulder. They can be their own toughest critics and improve on the things they need to change. It's important to come from a place of knowing that the system can be unpredictable, but give each interaction, each job, each boss, each team a fresh start. And remember, sometimes it is you. If you are explaining everything that doesn't go your way as racism, sexism, or bias, you have some introspection to do.</p></div><div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">Is there anything you would do differently if you could go back to the beginning of your professional career? What is the lesson? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Don't be afraid to bring your unique gifts to the table. I remember getting the &#8220;Corporate America&#8221; or &#8220;Dealing with White People&#8221; speech when I was a young professional. Advice like: &#8220;They can go out for drinks after dinner, but that is not for you &#8212; don't get too comfortable.&#8221; That advice cost me valuable networking and relationship-building time. Whether or not I had a drink would be a personal choice, but I should have always taken the networking opportunity. Other advice kept me from taking well-earned vacation days and left me overworked and exhausted. I had to learn to tap in to my unique experience as a Black woman &#8212; the way I see things, the way I experience the world &#8212; and bring those to the workplace. There were so many times that I held back my point of view because it wasn't what everyone else was saying. But that is why I was there &#8212; we don't get the benefits of diversity if everyone shows up trying to fit in. With that said, it is important to understand the cultural environment of the company that you are in, but we all have a unique role to play in that culture. When I decided to be me, my whole life changed.</p></div><div class="return"><a href="#photo-grid" class="noHighlight svelte-en2lo4"><h5 class="return svelte-en2lo4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="feather feather-chevron-up svelte-bka31n" style="transform: rotate(0deg);"><g><polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15"></polyline></g></svg> Back to top </h5></a></div></div></li><li id="charlene-thomas" class="li-accordion-wrapper svelte-en2lo4"><input type="checkbox" unchecked class="svelte-en2lo4"> <i class="svelte-en2lo4"></i> <p class="svelte-en2lo4"></p><h2 class="accordion-title svelte-en2lo4">Charlene Thomas</h2> <div class="description svelte-en2lo4"><div class="accordion-hed svelte-en2lo4"><h4 class="accordion-job-title svelte-en2lo4">Chief DEI Officer at UPS</h4></div><a href="#photo-grid"><img class="headshot-full svelte-en2lo4" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/charlene-thomas.jpg" alt="Headshot of Charlene Thomas"></a> <div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">What's the best career advice you ever received? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Receiving career advice that radically changes the trajectory of your life is uncommon. But that was my experience. I'd been working at UPS part time for two years while attending Temple University. My plan was to graduate and go into a master's program for psychology in Miami, where it was much warmer.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">My mentor knew I was potentially at risk of leaving UPS. He sat me down, and our talk caused me to rethink everything. My question was, &#8220;Why me at UPS?&#8221; His response? &#8220;Why not you?&#8221; It was that simple. He challenged me, and he believed in me. I told him I didn't see any Black UPS women in higher positions. He asked again, &#8220;Why not you?&#8221; Then he said something that has always stayed with me: &#8220;You have a great education. You obviously have learned the business. Believe in yourself. Understand you are good enough. Don't let the next person take advantage of something you're already imminently prepared for and in a position to make an impact on for the company. It doesn't matter whether someone out there looks like you. It really comes back to you. You have what it takes. But you have to make a decision. You need to decide if you think you can do it. If the answer is yes, then why not?&#8221; </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">I'm proud to say I went on to drive a UPS delivery truck. People, especially little girls, often ran out to see me. They didn't know UPS had female drivers, let alone Black female drivers. I was trailblazing, and I've tackled a lot of firsts like that on the road to my current position as UPS chief diversity, equity, and inclusion officer.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">I'm eternally grateful I had a mentor who cared enough to push me to take a chance. I now know this is part of UPS's unique culture. We push our fellow UPSers to strive for greatness. By lifting each other, we give wings to the entire company. Looking in the rearview mirror at that advice and how it impacted my 32-year career and life, I think it worked out pretty well.</p></div><div class="return"><a href="#photo-grid" class="noHighlight svelte-en2lo4"><h5 class="return svelte-en2lo4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="feather feather-chevron-up svelte-bka31n" style="transform: rotate(0deg);"><g><polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15"></polyline></g></svg> Back to top </h5></a></div></div></li><li id="monica-turner" class="li-accordion-wrapper svelte-en2lo4"><input type="checkbox" unchecked class="svelte-en2lo4"> <i class="svelte-en2lo4"></i> <p class="svelte-en2lo4"></p><h2 class="accordion-title svelte-en2lo4">Monica Turner</h2> <div class="description svelte-en2lo4"><div class="accordion-hed svelte-en2lo4"><h4 class="accordion-job-title svelte-en2lo4">President, North America Sales at Procter & Gamble</h4></div><a href="#photo-grid"><img class="headshot-full svelte-en2lo4" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/monica-turner.jpg" alt="Headshot of Monica Turner"></a> <div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">What's the best career advice you ever received? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">The best career advice I have received is that each one of us should be a bridge, working to find common ground and common goals. It is up to each one of us to start a conversation, deepen relationships, and be a part of the change we know is possible. True inclusion is a game changer for personal careers, organizations, and communities &#8212; and it starts with stronger relationships grounded in what we share and appreciation and respect for our differences. We can use and lend our power and privilege as a catalyst to create a better world for all of us. This is how we can accelerate our personal development and pay it forward to the next generation.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Throughout my career, I've been very fortunate to have had meaningful relationships with women and men who believed in me and supported my career aspirations. In addition to mentors and sponsors, my sister circle inspires and challenges me &#8212; and I trust them to always tell me the truth. My experience has taught me how powerful meaningful, positive relationships are in accelerating personal development and career growth.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">It is important to expand your circle and reach out to those who may be different from you to learn from their experiences and insights. Build authentic, trusting relationships. We need to bridge the social-distance gap. Social distance, in this context, tends to be driven by the lack of engagement outside your personal environment. What we find is that the greatest distance tends to be between white men and women of color, but also between white women and women of color. When you have this social distance, many assumptions are made that can impede understanding and building of an authentic relationship. Expanding your circle allows for you to maximize your personal growth, while also expanding the growth of others.</p></div><div class="return"><a href="#photo-grid" class="noHighlight svelte-en2lo4"><h5 class="return svelte-en2lo4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="feather feather-chevron-up svelte-bka31n" style="transform: rotate(0deg);"><g><polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15"></polyline></g></svg> Back to top </h5></a></div></div></li><li id="carla-vernon" class="li-accordion-wrapper svelte-en2lo4"><input type="checkbox" unchecked class="svelte-en2lo4"> <i class="svelte-en2lo4"></i> <p class="svelte-en2lo4"></p><h2 class="accordion-title svelte-en2lo4">Carla Vern&#243;n</h2> <div class="description svelte-en2lo4"><div class="accordion-hed svelte-en2lo4"><h4 class="accordion-job-title svelte-en2lo4">VP Consumables Categories at Amazon</h4></div><a href="#photo-grid"><img class="headshot-full svelte-en2lo4" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/carla-vernon.jpg" alt="Headshot of Carla Vern&amp;#243;n"></a> <div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">What's the best career advice you ever received? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">"You will be too much for some people. Those are not your people."</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">I have been given a version of this advice (because I. Can. Be. A. Lot!), and I love that this advice now makes its way on the rounds of Pinterest and greeting cards.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Sometimes we need to give ourselves permission to sort and sift the wide range of feedback we receive along our career journey. Don't get me wrong: It is vital to be coachable and open to developmental feedback. We all have mental muscles and leadership skills that need refinement if we hope to move forward and up in our careers. Because our own view can be obscured. And we don't have a clear and comprehensive perspective on our own strengths (let's say that louder for the people in the back: our strengths!) and our areas that could improve with some change.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">However, not every boss or leader who gives you advice and feedback is effective at the vital leadership skill of providing their employees thoughtful and helpful feedback. It takes practice. It is a learned skill. And sometimes the feedback you are given by another leader is more about that leader than it is about you. Too often, feedback is a reflection of leaders who only recognize their own strengths and style as the model.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">So sometimes you have to treat feedback like a pile of gifts from a white-elephant party. You can make the choice to keep what fits, throw the rest in the trash, and keep on moving.</p></div><div class="return"><a href="#photo-grid" class="noHighlight svelte-en2lo4"><h5 class="return svelte-en2lo4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="feather feather-chevron-up svelte-bka31n" style="transform: rotate(0deg);"><g><polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15"></polyline></g></svg> Back to top </h5></a></div></div></li><li id="laysha-ward" class="li-accordion-wrapper svelte-en2lo4"><input type="checkbox" unchecked class="svelte-en2lo4"> <i class="svelte-en2lo4"></i> <p class="svelte-en2lo4"></p><h2 class="accordion-title svelte-en2lo4">Laysha Ward</h2> <div class="description svelte-en2lo4"><div class="accordion-hed svelte-en2lo4"><h4 class="accordion-job-title svelte-en2lo4">EVP & Chief External Engagement Officer at Target</h4></div><a href="#photo-grid"><img class="headshot-full svelte-en2lo4" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/laysha-ward.jpg" alt="Headshot of Laysha Ward"></a> <div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">As a Black woman, when did you realize you had "made it" in a white, male-dominated corporate America? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">I feel incredibly privileged to be a Black woman on Target's executive leadership team but also acknowledge that being in the C-suite isn't how I measure my success. I've learned from and been lifted up by those who came before me, including leaders, mentors, sponsors, trailblazers, and glass-ceiling breakers.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">It's my privilege and obligation to pay it forward by helping to create more opportunities for women, people of color, and other underrepresented populations, including the Black community I proudly represent.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">This happens by opening doors, adding more seats at the table, or, when required, creating our own table.</p></div><div class="return"><a href="#photo-grid" class="noHighlight svelte-en2lo4"><h5 class="return svelte-en2lo4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="feather feather-chevron-up svelte-bka31n" style="transform: rotate(0deg);"><g><polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15"></polyline></g></svg> Back to top </h5></a></div></div></li><li id="lisa-wardell" class="li-accordion-wrapper svelte-en2lo4"><input type="checkbox" unchecked class="svelte-en2lo4"> <i class="svelte-en2lo4"></i> <p class="svelte-en2lo4"></p><h2 class="accordion-title svelte-en2lo4">Lisa Wardell</h2> <div class="description svelte-en2lo4"><div class="accordion-hed svelte-en2lo4"><h4 class="accordion-job-title svelte-en2lo4">Chairman & CEO at Adtalem Global Education</h4></div><a href="#photo-grid"><img class="headshot-full svelte-en2lo4" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/lisa-wardell.jpg" alt="Headshot of Lisa Wardell"></a> <div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">What was the most challenging personal moment that illustrates the hardship of being a Black woman in corporate America? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">The most challenging personal issue for me isn't a singular moment but rather the ongoing challenge of being constantly underestimated throughout my career. As a Black woman at the helm of a publicly traded company, I don't fit the profile of what most people envision as a chairman and CEO. I am underestimated in many situations, from my ability to drive operational execution and make the hard decisions to thinking strategically and responding appropriately to all of our stakeholders.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">What I would say to other Black and Latinx executives is that being underestimated can be a secret weapon. I continue to focus on what is right for the business. I make an intentional effort to not personalize any underestimation of my abilities, but rather shift my mindset and think of those who doubt my abilities or run a narrative of &#8220;can't do&#8221; about me or my team as an audience to educate about what it means to achieve and be successful despite the overwhelming odds.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">As a society, we have to educate and break through these biases. Diversity, both from a gender and racial standpoint, is the cornerstone to better financial outcomes and company cultures. The racial reckoning we've gone through this past year leaves me hopeful and optimistic for the progress of our nation, as I see more companies and individuals continuing to have these hard conversations and take action around eliminating racism and addressing biases.</p></div><div class="return"><a href="#photo-grid" class="noHighlight svelte-en2lo4"><h5 class="return svelte-en2lo4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="feather feather-chevron-up svelte-bka31n" style="transform: rotate(0deg);"><g><polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15"></polyline></g></svg> Back to top </h5></a></div></div></li><li id="dantaya-williams" class="li-accordion-wrapper svelte-en2lo4"><input type="checkbox" unchecked class="svelte-en2lo4"> <i class="svelte-en2lo4"></i> <p class="svelte-en2lo4"></p><h2 class="accordion-title svelte-en2lo4">Dantaya Williams</h2> <div class="description svelte-en2lo4"><div class="accordion-hed svelte-en2lo4"><h4 class="accordion-job-title svelte-en2lo4">Chief HR Officer at Raytheon Technologies</h4></div><a href="#photo-grid"><img class="headshot-full svelte-en2lo4" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/dantaya-williams.jpg" alt="Headshot of Dantaya Williams"></a> <div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">Is there anything you would do differently if you could go back to the beginning of your professional career? What is the lesson? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">At the beginning of my career, I had a tendency to only speak up if I knew that my points were perfect and articulate. But I've learned my voice is powerful and I have important things to say. That question that you think is &#8220;stupid&#8221; is the one that might drive the conversation in the right direction. If you wait until you get the words right, you might miss your opportunity to be noticed, to advance your career, or to be heard.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Don't let perfection be your enemy. Not every choice you make is going to be perfect. We all have a lot to learn. Growing, and growing together as organizations, teams, and colleagues, is what's important. Take calculated risks that sometimes involve failing. Just learn from it and move on.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">So if I'm honest, I wouldn't change a thing about my career. Our lives and careers are built on a series of choices. Some of my biggest choices were mistakes that occurred early in my career and got me where I am today. The key is not wasting your mistakes and imperfections. Learn from them and help others grow from your choices.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Focus on being your personal best, which might not be perfect, but it will be authentic. Don't compete with others, but lift them up, and the rest will follow. Surround yourself with people who have your back and push you to be better. We are stronger and better together.</p></div><div class="return"><a href="#photo-grid" class="noHighlight svelte-en2lo4"><h5 class="return svelte-en2lo4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="feather feather-chevron-up svelte-bka31n" style="transform: rotate(0deg);"><g><polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15"></polyline></g></svg> Back to top </h5></a></div></div></li><li id="kamilah-williams-kemp" class="li-accordion-wrapper svelte-en2lo4"><input type="checkbox" unchecked class="svelte-en2lo4"> <i class="svelte-en2lo4"></i> <p class="svelte-en2lo4"></p><h2 class="accordion-title svelte-en2lo4">Kamilah Williams-Kemp</h2> <div class="description svelte-en2lo4"><div class="accordion-hed svelte-en2lo4"><h4 class="accordion-job-title svelte-en2lo4">VP, Risk Products at Northwestern Mutual</h4></div><a href="#photo-grid"><img class="headshot-full svelte-en2lo4" src="https://tbimedia.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bistudios/_00/dev_edit/graphics/2021/02/2021-02-black-women-execs/assets/images/kamilah-williams-kemp.jpg" alt="Headshot of Kamilah Williams-Kemp"></a> <div class="typography questionParent svelte-en2lo4"><p class="question svelte-en2lo4">What's your best advice to young Black women and men who aspire to your level of power, influence, or paycheck? </p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">I have recently taken on a new role overseeing the financial performance and strategic direction for all of Northwestern Mutual's risk products &#8212; the first woman and first African American to do so &#8212; and this milestone prompted me to think about my journey and how I can continue to encourage those who are aspiring to follow a similar path.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">The fact is, there are so many variables that are outside your control, yet they can impact your career. One of the most important drivers of a successful career path is determined entirely by you &#8212; your mindset.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">How you approach your work and the world at large can open up new ways of seeing connections and opportunities. This often means being receptive to new routes along the way &#8212; many of the steps I have taken to get to this spot have come in an unexpected way, or outside of what my original &#8220;plan&#8221; was.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">To best capitalize on these moments of opportunity as they happen, you need to understand and embrace what sets you apart and what unique attributes you offer &#8212; not just work skills but life experience outside of the office as well. This can help differentiate you and allow you to jump on those unexpected moments of opportunity without hesitation.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">One trait that has helped me (and one I believe is salient advice for professionals at any level) is the ability to engage authentically. My perspective has grown and shifted so much, shaped by the genuine connections I have made over the course of my career and have helped get me to where I am today.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">As we continue to grapple with the impact of COVID-19 on our lives and our nation's long-deferred reckoning with racism keeps testing us to consider what's truly needed for positive change, it is even more important to practice being an authentic and empathetic leader.</p></div><div class="typography"><p class="response svelte-en2lo4">Understanding what makes you you and what you bring to the table will help ensure you are positioned to take on new, more challenging opportunities and become an influential force not just in your work but also in your community.</p></div><div class="return"><a href="#photo-grid" class="noHighlight svelte-en2lo4"><h5 class="return svelte-en2lo4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="feather feather-chevron-up svelte-bka31n" style="transform: rotate(0deg);"><g><polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15"></polyline></g></svg> Back to top </h5></a></div></div></li></ul></div><div id="graphic-footer-holder" class="svelte-10msyw5"> <div class="byline-logo svelte-10msyw5"><div class="left-hold svelte-10msyw5"><p class="graphic-footer graphic-byline svelte-10msyw5"><span class="graphic-footer-bold svelte-10msyw5">Chart: </span>Taylor Tyson</p></div><div class="logo svelte-10msyw5"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 63.48 9.44" height='9px'><defs><style>.cls-1{fill:#ababab;}</style></defs><g id="Layer_2" data-name="Layer 2"><g id="Layer_1-2" data-name="Layer 1"><path class="cls-1" d="M17.81,2.49c0,1.5.93,2.16,2.16,2.61l1.33.47c.83.32,1.3.6,1.3,1.31s-.74,1.19-1.79,1.19A4.6,4.6,0,0,1,17.89,7V8.64a5.23,5.23,0,0,0,2.92.8c1.87,0,3.3-.92,3.3-2.59A2.64,2.64,0,0,0,22,4.2l-1.48-.54c-.77-.27-1.2-.53-1.2-1.21S20,1.36,21,1.36a4.29,4.29,0,0,1,2.68,1V.74A5.07,5.07,0,0,0,20.91,0c-1.69,0-3.1.88-3.1,2.49"/><rect class="cls-1" x="28.16" y="0.16" width="1.56" height="9.15"/><rect class="cls-1" y="0.16" width="1.56" height="9.15"/><path class="cls-1" d="M35.85,1.53h1.91c1.93,0,3,1.23,3,3.2s-1,3.19-3,3.19H35.85ZM34.29.16V9.3h3.52a4.23,4.23,0,0,0,4.48-4.57A4.23,4.23,0,0,0,37.81.16Z"/><polygon class="cls-1" points="45.59 0.16 45.59 9.3 51.17 9.3 51.17 7.92 47.12 7.92 47.12 5.08 50.75 5.08 50.75 3.73 47.12 3.73 47.12 1.53 51.17 1.53 51.17 0.16 45.59 0.16"/><path class="cls-1" d="M57.39,1.5h1.75c1,0,1.62.55,1.62,1.4s-.58,1.4-1.62,1.4H57.39ZM55.83.16V9.3h1.56V5.59H58.5L61.7,9.3h1.78L60.16,5.53A2.32,2.32,0,0,0,62.3,2.9c0-1.79-1.23-2.74-3.13-2.74Z"/><polygon class="cls-1" points="6.04 9.3 7.54 9.3 7.54 3.35 13.87 9.44 13.87 0.15 12.37 0.15 12.37 6 6.04 0.01 6.04 9.3"/></g></g></svg></div></div></div>

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Share repurchases by corporations reached record highs in March, but buybacks may slow if companies decide to swing their cash into capital expenditures or if they adhere to tax regulations stemming from the government's stimulus efforts, said Bank of America.

The four-week average of repurchases by corporate clients hit record highs "after a big resurgence in buybacks this month" that put transactions at nearly $2 billion, said a team of equity and quant strategists led by Jill Carey Hall in a research note released Wednesday.

If corporate client buybacks continue at the pace of $21 billion year-to-date or more than $80 billion annualized, that would imply more than $900 billion of gross S&P 500 buybacks in 2021, the strategists said. It said it based that figure on a roughly 9% average share of S&P buybacks over the last five years.

"This would be above 2018's peak $800 billion levels and nearly double 2020's depressed $500 billion levels, suggesting upside risk to our forecast for no net EPS impact from buybacks to the S&P," BofA said.

Recent repurchases have been prominent in the tech sector, with near-record buybacks in each of the last six weeks.

However, the strong pace of overall stock repurchases "may not persist if cash deployment priorities shift more toward capex, which investors want and where corporates have underinvested," said BofA. It referenced its Fund Managers Survey issued March 16 that showed "investors now want capex" and not buybacks or debt reduction.

"We see multiple tailwinds for capex including the cyclical rebound, a potential infrastructure bill and US re-shoring," or relocations by companies back in the US, Carey Hall said.

President Joe Biden is set later Wednesday to unveil a $2 trillion infrastructure bill that's expected to focus on investments including in roads, bridges, and broadband.

"What else can curtail buybacks? Payback for stimulus (i.e., higher taxes) which could cost 5-10% EPS growth," said BofA.

Biden is expected to propose that his eight-year infrastructure plan be paid for with tax hikes on corporations. Earlier this month, Biden signed off on a $1.9 trillion fiscal stimulus package.

BofA said single-stock corporate buybacks in tech last week hit roughly $1.61 billion. March was a relatively rough month for large-cap tech shares as investors rotated from the high-flying group and into small-cap and cyclical shares. The rotation has been stoked in part by the vaccination of millions of Americans that's been leading more businesses to resume normal operations.

BofA said it's starting to see a pickup in buybacks in other sectors including consumer discretionary, health care and financials. The Federal Reserve said last week that as of June 30 it will lift share buyback and dividend-payout restrictions on banks that pass stress tests. The Fed last year imposed the restrictions as a way to safeguard the financial system in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Last week, corporate buybacks reached $143 million for consumer discretionary stocks and $119 million in health care shares, BofA data shows.

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Republicans are threatening tax hikes and boycotts to punish corporations that have spoken out against new voting legislation.

In a statement Monday, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell accused corporations that oppose the bills and laws of acting like a "woke alternative government."

He said it would "invite serious consequences if they become a vehicle for far-left mobs to hijack our country from outside the constitutional order."

McConnell was responding to statements from companies including Coca-Cola and Delta Air Lines criticizing a new law passed by Georgia Republicans that restricts voting.

Major League Baseball also pulled this year's All-Star Game from Georgia last week in protest over the law.

American Airlines and Dell computers have criticized proposed voting restrictions in Texas, where they are based.

McConnell didn't detail what consequences the corporations might face, but Politico on Monday reported on warnings and legislative moves by Republicans to end tax breaks or extract other financial penalties.

• Georgia's GOP-controlled House last week voted to end Delta's jet-fuel tax breaks, with the airline a major employer in the state. The measure was not passed by the Georgia Senate before it went into recess, leaving it off the table for now.
• Prominent Republicans, including Sen. Josh Hawley, Sen. Mike Lee, and Donald Trump Jr., have advocated stripping MLB of its status as a sport and not a business under antitrust laws.
• "Why are we still listening to these woke corporate hypocrites on taxes, regulations & anti-trust?" Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida tweeted, adding to a general chorus of criticism.
• Former President Donald Trump in a statement last week called for supporters to boycott corporations including Coca-Cola and Delta.
• Rodney Anderson, the chairman of the Dallas Republican Party, tweeted and later deleted a message on Friday suggesting canceling tax breaks American Airlines and Dell have in the state.

The escalating battle over voting restrictions places the Republican Party in the unfamiliar position of going against some of the biggest names in corporate America. The party has long positioned itself as the champion of low corporate taxes and free enterprise.

Among Trump's key policies as president was a huge 2017 corporate tax cut passed by the then-GOP-controlled Congress.

In recent years some corporations have eschewed their usual neutrality to take positions on so called culture-war controversies.

Trump during his presidency several times urged boycotts of companies he accused of opposing his administration's agenda, such as the tire firm Goodyear, and championed companies owned by allies and supporters.

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Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has made it clear he wants corporate CEOs to stay out of politics. Unless, that is, they're putting money in politicians' campaigns.

The senator from Kentucky chastised American corporations Monday, suggesting the companies' leaders need to stop speaking out about Georgia's restrictive new voting law, warning there could be consequences for those that continue to do so. 

"My advice to the corporate CEOs of America is to stay out of politics. Don't pick sides in these big fights," McConnell said at a news conference Monday.

Twitter users and journalists were quick to point out McConnell's status as a longtime recipient of corporate donations, outstripping most other members of Congress by some measures when it came to political donations.

But McConnell rebuked any suggestions of hypocrisy Tuesday, clarifying his original statements and carving out an exception for political contributions.

"I'm not talking about political contributions," McConnell said during a stop at a Kentucky health clinic Tuesday. "I'm talking about taking a position on a highly incendiary issue like this and punishing a community or a state because you don't like a particular law they passed. I just think it's stupid."

Major League Baseball announced last week that it would no longer host its 2021 All-Star Game in Atlanta in the wake of Georgia's new voting law, which civil rights activists have criticized as suppressing voters, in particular Black voters.

Many corporations followed suit, including major Georgia-based companies like Coca-Cola, Delta, and Home Depot. 

Republicans have slammed MLB's decision and the wave of corporate responses, calling for boycotts and threatening tax hikes to punish companies that have spoken out.

On Monday, McConnell accused corporations that oppose the law of acting like a "woke alternative government," saying it would "invite serious consequences if they became a vehicle for far-left mobs to hijack our country from outside the constitutional order."

But the minority leader, who received more than $3 million in corporate PAC donations during the 2020 election cycle, according to OpenSecrets, was careful in his language Tuesday, saying businesses have a "right to participate in the political process." 

"Most of them contribute to both sides. They have political action committees — that's fine, it's legal, I support that," he said.

The Citizens United Supreme Court ruling from 2010 said that "independent political spending" was protected under the First Amendment.

According to MarketWatch, McConnell received $258,880 from CEOs and S&P 500 companies during the 2020 cycle — more than any other candidate in a competitive Senate race that year.

But when it comes to the First Amendment right to free speech that is not to be curtailed by Congress, McConnell did issue a warning: "If I were running a major corporation, I would stay out of politics," adding that the corporations are "irritating a hell of a lot of Republican fans."

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American business leaders are warning a corporate tax rate hike proposed by President Joe Biden could make it harder to hire workers and increase their wages.

In a survey of 178 CEOs conducted by the Business Round Table published Monday, a majority of respondents said the increase — from 21% to 28% — put forward by the White House in March would hinder economic expansion, research and development spending, wage growth, and hiring.

The results showed:

• 98% of CEOs said the increase would have a "moderate" to "very" significant adverse impact on competitiveness;
• 75% said it would negatively affect spending on research and development; 
• 71% said it would negatively affect their ability to hire; and
• about 66% said it would slow US wage growth.

"As we look toward recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, keeping competitive tax policies in place is needed to help reinvigorate the U.S. economy and lead to more opportunity for Americans," Gregory J. Hayes, chief executive of Raytheon and chair of the Business Roundtable Tax and Fiscal Policy Committee, said in a release.

Read more: The post-COVID productivity boom is going to let us dump the unproductive parts of virtual working and keep the good parts

Biden's revealed his $2 trillion infrastructure plan last month, which included spending on upgrading roads, bridges, and affordable housing, paid for in part by the corporate tax increase. The president has since said he may agree to compromise with a 25% rate, instead of the originally proposed 28%. 

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has been on of the few to say his firm supports the tax increase, calling the move "a bold investment in American infrastructure."

But in the Business Round Table survey, Hayes said the lower corporate tax rate from before the pandemic "drove economic growth, creating 6 million jobs, pushing the unemployment rate to a 50-year low and increasing middle class wages."

In 2017 under the Trump administration, the government lowered the corporate tax rate to 21% with the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. But it may not have turned out to be the economic "rocket fuel" he had promised. 

The Tax Policy Center, an independent research group created by the Urban Institute and Brookings Institution, actually found "little economic benefit" from the 2017 law, saying it largely benefited corporations and created only modest wage growth. 

Biden decried the former president's tax cuts, saying he's "sick and tired of ordinary people being fleeced." 

But according to the Tax Foundation, an independent tax policy nonprofit, Biden's tax plan would cut economic output by 1.47% over the long-term, causing a 1% lower wage rate and 518,000 fewer full-time jobs.

"The proposed tax increases on job creators would slow America's recovery and hurt workers," Joshua Bolten, president and CEO of the Business Roundtable, said. 

The heavily pro-corporate interest Business Roundtable was formed in 1972 and represents nearly every sector of the American economy. Its membership rolls currently include 3M, American Airlines, Amazon, and Coca-Cola, and more. 

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On its face, "bring your whole self to work" is an invitation for authenticity. Those who use it appear to be well-intentioned. They see it as a sunny, self-empowering sentiment that embraces all comers in the name of diversity and inclusion. "Come as you are! Be yourself! Everyone is welcome here!" 

Yet the phrase is fraught. For people of color and members of marginalized groups, it could be considered a loaded request and a stark reminder that only those with social and institutional power and privileges, typically white men, have the luxury to bring their full personalities and perspectives into the workplace.

"The call for people to bring their true selves to work is a trap and lie to make the workplace seem more accepting than it is," Jodi-Ann Burey, the writer whose stirring Ted Talk on the topic has been viewed more than 1 million times, told Insider.

"For those of us who are undervalued, underrepresented, and who have both invisible and visible differences and identities, it's a risk to bring our authentic selves to work because it could be a detriment to our careers," she said.

But while the phrase may be perilous, its message is pertinent. 

Amid a racial reckoning and a pandemic that has blurred work-life boundaries, corporate America is under pressure to build inclusive and equitable workplaces where employees feel a sense of belonging. And experts say that leaders' ability to translate this let's-all-join-hands mantra into a coherent diversity strategy that allows employees to bring their whole selves to work (to the extent that they want to) is pivotal to their success.

The business stakes are immense: Companies that do this well can have strategic advantages in terms of attracting talent, spurring growth, and driving bottom-line results. Highly inclusive organizations generate 2.3 times higher cash flow per employee over a three-year period, a study by Josh Bersin, the president and founder of the human-resources advisory firm Bersin & Associates, found. Meanwhile, the penalties are growing ever steeper for those lacking diversity: They risk alienating employees, customers, and investors.

"What we learned in the George Floyd era and in COVID is that you can't leave or hide parts of yourself at the door," said Sumreen Ahmad, a 20-year consulting veteran and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) expert. "But leaders have to move beyond the sound bite and create environments that meet people where they are and that support inclusive behaviors without marginalizing beliefs."

A phrase that's 'aspirational but not operational'

It's not difficult to understand why "bring your whole self to work" evokes scorn. Diversity and inclusion experts acknowledge that it's a wishy-washy expression tinged with a certain brand of new corporate wellness. 

It not only presumes that showing up authentically is easy and comfortable for everyone but also overlooks the vast number of people who don't want or need to bring their full selves to work. They may have roles that require little collaboration, they may prefer to segment their work life from their personal life, or they view their job as a paycheck and nothing more.

But according to Lily Zheng, a diversity consultant and coauthor of "Gender Ambiguity in the Workplace: Transgender and Gender-Diverse Discrimination," the biggest problem with exhorting employees to bring their true selves to work is that it's "aspirational but not operational." In other words, "it sounds a lot better than it functions," Zheng said.

A case in point: "Bring your whole self to work" was an element of Google's diversity strategy when it famously backfired in 2017. That year, the company fired James Damore, a software engineer whose interpretation of the idea was to write a lengthy and offensive memo on women in technology that resulted in a firestorm in Silicon Valley. 

Indeed, the mere presence of diversity in the workplace doesn't automatically lead to smarter decisions or smoother operations — sometimes it makes circumstances more challenging. "To get value from diversity, it needs to be activated by a culture of inclusion," Zheng said.

"If authenticity can be operationalized into something that brings better workplace outcomes, we need to have workplaces that are ready to receive that authenticity by fostering a culture of inclusion, supporting employees of color, and helping women feel like they can speak up," Zheng added.

A business imperative

Despite the limitations of the phrase, the germ of the idea is rooted in research. Studies suggest that employees who feel they can be themselves at work are happier, more productive, and more engaged. Research also shows that employees who feel they can't — or must — conceal parts of their identity experience the opposite.

When workers feel valued by their employers for their unique contributions, they are empowered to experiment and innovate more on the job. An econometric model by Accenture found that for every 10% improvement in culture, innovation increased by 10.6%, which, in turn, can propel profitability and growth. 

What's more, organizational culture is increasingly a talent issue. Research from Gallup suggests that Gen Z and millennials — which comprise nearly half of the American workforce — want to work for managers who both care about them as people and support a diverse and inclusive workplace.

"Improving culture is not a check-the-box exercise," Ahmad, the DEI expert, said. "It's a business imperative."

What leaders should do to create inclusive workplace cultures 

Building a more inclusive workplace where people feel comfortable being their authentic selves requires careful and deliberate planning. 

The first step is to determine the extent to which employees want to bring their whole selves to work and where they feel stymied. Experts recommend conducting surveys that ask employees to share why they joined the company and what they see as its core values, identity, and mission. 

Had Basecamp's leadership done this, it may have saved them a public-relations tempest, or at least minimized the blowback. In April, its CEO, Jason Fried, announced a ban on political discussions in the workplace; nearly one-third of employees resigned in protest. Fried and Chief Technology Officer David Heinemeier Hansson later apologized, saying, "We have a lot to learn and reflect on, and we will." But they did not reverse their decision.

Chai Feldblum, a former commissioner of the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and a DEI expert and activist, said organizations needed to think broadly about workplace policies but also zero in on tackling microaggressions, which are indirect, often unintentional, expressions of racism, sexism, ageism, or ableism.

Feldblum recommends organizations bring together employee-resource groups with HR to identify the seemingly minor or trivial ways that people feel put down in the workplace. "Ask people to talk about their lived experiences of how they're treated differently," she said.

Examples might include a white manager commenting on a Black employee's "fun" Afro hairstyle, or a cisgender colleague misgendering a trans coworker. The goal of the exercise is to pin down examples of problematic behavior that might not be classified as harassment or discrimination but lead to negative feelings.

Once those are identified, Feldblum said, the organization should create new policies, codes of conduct, and mechanisms for accountability, as well as appropriate corrective actions for violations. In addition, experts say organizations should also devise multiple channels for employees to share feedback, concerns, complaints, and grievances.

Making sense of a paradox

The directive "bring your whole self to work" will always be somewhat of a paradox. As much as employers strive to create a sense of belonging, every organization has cultural norms that define what success looks like, and that dictates how employees interact with each other and do their jobs.

On top of that is the issue of human fallibility. "You're dealing with people who come to work with their own unconscious biases, frames of reference, and experiences of where they grew up and where they went to school," said Monica Marquez, a cofounder of Beyond Barriers, a group that focuses on empowering women in the workplace, who's also run DEI programs at Google and EY. "It's an imperfect system."

On the one hand, employees have a professional obligation to try to fit in, said Marquez, who likened the employee experience to being a tourist in a foreign country. "You don't want to give up who you are, but you do need to acculturate," she added.

Yet, she said, employers — particularly individual white male managers — must do more to support inclusivity in their workplaces. They must interrogate their own biases, rigorously question hiring policies and advancement practices, promote pay equity, and take actions that celebrate and embrace employee differences. 

"The dominant culture is so comfortable in the way things are," she said, adding: "But it's not the job of the minority group to" make these changes.

"It's up to managers to create safe spaces," she added. "They have to take this on personally."

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The coronavirus pandemic hit the Cheesecake Factory hard. Like millions of restaurants, the company watched as most of its business disappeared overnight. By April 2020 the chain — with over 220 restaurants and 46,000 employees — was near death. The company was losing $6 million a week with just 16 weeks of cash on hand. Cheesecake Factory informed its landlords that it would not pay rent that month, and management went begging to private equity for a cash infusion that could save the company. 

But regular investors who were trading the company in the public market had little inkling that Cheesecake Factory was in a tailspin. In public disclosures on March 23 and April 3, management told them that the company was "operating sustainably." There was no mention of how the company was stiffing its landlords and hemorrhaging cash. 

Why lie? If the Cheesecake Factory told the truth, its stock would have gone down, reducing the value of its business and potentially sinking its chances for a bailout from those investors rich and privileged enough to get the truth about the state of its affairs. And yet, despite this blatant attempt to deceive public investors, the Securities and Exchange Commission fined the company an embarrassingly small $125,000. Cheesecake Factory did not admit or deny guilt.

The SEC is supposed to be one of the cops monitoring businesses in the US and policing white-collar crime. When a corporation commits fraud — that is to say, steals from its customers or vendors, or lies about the state of its business — regulators could punish wrongdoers with Old Testament justice, sending a message to corporate America that criminal misbehavior will not be tolerated. 

But instead of fulfilling their duties, watchdogs like the SEC have seemingly given up on the task. Instead of levying heavy penalties and imprisoning corporate criminals, financial regulators are giving wrongdoers a slap on the wrist, fining their companies a paltry sum, and allowing them to consider the penalties a cost of doing business. Even worse, by turning a blind eye to corporate crime, the SEC is paving the way  for a quiet, white-collar crime wave that is building hidden risks into our economy.

If we don't get a real cop on the corporate America beat soon, these risks are going to cause far-reaching implosions — collapses of businesses that seemed healthy, sudden stock market disasters, ugly stuff. The risks and frauds are already there, it's just that the Feds are letting companies sweep it under the rug. That only works for so long.

If you're a CEO they let you do it

Instead of instilling fear, the cops on the corporate beat are teaching America's CEOs that crime pays.

Last month the SEC announced the results of an investigation into sportswear giant Under Armour. The regulator determined that beginning in 2015, Under Armour lied to investors for a year and a half about how much revenue it was bringing in. Instead of taking a hit on its books when an unseasonably warm winter led to poor sales of its lucrative cold weather apparel, the company reported sales of goods that customers had requested for the future — pulling forward $408 million worth of revenue.

Under Armour did not tell investors that it was stealing from the future to pad its revenue in the present, not even as CEO Kevin Plank was unloading $138 million worth of company's stock during the period. And yet, despite the grievous fraud, the SEC fined Under Armour only $9 million— a minuscule sum compared to the company's $1.3 billion in revenue during the first quarter of this year. Nor did the company have to admit its guilt. It was as if the crime never happened.

There is no company too big or too storied for this type of fraud. General Electric pulled essentially the same trick as Under Armour in 2016 and 2017. But not only did it steal from the future by pulling forward revenue, it also misled investors about its costs in order to make its business look even healthier. All told, GE lied its way into an additional $2.5 billion worth of profit during the period. When investors finally found out about the scam, the company's stock fell 75%.

For all of this mendacity the SEC fined the company $200 million. The following quarter GE took in $17.1 billion in revenue. GE was not required to admit its guilt.

"In the past, when somebody used to do the stuff that GE did, that was massive," Francine McKenna, a CPA and blogger who teaches at American University told me "That was criminal fraud. People went to jail."

And I'll tell you another insightful observation that McKenna shared with me: "There's no such thing as a sudden cash-flow crisis."

Translation: Honest businesses die slowly. They hemorrhage cash and report the bleed out quarter by quarter, until one day shareholders get tired of throwing money into a pit and lose faith.

Fraudulent businesses — companies that lie to hide the poor state of their finances — can seem to die quickly. But it's only because they were obfuscating. Regulators are supposed to investigate companies that engage in deception before they have a chance to pretend that their demise came suddenly, dealing unforeseen trauma to shareholders and employees. But America's corporate cops are not doing their job, and so right now, the United States is a white-collar scammer's paradise.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, 40 million Americans were victimized by some form of consumer fraud in 2017, up 50% from only six years before. Accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers estimates that the recent flurry of white-collar crime — from tax fraud to bribery to insider trading — cost the world $42 billion in 2018 and 2019.

The crime wave was a direct result of the Trump administration's decision to cut back on enforcement, though the government has been softening its hand on white collar crime for decades. In 2020 the SEC charged the lowest number of defendants with insider trading since the Reagan administration, down 17% from the previous low set in ... 2019. The fraudsters the SEC has gone after, Daniel Taylor — a professor at UPenn's Wharton School — explained to me, tend to be small-time crooks. 

And what happens when you stop locking up criminals? "My research indicates that there is an increase in opportunistic trading by [corporate] officers and directors," Taylor said. "And it's as aggressive as it was during the 2007-2008 financial crisis."

Back to the Roaring 20s

We, as a nation, have been here before. I know many of you are excited about a return of the Roaring 20s, but from a fraud perspective nothing could be less welcome. The cheerful telling of the 1920's is that it was a post-war, post-pandemic party fueled by jazz music and illicit alcohol. The reality of the age is far darker, and its parallels to our time more disquieting.

When I think of the 1920's, I think of massive wealth inequality, the rise of fascism and gang violence, and endemic public corruption. Over the course of the decade,Treasury Secretary and industrial magnate Andrew Mellon turned government coffers into his own personal bank, declaring that any tax on the wealthy was "a menace to the future." 

All the while, 1920's Americans idolized the wealthy — the business of the United States was business, after all. The stock market was ripping ever higher. And — as millionaire John Jakob Raskob wrote in Ladies Home Journal in 1929 while pitching his plan to create a highly leveraged stock market fund that anyone could buy into for $15 a month — "Everybody outta be rich." Regulation, whether it was to curb fraud or monopolization, was ditched in favor of a laissez faire approach to business.

The parallels are not perfect, but you get the idea. A recent survey found that more Americans trust CEOs than their own government. In the 1920's a group of investors secretly pooled their money to run up the price of RCA; now we have Reddit traders running up the prices of meme stocks with their "diamond hands." 

When regulators abdicate their responsibility to ensure that business is conducted lawfully, tragic things can happen. Take the 2008 financial crisis: a few years of regulators ignoring predatory mortgage lending practices and failing to provide adequate oversight of Wall Street and boom!— we had a worldwide depression on our hands. And today, just like then, and just like in the 1920s, we have the cops of the market asleep at the switch.

Trung Nguyen, an assistant professor of business administration at Harvard Business School, found that"white-collar criminals respond quickly … to any reduction in enforcement activity." Her study focused on the FBI, and its diversion of resources from white-collar crime to counter-terrorism since 9/11. She found a "significantly greater increase in wire fraud, illegal insider trading activities, and fraud within financial institutions'' in areas where FBI field offices shifted their focus. 

Conversely, a 2014 study by Terrence Blackburne, now an assistant professor at Oregon State University, found that where SEC offices are better resourced, CEOs play it more by-the-book with accounting standards, are more accurate in their financial reporting, and preside over companies with more stable stock prices.

Jay Clayton, the Trump-era head of the SEC who spent his career as a white-collar defense attorney, made no secret of his hands-off approach to regulating big business. During his tenure, only two people at the SEC had the authority to initiate cases and issue subpoenas. Trump appointees also changed rules to allow for a reduction in financial penalties for white-collar criminals. The message to Wall Street crooks was clear: break whatever laws you want, because we have no intention of trying to catch you.

The Biden administration has taken a few small steps to increase enforcement. In February, it expanded the number of SEC officials with subpoena power to 36. And it replaced Clayton in the top cop job with Gary Gensler, a former Goldman Sachs banker who — despite his Wall Street past — was known as a tough regulator when he served the Obama administration after the financial crisis. 

Gensler has pledged to enforce the rules of the market "aggressively." But he has also said that his areas of focus will be investor education, market structure, and enhancing transparency. None of these speak to deterring executives from abusing their power. Tesla CEO Elon Musk violated an agreement with the SEC, and when the agency tried to call him on it, his lawyers simply stopped answering the SEC's emails. After that, according to the WSJ,the problem basically went away.

In a recent speech to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Gensler urged lawyers and accountants who are considering engaging in illegal behavior to "step back from the line."

To that I can only respond: Oh yeah, Gary? Or you'll do what?

Caveat empty

There are debatable explanations for the SEC's lack of enforcement. Some people blame it on a revolving door between attorneys on the side of corporate defense and those on the side of corporate regulation. The cops in Washington who are supposed to police corporate America often go on to work for the same companies they're overseeing. And no one wants to bring a lawsuit against their future clients, let alone send one of them to jail. 

Economist Luigi Zingales — a professor at the University of Chicago who studies this phenomenon of "regulatory capture," as it's known — thinks we should mitigate the problem by diversifying the expertise of those on staff at the SEC — adding more economists, for example, who won't be looking forward to lucrative careers in corporate defense. He also suggests we pay SEC attorneys to  engage in a longer cooling-off period between when they join the agency and when they return to the private sector.

"This fast process contributes to an aura of impunity for big companies," Zingales told MarketWatch. "Even without a revolving door system it's very difficult to go after big companies since they have very good lawyers, and the SEC may end up losing even if it is right. If on top of all this you add the revolving-door problem, it becomes excessive."

What is not debatable is the fact that the SEC and other regulators are undermanned and underfunded. If the federal budget is a reflection of our values, what it is reflecting back at us is an overwhelming tolerance of corruption and abuse from the rich and powerful. In the 1920's a similar tolerance led to a massive stock market bubble bursting and sucking up all the cash from banks around the country. Americans ignored risk, companies levered up, and the government let rich scammers run wild. Over the following decade we paid for that greed with the Great Depression — the most painful example of a "sudden cash-flow crisis" that really wasn't sudden at all.

These days, the SEC has not only abdicated its enforcement of fraud and insider trading. It has also abdicated its responsibility for ensuring that companies entering the public markets have solid corporate governance and a promising business model that can pass regulatory muster. Instead of forcing companies to leap over these hurdles, the SEC is allowing companies to go public as long as they disclose massive issues with their businesses in fine print  — taking caveat emptor to the extreme.

Consider Coinbase, for example, a cryptocurrency exchange that went public in April. It is a disaster of a stock, and not just because it's down almost 30% since then. The problem is that its corporate governance structure is so rife with conflicts of interest that it would not have been allowed to trade on the stock market 15 years ago — and should not have been allowed today.

Two of Coinbase's three "independent directors"— Fred Wilson and Fred Ersham — are also members of its audit committee. The same two gentlemen are also major shareholders of Coinbase, and one of them — Ehrsam — is a founder of the company. Instead of doing any "auditing" or serving as an "independent" guide for the company, Wilson and Ersham are incentivized to deliver the best possible news to investors. When there are this many insiders overseeing governance, shareholders should understand that any cash flow crisis will be "sudden"— at least for them.

Before it went public, the company also disclosed that it faces tons of litigation uncertainty — basically there are a dizzying number of lawsuits that it could be hit with — and its financial future is effectively tied to the price of Bitcoin, which has been trading with all the stability of a bag of scorpions on meth. 

Apparently the SEC thinks this (frankly) stupid level of risk is permissible as long as it's all written down somewhere.

"The SEC has a responsibility to make sure companies have ironed out all their issues before they go public," said McKenna, the CPA. "But they're not kicking the tires. They're not forcing the companies to get their act together before they go public. This is basic governance stuff."

In her newsletter, The Dig, McKenna takes a deep dive into all sorts of accounting and governance issues at public companies. What she's found is that more and more of the market's most recent IPOs should never have made it to market.

"Snowflake, Palantir, Airbnb, DoorDash ... every one I've looked at is a loser," she said. "It used to be that you had to grow a company, prove that you could stay in business, and have a product and people bought it for more than it cost to make it. All that stuff they teach you in school, it doesn't matter anymore."

Fear the walking dead

What all of this lawlessness leaves us with is a situation that famed short seller Jim Chanos (yes, the guy who first called out the Enron fraud) predicted years after the financial crisis — a situation where the reward of committing fraud far outweighs the risks. 

"If now, as the senior member of a bank, or the board of a bank, I know that there are no criminal penalties for breaking the rules, don't I have a fiduciary responsibility to my shareholders to actually play fast and loose?" Chanos told Salon."Because if I get caught, that's just the cost of doing business? I know it's a frightening thought, but if carried to its logical extreme — if truly people believe that because of their size, they can't be prosecuted — it actually brings forth a new issue of moral hazard extreme: illegal behavior."

The largest banks in the US have been wise to Chanos' logic for some time now. A study from Better Markets— a nonprofit founded after the financial crisis to advocate for financial reform — found that Wall Street's six biggest banks have paid $195 billion worth of fines for breaking the law over the last 20 years. And they are still doing it. Occasionally it costs shareholders money, and occasionally a mid-level investment banker loses their job, but by and large this is simply their cost of doing business -- a rounding error on their criminally obtained profits.

No one fears the SEC anymore. Taylor told me that the agency has become too consumed with thinking like a lawyer. It has become afraid of losing cases, so it only takes on slam dunks. Instead, he argued, it should think more like a behavioral economist. Instead of being focused on winning, the SEC should try to make life miserable for public figures who lie — win or lose. That's what deterrence is about.

"The damage to letting public figures who make blatantly false and misleading statements off the hook is far greater than pursuing the individual and losing," Taylor explained. "It sends the message that the agency is easily intimidated and erodes investor confidence. I'd argue there's societal benefit from making examples, and from pursuing public figures even if you think the odds are not in your favor. Better to get in the ring and fight, than to avoid the fight for fear of losing."

We don't want corporate anarchy to take over our markets — and not only because it creates volatility in the stock market when a "sudden cash-flow crisis" grips a company. This isn't just about investors losing money. It's not even just about making sure everyone is equal under the law (though that is extremely key). This is about how we put money to work in America. 

When companies lie about their health, they're masking a lack of productivity in order to gain or maintain capital. This ultimately leads to a misallocation of capital, as people are deceived into throwing good money at bad companies. Investors think they're sending money to a company that will turn it into more money, or more goods. But because of fraud, that money instead goes toward perpetuating a lie, toward enriching the rats fleeing a sinking ship.

It is not productive to throw money at the walking dead. We need the SEC to enforce the law and stop this perversion of corporate governance and investment. If they don't, that ominous rumbling we hear in the stock market will turn out to be the sound of our economy imploding yet again.

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An internal survey conducted at the private-equity giant the Carlyle Group in February had bright spots. In categories like how well the company navigated remote work (91% responded favorably) and if employees felt "proud" to work at the firm (92% answered in the affirmative), employees overwhelmingly expressed a positive sentiment.

But when asked if they could arrange time away from work when they needed to, just 64% said yes — and that data point concerned Carlyle's chief human-resources officer Bruce Larson, he said.

The sentiments aren't confined to private equity. Throughout the spring, people in banking and across financial services expressed similar feelings of burnout or being overwhelmed.

For Larson, the pandemic provided a crucial moment to implement strategies he'd been considering since he joined in November 2019.

"It thrust everything that I was trying to prioritize with the CEO into the limelight," Larson told Insider in an interview. "It gave us more wind in our sails than we would have had without the pandemic."

The Carlyle Group is now implementing a "well-being strategy" directed at improving employees' lives and educating them on topics related to physical fitness, emotional and social well-being, personal finance, and the environment.

In April, it established a Wellness Advisory Council composed of more than a dozen members who span the ranks from junior associates to managing directors and weigh in on programs related to employee wellness.

The firm is imminently rolling out two measures later this summer designed to mitigate burnout and promote physical health.

The first will be a firmwide week off beginning August 16 to give all employees a chance to unplug and recharge.

The second is a $750 annual well-being stipend available to all employees at the principal or director level and below.

The stipend will hit employees' accounts in September and can be used to cover anything, since the firm won't track how it's applied. The company suggested that employees use it to cover the costs of meditation- or sleep-app subscriptions, home workout equipment, gym memberships, or services from providers like a massage therapist or nutritionist.

Employees who joined Carlyle before August 15 will receive the bonus each year in September. Employees who joined after August 15 but before December 31 will receive the stipend in the form of a new-hire bonus.

Carlyle has focused on wellness in recent months

The company has recently rolled out firmwide wellness activities, like a Carlyle Peloton ride in June for workers who enjoy indoor biking and regular "Wellbeing Wednesday" lectures each month.

Carlyle has brought in experts like a vaccine specialist from Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri, and David Sinclair, a Harvard Medical School professor, to discuss health-related topics.

For Larson, the work underscores the goals he's had since joining.

Carlyle "already had a very collaborative and collegial culture, but they hadn't focused on professionalizing a number of HR initiatives," he said.

His relationship with CEO Kewsong Lee has been integral in realizing these efforts, he added.

"I remember my first interview with him back in the summer of 2019," he said. "He wanted a thought partner and someone he could work with."

Larson said he believed investing in the wellness of employees mattered after an arduous year.

"Your talent is your most important asset," he said. "We've got to be thoughtful around that across the board."

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Former Trump administration officials are finding their places in the business world, even if corporate America isn't exactly rolling out the red carpet for them.

Insider found more than 30 former Trump officials who landed in corporate, business or finance jobs, including returns to earlier gigs and companies they founded or brand new roles. That's based on Insider's analysis of more than 325 people who worked in an official capacity for Trump between January 2017 and January 2021.

The analysis found more than 40 ex-Trump staffers are still in government or politics and at least 85 are off the grid. Some of the most controversial members are consulting or enjoying the comforts of posh homes.

Corporations that have hired former Trump officials include Amazon, IBM, Goldman Sachs and Lockheed Martin, but also some smaller and less traditional companies. 

Two big names in the Trump administration's fight against COVID-19 — pandemic response coordinator Deborah Birx and the former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Robert Redfield — have landed in the air purifying industry. Redfield's new employer, "Big Ass Fans," says its ion technology kills the coronavirus. Birx's new employer has a similar plug.

Here are other businesses employing former members of Trump's team: 

1.  ActivePure: Hired former coronavirus response coordinator Deborah Birx as its chief medical and science advisor.
2.  AF Capital: Garrett Marquis, a former National Security Council official, is now a member of the advisory council.
3.  Alio: Added Eric Hargan, former deputy secretary of Health and Human Services, to its board of directors. He is also on the Tomorrow Health Advisory Board.
4.  Amazon: Hired Katherine Kalutkiewicz, a former National Economic Council official, as its head of US trade policy.
5.  Big Ass Fans: Hired former CDC Director Robert Redfield as a strategic health and safety advisor.
6.  Blackstone: Hired Kristan Nevins, a former White House Cabinet secretary, as a managing director of government relations.
7. Cobham Advanced Electronic Solutions (CAES): Added former Defense Secretary Mark Esper to its board of directors.
8.  Caliburn International: Added former White House Chief of Staff John Kelly to its board of directors.
9. CityServe: Hired Lynn Johnson, former assistant secretary at the Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Children and Families, as its vice president for Children's Initiatives.
10.  Deloitte: Hired Timothy Frank, a former White House deputy director and senior advisor, as a consultant.
11.  Deloitte Consulting: Hired Elaine Duke, former Department of Homeland Security deputy secretary and acting secretary, as a specialist executive.
12.  D.R. Horton: Added former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson to its board of directors. 
13.  Exegis Capital: Mick Mulvaney, former White House Chief of Staff and Office of Management and Budget director, is a partner at the company he co-founded.
14.  Flagship Pioneering: Hired former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn as its chief medical officer of its preemptive medicine and health security initiative.
15.  Goldman Sachs: Former Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategy Dina Powell McCormick is now the global head of sustainability and inclusive growth. She returned to Goldman Sachs in 2018 as a partner in the Investment Banking Division.
16.  IBM: Appointed Gary Cohn, former director of the National Economic Council, as vice chairman of IBM and member of the IBM executive leadership team.
17.  Icahn Enterprises: Carl Icahn, who was a special advisor to the president on regulatory reform, is chair of Icahn Enterprises.
18.  Ideagen: George Sifakis, former director of the White House Office of Public Liaison, is global chairman and chief executive officer of the company he founded.
19.  Invariant: Hired Amy Swonger, former White House legislative affairs director, as principal.
20.  Jazz Pharmaceuticals: Hired Virginia McMillin, former special assistant to the president for legislative affairs, as director of government relations and policy.
21.  Kalera: Added former Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to its board of directors.
22.  Krebs Stamos Group LLC: Chris Krebs, former director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, is CEO of the company he co-founded.
23.  KS Global Group: Keith Schiller, former director of Oval Office Operations, is the managing member.
24.  Lockheed Martin: Hired Jarrod Agen, former director of communications to the vice president, as vice president of global media and digital communications.
25.  MCNA Dental: Named former Energy Secretary Rick Perry as vice chairman of the board of directors for MCNA Insurance Company and chief strategy officer.
26.  Natixis: Hired Joseph LaVorgna, former chief economist of the National Economic Council, as chief economist of the Americas.
27.  Nokia: Hired Grace Koh, a former special assistant to the president, as vice president of legislative affairs.
28.  Oracle: Hired Josh Pitcock, former chief of staff to former Vice President Mike Pence, as vice president of government affairs.
29. Rubrik Inc.: Added Suzette Kent, former U.S. Chief Information Officer, to its public sector advisory board.
30.  Utility Strategic Advisors: Hired John DeStefano, former counselor to the president, as principal.
31.  Veeam Government Solutions: Hired Earl Matthews, former senior director for defense policy and strategy on the National Security Council, as president.

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Corporate America's diversity problem could soon become clearer than ever.

The Securities and Exchange Commission is mulling rule changes that would require public companies to reveal more information about their employees, SEC Chair Gary Gensler said in a Wednesday Twitter thread. The rules could force the disclosure of workforce turnover, skills training, benefits, pay, and diversity. The new guidelines would also likely be mandatory, the chair said.

"Investors want to better understand one of the most critical assets of a company: its people," Gensler said. "I've asked staff to propose recommendations for the Commission's consideration on human capital disclosure."

The latest proposal could mark a major step forward in the fight for improved workplace diversity. Corporate America faced a reckoning around pay and hiring inequities following 2020 protests sparked by the murder of George Floyd. After corporations signaled support for the protests, Americans demanded they go further and improve workforce diversity and eliminate unjust pay gaps. The movement also led investors to call for increased transparency around worker compensation and treatment.

Last year, Insider reported on subpar diversity records in the tech and advertising industries, and even the burgeoning cannabis space, as well as the general ineffectiveness of diversity and inclusion training. 

First steps, but a long road ahead

Companies' proclamations in support of the Black Lives Matter movement haven't been backed up by solid data about those firms' actions.

More than 100 of the country's largest public companies said little about their workplace demographics when asked by The Wall Street Journal earlier this year. Those that did start reporting metrics showed much progress left to be made. General Electric, for example, revealed 76% of its US workforce was white, and women made up just 26% of its global leadership.

Commitments to invest in a more equitable economy have also yielded unclear results. The country's 50 biggest companies and their foundations pledged nearly $50 billion to address racial inequity in the wake of Floyd's murder, according to The Washington Post. Yet just $4.2 billion of that sum has been doled out as grants. And of that, only $71 million went to organizations focused on criminal justice reform.

Conversely, more than $45 million was dispersed as loans or investments, meaning the businesses spending that money could profit from the payments. More than half of that sum went toward mortgages, according to the Post.

New territory for the SEC

Gensler's tweet isn't the first time the SEC has sought more detailed disclosures. The agency pushed companies to publish descriptions of their workforces — also known as human-capital resources — in an August 2020 rule change.

The update was encouraging, but it didn't take long for regulators to realize the rule had no teeth. Companies, for the most part, just didn't provide the details investors wanted most. The change was too "generic and vague" to make a difference, Democratic SEC commissioner Caroline Crenshaw said in an August 2020 statement. 

More recently, the SEC approved an update that forced companies listed on the Nasdaq exchange to meet minimums for gender and ethnic diversity on their boards. Companies failing to do so would have to explain why they couldn't reach the targets. The change, approved earlier in August, requires companies have at least one woman director, as well as one who identifies as a racial minority or as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or queer.

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