“Black women find their way to the top even after corporate politics, discrimination, bias, and prejudice based on race and gender. These exemplary women are trailblazers, changing norms, and setting trends.”
Black women, even with discrimination and bias, work twice as hard and good as their counterparts. This determination, resilience, hard work, and steadfastness are what make them reach the top even after hurdle after hurdle.
Today, we wanted to honor a few Black women executives in America, who made their way to the top and proved that they are unstoppable. Let look at some of the top black women executives in the US:
SHELLYE ARCHAMBEAU
The former CEO of MetricStream and the current Fortune 500 board member, Shellye Archambeau is one of those who need no introduction. She has a track record of building brands, organizations, and high-performance teams. She is currently serving on the boards of Verizon, Nordstrom, Okta, and Ropper Technologies. She is also a strategies advisor to the President of Arizona State University and Forbes Ignite. She is also the leading board member of two national nonprofits, Catalyst, and Braven.
She was named the second most influential African American in IT by Business Insider and was one of the ‘100 Most Influential Business Leaders in America by Newsmax. She has many other accolades under her name too. Finally, she also authored Unapologetically Ambitious: Take Risks, Break Barriers and Create Success on Your Own Terms which was published last year. What is that this woman can’t do?
ROSALIND BREWER
Rosalind Brewer is all set to become another or third Black woman leading a Fortune 500 company in US history. She is expected to take on the role of Chief Executive Officer of Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) on March 15.
She previously served as the Chief Operating Officer, Group President, and Member of Starbucks’ Board of Directors. She is also a former director of Amazon, Lockheed Martin, and Molson Coors Brewing Co. She has resigned from all these roles to now begin her tenure as a CEO at Walgreens. Definitely an inspiration for the generation ahead.
SHARON KENNEDY VICKERS
Sharon Kennedy Vickers is the Chief Information Officer and Director of Technology & Communications at the City of Saint Paul, Minnesota. She has over 20 years of experience in leading digital initiatives that advance the goals and priorities of organizations.
Currently, she is working on strategies to make sure any problems that arise can be solved through the right use of data and technology. She is one of those powerhouses who have led from the front throughout her career.
JAMEEKA GREEN AARON
Jameeka has over 20 years of experience in Information Technology and Cyber Security. She is currently serving as the Chief Information Officer at United Legwear & Apparel Co., but her experience ranges to being a CISO for various industries including manufacturing, aerospace & defense, and the retail sector as well.
Not just this, but she has worked with both privately held and Fortune 100 companies. Her strength lies in leading teams, digital transformation, risk and identity management, and mergers & acquisitions, among others.
These were just the five women black executives that we could mention and honor today. There are so many more whose success, hard work, and talent are also making so much noise.
THASUNDA BROWN DUCKETT
Thasunda Brown Duckett is the new CEO of Annuity Association of America, TIAA. She recently became the second black woman to currently lead a Fortune 500 company, making sure she makes her mark and gets noticed. She has also served as the CEO of Chase Consumer Banking. Before that, she was the CEO of Chase Auto Finance, SVP for emerging markets and affordable lending, and SVP in home lending.
She is not only the second black woman currently but also only the fourth woman to lead the Fortune 500 companies. She is confident that she will bring a positive change, and we are confident that she is the positive change we need.