Black Trailblazers in Business - A Black History Month Spotlight
In the final installment of Seen@Work’s celebration of Black History Month, we are shining a spotlight on a small number of the numerous Black business leaders who have defined, and redefined how to run successful organizations.
The numbers in corporate America have historically reflected poorly of the opportunities afforded to Black business leaders, with only 5 out of the 279 top executives in the S&P 100 companies identifying as Black.
To showcase the Black community’s contributions to the world of business, Seen@Work has chosen five Black women who have led organizations to corporate success and paved the path for those who will come after them. They have broken barriers and these women hold many “firsts” to their names. Consider highlighting their achievements as you and your organizations celebrate Black History now, and in the future.
Janice Bryant Howroyd
Janice Bryant Howroyd is the founder and CEO of the ActOne Group, a workforce solutions, and staffing company which she grew to become the first Black woman to build and own a billion-dollar company. She was the first Black student in her recently de-segregated school in North Carolina and when she started Act One in 1978 in LA, she only had a phone as the company’s asset. By 2003, her company was bringing in nearly $500 million and included clients such as Ford Motor Company and the Gap. After working with the American Red Cross and the National Academy of Sciences, Janice Bryant Howroyd was employed as a temporary worker in the offices of Billboard magazine. Realizing that support staff at the magazine were mostly there to network as a way to get a foothold in the entertainment industry, she decided to start her own employment agency that placed permanent workers who were not industry hopefuls, with Billboard magazine signing up to be ActOne’s first client.
“Never compromise who you are personally to become who you wish to be professionally.”
Rosalind Brewer
Rosalind Brewer is a businesswoman who currently serves as the CEO of the Walgreen Boots Alliance, the holding company which owns several pharmaceutical manufacturing and distribution companies including of course, Walgreens. When she took on the position in March, 2021, she became one of only two Black women leading a Fortune 500 company (the other being Thasunda Brown Duckett at TIAA).
She grew up in Detroit, the daughter of assembly line workers at GM and was interested in pursuing a physician career. She went on to begin her career as a chemist at Kimberly Clark.
Rosalind Brewer has numerous firsts to her name. She was among the first generation in her family to attend college. And along with being the first Black woman to hold the CEO position at Walgreens Boots Alliance, she was also the first Black woman to be Group President and COO of Starbucks, join Amazon’s board and lead Sam’s Club as CEO. She has also held Director positions at Lockheed Martin and the Molson Coors Brewing Company.
In her role as Starbucks COO, she was responsible for implementing policy changes and racial bias training for employees across 8,000+ stores. She also helped modernize Sam’s Club business model by implementing advance online ordering into its operations.
“You can and should set your own limits and clearly articulate them. This takes courage, but it is also liberating and empowering, and often earns you new respect. ”
Sheila Johnson
The next trailblazer, Sheila Johnson is the co-founder of the Black Entertainment Television, CEO of Salamander Hotels and Resorts and the first Black woman to attain an net worth of a Billion dollars. She started the cable TV channel in 1979l with her then husband and sold it to Viacom for $3 Billion dollars in 2001.
She sold her stake in BET in 2002 and has taken positions in hotels across the US south. Her investments also include the Washington Mystics WNMB franchise, the NHL team Washington Capitals and the Washington Wizards of the NBA which made her the first woman to be a stakeholder in three professional sports franchises.
Forbes ranked Sheila Johnson #39 in its list of self-made women in 2021 and she sits on the boards of organizations such as Curry School of Education Foundation at UVA and the University of Illinois Foundation. While no longer affiliated with BET, Sheila Johnson has continued to influence entertainment and the portrayal of race, gender and identity through her movies such as The Butler and A Powerful Noise.
“Don’t ever lose sight of who you are and your own power.”
Thasunda Brown Duckett
Thasunda Brown Duckett is the President and CEO of the Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America or, TIAA. Beginning the position in 2021, she was only the fourth Black woman CEO in the Fortune 500 companies. Born to an educator mother and warehouse-worker father, she brings her intention and values to TIAA’s mission of financial inclusion and opportunity. Thasunda Brown Duckett has built a strong career in the realm of financial service, beginning with Fannie Mae. She then went on to rise through the ranks at Chase, where she was the CEO of Chase Auto Finance and then went on to become the CEO of Chase’s Consumer Banking business. Along with leading TIAA as CEO, she also influences the running of Nike as one the members of its Board of Directors.
“Don’t be afraid to take risks. There will always be highs and lows in a career, but as long as you’re able to learn from every experience, and you have confidence in your ability, you will be successful.”
Ursula Burns
Ursula Burns was the CEO of Xerox corporation from 2009 to 2016 and was the company’s chairwoman from 2010 to 2017. When she became the CEO at Xerox, she was the first Black female CEO of a Fortune 500 company. Ursula Burns had humble beginnings, growing up in a New York City housing project by her Panamanian immigrant parents. She began her career as a summer intern for Xerox in 1980.
She worked in various product development roles at Xerox until 1990, when she was offered a position as an executive assistant to a senior executive. She accepted and transitioned her career, going on to be an executive assistant to the CEO in 1991 and then becoming the Vice President for Global Manufacturing.
Ursula Burns stepped down as CEO in 2016 and left the Xerox board in 2017. Since then, she has been influencing the operations of various organization as a board member which include Uber, Nestle and Exxon Mobil.
In 2009, President Obama appointed her to help lead the national program on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. She was also appointed chair of the President’s Export Council in 2015.
“Dreams do come true, but not without the help of others, a good education, a strong work ethic, and the courage to lean in. ”
These remarkable Black women are only some of the many trailblazers that have shaped corporate America and how business is done. We encourage you to celebrate these trailblazers and their contributions this Black History Month and beyond.