Much has been said about the glass ceiling that continues to exist in the corporate world, but here are five accomplished and focused women who have achieved success in their respective organizations and on the national stage. They each offer a unique perspective on what drives them professionally, the challenges they’ve faced, and why it’s important to reach back for other sisters. –todd williams
Michelle Matthews
Ford Motor Co.: Multicultural Public Affairs Manager
“I am responsible for all of the public relations efforts within the African American market, I work with all of the African American national print, broadcast and digital media outlets. Ford has a very rich legacy within the African American community, so we want to make sure we’re out at various events, [so] we’re able to speak to the community.”
Kye Wilson
American Family Insurance: District Sales Manager
“For me, its not difficult at all [to recruit women]. What I’ve found is that the women gravitate toward me. Ninety percent of the women that … approach our booth come to me. … I’m one that finds mentors. It’s much easier to learn from someone who’s done it. … I didn’t have aspirations to be a manager, [but] when the position came up, another agent who had been a manager talked to me [and] made me want to apply. It increased my interest.”
Danielle Robinson
Diageo: North American Director of Diversity/Talent
“I ensure that we have the [highest] quality minority talent within our cooperation. We attend at least 8 conferences a year, and we go across the [board] to reach and represent a wide variety of diversity in the company to reflect the consumer base. We have a strong social responsibility platform, [and] we strongly put that into our products. It’s great to work for a company that [believes] that [is] the most important thing.”
Brooke Jackson-Edmonds
Jackmont Hospitality, Inc.: Senior Vice President
“I do a little bit of everything, [and] my job description has evolved into an external affairs or community relations type of description,” she says. “I think success is when you have a vision for something and you get to that place. I’ve succeeded in doing what I wanted to do when I thought about [what I wanted for ] my life twenty years ago when I was in college. As a woman, I had to think about how I was going to manage my personal life and integrate my career into my desire to be a more hands-on parent. When I thought about going into business, the thing that I wanted to most achieve was the opportunity to balance my life. I’ve been lucky, because I was able to do that.”
Faye Wattleton
Center for the Advancement of Women: President
“It’s kind of hard to define greatness in terms of my perspective — I think that’s for others to decide. To stand up is a quality of greatness. People long for leadership [and] leaders that will tell you what they really believe in and what their values are. [Black women] are pigeonholed, no matter how much we’ve succeeded. You only have to look at the treatment of Michelle Obama. We each have to recognize that we each carry a responsibility.”
