Ingrid Saunders Jones is no stranger to community leadership, community development and philanthropy. She’s a highly respected global leader who served three decades at the Coca-Cola company where she held roles of increasing responsibility, focusing on the company’s corporate giving and community outreach. During her tenure at Coca-Cola, Jones led the transformation of the company’s philanthropic outreach, growing a U.S. focused program into a global initiative touching millions of lives each year.
Under her leadership as senior vice president of Global Community Connections and Chair of the Coca-Cola Foundation, the foundation awarded over $500 million to community organizations, which included the United Negro College Fund, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, Catalyst – the Critical Difference for Women Program at Ohio State University, Boys and Girls Clubs of America and the Coca-Cola First Generation Scholarship Program, to name a few. In Jones’ current role, she serves as the Chair of the National Council of Negro Women, Inc. (NCNW), a 501(c)3 organization focused on health, financial literacy and education of children and families.
Jones recently visited Detroit during the Detroit Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.’s Founders Day Observance where she served as this year’s keynote speaker.
Shortly before the event, rolling out got a chance to get an exclusive interview with Jones, where she discussed how she felt about being the 2016 Founders Day keynote speaker, and she also discussed key elements of being a Female Success Factor.
Check out the interview below and some pictures from Founders Day in the photo gallery.
Welcome back home to Detroit! How does it feel to be back home in this capacity of being the Keynote Speaker for the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. – Detroit Alumnae Chapter’s 103rd annual Founders Day Observance?
It’s really an honor for me to be asked to come home to Detroit, where I was born and raised and be the speaker for this Founders Day. Celebrating 103 years of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. I’m wearing 2 hats today: I’m keynote speaker and chair of the National Council of Negro Women, and I am also a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Now, my biggest claim to fame is that our 25th National President Dr. Paulette C. Walker and I went to school and crossed DST together.
It’s really an honor for me to be asked to come home to Detroit, where I was born and raised and be the speaker for this Founders Day. Celebrating 103 years of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. I’m wearing 2 hats today: I’m keynote speaker and chair of the National Council of Negro Women, and I am also a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Now, my biggest claim to fame is that our 25th National President Dr. Paulette C. Walker and I went to school and crossed DST together.
Awesome, now there are over 800 plus Deltas, dignitaries, city officials, fraternities, sororities and guests present for today’s Founders Day. What is one of the key take-aways you want the audience to walk away with?
I want to focus on the courage and fearlessness of the 22 founders, who back in 1913 joined a suffrage march designed to encourage the government to give women the vote. And here we are in 2016, still concerned about public policy issues that will require courage and dedication.
I want to focus on the courage and fearlessness of the 22 founders, who back in 1913 joined a suffrage march designed to encourage the government to give women the vote. And here we are in 2016, still concerned about public policy issues that will require courage and dedication.
Regarding how you became a Female Success Factor, tell us about your communication style: how is your communication style factored into your success?
When I think about the things that helped me and supported me in having a successful work life, I always go back to my parents, who were very focused on education and then on being fair and having a great work ethic and they demonstrated that to me. And knowing where to be and where not to be.
When I think about the things that helped me and supported me in having a successful work life, I always go back to my parents, who were very focused on education and then on being fair and having a great work ethic and they demonstrated that to me. And knowing where to be and where not to be.
How does mentoring factor into your career and personal life?
Mentoring has been very important in my life, and I always go back to my parents who were the ultimate mentors. But along the way, I’ve had mentors as teachers, mentors as bosses, and a couple of the mentors that have meant the most to me were city council president Carl Ware, I worked for the mayor of the City of Atlanta – Maynard Jackson, and then at the Coca-Cola company, there was our chairman Roberto Goizueta, who in the 80’s was a mentor to me – all of that was very important. But on a personal side, as a woman, my mentoring came from my mother, my grandmother’s and from my aunts. They taught me how to be a lady.
Mentoring has been very important in my life, and I always go back to my parents who were the ultimate mentors. But along the way, I’ve had mentors as teachers, mentors as bosses, and a couple of the mentors that have meant the most to me were city council president Carl Ware, I worked for the mayor of the City of Atlanta – Maynard Jackson, and then at the Coca-Cola company, there was our chairman Roberto Goizueta, who in the 80’s was a mentor to me – all of that was very important. But on a personal side, as a woman, my mentoring came from my mother, my grandmother’s and from my aunts. They taught me how to be a lady.
In terms of relationship building, tell us about how building and fostering relationships have been essential in your success.
You can’t do anything without having proper relationships. You can be smart, but nobody will care. You can’t lead, if nobody wants to follow you. So, you have to know how to treat people, how to be fair, how to take the high road in life. And that was one of the things that was taught to me by my parents: When given the choice, always try the high road first.
Tell us what’s next for Ms. Ingrid Saunders Jones.
When I think about what’s next for Ms. Ingrid Saunders Jones, it really is doing what I am doing now, and doing it well: Leading the National Council of Negro Women and making sure (that as the founders did for Delta Sigma Theta back in 1913), when you look 10 years, 20 years from now, I contributed to the National Council of Negro Women being the best that it can be.
Photo Gallery Credit: Porsha Monique for Steed Media
