Lori George Billingsley has been named the new chief diversity and inclusion officer at The Coca-Cola Company. Her appointment took effect Monday, Oct. 1.
A Howard University graduate and dynamic corporate executive, Billingsley will bring exceptional skills, experience and passion to her new role as she leads the company’s Global Diversity and Inclusion Center of Excellence, including the Diversity, Inclusion and Workplace Fairness teams for North America.
Since March, Billingsley has served as the vice president of community and stakeholder relations for Coca-Cola North America (CCNA), where she led community giving and engagement, stakeholder relations and issues management, employee volunteerism, community board placements, disaster relief, and CCNA’s 5by20 women’s initiative. Since last year, she has served on the company’s Multicultural Leadership Committee.
Prior to this role, from 2002 to this year, Billingsley held multiple community, communication and shareowner affairs roles within both the corporate and CCNA public affairs and communications function at Coca-Cola.
Before to joining The Coca-Cola Company, she worked in public relations, including serving as vice president at Porter Novelli in Washington, D.C., and starting her own consultancy, LG Communications. She began her career in government in Washington, D.C., where she was a senior public affairs specialist for the Office of Human Rights and Minority Business. In 1995, she became an ordained minister.
Billingsley holds a bachelor’s degree in public relations from Howard University and a master’s degree in public communications from American University. She serves on several boards, including the board of directors of The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Inc., Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, ColorComm, NAACP Foundation, and Arete-Executive Women of Influence.
She and her husband, Jeff, live in Decatur, Ga.
Please join me in congratulating Lori on her exciting appointment.
