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In a year that upended the corporate stratosphere, Diversity Woman Magazine announces its FIRST annual ‘ELITE 100’ issue, dedicated to celebrating 100 extraordinary Black Women who are changing the face of corporate America.
Diversity Woman Magazine is the essential business magazine and community for women professionals and executives, with an initiative to support leadership and executive management development for women of all races, cultures and backgrounds.
In celebration of Black History Month, the special issue is available digitally beginning February 1st and on Barnes & Noble newsstands February 15.
Diversity Woman’s ELITE 100 Class of 2021 will highlight 100 Black women in the C-suite and executive leaders at Fortune 500, Fortune 1000, Fortune Global 500, and S&P 500 companies. These impressive women are leading complex transformations in their corporations by implementing systemic change in the workplace, managing remote teams around the world, building morale through innovative programming, and sustaining profitable bottom lines. In fields from finance and tech, to entertainment and health care, these 100 corporate all-stars are making their mark.
The first annual list includes Thasunda Brown Duckett(CEO, Chase Consumer Banking), Bozoma Saint John (Chief Marketing Officer, Netflix); Laysha Ward (Executive Vice President and Chief External Engagement Officer, Target Corporation); Shari Slate (Chief Inclusion and Collaboration Officer and Vice President, Inclusive Future and Strategy, Cisco); Pamela Puryear, PHD (EVP, Chief Human Resources Officer, Walgreens Boots Alliance), Susan Stith (Vice President of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Civic Affairs, and Corporate Responsibility and Executive Director, Cigna Foundation), and Tiffany Smith-Anoa’i (EVP, Entertainment Diversity & Inclusion, West Coast, ViacomCBS), among others.
“I am proud to celebrate the amazing Black women featured in our first annual ELITE 100 issue,” said Dr. Sheila Robinson, founder of Diversity Woman Media. “Black women have always faced barriers to advancement, such as double standards, lack of advocacy, and unconscious bias. Although we still have a long way to go to reach true equity in the workplace, Diversity Woman’s ELITE 100 demonstrates that Corporate America is taking notice and making changes to ensure that Black women have the opportunity to rise. I would like to extend a special thank you to the sponsors and advertisers who made this special issue possible including AARP, Cisco, Cerner, Cigna, Food Lion, Lenovo, Lowe’s, Toyota and Walgreens.”
How the Elite 100 Were Chosen
The Diversity Woman ELITE 100 are Black women in the C-Suite and high-ranking executive leaders in Fortune 500, Fortune 1000, Fortune Global 500, and S&P 500 companies. Each honoree holds senior-level and executive officer positions; oversees major global, national, and regional subsidiaries and divisions; and has succeeded by leading through achieving results—both on the bottom line and in enhancing company culture. The industries represented are financial services, banking, media, oil and gas, pharmaceuticals, automotive, food and beverage, telecommunications, health care, entertainment, and retail, among others. Nominations came from some 250 companies, industry experts, organizations, and peers. In addition, our team of writers and reporters researched the executive ranks of the companies themselves, partnered with women’s senior-leadership groups, and researched other professional listings. A special thanks to the Executive Leadership Council, Paradigm for Parity, Catalyst, and Women Business Collaborative for their guidance and support in creating this list. For a full list of the ELITE 100 please visit www.diversitywoman.com. Join the conversation and celebrate these phenomenal women @Diversitywoman and #Elite100BlackWomen.
About Diversity Woman Media
Diversity Woman Media is the leading, multiplatform professional and executive leadership development enterprise and community that advocates diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. Celebrating its sixteenth year, the company was founded by Dr. Sheila Robinson to provide guidance, training, and mentorship to build the next generation of leaders. Recognized as a leading, professional and executive leadership development enterprise that advocates for diversity, equity and inclusion, our nationally-recognized portfolio is comprised of three-core areas: Publications (Diversity Woman Magazine and Inclusion Magazine), Leadership Development Academy Workshops, and National Conferences (Diversity Woman Digital; the National Diversity Women’s Business Leadership Conference; Business Leaders Women in Tech Conference; Inclusion Innovation Leadership Summit; and the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging Conference). Follow Diversity Woman Media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
