Lola Morenike Gbenle’s Post

Empowered at the Global Black Economic Forum Being in the room at the Global Black Economic Forum as this report was unveiled was empowering beyond words. Witnessing leaders come together to advocate for Black and marginalized communities was truly inspiring. The discussions underscored the transformative power of integrating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) into organizational strategies. Three Key Callouts for Leaders: 1. Empowerment and Accountability: Leaders must own DEI initiatives with clear goals and accountability. 2. Inclusive Innovation: Diverse teams fuel innovation and market access. 3. Inclusive Talent Systems: Design systems to support and retain diverse talent. #LeadershipDevelopment #Equity #GlobalBlackEconomicForum #Advocacy #Inclusion #Diversity #Transformation #DrDeenaSpeaks #PositiveImpact #dailybrew #kornferry

"We find that Black leader appointments affect company financial valuations differently than those of White leaders, depending on whether the appointee is a known commodity and on the number of highly skilled employees they will lead. In short, appointing a Black leader often leads to positive market responses when the leader has a positive track record and the organization possesses less human capital. However, stock market responsive is often negative when the leader is relatively unknown..." As we round off black history month, what's your take on this article. https://lnkd.in/gCDTa5P9

Progress is happening, but there’s more work to be done! In 2024, 427 companies had Black directors, a small increase from 420 in 2023—a 1.66% change. Check out the 2024 BE Registry of Corporate Directors for insights into how these shifts impact the future of boardroom diversity. https://lnkd.in/gEN-CvXd

Survey of Top Black Executives in Corporate America Reveals Current State of DEI While strongly pointing to areas for business improvement, nearly 75% rate their companies' commitment to DEI as strong, with 64% indicating their companies are reaffirming or maintaining DEI commitments despite anti-DEI pressure. Three main themes emerged as the most effective approaches for companies moving forward: Treat DEI like other known business drivers in companies. (I recommend looking at it with a stakeholder and a governance perspective) Instill clear measurement mechanisms to determine and reinforce which DEI strategies work best to drive business outcomes. Remain steadfast in support of DEI to grow the business even as anti-DEI fervor increases. https://lnkd.in/dQtJ-gfs

Survey of Top Black Executives in Corporate America Reveals Current State of DEI While strongly pointing to areas for business improvement, nearly 75% rate their companies' commitment to DEI as strong, with 64% indicating their companies are reaffirming or maintaining DEI commitments despite anti-DEI pressure. Three main themes emerged as the most effective approaches for companies moving forward: Treat DEI like other known business drivers in companies. (I recommend looking at it with a stakeholder and a governance perspective) Instill clear measurement mechanisms to determine and reinforce which DEI strategies work best to drive business outcomes. Remain steadfast in support of DEI to grow the business even as anti-DEI fervor increases. https://lnkd.in/dQtJ-gfs

February is #blackhistorymonth. I'd like to spotlight a few incredible Black colleagues/friends/leaders I've been lucky enough to learn from over the years: 1) Stephanie Aiyeku, CPA - Stephanie is a VP of Finance/Controller. We are former colleagues turned friends. Beyond her deep expertise in finance/accounting, Stephanie is known for her ability to build strong, empowered teams. 2) Gwendolyn Mitchell (Whitney) - Gwen and I worked together at Gilead Sciences when she was a regional director. Her passion, hard work and zest for learning and impact always stuck with me. I've been inspired by her rise into executive leadership. Recently we were able to reconnect for a lunch all these years later and she still has that same fire I remember from years back. 3) Channa Bannis - Channa is on the board for Women in Revenue and my incredible co-lead for Marketing/Events. Channa is a marketing leader, deep listener and creative. She recently wrote her first children's book, aside from running her own marketing consultancy and also having an active knitting business on the side. 4) Kofi Frimpong - I remember the first time I met Kofi was when he was interviewing to lead our Salesforce team at Medallia. I left the interview and said "we HAVE to hire him." Kofi was a peer to me, and I was always struck by his humility, deep thought leadership around systems architecture, and how he showed up as an ally and advocate for all. 5) Jonetta White, M.S., CF APMP - Jonetta is a proposal/RFP expert, and also brings expertise in data analytics. Jonetta is fearless, speaks her mind with confidence and evidence and I still remember one of her favorite sayings: "Done is good." Jonetta - i look forward to the time when we can work together again. 6) Kevin Character - I met Kevin during our time at Tubular Labs where he was one of our most loved CS leaders. When you meet Kevin, you always remember him. He is a positive, powerful force and cultural anchor for any company or organization he is a part of. Follow him for Customer Success tips! 7) Tenisha Griggs - I recently met Tenisha Griggs at a Wednesday Women event and thought to myself, " I have to KNOW this woman!" Tenisha brings significant digital marketing experience to the table and now runs her own venture. Can't wait for our virtual connect in March! 8) Ezlyn Olivia Barends - Ezlyn and I met 11 years ago when I was living in South Africa and googled "gender empowerment nonprofits." I joined the nonprofit Ezlyn founded and we became fast friends. Ezlyn has been a multi-time entrepreneur, worked in top tech startups like Microsoft and AWS and now is a coach to powerful women to live a life of freedom and inspiration.

We welcomed members of NACD Northern California's Black Director's Coffee Cohort to EY's wonderful office in Silicon Valley today to discuss "Talent Strategy and the Future of Work on the Boardroom Agenda." Our group delved into the latest talent trends, the significance of intentional in-person meetings, the impact of technology on talent, and the current state of DE&I. We unanimously agreed that there is no one-size-fits-all solution to these complex issues. Every board should be proactive in questioning leadership to ensure they are prioritizing their people, as employees are the company's most valuable asset. Aligning company goals with the needs of talent is crucial for long-term success and retention. Understanding what drives different segments of the talent pool—be it mentorship, community, flexibility, or custom benefits—is essential. Evaluating these values allows companies to create a more engaged and motivated workforce. Reintroducing DE&I into the agenda through the lens of addressing market needs is important not only for social good, but for the business success. Boards should ask management for the data to support the diverse market needs, and therefore the need for diversity of thought in its talent. Processes should be put in place to integrate diversity across the organization and not as a separate initiative, but instead be ingrained in the culture of the business to ensure long-term success. Thank you to our partners at EY, Joe Muscat, Donoghue Clarke, and Phillip Mazzie for supporting this community. Thank you to Shari Yocum and Robyn Bew for leading this important discussion.

📣 #ANNOUNCEMENT 𝐍𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 𝐁𝐁𝐁𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝟐𝟐 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡. We have been overwhelmed with the support for this year's BBBAwards nominations campaign. Due to high demand, we are giving our community an extra week to submit a nomination via the online form here - https://lnkd.in/eiEhueKr If you haven’t already, make your #NEXT action sharing this post with your colleagues, networks, employee resource groups, executive sponsors, senior allies and HR business partners. We encourage and accept self-nominations. You can nominate in two main categories: 🌟𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫 - A Black entrepreneur or professional with exceptional performance in their business, a leader amongst their peers and exceeding expectations as a culture carrier - the one to watch. The nominee should be aged 35 or under on 30 June 2024. 💡𝐒𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐫 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 - An outstanding Black entrepreneur or senior professional who industry observers recognise as an expert in their field. A senior manager operating at a strategic level in their business, leading significant populations, projects, budgets and/or product lines. A role model, inspiration and game changer. Need some inspiration? Have a look at our 2023 BBBAwards finalists here - https://lnkd.in/eCpEgv-4 #BlackBritishTalent #BBBA11

As we honor Black Business Month, let’s reflect on the wisdom shared by Carla Harris: “People who repeatedly find career success learn to broaden their perspective and understand that there are always several roads to getting where you want to go.” This powerful insight reminds us that success is not a singular path but a journey with many routes. Embracing diverse perspectives and exploring multiple avenues can unlock new opportunities and drive innovation. #CarlaHarris #FinancialLeaders #BlackWomenInBusiness #BlackBusinessMonth

2024 Insights and Perspectives from Black Leaders in the Middle Market Insight 1: Diversity initiatives and programs are shifting away from Black-owned businesses. When asked about diversity initiatives and programs geared towards minority business enterprises (MBEs), many industry professionals felt that MBEs other than black-owned businesses may be receiving higher priority or greater preference for diversity initiatives and new opportunities. Read the full research report at: https://lnkd.in/gTEj54iD Wells Fargo