06/08/2020

Less Than 1 Percent Of Fortune 500 CEOs Are Black

The rapid decline in the number of black CEOs is disconcerting

An unarmed black man in Minneapolis, knelt on by a police officer until he could no longer breathe. A black jogger—unarmed as well—chased and shot in Georgia. And a Louisville black man killed by police while protesting the police killing of black people. The nation, already reeling from a pandemic that has killed more than 100,000 and thrown millions out of work, blazed as protesters raged over how the rights and voices of black Americans are not heard.

The message, unfortunately, is not new, nor is it a complaint directed solely toward public institutions. This is much broader than a police brutality issue. It is an issue that needs to be addressed by corporate America. If there will be long-term sustainable change to increase black leadership in our companies, it has to come from the power source: CEOs and board directors. But those are seats that black people do not hold.

A study by Korn Ferry and The Executive Leadership Council (ELC), a national organization of   black CEOs, senior executives and entrepreneurs, found incredibly alarming statistics.

Please select this link to read the complete article from Chief Executive.