Vision & Mission

The Executive Leadership Council is the preeminent organization that recognizes the strengths, success, contributions, and impact of African-American corporate business leaders. This leadership network is guided by a bold and historic vision of inclusion, which is the leadership legacy of African-Americans - whether in business, education, or the community.
With more than 500 members, one-third of them women, The Executive Leadership Council is the nation’s premier leadership organization comprised of the most senior African-American corporate executives in Fortune 500 companies, representing well over 380 major corporations. The Council represents senior executives in positions one to three levels from the chief executive officers of Fortune 500 companies, CEOs themselves, and other entrepreneurs.

The mission of The Executive Leadership Council is to build an inclusive business leadership pipeline, and to develop African-American corporate leaders – one student and one executive at a time. Members of The Council work to achieve its goals through a variety of initiatives and programs. All are supported by contributions to The Executive Leadership Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization, established in 1989 as an affiliate of The Executive Leadership Council. The Foundation provides financial support for educational and leadership initiatives developed by members of The Council.

Impact through Initiatives that Build Capacity for Sustainability

Since its inception more than 24 years ago, The Executive Leadership Council has sought to aid leading companies in fostering inclusive organizational cultures and the cultural competence required to benefit from diversity as a competitive advantage. Our distinct portfolio of programs is as sought after today as it was at inception, but in recent years, we have enjoyed unprecedented fervor and positive recognition. The past five years of financial and member growth is only matched by our positive and enhanced relationships with our progressive corporate partners, enrichment to the curriculum of our academic partners – including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and others — and the identification and portrayal of world-class business leaders as role models for present and future generations.

As a result, The Executive Leadership Council represents one of the most knowledgeable brain trusts on corporate leadership anywhere around the globe and remains the membership organization of choice for African-American CEOs who have led Fortune 500 companies. The Council is the home to six current African-American CEOs of Fortune 500 companies and major organizations ; Ken Chenault (AmEx), Clarence Otis (Darden Restaurants), Ron Williams (Aetna), Ursula Burns (Xerox), John W. Thompson (Symantec), and A. Barry Rand (AARP).

Like them, other leading CEOs seeking to identify, or imbue, talented professionals with the critical skills and competencies required for executive leadership turn to The Council for three critical aspects of leadership:

Organizational Development As a leading diversity advocacy organization, The Executive Leadership Council has worked alongside its member companies to help actualize and institutionalize diversity goals and objectives. Sustainability The Council offers member companies distinct advantages in helping develop and sustain a multi-generational pipeline of diverse, talented, and high-achieving professionals , which is widely supported for African Americans by Fortune 500 companies. Capacity Building The Executive Leadership Council strives to be the partner of choice among organizations striving to enhance contributions of African-American executives and cultural competence to leverage an inclusive culture and thrive in their respective industries and sectors.

Consequently, more than 1000 mid- to senior-level managers participate in our Mid-Level Managers’ Symposium annually. In 2009, 86% of the attendees earned more than $100,000 annually, 69% had earned a Master’s degree and 53% were women. As excellence in scholarship is one of fundamental tenets of The Council’s strategy to prepare inclusive corporate leadership, we have awarded more than $1.5 million to over 300 collegiate students participating in The Executive Leadership Council higher education initiatives. These programs include the Business Case Competition, The Award for Excellence in Business Commentary National Essay Contest, Alvaro Martins Scholars, and Ann Fudge Scholars programs. Through our Technology Transfer Project, The Executive Leadership Council, in conjunction with its member company partners, has invested more than $10 million over the years in IT equipment, software, technology infrastructure, and curriculum development to aid historically black colleges and universities and ensure the competitiveness of African-American students who aspire to corporate leadership.

The impact and success of The Executive Leadership Council is due in large part to our members and member companies who, partner with us and provide financial support for our world-class initiatives and programs. They are also an important part of our future as we chart a course for even greater capacity and impact.