The Executive Leadership Council Celebrates a Decade of Developing Black Women Executives

NEW YORK, NY – July 30, 2013 – The Executive Leadership Council (ELC) commemorates 10 years of professional development and leadership training programs for black women executives during its Women’s Leadership Forum (WLF) and the “Black Women On …” (BWO) series today at the Time Warner Center. The ELC is a national organization comprised of current and former African-American CEOs, board directors and senior executives at Fortune 500 and equivalent companies.

While the role of women in business has recently been at the forefront of American media, the progress of African-American women in business is rarely examined. African-American women are severely underrepresented in corporate boardrooms and in C-Suites. A report from the Alliance for Board Diversity (ABD) shows that while women increased their total seats on Fortune 500 boards from 2010 – 2012, the representation of African-American women remained stagnant at only 1.9 percent. The ELC is committed to reversing this trend and raising the profile of African-American women in corporate America through pipeline programs, executive development and brand positioning.

“Our goal is to ensure that African Americans have a seat at the decision-making table in corporate America, and that includes African-American women,” said ELC President and CEO Ronald Parker. “They will play an important role in bringing diversity of thinking to the table, which spurs innovation and leads to stronger, more profitable corporations and better communities.”

The Women’s Leadership Forum is a unique development symposium that convenes senior-level African-American female executives for leadership training and professional development. The theme this year is “Power 360˚: The Next Act,” and as in previous years, it will be an off-the-record discussion. Participants will reflect on how far African-American women have advanced in corporate America and collectively look ahead to the future. The keynote speaker will be Ann Fudge, corporate trailblazer and former chairman of Young & Rubicam.

The evening panel “Black Women On… the Next Act” will be a broader, on-the-record discussion. Thought leaders and executives will discuss how to be successful in the next act of life, whether it’s professional or personal. Featured speakers include Leilani Brown, chief marketing officer of Starr Companies; Angela Burt-Murray, founder, Cocoa Media; and Dawn Porter, founder, Trilogy Films.

To learn more about the ELC’s leadership development programs, visit www.elcinfo.com.