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WORK TITLE: Climb: Taking Every Step with Conviction, Courage, and Calculated Risk to Achieve a Thriving Career and a Successful Life
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://www.akashicbooks.com/author/michelle-gadsden-williams/
CITY: New York
STATE: NY
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY:
RESEARCHER NOTES:
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| 400 | 1_ |a Williams, Michelle Gadsden-, |d 1969- |
| 670 | __ |a Michelle Gadsden-Williams oral history interview : The HistoryMakers |b (Michelle Gadsden-Williams; born May 21, 1969; B.S., summa cum laude, marketing, B.A., communications, Kean College, 1990; M.S., organizational dynamic, University of Pennsylvania, 2006; diversity practitioner for more than twenty years in pharmaceutical and financial services at Merck & Company, Inc., Philips-Van Heusen Corporation and Wakefern Food Corporation, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation; appointed managing director and global head of diversity and inclusion and as a member of the Talent, Branding and Communications Management Committee at Credit Suisse AG based in Zurich; appointed a member of the Global Advisory Council on Values for the World Economic Forum, and as a board member of the Jackie Robinson Foundation) |
PERSONAL
Born May 21, 1969.
EDUCATION:Kean College, B.S., B.A., 1990; University of Pennsylvania, M.S., 2006.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Global diversity expert, activist, and philanthropist. Phillips Van Heusen Inc., Bridgewater, NJ, product manager, 1989-93; Wakefern Food Corp., Edison, NJ, staffing and diversity manager, 1995-99; Merck & Co, Inc., Whitehouse Station, NJ, senior manager for diversity programs, 1999-2002; Novartis, Basel, Switzerland, vice president and global chief diversity officer; Credit Suisse, Zurich, Switzerland, managing director and global head of diversity & inclusion, 2011-15; Ceiling Breakers LLC, New York, NY, cofounder and CEO, 2015–; Accenture, New York, managing director and North American inclusion and diversity lead, 2017–. World Economic Forum, Global Advisory Council on Values member; Jackie Robinson Foundation board member; Lupus Research Alliance board member; Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government Women’s Leadership Board member.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Michelle Gadsden-Williams is an American global diversity expert, activist, and philanthropist. She graduated from Kean College before completing a master’s degree in organizational dynamics from the University of Pennsylvania. Gadsden-Williams has worked in executive positions in the consumer goods, financial, pharmaceutical, and professional services industries since the early 1990s. She eventually became the managing director and North American inclusion and diversity lead at Accenture.
In an interview in the Fairy Godboss website, Gadsden-Williams claimed that she gets “great satisfaction from helping the next generation of female leaders realize their potential and ambitions. In sum, I want all women (and girls) to believe that anything is possible.”
With assistance from Carolyn M. Brown, Gadsden-Williams published Climb: Taking Every Step with Conviction, Courage, and Calculated Risk to Achieve a Thriving Career and a Successful Life in 2018. The book—part memoir and part guidebook for corporate success—is geared primarily toward women of color to aid through example in achieving personal success and upward mobility in the corporate world. Gadsden-Williams presents the case for the underrepresentation of women of color in corporate boardrooms around the world, offering a range of statistics to prove her point and stress the immediacy of the problem. She then provides career advice for her targeted reading audience by sharing what she has learned throughout her career, both the good and the bad. She emphasizes persistence in the face of adversity, acknowledging that there will be many barriers in climbing the corporate ladder and pushing through the concrete ceiling that exists for women of color. She believes that making herself visible in every position she held helped to make her more of an asset for the companies she worked for, ultimately aiding in her career advancement. Gadsden-Williams insists that defining passion and purpose in one’s professional life is crucial to gain perspective and set goals. She also places importance in networking both in and outside of the company, finding good mentors, and nurturing sponsors who believe in her professional agenda.
In the Fairy Godboss website interview, she also talked about the challenges that she and other women have faced in the corporate world but also how to deal with these obstacles and create success. She acknowledges that few people “have had an easy elevator ride to the top floor of our careers. Many of us have had to take the stairs—and it can be a steep climb. In Climb, I’ve used myself as the protagonist and share real-life examples of how I navigated today’s complex workplace. How you respond to that complexity is a strong indication of the kind of leader that you are. We all have aspirations to be successful in whatever field we work in. How we achieve success varies depending on the individual, our ecosystems that support us, and the choices that we make.”
In the Take the Lead Women blog, Gadsden-Williams talked with Michele Weldon about her book and the important messages that others—particularly women of color—can take from her life examples. On the issue of having the courage to make a stance, she recollected: “Early in my career, I did not have the courage always to say what needed to be said. The more senior I became, there is more safety, so you know you need to speak up because there are not many people of color sitting at these tables. Sitting in silence serves no one.” As for the publication of Climb, Gadsden-Williams admitted that she had wanted to do this for a while. She shared: “I always had an intention of writing a book and wanted it to speak to my professional journey and offer lessons along the way about how women ascend, particularly women who look like me…. This is the third and final act of my career. I just wanted to offer candid, sage advice. This is my Lean In through a lens of a woman of color.”
A Publishers Weekly contributor suggested that “aspiring businesspeople may be impressed by Gadsden-Williams’s accomplishments and vision, but aren’t likely to find new” forms of guidance. A contributor to Kirkus Reviews stated: “Always candid about the realities of corporate life, the author offers sound advice for minority women seeking advancement, recognition, and meaningful lives.” The same reviewer called the book “illuminating and useful.”
BIOCRIT
BOOKS
Gadsden-Williams, Michelle, and Carolyn M. Brown, Climb: Taking Every Step with Conviction, Courage, and Calculated Risk to Achieve a Thriving Career and a Successful Life, Open Lens/Akashic Books (New York, NY), 2018.
PERIODICALS
Kirkus Reviews, February 15, 2018, review of Climb.
Publishers Weekly, February 12, 2018, review of Climb, p. 67.
ONLINE
All in Together, https://aitogether.org/ (July 25, 2018), author profile.
Fairy Godboss, https://fairygodboss.com/ (July 25, 2018), author interview.
Take the Lead Women, https://www.taketheleadwomen.com/ (May 4, 2018), Michele Weldon, review of Climb.
Michelle Gadsden-Williams
Michelle Gadsden-Williams
MICHELLE GADSDEN-WILLIAMS is an award-winning global diversity expert, activist, philanthropist, and the managing director and North American inclusion and diversity lead at Accenture. She has more than twenty-five years of experience working in the consumer goods, pharmaceutical, financial, and professional services industries. She has held positions of global responsibility for corporations such as Credit Suisse, Novartis, and Merck & Co. She serves on several boards including the Jackie Robinson Foundation, Lupus Research Alliance, and the Women’s Leadership Board of the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Gadsden-Williams has a BA in communications with a minor in marketing from Kean College, and an MS in organizational dynamics from the University of Pennsylvania. She lives in New York City with her husband, David Jamal Williams. Climb is her first title.
Titles
Climb: Taking Every Step with Conviction, Courage, and Calculated Risk to Achieve a Thriving Career and a Successful Life
By: Michelle Gadsden-Williams and Carolyn M. Brown
A professional playbook offering guidance to women in the contemporary workplace.
Fairygodboss of the Week: Michelle Gadsden-Williams
Michelle Gadsden-Williams delivers a speech during a Sanofi leadership meeting. Photo courtesy of Accenture
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"I want all women and girls to believe that anything is possible," says Michelle Gadsden-Williams. And with her as a role model, that's certainly easy to believe. The managing director of inclusion and diversity at Accenture and author of the new book, Climb: Taking Every Step with Conviction, Courage, and Calculated Risk to Achieve a Thriving Career and a Successful Life, acknowledges the unique journey she has taken as a woman of color and the obstacles she has faced along the way, including a lupus diagnosis. Despite everything she's accomplished already, Michelle is always looking forward to the next task. Now, she's hoping to achieve "diversity 2.0," a time when diversity is so embedded in our DNA that it happens organically rather than by design.
Fairygodboss of the Week: Michelle Gadsden-Williams
Managing Director, Inclusion and Diversity, Accenture
New York, NY
Tell us a little about your career. How did you get to where you are now?
I have spent more than 25 years in corporate America. I’ve worked in four industries in the US and abroad. I started my career in marketing and over time transitioned to strategic planning and diversity management. I have had a wonderful corporate career filled with unique experiences that have shaped me as a leader. At this phase of my professional life, I get great satisfaction from helping the next generation of female leaders realize their potential and ambitions. In sum, I want all women (and girls) to believe that anything is possible!
What is an accomplishment that you are proud of?
It has always been my intention to write a book about my climb up the corporate ladder, and so the thing I’m currently most proud of is my new book, Climb: Taking Every Step with Conviction, Courage, and Calculated Risk to Achieve a Thriving Career and a Successful Life, which publishes on May 1! I wanted to create a (play)book to provide women—and the men who support them—with the awareness and tools to better understand the unique journey women, and women of color, face in their careers.
Few of us have had an easy elevator ride to the top floor of our careers. Many of us have had to take the stairs—and it can be a steep climb. In Climb, I’ve used myself as the protagonist and share real-life examples of how I navigated today’s complex workplace. How you respond to that complexity is a strong indication of the kind of leader that you are. We all have aspirations to be successful in whatever field we work in. How we achieve success varies depending on the individual, our ecosystems that support us, and the choices that we make.
What is a challenge that you've faced and overcome?
My diagnosis with lupus. I was at the pinnacle of my career at the time and I was working in the pharmaceutical industry. I was the Global Chief Diversity Officer, my husband had just retired, we were packing up our home and moving to Switzerland. It was the job and opportunity of a lifetime and we were certainly looking forward to it. Then, in July of 2006 I was faced with the diagnosis that I have lupus. It really turned my world upside down. My health was paramount; it had to be first and foremost. Commuting to Switzerland almost every week from New Jersey just wasn’t healthy. I had to make some very tough choices in terms of my career. I wrestled with the decision to tell my employer: if I told them, would they think I was fragile? If I didn’t tell them, would my symptoms manifest themselves in a way that people would notice?
I had to do some self-reflection in terms of what was most important to me. I had put my career first and foremost up until that point, but now I had to take a step back and I decided that if I didn’t have my health, I couldn’t have a career. I decided to tell the CEO, my boss at the time, and he was nothing but supportive. My next challenge was to rethink and reengineer how I managed my professional life and put myself first and foremost, and my career second. I have had a clean bill of health since then.
Who is YOUR Fairygodboss? and Why?
I am proud to call Ann Fudge my Fairygodboss. Ann is the former Chairman and CEO of Young & Rubicam and is a trailblazer; she’s one of the first African American women to run a S&P 500 company. She has always provided me with sound career counsel. One thing I love about Ann is that she always tells me the good, bad and everything else in between. She has consistently been there for me whenever I needed her, and even when I didn’t. She genuinely cares about the well-being of those around her and helps me to be my best self.
What do you do when you're not working?
I enjoy reading, writing, spending time with my family, watching a good movie, or binge watching on Netflix.
If you could have dinner with one famous person—dead or alive—who would it be?
Maya Angelou. I sat on the board of the See Forever Foundation/Maya Angelou Public Charter Schools in DC for a few years. During that time, I had the good fortune of meeting Dr. Angelou on a number of occasions. She was the epitome of grace and unflappable wisdom. She knew how to command a room and leave an indelible mark on every single person in that room once she left. She made you stand taller and walk with confidence if you were lacking in that area. I have NEVER met another human being like her. She was truly one of a kind.
Lightning Round:
What is your karaoke song?
"Respect" by Aretha Franklin.
What is your favorite movie?
The Color Purple.
What book would you bring with you on a desert island?
The Bible.
What is your shopping vice? What would you buy if you won the lottery?
I enjoy European luxury cars. If money were no object, I would buy a Bentley GT Convertible.
What is the #1 career tip you'd like to share with other women who want to have successful careers like you?
Don’t allow yourself to be paralyzed by fear. Take calculated risks to get what you want.
Why do you love where you work?
Our people are the heart of our business, and our ambition is to be the most inclusive and diverse company in the world. I’m proud that we have strong senior women at the top of our organization, including Ellyn Shook, our Chief Leadership and Human Resources Officer, and Julie Sweet, our North America CEO. We’ve made important strides toward our goals, and while we're pleased with our progress, we're not satisfied. One of those goals is to get to 50 percent women and 50 percent men in our workforce by 2025. We're working hard with our leadership to drive innovative tactics and strategies, and I am confident we're on our way. The big question is: how do we get to "diversity 2.0?"
When diversity becomes so embedded in our DNA, it's no longer talked about; it just organically happens. When there's a direct link to diversity in how we service our business and clients, in how we recruit suppliers we work with, and how we build the teams that work with our clients.
Fairygodboss is all about women helping other women—so each week, we celebrate a woman who made a difference in another woman’s career. Is there a woman who has made a difference in your career? Celebrate her and thank her by nominating her here.
Michelle Gadsden-Williams
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Michelle Gadsden-Williams
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Managing Director, Inclusion & Diversity Lead - North America and Canada
Greater New York City Area
Accenture
Kean University Kean University
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In New Orleans, listening to Michelle Gadsden-Williams Tamara Fields & Tracey Patterson share truly human stories and Empower African-American women at Accenture’s 2018 #EssenceFest Women’s Brunch. What an inspiring and magical time!
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In New Orleans, listening to Michelle Gadsden-Williams Tamara Fields & Tracey Patterson share truly human stories and Empower African-American women at Accenture’s 2018 #EssenceFest Women’s Brunch. What an inspiring and magical time!
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Experience
Accenture
Managing Director, Inclusion & Diversity Lead - North America
Company Name Accenture
Dates Employed Jun 2017 – Present Employment Duration 1 yr 2 mos
Location Greater New York City Area
Ceiling Breakers LLC
Co-Founder and CEO
Company Name Ceiling Breakers LLC
Dates Employed Mar 2015 – Present Employment Duration 3 yrs 5 mos
Location Greater New York City Area
Ceiling Breakers LLC, a multifaceted business focused on media driven women’s empowerment initiatives, diverse entertainment investments, and human capital management consulting services specializing in: diversity & inclusion, executive coaching, leadership & organizational development, and multicultural marketing for Fortune 500 companies.
Credit Suisse
Managing Director and Global Head of Diversity & Inclusion
Company Name Credit Suisse
Dates Employed Jan 2011 – Feb 2015 Employment Duration 4 yrs 2 mos
Location Zurich and New York
Provided strategic direction and guidance to the Chairman, Executive Board, HR Executive Committee, HR Management Committee and other key stakeholders to ensure that all divisional/regional diversity practices, strategies and change management initiatives are globally aligned and linked to the business strategy.
• Developed meaningful and cost-effective strategies that support the bank’s regional and global diversity objectives, outreach activities and initiatives. Managed a team of 11 direct reports Manage an annual budget of
$6M.
• Conducted annual organizational gap analysis to monitor progress, identify potential trends, shifts and opportunities to integrate diversity into all systems, programs and processes by way of a score-carding methodology. Present annual update once per year to the Executive Committee.
• Partnered with the Human Resources Management Committee to provide consultative services and executive coaching to their internal customers, as needed, to ensure that all activities were in alignment with the over-arching corporate human capital strategy (i.e. talent acquisition, performance management, succession planning, talent reviews, training programs, compensation and benefits, etc.).
• Provided overall facilitation and organizational development to support the development of four Regional Diversity Councils sponsored by the Regional CEOs. Designed a comprehensive global governance models for 38 regional employee resource groups.
Partnered with the Global Marketing team to identify new business opportunities and multicultural marketing projects. Develop key contacts that foster community relations and partnership opportunities – Asia Society, Catalyst, National Urban League and the World Economic Forum to name a few.
• Partnered with the Global Communications Team to develop a comprehensive internal and external diversity communications strategy that highlight our signature programs and key talent.
Novartis
Vice President and Global Chief Diversity Officer
Company Name Novartis
Dates Employed Jun 2002 – Nov 2010 Employment Duration 8 yrs 6 mos
Location Basel Area, Switzerland
• Provided strategic direction and guidance to the Chairman, Board of Directors, CEO, Executive Committee as well as a host of other key stakeholders to ensure that all divisional diversity practices, strategies and change management initiatives were globally aligned and linked to the business strategy.
• Developed meaningful and cost-effective strategies that supported all aspects of Novartis’ local and global diversity objectives, outreach activities and initiatives. Managed a team of 12 direct reports along with a global infrastructure of 107 Diversity Champions in key markets (73 countries). Manage an annual budget of $25.3M.
• Conducted annual organizational gap analysis to monitor progress, identify potential trends, shifts and opportunities to integrate diversity into all systems, programs and processes by way of a score-carding methodology. Presented results twice per year to the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors.
• Created and supported new and emerging growth market initiatives by partnering with the Global Marketing Teams to identify new business opportunities and multicultural marketing projects that addressed healthcare disparities. Developed key contacts that fostered community relations and partnership opportunities.
Merck & Co, Inc.
Senior Manager, Diversity Programs
Company Name Merck & Co, Inc.
Dates Employed Jan 1999 – 2002 Employment Duration 3 yrs
Location Whitehouse Station, NJ
• Provided functional leadership and strategic direction for diversity recruitment for all key stakeholders within Corporate Staffing, Corporate Diversity, Division Management, HR Business Partners, Senior Management and other internal customers to ensure that the company approaches the employment marketplace with a well coordinated, one-company approach to diversity branding, sourcing and recruiting.
• Provided consultative services to internal clients by developing innovative concepts to integrating diversity into all staffing systems, policies and procedures.
2000 - 2001 Merck & Co., Inc., Whitehouse Station, NJ Future Talent Program & Diversity Manager
• Provided strategic direction to key stakeholders including Senior Management, Divisional Coordinators and HR
• Facilitated a centralized process and operational support to Divisional Coordinators and Hiring Managers to effectively transition program participants to Merck employees.
• Managed program data flow to ensure data integrity, quality and compliance; establish end-of-program metrics and reports.
• Partnered and consulted with key divisions to establish program goals, components and funding.
• Developed a diversity recruiting strategy by ensuring that the company approaches the employment marketplace with a well coordinated, one-company approach to diversity recruiting and sourcing.
1999 - 2000 Merck & Co., Inc., Whitehouse Station, NJ Senior University Relations/Diversity Consultant
• Supported the development and the implementation of college/university relations processes for six (6) Corporate and International divisions. Accountable for developing a world class recruiting strategy to identify and retain candidates to identify, attract and retain candidates to include target sources and selection.
Wakefern Food Corp.
Staffing and Diversity Manager
Company Name Wakefern Food Corp.
Dates Employed Jan 1995 – Jan 1999 Employment Duration 4 yrs 1 mo
Location Edison, NJ
• Sourced and interviewed internal and external candidates for exempt / non-exempt positions throughout the company; Developed recruiting strategies, policies and programs to attract, retain and promote a diverse workforce within the organization; Researched, organized, implemented and integrated all diversity programs into systems, policies and procedures.
• Developed diversity training and education modules that assist all employees with the ability to recognize, accommodate and appreciate individual differences.
• Worked with Senior Leadership to create, implement and monitor strategic business planning process (MBO) and initiatives within all Divisions
1995 – 1997 Wakefern Food Corporation, Edison, NJ HR Generalist /Diversity Project Manager
• Defined long-term plans and directions for business processes that support the overall business strategy and maintain a competitive advantage.
• Managed, communicated and provided all components of the company’s corporate diversity strategy to enable organization to improve their employee profiles and to provide their diverse teams with the skills necessary for high performance.
• Designed and developed surveys and questionnaires to capture relevant and valid data from target audiences. Developed and tested questions, identified scope and managed methods of distribution, responses, coding and statistical analysis of the results. Provided presentations, detailed and summarized reports to Executive Management.
• Identified, sourced and selected candidates for jobs who are best matches to experience, competency, diversity and background requirements/Analyzed and reviewed employment applications, resumes and employment / qualification test results to determine employability and suitability with openings. Coordinated and performed interviews. Analyzed workforce characteristics, educational, economic and business information
Phillips Van Heusen Inc
Product Manager
Company Name Phillips Van Heusen Inc
Dates Employed Jan 1989 – Jan 1993 Employment Duration 4 yrs 1 mo
Location Bridgewater, NJ
• Managed the production and distribution of private label sweaters and active wear for the inter-company retail Divisions that bill $24B annually.
• Identified, developed and executed marketing strategies designed for each of the various consumer brands. Teamed with sales managers, buyer, foreign and domestic contractors to analyze trends, competition, economic and technological issues in global markets and industries.
• Documented and reported all implications and impacts on the business and products to Executive Management.
1989-1993 Philips-Van Heusen Product Manager
• Developed success criteria and performance metrics for products in various market segments and strata. Audited work to ensure that methods and procedures were followed, specifications and standards were met and adherence to policies and guidelines were operationally sound.
• Determined, allocated and managed the financial resources required to implement business strategies and achieve revenue costs and expense goals. Analyzed, evaluated and compared the financial/non-financial costs versus the benefits of recommendations and proposals to determine feasibility, profitability, cost effectiveness and value.
Education
Kean University
Kean University
Degree Name Bachelor’s Degree
Field Of Study Communications with a minor in Marketing
University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
Degree Name Master’s Degree
Field Of Study Organizational Dynamics
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Leadership Development
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Program Management
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Leadership
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Talent Management
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Employee Engagement
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Employee Relations
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Jacquie Lee
Jacquie Lee
Senior Executive Consultant at Merril Lynch Bank Of America
January 1, 2018, Michelle managed Jacquie directly
I have known Jacquie Lee in the capacity of an Executive Consultant that I hired for Credit Suisse for over 5+ years. Jacquie assisted me with developing and deploying a comprehensive strategy to bring diversity and inclusion into the Credit Suisse client portfolio. Based on my experiences, I would rank her as one of the most effective, resourceful, and impactful consultants that we have ever had the pleasure of working with!
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Michelle Gadsden-Williams
Managing Director, Inclusion & Diversity Lead – North America, Accenture
@mgadsdenwilliam
Michelle Gadsden-Williams is the Managing Director, Inclusion & Diversity Lead – North America at Accenture. Previously, she was the Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Ceiling Breakers LLC, a multi-faceted business focused on diversity consulting, media driven women’s empowerment initiatives and diverse entertainment investments, based in New York City.
Michelle is the former Managing Director and Global Head of Diversity & Inclusion at Credit Suisse AG. She provided strategic direction, thought leadership and championed the development of an inclusive environment by integrating diversity practice into all aspects of the business. Michelle is a seasoned and highly sought after diversity practitioner with more than 20 years of experience working in the consumer goods and pharmaceutical industries before transitioning to financial services in 2011. She has held positions of global responsibility in the diversity management and staffing functions for large multi-national corporations such as Credit Suisse, Novartis and Merck & Co, Inc. Prior to her tenure at Merck & Co., Inc, Michelle has also held positions in Human Resources and Product Development at Philips-Van Heusen Corporation and Wakefern Food Corporation both headquartered in New Jersey.
An exemplary role model and advocate for equality and social justice, Michelle has worked tirelessly at refining processes, policies and programs that support an inclusive work environment. Examples include the design and deployment of global diversity strategies, the re-constitution of global diversity councils, the creation of innovative marketing strategies that target diverse consumers, the design and deployment of global diversity training curriculums and the creation of over 50 employee resource groups around the world. Her work has been cited in a number of research periodicals and trade publications in recent years.
Michelle has acquired a number of community service awards and accolades for her work as a diversity practitioner. Most recently, she has been recognized as a 2015 Ebony Magazine Power 100 honoree. Over the span of her career, Michelle has been profiled in Black Enterprise Magazine, DiversityInc, Diversity Executive, Ebony, Essence, Fortune, History Makers, Heart & Soul, Jet, New Vision, Science Magazine, Sister to Sister, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Target Market News and was recognized as one of 40 Outstanding Executives Under 40 in America in 2006 by the Network Journal early on in her executive career. Michelle has consistently ranked as one of the Top 100 Executives in America by Uptown Magazine. In 2010 she was ranked #6 in the Top 25 Women of Substance in Healthcare, (#48) in 2011 and (#31) in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015. Her other notable tributes include: being named the 2010 recipient of the Maya Way Award for Diversity Leadership by the incomparable Dr. Maya Angelou, receiving the 2008 recipient of the Harvard Black Men’s Forum Businesswoman of the Year Award, accepting the Rainbow Push Coalition’s Bridge Builder Award by the honorable Rev Jesse L. Jackson and being recognized with an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters Degree from Kean University for her outstanding personal and professional accomplishments in the field of Diversity and Inclusion. In 2013, Michelle was appointed as a member of the Global Advisory Council on Gender Parity for the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Michelle earned a B.S. in Marketing, a B.A. in Communications from Kean College of New Jersey and an M.S. in Organizational Dynamics from the University of Pennsylvania. She is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated and the Executive Leadership Council. Michelle serves on several boards including the Jackie Robinson Foundation, Hip Hop Sisters Foundation, Black Girls Rock, the SLE Lupus Foundation and an Executive Committee Member of the Women’s Leadership Board of the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Michelle and her husband, David Jamal Williams, Co-Founder and CEO of Ceiling Breakers, LLC, live in New York City.
Gadsden-Williams, Michelle: CLIMB
Kirkus Reviews.
(Feb. 15, 2018): From Book Review Index Plus. COPYRIGHT 2018 Kirkus Media LLC http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Gadsden-Williams, Michelle CLIMB Open Lens/Akashic (Adult Nonfiction) $15.95 5, 1 ISBN: 978-1-61775-624-5
A distinguished business diversity expert advises women of color on how to move up the corporate ladder.
In this memoir and guidebook, Gadsden-Williams interweaves the story of her life as a black female executive with research statistics and savvy career tips for minority women also seeking to occupy the "C-Suite." The author credits much of her success to parents who taught her the importance of "stick-to-itiveness"--in particular, her father, who managed to thrive in corporate management despite discrimination. In her own professional life, the author observed that although black women worked twice as hard to advance, they faced "concrete ceiling[s]" that left them unable to get to the next level. The way Gadsden-Williams managed to get ahead was to become as visible as possible in every organization where she worked. Along a path that took her from product development and marketing to human resources, she realized that her true professional calling was "fighting for the underdog" as a corporate diversity manager. The author's insight helped her understand that a big part of success had to do with defining "passion and purpose." Networking both inside and outside the companies where she worked, finding mentors to advise her and sponsors willing to invest in her career advancement, was also crucial. While she counsels strategic behaviors and decision-making throughout, Gadsden-Williams is also very clear that the notion that women can have it all is a "boldface lie." Drawing on her own experiences living with lupus, she further reminds readers that self-care is essential. Because black women work twice as hard, they suffer "twice as much from certain illnesses than other groups." Always candid about the realities of corporate life, the author offers sound advice for minority women seeking advancement, recognition, and meaningful lives.
Illuminating and useful.
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Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Gadsden-Williams, Michelle: CLIMB." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Feb. 2018. Book Review Index Plus,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A527248117/GPS?u=schlager&sid=GPS& xid=65d77112. Accessed 6 July 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A527248117
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Climb: Taking Every Step with
Conviction, Courage, and Calculated
Risk to Achieve a Thriving Career
and a Successful Life
Publishers Weekly.
265.7 (Feb. 12, 2018): p67. From Book Review Index Plus. COPYRIGHT 2018 PWxyz, LLC http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Climb: Taking Every Step with Conviction, Courage, and Calculated Risk to Achieve a Thriving Career and a Successful Life Michelle Gadsden-Williams, with Carolyn M. Brown. Open Lens, $15.95 trade paper (288p) ISBN 978-1-61775-624-5
Gadsden-Williams, a former executive at Merck and Credit Suisse, mines her career for this inspiring, if not particularly original, guide to success. After many years in C-suite positions, she left her corporate life to cofound a business, Ceiling Breakers, along with her husband, David; the company helps women and people of color to "reach their full potential," and organizations to meet diversity goals. The book tells her life story, from her middleclass upbringing in North Edison, N.J., and early work in a variety of industries, to her successes in aiding diversity efforts during her career as an executive and at her own company, interspersed with advice on finding success and meaningful work. Her story is undoubtedly inspiring, and sections addressing how corporate diversity and equality efforts have either succeeded and failed are necessary reading. However, her advice--find one's purpose and passion, seek out a mentor or sponsor, advocate and negotiate for oneself--is far from new. Aspiring businesspeople may be impressed by Gadsden- Williams's accomplishments and vision, but aren't likely to find new advice. (May)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Climb: Taking Every Step with Conviction, Courage, and Calculated Risk to Achieve a Thriving
Career and a Successful Life." Publishers Weekly, 12 Feb. 2018, p. 67. Book Review Index Plus, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A528615521/GPS?u=schlager&sid=GPS& xid=5b934396. Accessed 6 July 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A528615521
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From Counting to Inclusion: Diversity Director’s Climb To Success
May 04, 2018
by Michele Weldon
diversity, equality, Leadership, Michele Weldon, women of color
0 Comment
Michelle Gadsden-Williams, author and director of Diversity and Inclusion at Accenture, offers keys to success.
When Michelle Gadsden-Williams starting working in human resources in 1990, the mission in her field was called affirmative action. Now as managing director of North America Inclusion and Diversity at Accenture since July 2017, it’s no longer just “head counting and numbers.”
Now, Gadsden-Williams says, “It’s a conversation about culture and inclusion being good for business and how it impacts people. It’s more holistic. We have evolved.”
The New Jersey native has advice to offer about lessons learned in 25 years as an award-winning global diversity expert and successful woman of color in her first book, Climb: Taking Every Step with Conviction, Courage, and Calculated Risk to Achieve a Thriving Career and a Successful Life, that she co-authored with journalist and author Carolyn M. Brown.
Growing up, Gadsden-Williams says her foundation for her life’s work in diversity began early as her mother was an entrepreneur and her father an executive.
They told her, “As African Americans your voices are not heard. You have the opportunity and the obligation to speak up and speak out about things that are not fair and not right,” says Gadsden-Williams, who received the Maya Way Award for Diversity Leadership by Dr. Maya Angelou Sand, serves on boards of the Jackie Robinson Foundation, Lupus Research Alliance and the Women’s Leadership Board of the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
After earning a BA in communications with a minor in marketing from Kean College, Gadsden-Williams later went on to earn an MS in organizational dynamics from the University of Pennsylvania. She has held positions of global responsibility for corporations such as Credit Suisse, Novartis, and Merck & Co.
Diagnosed with lupus in 2005, Gadsden-Williams is now in remission and she serves on the national board of the Lupus Research Alliance. She offers that the illness was at times a struggle.
“Lupus impacts women and women of color more often,” Gadsden-Williams says. The ebbs and flows affect all aspects of life, she says.
In 2016, Gadsden-Williams, says she needed a break after nearly 25 years in high profile positions, so she “hit the pause button.” She then became co-founder and chief executive officer of Ceiling Breakers, a consulting organization focused on women’s empowerment and diversity initiatives. She was working with her husband, David Jamal Williams, with several corporate clients “doing work I loved.”
In 2017, the opportunity arrived at Accenture and she jumped in. Taking into account the subtitle of her book, and her climb into the c-suite, Gadsden-Williams offers this advice for all women, especially women of color who are seeking a spot in leadership.
Conviction: “Be self-aware of who you are and assess the skills and talents you have. Be honest and realistic about what you are. Be direct and honest in how you show up in the world.” As a woman of color this is particularly important, she says. “I think some of us who are very much concerned about how we are perceived in the workplace. There is the hair conversation, the vernacular; all these things to be concerned about can be a burden and affect you in lots of ways.”
Courage: “I think this requires a lot of discomfort. Sometimes if you are out on a limb by yourself, one of a few in a room, who is diverse from a gender and ethnicity perspective, a lot of what you are saying may be new and others may not agree. You are treading a fine line of trying to fit in and also trying to stand out.” She adds, “Early in my career, I did not have the courage always to say what needed to be said. The more senior I became, there is more safety, so you know you need to speak up because there are not many people of color sitting at these tables. Sitting in silence serves no one.”
Calculated Risk: “I lived in Switzerland for 10 years on assignment for Novartis and then Credit Suisse. In order to be considered for the most senior level roles, you needed to have that global thought process. So I lived in a place where not many look like me at all and I did not speak the language until two years later. That was a risk. Some of my colleagues thought I was crazy, but I saw the end goal. I needed it to be constructive disruption.”
While Gadsden-Williams was a key force in human resources at top global companies for decades, “The Black Ceiling,” is a reality for many women of color. Ellen McGirt writes in Fortune, that women of color in the C-suite are a rarity for a number of reasons. Ursula Burns, former CEO of Xerox, is a prime example.
“First, she laments the state of schools and communities that fail to care for low-income children of color and graduate them ready to work. It takes 20 years of education to grow an entry-level employee, or more if they are going to have a specialty that employers really want—like STEM or professional services. Even with black women graduating from college in record numbers, ‘not enough are coming out of the education system to get them all the way through to the C-suite,’ says Burns.”
McGirt writes, “And the black women who do make it often end up in support positions rather than the operational roles that lead to CEO jobs. The juice lies with people who are close to the product and the money. ‘So, now look at the numbers of women we have now. Unless you’re bringing people in from Mars, it’s going to be a while,’” Burns says.
That projection is backed up by the numbers. “In 2014 — the most recent year the magazine did a complete count — there were 51 women CEOs in the Fortune 1000. Fortune did not break down race. A March 2017 count by Talentul reported 54 female CEOs among the Fortune 1000,” writes Martin Simon in BizJournals.
“When looking only at the Fortune 500, there are just 24 women CEOs as of this month, according to Fortune. Only two — Indra Nooyi of PepsiCo and Geisha Williams of energy company PG&E — are women of color.”
While diversity and inclusion efforts are in force in many industries, in some industries they are failing. One in particular is public relations.
Angela Chitkara writes in Harvard Business Review, “According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the ethnic makeup of the PR industry in the U.S. is 87.9 percent white, 8.3 percent African American, 2.6 percent Asian American, and 5.7 percent Hispanic American.”
Chitkara adds, “The Holmes Report published in 2015 found that while women make up 70 percent of those employed in the U.S. public relations industry, they make up only 30 percent of agency C-suite executives.”
With the launch of her first book this month, Gadsden-Williams says she envisioned this goal for a long time.
“I always had an intention of writing a book and wanted it to speak to my professional journey and offer lessons along the way about how women ascend, particularly women who look like me.”
She adds, ”This is the third and final act of my career. I just wanted to offer candid, sage advice. This is my Lean In through a lens of a woman of color.”
About the Author
Michele Weldon is editorial director of Take The Lead, an award-winning author, journalist, emerita faculty in journalism at Northwestern University and a senior leader with The OpEd Project. @micheleweldon www.micheleweldon.com