In 2018 there were only 3 African American CEOs of Fortune 500 Companies. None were African American women. While we know there are several black women founders and creators of beauty brands, our representation in corporate America is staggeringly low. According to Forbes, black women reported in a survey that work environments in corporate America continually overlook their credentials, diminish their accomplishments, and pile on cultural slights—about their hair.
Despite the challenges here are 5 Boss Women who are unapologetically wearing natural hair in the workplace along with some tips on which products to try out by Originals by Africa’s Best to achieve their looks.
1. Esi Eggleston Bracey – EVP & COO NA Beauty and Personal Care at Unilever
With a track record of leading and inspiring brands, businesses, and diverse teams to growth, Esi is responsible for global cosmetics, retail hair color, and styling, body, and fragrances largely in mass distribution channels around the world.
For women sporting a bold blond color as Esi, the Originals by Africa’s Best Hair Mayonnaise is a great weekly treatment to ensure your hair gets the proper protein to support the color and to help the hair with moisture.
2. Bozoma Saint John – Chief Marketing Officer at Endeavor
If you haven’t heard of Bozoma, maybe you have been sleeping under a rock. Before becoming the CMO at Endeavor she held roles at Apple, Ashley Stewart, Beats Music (before it transited to Apple Music), Uber and PepsiCo.
Bozoma was touted as America’s top marketer and can be often seen on her Instagram sporting various natural hairstyles and protective styles. Clearly, she’s not letting her hair get in the way of her rise to the top.
3. Susan E. Chapman ‐ EVP, Global Head of Digital Capabilities, Transformation and Operations American Express.
Discrimination against natural hair in corporate America is certainly not a new thing. Sadly, it is still legal to ban locks in the U.S. Workplace. However, Sussan E. Chapman continues to break barriers. Appointed by the CEO to drive data and insights to power overall business strategy and oversee customer digital experience, Susan manages a global team of 1000+ that drives the operational engine for onboarding, contracts, FXIP, etc for American Express.
Prior to her current position, Chapman- Hughes was Senior Vice President, U.S. Account Development, Global Corporate Payments for American Express. Before joining American Express Company, Chapman-Hughes was the Global CAO/Global Head of Operations and Strategy, Citi Realty Services for Citigroup, Inc.
4. Elaine Welteroth – Former Editor- In-Chief of Teen Vogue
In April 2017 Elaine made history as the youngest person to be appointed editor-in-chief in Condé Nast’s 107-year history and the second African American to hold the title in the company. Welteroth took on the role of editor-in-chief in April 2017. She was influential in the magazine’s revitalisation, expanding its focus to feminism, culture and politics — including in depth coverage of the 2016 US election.
Keep your loose curls shining daily by adding a dime size amount of Originals by Africa’s Best Olive Oil Smoother and Polish Serum. This lightweight and non-greasy formula are designed specifically to revive dry, dull, frizzy hair.
5. Susan Reid – Global Head of Diversity and Inclusion for Morgan Stanley
“To create diversity, you have to get people talking about difficult topics, and over time create more awareness and understanding of the perspectives of others,”
– Susan Reid
Susan Reid is committed to helping firms optimize their talent. She leads Morgan Stanley’s diversity efforts globally while developing and executing on strategies to diversify their workforce creating a more inclusive culture. Susan was also quoted saying she understands now more than ever the importance of building relationships. Like many young people she focused quite a bit on building technical skills and getting the work done, but if she had an opportunity to start over, Susan would focus on cultivating relationships earlier and sustaining those relationships over time.
To maintain the cute and short TWA pictures above on Susan, daily moisture with Originals by Africa’s Best Coconut Creme Leave-In Conditioner paired with the Olive Oil Smoother and Polish Serum.
