Black marketing executives from some of the most iconic consumer and business-to-business brands representing the Black Executive CMO Alliance (BECA) have created the BECA Playbook.
The BECA Playbook aims to challenge the corporate diversity gap and transform the future of business by building the next generation of C-suite marketing executives. Twenty-five high-potential mid-career Black marketing professionals will participate in the inaugural cohort of this mentorship journey designed to propel their careers and prepare them for leadership positions with top organizations.
The initiative represents a major commitment in time and financial resources by some of America’s best known brands to address the barriers to success holding Black executives back in their journeys through the corporate ranks.
“We began this journey to drive real change and pave the way for those who will follow us,” Jerri DeVard, BECA founder and Fortune 100 CMO and board director, tells BLACK ENTERPRISE.
“The BECA Playbook embodies one of our four pillars–pay it forward—to which our members and sponsoring organizations have wholeheartedly shown their commitment. In supporting our mission, they have committed their time and resources into building a stronger pipeline of Black leaders ready for the C-suite,” she added.
The BECA Playbook offers:
- A one-on-one mentorship and coaching.
- Exposure to a network of the world’s top Black executives whose career paths have been driven by marketing.
- A curated learning experience to fill marketing skill gaps and apply them in real-world simulations
- Branded credentials for certifications that matter to marketing leaders
- A safe space and network of peers to share and learn from the experience of others, including participation in export-led sessions
Organizations involved in the playbook represent Deloitte, General Motors, Harman International, Kohl’s, Mars Wrigley, Procter & Gamble, PayPal, Peloton, SC Johnson, Starbucks, UPS, ViacomCBS (BET and CBS), and WPP-GroupM.
Deloitte collaborated with BECA on the program strategy and design. Ayo Odusote, principal at Deloitte Consulting LLP and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Leader, said the firm is facilitating learning sessions, infusing content expertise, and delivering a best-in-class learning experience for this cohort of future leaders.
“We are also very excited for our Deloitte professionals who will be a part of this initial cohort and can bring their learnings back to their teammates to advance our own organization,” Odusote adds.
A report by the Association of National Advertisers titled “A Diversity Report for the Advertising/Marketing Industry” (November 2021), showed progress is being realized in increasing ethnic diversity in the advertising/marketing industry.
However, struggles remain even though studies show diversity among corporate executives only has benefits.
“Simply put, diverse and inclusive companies perform better than their peers across multiple dimensions,” Odusote tells BLACK ENTERPRISE. “According to Deloitte research, diverse organizations are two times more likely to exceed financial targets and eight times more likely to deliver higher business results beyond financial metrics such as employee and customer engagement..”
For more information about BECA and The BECA Playbook, please visit www.blackexec.com and follow on Twitter (@TheofficialBECA) and LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook.