More than 150 gathered at the New York Stock Exchange last night to honor the business elite: Black Enterprise’s 100 Most Powerful Executives in Corporate America.
Published in the magazine’s September issue, the listing shines a bright spotlight on the achievements of African American business leaders who have risen to the highest-ranking corporate positions and hold revenue-generating and operating responsibilities critical to, among other areas, product development, sales and supply chain management at some of the world’s largest publicly-traded companies.
“We know that only the best and brightest can excel in the C-suites of the nation’s largest corporations, and that highlighting the achievements of African American executives who not only set, but are raising the bar of excellence, will inspire others, including younger African Americans, to aspire and dream to be you, just as you were once inspired to pursue your career paths.” said Black Enterprise CEO Earl “Butch” Graves, Jr., sharing the significance of the list and importance of the recognition ceremony.
Representatives from the list who impact global business and serve as innovators in an array of industries were recognized at the ceremony. These notables included David P. Bozeman, who operates equipment manufacturer Caterpillar’s largest division as vice president of its Integrated Manufacturing Operations; Derek Lewis, SVP and general manager of PepsiCo North American Field Operations and leader of a team that generated more than $15 billion in sales last year; Matt Carter, president of Sprint Global Wholesale and Emerging Solutions’ business unit that has unveiled fourth-generation broadband wireless services; Lisa Jeffries Caldwell, EVP & chief human resources officer for Reynolds American Inc., the second largest tobacco company in the U.S.; William Harvey, who presides over DuPont’s packaging and industrial polymers division; and Don Thompson, president and CEO of McDonald’s Corp., the largest fast food restaurant chain on the planet.
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