Robin L. Washington To Receive Her Flowers At The 19th Annual Women Of Power Summit Legacy Award Gala

Robin L. Washington is a 2025 recipient of the BLACK ENTERPRISE Legacy Award.

BLACK ENTERPRISE will honor Robin L. Washington with a Legacy Award at the 19th annual BE Women of Power Summit. The Legacy Award honors women in business who have soared to the top of their respective fields, exemplifying excellence, elegance, and poise.

Recently named president and chief operating and financial officer (COFO) of Salesforce, Washington’s finance career continues to ascend 40 years later.

The incoming COFO graduated from the University of Michigan in 1984 and obtained her MBA at Pepperdine University. Washington entered the private sector as a financial analyst and rose above her entry-level position to become manager of global revenue recognition, international accounting manager, and director of finance at Tandem Computers.

In 1996, PeopleSoft hired the Legacy Award winner as senior vice president, officially marking her ascension into the C-suite. Washington has successfully directed multiple companies’ management, growth, and financial futures, including Hyperion Solutions (CFO) and Gilead Sciences, where she oversaw global finance, facilities, operations, and investor relations. Washington currently sits on the Board of Directors of Alphabet and Honeywell International.

In an interview with How Women Lead, Washington credits her steady growth in business to her “can-do, will-try” attitude.

“It really comes down to using your own self-assurance and your own belief in yourself as a driver to how you show up,” she said. “Just have a can-do, will-try attitude. Know that you are responsible for managing your brand. . . You have to own it,” she said.

Accordingly, Washington has owned her power in business and life. Don’t miss the opportunity to celebrate Washington at the Legacy Awards gala March 5-9 at the Bellagio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

There’s still time to register for the 2025 BE Women of Power Summit.