Written by Ayo Dahunsi, Founder, Ajilla Foundation
Like the majority of the world, I’ve been spending a lot more time at home due to COVID-19. (Special THANK YOU to the first respondents and essential workers who are on the front line everyday. You are GREATLY appreciated). Part of what I’ve been doing during this season, is going through my journal and reflecting on the notes that I took down while hearing individuals speak. Two individuals stand out because of one thing: PURPOSE.
The two individuals that I’m going to introduce you to, have similar, yet different experiences. They were both contemplating retirement when they were asked to consider taking an important role in their respective organizations. Why did they do it? Not because they needed to, the reason is much bigger….PURPOSE. IMPACT. LEGACY.
Wendy Lewis
Wendy Lewis, Global Chief Diversity Officer and VP of Global Community Engagement at McDonald’s Corporation. Wendy began her career in sales at the Chicago Tribune. She then transitioned into an HR role with the Chicago Cubs which ultimately led to her leading diversity and inclusion for Major League Baseball (MLB). Some of her accomplishments at MLB include designing the Diversity Economic Impact Engagement model to advance its workforce and supply chain engagement levels league-wide. She also created Major League Baseball’s Diversity Business Summit, a diversity employment and procurement conference and trade fair that transforms the workforce and supplier pipelines for MLB.
After 30 years of driving change for MLB and contemplating retirement, she was asked to consider applying for the Global Chief Diversity Officer and VP of Global Community Engagement position at McDonald’s. At a time when Wendy could have walked into retirement, she chose PURPOSE. She chose an opportunity to continue to drive change, make an impact and play a role in making the world a better place.
At McDonald’s, Lewis created the McDonald’s “Diversity IS Inclusion” business strategy value proposition where every individual feels their culture, identity and experiences are valued and respected. A major development of this business strategy is to execute the development, design and facilitation of a modern and progressive education platform that builds culturally intelligent leaders and grows McDonalds’ brand purpose, “Making delicious feel good moments easy for everyone.”
Thank you Wendy for being a Champion for Change and making an impact!
Wendy Lewis and Ayo Dahunsi
Cynt Marshall
The second individual that I want to introduce you to is Cynt Marshall, CEO of the Dallas Mavericks. Prior to joining the NBA team, Cynt spent 36 years at AT&T. After rising through the ranks, Marshall was named the president of AT&T in North Carolina in 2007, and in 2012 she was promoted to Senior Vice President of Human Resources/Chief Diversity Officer for the national office. Three years later, Marshall was named one of the “50 Most Powerful Women in Corporate America” by Black Enterprise.
Marshall planned to retire in 2017 to launch her own consulting firm specializing in leadership and diversity. However, soon after she started her firm, Marshall got an unexpected text message from Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks to join the organization as CEO. She took the opportunity not because she needed to, but because the need was so much bigger than just her. PURPOSE.
Upon joining the Dallas Mavericks, she gave herself 100 days to improve the culture at the organization. Prior to Marshall joining, Sports Illustrated exposed a "corrosive workplace culture" at the organization. After the article was published, an investigation launched by the Mavericks revealed a number of instances of more than 20 years of sexual harassment and other improper workplace conduct, including inappropriate comments, touching, and forcible kissing.
Since joining the Mavericks, she has diversified the leadership team to resemble the Dallas, Texas community; created an inclusive environment where every voice matters; and formed a values-based culture where a set of core values drives their decisions and actions.
Thank you Cynt for walking in your purpose and being a Champion for Change!
Ayo Dahunsi and Cynt Marshall
These two amazing women inspire me because they are walking in their purpose. They both recognize that the work that they are doing is much bigger than just a job. They are making their mark in this world and leaving a legacy. Thank you, Wendy and Cynt for being an inspiration to me and many others!
My hope is that these two inspirational women will encourage each of us to make choices based on our desire to make an impact in this world. While we may not all have the same platform as Wendy and Cynt, we can call be Champions for Change by using our stories and experiences to positively impact the next generation of leaders. Sign up to be an Ajilla Champion for Change HERE.