The long journey still ahead

(Soulstice Consultancy) – Cynthia Marshall, CEO of the Dallas Mavericks, has announced her retirement. “Cynt,” as she is fondly known to others, has had an impact in the lives of so many, including mine. A few years ago, I was speaking at the same event with Cynt during the pandemic and in the chat, she was shouting me out with such encouragement and love. At that moment, I felt seen – that someone of her stature would create the space to not only celebrate me but serve as a mentor in the years following.Black women like Marshall in similar high profile leadership roles are not the norm. Fortune Magazine in June 2024 states that 10.4% of Fortune 500 companies are ran by women. At one time there were three Black women in this statistic – Thasunda Brown Duckett, CEO of the Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America; Toni Townes-Whitley, CEO of Science Applications International Corporation; and previously, Rosalind Brewer, CEO of Walgreen’s Boots Alliance who stepped down in 2023 after leading an S&P 500 Company.& Prior to Brewer, Ursula Burns was the last Black woman to command a S&P 500 company in 2016 after stepping down from Xerox.Related Stories...