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| (left to right) Kenneth C. Frazier, CEO of Merck; Jo Ann Jenkins, CEO of AARP; Marc Allen, President of Boeing International; and Arnold Donald, CEO of Carnival Cruises |
50 years ago, it was unthinkable for an African American to be the CEO of a major Fortune 500 company. But nowadays, thanks to several diversity initiatives, there are quite a few Black CEOs that run major, well-known companies. Here are just just a few:
#1 - Marvin Ellison, CEO of J. C. Penney: Formerly an executive at Home Depot, Ellison is the CEO of J. C. Penney, and has been since August 2015. He joined the company in November 2014 and served as CEO-designee and president before taking over the role of CEO.
#2 - Arnold Donald, CEO of Carnival Cruises: Having received an MBA from the University Of Chicago Graduate School Of Business in 1980, Donald became CEO of the one of the world's most popular cruise lines in July 2013.
#3 - Marc Allen, President of Boeing International: As president of Boeing International since 2015, Allen, is responsible for the company’s international strategy and corporate operations outside the U.S., overseeing 18 regional offices in key global markets.
#4 - Jo Ann Jenkins, CEO of AARP: Jenkins is the current CEO of the 37-million membership-based and interest group. She was appointed in September 2014, and is the first permanent female chief executive in the organization’s history.
#5 - Bernard Tyson, CEO of Kaiser Permanente: As current CEO of integrated managed care consortium Kaiser Permanente, Tyson was previously president and chief operating officer of the company for two years.
#6 - Kenneth C. Frazier, CEO of Merck: After joining Merck & Co. as general counsel, Frazier directed the company's defense against litigation over the anti-inflammatory drug Vioxx. He is now the second African-American to lead a major pharmaceutical company.