Let’s take a moment to recap these notable announcements in business this week.
First, let’s start with the announcement of Rashida Jones (no, not the actor and daughter of Quincy Jones).
MSNBC Announced on Monday, December 7th, that Rashida Jones will be the new President. Jones succeeds Phil Griffin, whose career spans over 12 years as president.
Jones, a 2002 graduate of the Hampton University, and member of the National Association of Black Journalists, Council of Urban Professionals, Scripps Howard School of Journalism, the Communications Hall of Fame, etc.. will become the first African American woman to run a major cable news network. “Move on over Mary Jane!”
Jones made her mark at MSNBC in 2013 as an executive producer after working as a producer at WTKR, The Weather Channel, WIS-TV in South Carolina as a news producer, then heading to New York City to claim her presence known.
Rashida Jones is one of the brilliant minds behind the second presidential debate, moderated by the NBC correspondent Kristen Welker who did a phenomenal job.
Then we have Mellody Hobson. You may recognize her from Good Morning America in a segment offering us financial advice. President and Co-CEO of Ariel Investments, one of the largest African American-owned money management and mutual fund companies in the United States. She is also married to Director, Producer, Screen Writer George Lucas best know for his films Star Wars and Indian Jones.
Hobson, a graduate of Princeton University has had a stellar career. Serving on the board of organizations to the likes of Chicago Public Education Fund, JPMorgan Chase and Co., Sundance Institute, Lucas Museum, and now the first African American woman on the Board of Directors at the Starbucks Corporation as Board Chairwoman.
This is In an effort for Starbucks to reverse the scrutiny that has plagued them the past few years for their lack of diversity and compliance with recent Nasdaq Diversity requirements.
Under the proposal, all Nasdaq-listed companies will be required to publicly disclose board-level diversity statistics through Nasdaq’s proposed disclosure framework within one year of the SEC’s approval of the listing rule. The timeframe to meet the minimum board composition expectations set forth in the proposal will be based on a company’s listing tier. Specifically, all companies will be expected to have one diverse director within two years of the SEC’s approval of the listing rule. Companies listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market and Nasdaq Global Market will be expected to have two diverse directors within four years of the SEC’s approval of the listing rule. Companies listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market will be expected to have two diverse directors within five years of the SEC’s approval. For companies that are not in a position to meet the board composition objectives within the required timeframes, they will not be subject to delisting if they provide a public explanation of their reasons for not meeting the objectives.
– Nasdaq
These woman are paving the way for the future generation of young African American women in communications and finance.
We thank you!
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