The Executive Leadership Council Honors F500 CEOs And Corporations For Advancing Black Leadership At 2021 ELC Annual Recognition Gala

Event Celebrates the Organization's 35th Anniversary and Commitment to Black Business Excellence

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Oct 13, 2021, 06:00 ET

WASHINGTON, Oct. 13, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Executive Leadership Council (ELC) announced that it will honor the second and third permanent Black women CEOs in the history of the Fortune 500, along with Bank of America, at the virtual 2021 ELC Annual Recognition Gala and 35^th Anniversary Celebration on Thursday, October 14, 2021 at 7:30 p.m. EDT. The ELC is the preeminent global membership organization for Black current and former CEOs, senior executives, and board members of Fortune 1000 and equivalent companies, top-tier entrepreneurs, and global thought leaders.

The Annual Recognition Gala is The ELC's most important fundraising event, supporting its scholarships, educational outreach and philanthropic initiatives and recognizing its mission, purpose and impact in action. This year's Gala highlights business achievement, honors corporate and individual award recipients, and delivers $1.3 million in scholarships to ELC Scholarship Program awardees. Johnson & Johnson is the Lead Sponsor of the 2021 Gala.

Ursula Burns, the first Black Woman CEO of a Fortune 500 company, serving Xerox Corporation from 2007-2016, will "pass the torch" by presenting the 2021 Achievement Award to Rosalind Brewer, CEO, Walgreens Boots Alliance and Thasunda Brown Duckett, President and CEO, TIAA, who became the second and third permanent Black women CEOs in the history of the Fortune 500 earlier this year. The Achievement Award is presented to Black corporate executives whose business career achievements highlight personal and professional excellence.

"Rosalind and Thasunda's dynamic leadership, in the Fortune 500 and in past leadership roles, has yielded significant business growth for their organizations. Both CEOs demonstrate that when afforded the opportunity, Black women can and will lead at the highest levels. The ELC is proud to honor them for their historic achievements and as allies in advancing Black leadership in business," says Michael C. Hyter, President and CEO of The ELC.

Bank of America Chairman and CEO Brian Moynihan will accept the 2021 Corporate Award on behalf of his organization. This award is given to a corporation that has made significant contributions to the advancement of Black corporate executives in areas including pipeline development, board diversity, supplier diversity and philanthropic efforts directed toward the Black community.

"Through our actions inside and outside our company, we are working to help create greater equality and opportunity for all. And we are grateful to have committed partners like The ELC on this journey. This is a movement not a moment. And we will continue to move forward together," says Brian Moynihan, Chairman and CEO of Bank of America.

"Bank of America has proven its commitment to advancing racial equality and economic opportunity through a number of sustainable initiatives that directly impact the Black community," says Hyter. "During a time when so many companies have pledged to increase their DE&I efforts, Bank of America's have been meaningful, and their work will continue to create opportunities for the Black community to be economically engaged and financially empowered."

ABOUT THE ELC: The Executive Leadership Council opens channels of opportunity for the development of Black executives to positively impact business and our communities. An independent non-profit 501(c)(3) founded in 1986, The ELC is the pre-eminent membership organization committed to increasing the number of global Black executives in C-suites, on corporate boards and in global enterprises. Comprising more than 800 current and former Black CEOs, senior executives and board directors at Fortune 1000 and Global 500 companies and entrepreneurs at top-tier firms, its members work to build an inclusive business leadership pipeline that empowers global Black leaders to make impactful contributions to the marketplace and the global communities they serve. For more information, please visit www.elcinfo.com.

Engage during the event on social media: #ELCGALA on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

SOURCE The Executive Leadership Council