The Executive Leadership Council Names Ronald C. Parker as President & CEO and Brickson Diamond as COO

New Leadership Team Will Lead Ambitious Efforts to Increase African-American Representation in Senior Executive Positions in Corporate America

WASHINGTON, Oct. 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The board of directors of The Executive Leadership Council (ELC) today announced Ronald C. Parker as The ELC's and the Executive Leadership Foundation's (ELF) president and chief executive officer and Brickson Diamond as the organization's chief operating officer. The announcement precedes The ELC's 2012 Recognition Gala, the organization's marquee event highlighting the success of its signature programs and the contributions of African Americans in corporate America.

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Parker is extremely familiar with The Executive Leadership Council's missions, goals and long-term strategic plan. The ELC board appointed Parker as the interim president and CEO in May 2012. He has been an active ELC member for the past 17 years, serving on both ELC and ELF boards. In July 2012, the Board of Directors began an extensive search to fill the organization's president and CEO position based on an objective and comprehensive process. The selection committee conducted interviews with a number of candidates, including Parker, who were qualified to lead The ELC.

"Ron has the vision, experience and dedication to lead The ELC into the future," said Bernard J. Tyson, ELC board chair and president and chief operating officer of Kaiser Permanente. "With his long-standing commitment to The ELC and ELF, combined with his previous experience in corporate America, Ron proved to be the best fit to help the organization realize its full potential."

In his new role, Parker will oversee The ELC's membership recruitment and growth; talent and professional pipeline development programs; the Community Impact Initiative; and the realization of ELC's five-year strategic goals to add 500 African Americans to the CEO position and those one to two levels below in Fortune 500 companies as well as 200 African Americans to the boards of publicly traded companies by 2017.  

"I am excited about being named president & CEO of The Executive Leadership Council, and leading this great organization forward," said Parker.  "For the past 25 years, The ELC has built a strong legacy, but there is still more work to be done. We will continue to transform corporate America to ensure that everyone has a seat at the decision-making table."

Parker recently retired from his post as senior vice president for human resources, labor relations and global diversity and inclusion for PepsiCo, Inc. He has worked in the food and beverage sector for nearly 30 years.

The ELC board, in collaboration with President and CEO Ronald C. Parker, also announced the selection of Brickson Diamond as the organization's new chief operating officer. The new position was evaluated as integral to The ELC and ELF to ensure future growth and service to its members. Diamond will be responsible for the daily operations of The ELC and will report directly to the president and CEO.

"The ELC and ELF have bold goals and achieving them will be important to the future success of corporate America," said Diamond. "I look forward to using my operational experience to help our organization and its Foundation achieve these ambitious goals and to ensure that we remain a valuable resource for our members and high-potential African-American corporate leaders."

Diamond has more than 17 years of experience in the investment management business, and he spent 11 of those years with Capital Group Private Client Services. Currently, he is chief executive officer of Big Answers, LLC, an independent strategic consulting practice focused on building capacity in the areas of investment stewardship, organizational planning and bringing services and offerings to market. Diamond is also an ELC member.

For more information about The Executive Leadership Council, visit http://www.elcinfo.com/.

About The Executive Leadership Council

The Executive Leadership Council (ELC) is an independent, non-profit 501(c)(6) corporation founded in 1986, comprised of current and former African-American CEOs and senior executives at Fortune 500 and equivalent companies. For more than 25 years, the ELC has worked to build an inclusive business leadership pipeline and to empower African-American corporate leaders to make significant and impactful contributions in the global marketplace and their communities. ELC programs develop future business leaders, filling the pipeline from the classroom to the boardroom.

About the Executive Leadership Foundation

The ELC's related charitable organization, the Executive Leadership Foundation (ELF), focuses on improving local communities and helping disadvantaged groups within the broader society. The 501(c)(3) affiliate supports education, leadership training and executive development programs and provides scholarships to deserving students interested in business and corporate careers.

SOURCE The Executive Leadership Council