Men’s and Women’s Forum: Equal Time in the Workplace

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By Sonya Stinson

Those who attended Friday’s Plenary Session heard a candid, lively discussion of how to play the corporate career game and win. This Men’s and Women’s Forum, titled Equal Time: Men & Women in the Workplace, featured a panel of speakers who offered straight-talk advice for African American men and women on advancing their careers.

Participants included Reggie Davis, head of consumer products for SunTrust Bank, which sponsored the presentation; Sandra Finley, president & CEO of the League of Black Women; chef and radio personality Nikki Shaw; and Tyronne Stoudemire, global director of community, diversity and inclusion at Aon Hewitt. Debra Langford, vice president of inclusion and business diversity at NBC Universal, and media personality Shannon Lanier moderated the discussion.

One topic was the role of good health in the readiness for career opportunity. Shaw talked about her work in helping employers design wellness programs, including one specifically aimed at encouraging Black women to exercise more.

Finley stressed the importance of knowing what’s required to navigate your way toward a career goal. If you are uninformed, she warned: "You can only hope that the tide takes you somewhere that you want to go."

Stoudemire noted that while many African-American business professionals are technically prepared for career advancement, "it’s in the political influence and the social relationships where we’re lacking."

Davis advised audience members not to make any business acquaintance into an enemy. "That person might be sitting somebody’s board and be the gatekeeper when you need something," he said.

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