Quincy L. Allen

Entrepreneurial Spirit:

Quincy L. Allen
President, Production Systems Group
Xerox Corporation

From his early beginnings, first selling appliances in his father’s store, then earning degrees in electrical engineering and business management, Quincy L. Allen crafted the business philosophy and leadership skills needed to become an entrepreneurial leader in the high volume transaction output (HVTO) industry. Even a paper route as a child helped provide early perspective and business acumen that has led Allen to become one of the most respected executives in the industry today. His story serves as a template for others to follow as they build their HVTO career in this dynamic and changing field.

“Every experience has a culture of its own and you adapt and learn from it,” says Allen. “As a result, I was able to get a wide range of experience and conquer different challenges.” Indeed he has. Allen is currently president of the Production Systems Group at Xerox Corporation and is responsible for the company’s high-end systems, including software and service offerings for the graphic communications industry as well as production publishing, transaction printing and enterprise-wide printing.


This is a tall order, but Allen’s experience establishing cost-competitive products for Xerox over the past 24 years has positioned him for success. He leads Xerox’s efforts to leverage the complementary power of digital printing in the offset printing market, targeting key growth opportunities in just-in-time printing, customized printing, and on-demand book publishing.

But learning from Allen’s success requires a look back prior to his start with Xerox. Born in Quonset Point, Rhode Island, Allen came from a family of six brothers and sisters. “I was the fourth child and my parents’ favorite,” says Allen. “My family was always competitive and my parents stressed education. Growing up, I was interested in how things worked, which is why I became an electrical engineer.” Allen eventually earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Northeastern University and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Rochester.


Prior to college, Allen was inspired by the entrepreneurial spirit. “My father was an entrepreneur. He owned an appliance/TV store,” explains Allen, “so he instilled in us his business philosophy and leadership skills.” But it took real-world experience to learn that building success in any industry requires a lot of hard work. “My first job lasted one week. It was a paper route and I had to get up early in the morning. My feet were swollen after a week and I gave it up.” Soon, Allen found his stride, however, working for his father selling appliances. “I was pretty good at it and this is where I learned my sales skills.”

Allen’s sales experience as well as his background in electrical engineering helped pave the way for his career. “At Xerox, I have held senior technical and management positions in sales and marketing, supply chain, and product development,” says Allen. “I was vice president of Worldwide Customer Services Strategy and was senior vice president of North American Services and Solutions. Most recently, before my current position, I was in charge of cost-competitiveness in Xerox’s Business Group Operations.”

Lloyd G. Trotter

Independent Director

PepsiCo, Inc.

Purchase , NY

Sector: CONSUMER GOODS / Beverages - Soft Drinks

Independent Director , Textron, Inc.

Providence , RI

Sector: CONGLOMERATES / Conglomerates

LLOYD G. TROTTER, 65, was elected a director of PepsiCo in 2008. Mr. Trotter is a managing partner at GenNx360 Capital Partners, a position he has held since February 2008. He served as Vice Chairman, General Electric, and as President and Chief Executive Officer of GE Industrial, from 2006 through February 2008. Between 1989 and 2006, he held various positions at GE, including Executive Vice President, Operations, from 2005 to 2006, President and Chief Executive Officer of GE Consumer and Industrial Systems from 1998 to 2005 and President and Chief Executive Officer, Electrical Distribution and Control from 1992 to 1998. Mr. Trotter was a director of Genpact Limited from 2007 to 2008. Mr. Trotter is also a director of Textron, Inc. and Daimler AG

Pamela Thomas-Graham

CEO & President, CNBC

Executive Vice President, NBC

Age: 41

Thomas-Graham, the highest ranking African American in the ultra-competitive cable news industry, continues to prove she's worth her weight in gold. In July 2001, she was appointed president and CEO of CNBC, the 24-hour news channel owned by NBC and affiliated with Dow Jones, which generated more than $500 million in revenues. Over the past two years, Thomas-Graham has shifted the network's focus away from the stock market and toward analysis of current events and talk shows with high-profile hosts. As a result, it has begun to turn a profit on par with its performance before the dot-com bust and 9-11. A triple Harvard University degree holder (B.A., M.B.A., J.D.), Thomas-Graham, has been breaking new ground throughout her career. She became the first black woman and the youngest ever to make partner at the world-class management consulting firm McKinsey & Co.

Pamela Thomas-Graham (born Pamela A. Thomas on June 24 in Detroit, Michigan) is an African American businesswoman[1] and corporate leader who is well regarded in the fields of finance, media, retail and consulting. She is a phi beta kappa graduate of Harvard University (B.A. Economics - magna cum laude), as well as a graduate of Harvard Business School and Harvard Law School, where she served on the Harvard Law Review. Thomas-Graham is a senior executive at Credit Suisse, where she serves on the 150-year-old bank's 11-member Executive Board. The first African American woman to become partner at McKinsey & Company, the international management consulting firm, Thomas-Graham served clients in the retail, media and financial services industries. She also served as President and CEO of CNBC where she led the $500 million network to become one of the most profitable cable TV properties in the nation. During her tenure, she hired such on-air talent as Jim Cramer, and she led the network to win its first Peabody Award with the Age of Wal-Mart documentary, the first of CNBC's longform documentaries. Thomas-Graham also served as Group President of Liz Claiborne where she headed a $1.5 billion business unit which included the flagship Liz Claiborne label and 17 other brands. Prior to her joining the company, the Liz Claiborne brand label had suffered 25 quarters of decline, but during her tenure, the label was re-energized and reached top-line sales growth. Thomas-Graham began her career at Goldman, Sachs & Co., where she was a summer associate in the investment banking division while she was student at Harvard Business School. She has served as Managing Director in the private equity group of a major New York-based asset management firm. She has served on several boards including the Clorox Company, the New York City Opera, Parsons School of Design, and the Inner City Scholarship Fund. She is the author of three books, Blue Blood, Orange Crushed, and A Darker Shade Of Crimson, published by Simon & Schuster. The books have been translated into German and Japanese. She also serves as a member of the Economic Club of New York, Council on Foreign Relations and the U.S. Secretary of State's Committee on Transformational Diplomacy. Thomas-Graham has been honored by the National Urban League, the Financial Women's Association, the NAACP and Ms. Magazine. She serves on the Visiting Committee at Harvard Business School and is a well-regarded expert on corporate management issues.

2010 she joined the Executive Board of Credit Suisse as Head Talent Development and Communication.

Dan Packer

Dan Packer served as the CEO and President of Entergy New Orleans Inc. from 1998 through the end of 2006. Prior to joining Entergy, he served as a Senior Engineer of General Physics Corporation. He also served as training coordinator of Connecticut Yankee Atomic Power Company for six years, and as Plant Manager of Waterford 3 Nuclear Plant, becoming the first African American in the United States to manage a nuclear plant. Under his leadership the plant received the highest ratings in the region. Packer served as the Chairman of Entergy New Orleans Inc. since 1999 and as the Chairman of the New Orleans Aviation Board for Louis Armstrong International Airport. He also served as National Chairman of the American Association of Blacks in Energy, which focuses on energy-related issues in America.

Mr. Packer is a Board Member of several organizations, such as Keystone Energy Board, New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, Port of New Orleans, Louisiana Community & Technical College System and Fore!Kids Foundation. He was honored in 2005 by Black Enterprise as one of the Most Powerful African American Executives in Corporate America. Mr. Packer holds a B.A. from Charter Oak College and a M.B.A. from Tulane University.

Renetta McCann

Born: December 8, 1956, Chicago, Illinois

Company: Starcom MediaVest Group

Position: CEO

Industry: Advertising & Marketing

Education: Northwestern University, BA

Country: United States

Renetta McCann, CEO of Starcom MediaVest Group, is ranked by Forbes magazine as the 41st (2007) most powerful woman in the world. Since becoming chief executive of Starcom MediaVest in 2005, McCann has made the company the largest media buyer in the world, with an 8% share of global media planning.

"I didn't set out to be a CEO," McCann told Black Enterprise magazine. "In fact, when I started in this business, it wasn't an option."

In 1978 McCann joined Chicago's Leo Burnett advertising agency as a client service trainee. One year later she was promoted to media supervisor, a position she held until 1982. From 1982-86, she was an assistant media director, From 1986-88, she served as a vice president at Leo Burnett, 1988-89, media director, 1989-95, senior vice president, 1995-99;

In 1999 Leo Burnett spon off its media department into Starcom Global, and McCann became chief executive officer of Starcom North America. "Going from media director to managing director was a big leap," she told Black Enterprise.

Starcom MediaVest Group has almost 100 offices in more than 70 countries. Buying more than $25 billion in advertising for clients and generating estimated revenue of $667.7 million, according to Advertising Age.

McCann is also on the board of Publicis Groupe Media, which directs the media networks of Publicis Groupe, the owner of Starcom.

Reginald E. Davis

Born: August 16,1962

Company: Wachovia Corporation

Position: Head of the Northern Banking Group

Industry: Financial Services

Country: United States

Reggie Davis is Head of the Northern Banking Group for Wachovia Corporation, the fourth largest bank in the U.S. Davis executive leadership to all general banking operations, which includes retail and wholesale activities, such as branch delivery, commercial business and community banking from South Carolina to Connecticut.

Davis has been with the company since 1985. His previous positions included General Bank executive, Georgia Region; president, Georgia West Region; senior vice president, Commercial Real Estate; vice president, Commercial Real Estate; manager, Real Estate Loan Administration; Real Estate account officer; Corporate Real Estate analyst.

He is a Board of trustees member, National American Cancer Society; member, Morehouse College Mentorship Program, Teach For America. Davis has also received leadership awards including “40 Under 40” from New Jersey Business; The Award of Excellence from the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund; The Distinguished Corporate Citizen Award from Monmouth University; and the Bennie Leadership Award from Morehouse College. He was also named as one of the “Top 75 Most Powerful African Americans” by Black Enterprise magazine.
Tags: Executive Male

Arthur H. Harper

Color	Black
Food	Steak
Quote	The Golden Rule
Time of Year	Fall
Vacation Spot	Maui, Hawaii

Arthur Henry "Art" Harper, President and CEO of General Electric (GE) Equipment Services, based in Stamford, Connecticut, was born in Trenton, New Jersey on December 3, 1955 to Eleanor Graham Harper from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a maid, and Joseph Harper from Harlem, New York. Harper received his B.A. degree in chemical engineering from the Stevens Institute of Technology in 1978.

For four years following graduation, Harper worked as a technical sales representative in the Chemical Division of Conoco, Incorporated in Houston, Texas. In 1983, he became a marketing representative for the Polymer Products Department of the DuPont Corporation. Harper joined GE Plastics in 1984 as a market development and aerospace specialist and as the aircraft application program manager. He was appointed to the position of district sales manager for GE Silicones in Brea, California in 1987, and was named as manager of the Plastics plant in Oxnard in 1991. In 1992, Harper was put in charge of crystalline materials in Pittsfield, Massachusetts and in 1994, became head of the LEXAN (polycarbonate resin, a high performance plastic) business. In 1996, he served as president of GE Plastics of Greater China. Harper was then appointed Vice President of Global Manufacturing for GE Plastics in Bergen Op Zoom, the Netherlands in 1998. In May 2000, he became President and Senior Managing Director for GE Plastics Europe.

At GE Equipment Services, Harper heads one of four separate divisions formed when GE Capital split into four different corporate units in 2002. Harper oversees GE Plastics Europe, Middle East, India, and Africa and GE's SeaCo, a venture with Sea Containers, an international marine containers dealer. Additionally, Harper is a member of GE's Corporate Executive Council.

Harper received the Black Achievers in Industry Award in 1994 and the Career Achievement Award at Stevens Institute of Technology in 1998. He received the Social Justice Hero Award from the Fairfield County Region National Conference for Community and Justice, and the Whitney M. Young, Jr. Service Award from the Boy Scouts of America Greater New York Councils in 2004. Additionally, he is a member of the Executive Committee of GE's African American Forum and serves as Chair of the Stamford Commission on Education Achievement. He is also a board member of the Yerwood Center, a non-profit community center in Stamford, Connecticut.

Harper was interviewed by The HistoryMakers on August 27, 2005.

Erroll B. Davis Jr.

Born: c. 1943
Birthplace: Pittsburgh, PA

Gender: Male
Race or Ethnicity: Black
Sexual orientation: Straight
Occupation: Business

Nationality: United States
Executive summary: Chancellor, University System of Georgia

A lot has changed in the energy industry since 1998 when Alliant Energy was formed through the merger of three Midwest utilities, and Erroll B. Davis, Jr. was named president, chief executive officer and, later, chairman of the new company.

"In the late 90s, there was great pressure for investor-owned utilities to look a lot like Enron, as the market favored organizations that expanded outside the regulated utility business," Davis said. "Now the market is punishing everyone who looks anything like Enron. In fact, over the last year, we've shifted from proactively designing new, more competitive market structures to reacting to the backlash prevalent throughout Corporate America."

However, as both the leader of Alliant Energy and the current chairman of the Edison Electric Institute, the trade association of investor-owned utilities, Davis is working hard to regain the confidence of the financial community, attract capital to new energy generation and infrastructure projects, and - once again - plan for more competitive utility markets.

"Unfortunately, the entire energy industry has been tainted by the unethical actions of only a few," Davis said. "Battered share prices and ongoing debt downgrades all contributed to the difficulties fundamentally strong utilities are now facing when trying to access capital. These tight credit markets are obviously hindering our ability to build and improve our electric power infrastructure."

Despite the current turmoil in the industry, Davis remains confident that - with more transparency and standardized reporting - the energy industry will soon regain its footing. "With the demand for power continually increasing, new electric infrastructure must get built ... and eventually it will," Davis said. "It's often been said that America will most enthusiastically do what it has no choice but to do. This is another such case."

Davis, who has worked in the industry for more than 25 years, also added that today's problems should not permanently distract utilities, regulators and legislators from restructuring the market. "Over the long term, properly structured, well-functioning retail competition can benefit customers," Davis said. "But we have to get the rules right to guide competitive markets where they make sense, because - as history has shown - robust competitive markets are almost always more efficient than regulated monopolies."

While Davis is cautiously optimistic about the future of the industry, he is very enthusiastic about the long-term prospects for Alliant Energy, which operates two regulated utilities as well as various non-regulated businesses. "Through our predecessor companies, we have a long and proud tradition of public service and dedication to our customers," Davis said. "That tradition and our strong core values impact and influence everything we do."

For example, the company's utility operations performed flawlessly throughout the summer of 2002, and continued to rank very highly in customer satisfaction surveys. Under Davis' leadership, the company also continues to win awards for its environmental stewardship, safety initiatives and diversity programs.

In response to current market realities, late in 2002, Alliant Energy announced it was shifting toward a more conservative execution of its diversified strategy, adopting a lower risk profile and correspondingly less aggressive growth targets. With this announcement, Alliant Energy is now accelerating its plan to narrow its focus to three core business platforms: regulated domestic utilities, international utilities and non-regulated generation.

"Domestic regulated utility will remain our core business," Davis said. "And we'll continue to have a presence in the international energy market, but on more limited scale than originally anticipated. We'll also seek to grow our domestic non-regulated generation assets over time.

Robert L. Johnson

Date of Birth: April 8, 1946, in Hickory, Mississippi.

Education: University of Illinois, BA, 1968; Princeton University, MPA, 1972.

Company: The RLJ Company

Position: Founder, CEO

Industry: Real Estate, Hospitality, Professional Sports, Media and Entertainment, Gaming

Country: United States

Robert Louis Johnson graduated from the University of Illinois in 1968 and then earned a Masters degree in public administration from Princeton University. He then moved to Washington D.C. where he launched his career in television.

While working as a lobbyist for the National Cable Television Association (NCTA). He began toying with the idea of developing a television network that targeted Black Americans

Tom Wheeler, president of the NCTA, gave Johnson $15,000 as an initial investment to help in starting the venture. Johnson later convinced John Malone, the president of TCI, to invest $500,000 in the project. Johnson met Bob Rosencrans, the president of UA-Columbia Cablevision, who owned slots on a cable TV satellite that he told Johnson he could use for his new channel. With all of the parts in place, BET went on air at 11 p.m. on January 8, 1980. BET became the first and largest black-owned broadcasting company and the first black-owned business to go public on the New York Stock Exchange.

BET was sold to VIACOM for $3 billion dollars on November 3, 2000 making Johnson one of its largest share holders and the first Black American Billionaire. Johnson stepped down as CEO of BET in January 2006.

Since selling BET, Johnson has become the first black majority owner of a major sports team, the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats, which Johnson named after himself. He is also the owner of the largest African-American owned hotel investment company, RLJ Development, LLC., launched in December 2000 in Bethesda, Maryland. RLJ Development, LLC., is a division of The RLJ Companies, a diverse portfolio of companies in the financial services, real estate, hospitality, professional sports, media and entertainment, and gaming.
Tags: Entertainment, Entrepreneur Hall of Fame, Entrepreneur Male, Famous Entrepreneur, Film & Television, Financial Services, Former Billionaire, Gambling, Music, RLJ Companies, LLC

Michael Lee-Chin

Born: Port Antonio, Jamaica, 1951

Company: Portland Holdings Inc.

Position: Founder, Executive Chairman

Industry: Financial Services

Country: Canada

Michael Lee-Chin, is Chairman of Portland Holdings Inc. Sold AIC's Canadian retail investment fund business to Manulife Financial August 12, 2009. Stepped down as Chief Executive Officer of AIC Limited on October 4, 2006.

Mr. Lee-Chin was racked by Forbes Magazine as the 937th (2010) richest person in the world with a net worth of $1 billion but was dropped from the magazines billionaires list for 2011.

Born in Port Antonio, Jamaica in 1951, Michael immigrated to Canada in 1970 to study civil engineering at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. After beginning post-graduate studies, Michael decided to explore career opportunities within the mutual fund industry. At the age of 26, Michael became a financial advisor and, with growing success, progressed to the position of branch manager.

In 1983, at the age of 32, Michael borrowed money to purchase $500,000 of Mackenzie Financial stock. After four years, this stock appreciated seven-fold, and Michael used the profits to make his first acquisition, a small Ontario-based investment firm called AIC Limited. At that time, Advantage Investment Counsel (a division of AIC Limited) had assets under management of just $800,000. Within 20 years, assets under management for this 1987 acquisition had surpassed $4 billion. AIC Limited was to become the first in a series of acquisitions for Michael Lee-Chin, Chairman, Portland Holdings Inc.

Michael has distinct beliefs regarding wealth creation, role modelship, and his firm’s investment strategy. AIC’s goal is to create long-term wealth for investors. To achieve that objective, Michael looked for role models – those business people who created wealth in society by owning one or two businesses. For this reason, Michael established AIC’s investment philosophy of buying few excellent businesses in long-term growth sectors and holding these businesses for the long term in order to help AIC investors prosper by preserving and growing their capital and minimizing taxes.

As a result of his investment philosophy, AIC stands today as one of the largest privately held mutual fund companies in Canada. Michael was named Entrepreneur of the Year in 1997. In 2002, he earned the Harry Jerome Award for a decade of achievement. Michael has been profiled in Forbes, Fortune, Canadian Business, Black Enterprise, National Post and Time magazines.

Following the acquisition of AIC Limited in 1987, Michael set about developing the Berkshire group of companies – comprising an investment planning arm, a securities dealership, and an insurance services operation. Under Michael’s stewardship, Berkshire was able to amass more than $12 billion of assets under administration by 2007. At that time, Berkshire had also grown to form a network of 750 financial advisors operating in 250 offices across Canada. In 2007, Manulife acquired Berkshire from Portland Holdings in exchange for shares, making Portland one of the most significant shareholders of Manulife.

In 2002, Portland’s interests expanded internationally with the acquisition of National Commercial Bank (NCB) Jamaica Ltd. and its subsidiaries. Since becoming part of the Portland group, NCB profits have increased to approximately US$100 million from US$6 million. NCB today stands as Jamaica’s largest bank with 45 branches, 2,400 employees, and offices in the Caymans and the United Kingdom. NCB was awarded the Latin Finance 2007 Bank of the Year Award.

In April 2006, Portland acquired an 85% controlling stake in the United General Insurance Company, the largest auto insurer in Jamaica, and renamed the firm Advantage General Insurance Company. A controlling interest in CVM Communications Group (consisting of radio and television stations and newspapers) was purchased at the same time. Portland partnered with Risley Group to form Columbus Communications Ltd. – a Barbadian corporation that holds controlling interest in a number of telecommunications providers in the Caribbean including Cable Bahamas Ltd., Caribbean Crossings Ltd., Merit Communications Ltd. and FibraLink Jamaica Ltd.

In the tourism sector, Michael has guided Portland through a number of acquisitions in the Caribbean. Among them, the Trident Villas and Spa in Jamaica, Reggae Beach and Blue Lagoon.

The first Portland acquisition in the health care industry sector was announced by Michael in July 2006, when Medical Associates Limited, a privately held hospital in Kingston, Jamaica, joined the Portland group.

In November 2003, Michael received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from McMaster University in recognition of his business success and philanthropic initiatives, and in July 2004 was honoured by Time magazine as one of Canada’s Heroes and one of the country’s most intriguing and inspiring citizens. In 2008, Michael received one of Jamaica’s highest national honours – The Order of Jamaica, for his significant contributions to business and philanthropy.



"If you aim at nothing you'll hit it with amazing accuracity."

Tags: AIC Limited, Canada, Entrepreneur Hall of Fame, Entrepreneur Male, Financial Services, Former Billionaire, Jamaica, Michael Lee-Chin, Portland Holdings Inc.

Patrice Motsepe

Born: January, 28, 1962, Johannesburg

Company: African Rainbow Minerals Limited

Position: Chairman

Industry: Mining

Country: South Africa

Patrice Tlhopane Motsepe is Executive Chairman of African Rainbow Minerals Limited, ARM, a leading, niche-diversified mining and minerals company, based in Johannesburg, South Africa. He is also the non-executive Chairman of Harmony and the Deputy Chairman of Sanlam. His various business responsibilities include being President of Business Unity South Africa (BUSA), which is the voice of organised business in South Africa. He is also president of Mamelodi Sundowns Football Club.

Mr. Motsepe began his business career as a child when he would wake early to help his entrepreneurial father by selling liquor to mine workers at his father's shop. "I must have been about eight when my dad said one day, We make so much money when you're behind the counter you should take over the business when you grow up. But it was hard work, from 6am to 8pm. I soon realised I needed to choose a career that would keep me away from that shop! That's how I came to decide when was only eight that I'd become a lawyer."He went on to earn a BA from Swaziland University and a LLB from Wits University.

In 1994 he became the first black lawyer to be made a partner at the law firm Bowman Gilfillan, where he specialized in mining and business law before becoming restless. He then shifted to the mining industry. He Started a contract mining operation called Future Mining which provided various services to Vaal Reefs gold mine, now part of AngloGold. Unable to secure a loan, he ran his business from a briefcase for the first eight months.

Mr.Motsepe formed African Rainbow Minerals (ARM) in 1997 and acquired a number of marginal shafts at Vaal Reefs in January 1998 on favorable financial terms, followed by the purchase of other marginal shafts owned by AngloGold in the Free State.

Today he's the biggest single shareholder of the world's fifth-largest gold mining company. His firm, African Rainbow Minerals, controls 19.8 per cent of Harmony. His family trust owns 43.1 per cent of ARM. Forbes magazine racks him as 503th richest person in the world in their and South Africa's first black billionaire with an estimated net worth of $2.5 billion dollars.

Harmony Gold Mining Company specializes in turning old digs into new digs. Harmony is South Africa's largest gold miner, after acquiring ARMgold in 2003, and the sixth largest in the world. The company buys mature gold mines with lagging production and turns them into low-cost, high-productivity mines. It had 2003 revenues of $1.2 billion and has 50,718 employees.
Tags: African Rainbow Minerals Limited, Current Billionaire, Entrepreneur Hall of Fame, Entrepreneur Male, Metals & Mining, Patrice Motsepe, South African

Oprah Winfrey

Born: January 29, 1954

Company: Harpo Inc.,

Position: Chairman

Industry: Media

Country: United States

Oprah Gail Winfrey is the chairman of Harpo, Inc., Harpo Productions, Inc., Harpo Studios, Inc., Harpo Films, Inc., Harpo Print, LLC and Harpo Video, Inc. She is one of a handful of women who are self made billionaires, and is the only black female billionaire and the richest African American.

The Oprah Winfrey Show is the highest-rated TV talk show in history and is seen in 110 countries.

Oprah has been honored with the most prestigious awards in broadcasting, including the George Foster Peabody Individual Achievement Award (1996) and the IRTS Gold Medal Award (1996). Oprah and The Oprah Winfrey Show have received a total of 39 Daytime Emmy Awards:

Through Harpo Films, Oprah has a long-term deal with the ABC Television Network to produce Oprah Winfrey Presents telefilms. Scheduled for broadcast in fall 2004, Oprah Winfrey Presents: Their Eyes Were Watching God, based on the Zora Neale Hurston novel, will star Academy Award-winner Halle Berry.

Harpo Productions also owns and produces, the daily syndicated series, Dr. Phil, featuring life strategist Dr. Phil McGraw, Ph.D., who appeared as a regular guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show from 1998 through 2002. The talk show, which has ranked number two since its debut on September 16, 2002, is produced by Paramount Domestic Television and distributed in national syndication by King World Productions and globally by CBS Broadcast international.

In April 2000, Oprah and Hearst Magazines introduced O, The Oprah Magazine, a monthly magazine that has become one of today's leading women's lifestyle publications. It is credited as being the most successful magazine launch in recent history and currently has an audience of more than two million readers each month.

Oprah is co-founder of Oxygen Media, which was formed in November 1998 along with fellow founders Geraldine Laybourne, Marcy Carsey, Tom Werner, Caryn Mandabach. Oxygen Media includes the Oxygen Network, a women's cable network that launched on February 2, 2000 and is currently available in 48 million homes across the country.
Tags: Celebrity Entrepreneurs, CEO, Current Billionaire, Entrepreneur Female, Entrepreneur Hall of Fame, Famous Entrepreneur, Film & Television, Harpo Inc., Oprah Winfrey Radio Network, OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network

Mohammed Ibrahim

Born: 1946, Sudan

Company: Celtel International, MSI Cellular

Position: Founder and Chairman

Industry: Wireless Communications Services

Country: UK

Mohammed Ibrahim is the billionaire founder of Celtel International, one of Africa's most successful companies. Forbes magazine ranked him as the 463th richest people on the planet with a net worth of $2.1 billion.

Dr Mohamed Ibrahim is a global expert in mobile communications with a distinguished academic and business career.

In 1998, Dr Ibrahim founded MSI Cellular Investments, which was later renamed Celtel International. The company now operates in 23 countries, under licenses that cover more than a third of the continent's population.

In 2005, Celtel International was sold to MTC Kuwait for $3.4 billion, making it one of Africa's most successful commercial ventures. Dr. Ibrahim personally pocketed $1.4 billion from the sale.

In 2006, Ibrahim launched the he Mo Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership. The prize will be awarded to a former African executive Head of State or Government who has demonstrated excellence in African leadership. Unprecedented in its scale and scope, the Mo Ibrahim Prize consists of US$ 5 million over 10 years and US$ 200,000 annually for life thereafter. A further US$ 200,000 per year for good causes espoused by the winner may be granted by the Foundation during the first ten years.The first winner of the Mo Ibrahim Prize will be selected by a Prize Committee, comprised of:

Kofi Annan, former United Nations Secretary-General
Martti Ahtisaari, former UN Special Representative for Namibia and former President of Finland
Aïcha Bah Diallo, former Minister of Education in Guinea and Special Adviser to the Director-General of UNESCO
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, former Minister of Finance and former Minister of External Affairs of Nigeria
Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (and board member of the Foundation)
Salim Ahmed Salim, former Prime Minister of Tanzania and former Secretary-General of the Organisation of African Unity (and board member of the Foundation)


The winner of the first Mo Ibrahim Prize will be announced on 22nd October 2007

Dr Mo Ibrahim holds a BSc in Electrical Engineering from the University of Alexandria, Egypt, an MSc in Electronics and Electrical Engineering from the University of Bradford, and a PhD in Mobile Communications from the University of Birmingham. He is a member of the Africa Regional Advisory Board of London Business School.
Tags: Current Billionaire, Entrepreneur Hall of Fame, Entrepreneur Male, Mohammed Ibrahim, Sudan, Telecommunications Services, United Kingdom

Mohammed Al Amoudi

Born: 1946, Dessie, Ethiopia

Company: Corral Petroleum Holdings, MIDROC Ethiopia

Position: Chairman

Industry: Petroleum

Country: Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia

Mohammed Al Amoudi, is Ethiopia's richest man and the richest black person in the world, with a net worth of $9 billion.

Mr. Al Amoudi owns a broad portfolio of businesses in oil, mining, agriculture, hotels, hospitals, finance, operations and maintenance.

He owns Swedish refinery Preem as well as Svenska Petroleum, which made big plays in Guinea-Bissau, Nigeria and Angola in 2008.

Mr. Al Amoudi has invested more than $1 billion in Ethiopia. He controls his vast business conglomerate through two holding and operating companies, Corral Petroleum Holdings and MIDROC. His companies employs over 40,000 people through these companies.

Mr. Al Amoudi holds an honorary doctorate in Philosophy from Ethiopia's Addis Ababa University.
Tags: Agriculture, Construction, Architectural & Engineering Services, Current Billionaire, Energy & Utilities, Entrepreneur Hall of Fame, Ethiopia, Mohammed Al Amoudi, Saudi Arabia

Dr. Mike Adenuga

Born: March 29, 1953, Ijebu Igbo, Ogun State

Company: Globacom Limited,

Position: Chairman, CEO,

Industry: Telecommunications Services,

Country: Nigeria

Dr. Michael Adeniyi Isola Adenuga (net worth $2 billion calculated March 2011), is the billionaire chairman and chief executive officer of Globacom Limited (GLO), a privately owned multinational telecommunications company headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria.

He is Nigeria's second richest person, 5th richest black person and the 595th richest person in the world according to Forbes' Worlds Billionaires 2011 ranking.

Dr. Adenuga has grown Globacom into Nigeria’s second largest national telecom operator, with an estimated 25 million plus subscribers and it's fastest growing mobile service provider.

Globacom Limited is privately owned by the Mike Adenuga Group which also consists of Equatorial Trust Bank (ETB), Conoil PLC, a petroleum marketing company, and Conoil Producing, a crude exploration company and Equitorial Trust Bank, in addition to stakes and interests in construction and real estate firms.

He was honoured by the Federal Republic of Nigeria with the National Awards of the Officer of the Order of the Niger and later with the award of Commander of the Order of the Niger.

Dr. Adenuga studied Business Administration at Northwestern State University, Alva, Oklahoma and also earned a Masters degree at Pace University, New York, majoring in Business Administration with emphasis on Marketing.
Tags: Current Billionaire, Dr. Mike Adenuga, Entrepreneur Male, Globacom Limited, Nigeria, Telecommunications Services

Aliko Dangote

Company: The Dangote Group

Position: Chairman, President

Industry: Manufacturing

Country: Nigeria

Aliko Dangote, is the richest black person in the world, Nigeria's first billionaire and richest person with an estimated net worth of $13.8 billion dollars (March 2011). Forbes magazine ranks him as the 53th richest person in the world.

Mr. Dangote is the founder of the Dangote Group, which has operations in Nigeria and several other countries in West Africa.

Mr. Dangote began his career as trader at 21 with a loan from his uncle; He went on to built his Dangote Group into conglomerate with interests in sugar, flour milling, salt processing, cement manufacturing, textiles, real estate, haulage and oil and gas.

The Dangote Group dominates the sugar market in Nigeria, as he is the major sugar supplier to the country's soft drink companies, breweries, and confectioners. Dangote Group has moved from being a trading company to Nigeria's largest Industrial group, including Dangote Sugar Refinery (the most capitalized company on the Nigeria Stock Exchange, valued at over $3 billion with Aliko Dangote's equity topping $2 billion), Africa's largest Cement Production Plant: Obajana Cement, Dangote Flour amongst others.
Tags: Agriculture, Aliko Dangote, Beverages, Current Billionaire, Dangote Group, Entrepreneur Hall of Fame, Food, Industrial Goods, Industrial Equipment Wholesale, Waste Management

John W. Thompson

Born: April 24, 1949, in Fort Dix, New Jersey

Company: Virtual Instruments

Position: CEO

Industry: Technology

Country: United States

John W. Thompson was named Virtual Instruments CEO in May of 2010. He has been a member of the Virtual Instruments Board of Directors since 2009. John brings proven leadership, tremendous industry experience and deep understanding of the needs of enterprise customers to Virtual Instruments.

During his 10-year tenure as CEO of Symantec, Mr. Thompson transformed the company into a leader in security, storage and systems management solutions, delivering world class products to a global customer base, including both individuals and large-scale enterprises. He helped grow revenues from $600M to over $6B. Beyond his role at Symantec, Mr. Thompson served on the National Infrastructure Advisory Committee (NIAC), making recommendations regarding the security of critical U.S. infrastructure, a role to which President George W. Bush appointed him. In addition, he was recently appointed to the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission to investigate the cause of the 2008 financial collapse and make recommendations to Congress on steps to avoid or mitigate the impact of a reoccurrence.

In September 2002, President George W. Bush appointed Mr. Thompson to the National Infrastructure Advisory Committee (NIAC), to make recommendations regarding the security of the critical infrastructure of the United States. In addition, Thompson has served as the chair of the Silicon Valley Blue Ribbon Task Force on Aviation Security and Technology to identify and evaluate technology-driven solutions to improve the security and efficiency of national and local aviation.

Prior to joining Symantec, Mr. Thompson had a distinguished career with the IBM Corporation where he worked for 28 years holding senior executive positions in sales, marketing and software development. In his last assignment, he was general manager of IBM Americas and a member of the companies Worldwide Management Council.

Mr. Thompson retired from his CEO post on April 4, 2009, turning the company's reins over to long-time Symantec executive Enrique Salem. Mr. Thompson still retains his position as Symantec's board chairman. He is also on the boards of Seagate Technology and UPS and is a part owner of the NBA’s Golden State Warriors.

Mr. Thompson received a Bachelor of Business Administrations degree from Florida A&M and his Master’s degree in Management (MBA) from MIT’s Sloan School of Management.. In addition, in May 2008, he received an honorary doctorate degree from Notre Dame University.
Tags: Computer Software, Executive Male, Future Fortune 500 CEO, John W Thompson, Symantec Corp., United States

Don Thompson

Born: 1963, Chicago, IL.

Company: McDonald's

Position: President and Chief Operating Officer

Industry: Food

Country: United States

As President and Chief Operating Officer, Don Thompson directs global strategy and operations for the 32,000 McDonald’s restaurants in 117 countries to create value for McDonald’s and its shareholders.

Previously, Mr. Thompson was President of McDonald’s USA. In this role, he was responsible for the strategic direction and overall business results of the nearly 14,000 restaurants in the U.S. Mr. Thompson began his career at McDonald’s as an electrical engineer in 1990, and has since held a variety of leadership positions including U.S. Chief Operating Officer, Executive Vice President and Division President.

As a business leader, Thompson serves on the board of directors for the Exelon Corporation, one of the nation’s largest electric utilities, and at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. He also serves on the board of trustees for Purdue University and is a member of the Executive Leadership Council.

Mr. Thompson has been recognized by many organizations for his leadership in business, the community and as a role model. In 2007, named Thompson Corporate Executive of the Year. In 2008, he received the Corporate Executive award from the Trumpet foundation. In 2009, he received the presidential inspiration award from Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity incorporated.

Mr. Thompson received his B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Purdue University and has since accepted the Purdue University Outstanding Electrical and Computer Engineering Award along with being named a Purdue University Old Master Fellow in 2006. In 2008, he received an honorary doctorate degree from Excelsior College in Albany, New York.

A proud family man, Mr. Thompson and his wife Liz have two children and reside in the Chicago area.
Tags: Don Thompson, Executive Male, Food, Future Fortune 500 CEO, McDonald’s USA, United States

Stanley O'Neal

Born: Oct. 7, 1951, Roanoke, Ala.

Company: Alcoa Inc.

Position: Director

Industry: Financial Services

Country: United States

Earnest Stanley O'Neal currently serves on the board of Alcoa Inc. and is the former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Merrill Lynch, the world’s largest brokerage firm, with offices in 38 countries and territories and total client assets of almost $2.0 trillion. Mr. O’Neal became Merrill's chief executive in 2002 and was elected chairman of Merrill Lynch in 2003, serving in both positions until October 2007.

Mr. O’Neal worked for Merrill Lynch for 21 years. He was named president and chief operating officer in July 2001 and served as president of Merrill Lynch's U.S. Private Client group from February 2000 until July 2001. He served as executive vice president and chief financial officer of Merrill Lynch from 1998 until 2000 and also held the position of executive vice president and co-head of the Corporate and Institutional Client Group (now Global Markets & Investment Banking) prior to that. Previously, Mr. O'Neal had been in charge of Capital Markets and a managing director in investment banking, heading the financing services group, which included the high yield finance, restructuring, real estate, project and lease finance, and equity private placement groups.

Before joining Merrill Lynch, Mr. O'Neal was employed at General Motors Corporation in New York and Madrid. He held a number of financial positions at the company, including general assistant treasurer in New York, responsible for mergers, acquisitions and domestic financing activities.

On 25th of October 2007, Merrill Lynch reported losses of 8.4 billion USD. This was due to the credit crises from the sub-prime mortgage market happed earlier in the year. Under corporate pressure, he resigned from his position at Merrill Lynch on October 30, 2007, leaving with about $160,000,000 (about $90 million in stock, $40 million in options and another $30 million in pension and other benefits).

In a story by William Cohan in Fortune Magazine, Mr. O’Neal told his side of the story for the first time since he resigned in October 2007.

Twice in 2007 O’Neal tried to negotiate deals to sell Merrill at premium prices, only to encounter crushing opposition from an unlikely source: Alberto Cribiore (pronounced Crihbe-OR-ee), a friend whom O’Neal had appointed to Merrill’s board four years earlier. Given his extensive Wall Street experience, Cribiore, a former partner at private equity firm Clayton Dubilier & Rice, wielded outsize power. He argued vociferously that O’Neal was too negative and that Merrill could address its CDO problem without having to sell the firm at a moment of weakness.

This pitched battle between the CEO and the board member, largely unexplored until now, shows how a single person was able to thwart what may have been Merrill’s salvation. And it suggests that O’Neal’s failure consisted as much of his inability to persuade his board to take necessary action as it did in his earlier cluelessness about the risks posed by the mountains of CDOs, those bundles of debt securities, many of them tied to subprime mortgages.

Whatever you think, one conclusion is inescapable: This conflict cost Merrill shareholders dearly. In the aborted 2007 negotiation, O’Neal seemed close to a deal with Bank of America to sell for about $100 billion. When Merrill was finally unloaded a year later to the same buyer, it went for half that amount. In all, the failure to sell in 2007 would cost Merrill shareholders some $50 billion.



Mr. O'Neal received a master's of business administration with distinction in Finance from Harvard University and is a graduate of Kettering University (formerly General Motors Institute). He served on General Motor’s Board of Directors from 2001-2006.
Tags: Executive Male, Financial Services, Former Fortune 500 CEO, Merrill Lynch & Co., Stan O'Neal, United States

Richard Dean Parson

Born: April 4, 1948, Brooklyn, NY

Company: Citigroup Inc.

Position: Chairman

Industry: Financial Services

Country: United States

Richard D. Parsons is Chairman of the Board of Citigroup Inc., effective February 23, 2009. Citigroup Inc. (Citigroup) is the 8th largest company in the U.S.

Prior to joining Citi, Mr. Parsons served in the positions of President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman at Time Warner, whose businesses include filmed entertainment, interactive services, television networks, cable systems and publishing. From May 2002 to December 2007, Mr. Parsons served as Time Warner’s Chief Executive Officer. He became Chairman of the Board in May 2003.

As CEO, Mr. Parsons led Time Warner’s turnaround and set the company on a solid path toward achieving sustainable growth. In the process, he put in place the industry’s most experienced and successful management team, strengthened the company’s balance sheet and simplified its corporate structure, and carried out a disciplined approach to realigning the company’s portfolio of assets to improve returns. In its January 2005 report on America’s Best CEOs, Institutional Investor magazine named Mr. Parsons the top CEO in the entertainment industry.

Before becoming CEO, Mr. Parsons served as the company's Co-Chief Operating Officer, overseeing its content businesses-Warner Bros., New Line Cinema, Warner Music Group and Time Warner Book Group-as well as two key corporate functions: Legal and People Development.

Mr. Parsons joined Time Warner as its President in February 1995, and has been a member of the company's Board of Directors since January 1991. As President, he oversaw the company's filmed entertainment and music businesses, and all corporate staff functions, including financial activities, legal affairs, public affairs and administration.

Before joining Time Warner, Mr. Parsons was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Dime Bancorp, Inc., one of the largest thrift institutions in the United States. Previously, he was the managing partner of the New York law firm Patterson, Belknap, Webb & Tyler. Prior to that, he held various positions in state and federal government, as counsel for Nelson Rockefeller and as a senior White House aide under President Gerald Ford. Mr. Parsons received his undergraduate education at the University of Hawaii and his legal training at Union University's Albany Law School.

Mr. Parsons’ civic and non-profit commitments include Co-Chairman of the Mayor’s Commission on Economic Opportunity in New York; Chairman Emeritus of the Partnership for New York City; Chairman of the Apollo Theatre Foundation and service on the boards of Howard University, the Museum of Modern Art and the American Museum of Natural History. He also serves on the boards of Citigroup and Estée Lauder.

Tags: Citigroup, Citi Global Wealth Management, Executive Male, Former Fortune 500 CEO, Fortune 500 Director, Media, Film & Television, Information Collection & Delivery, Internet Search & Content Providers, Music

Franklin Delano Raines

Born: January 14, 1949, Seattle, Washington

Company: Revolution LLC

Position: Director

Industry: Financial Services

Country: United States

Chairman and chief executive officer from 1999 to 2004 of Washington-based Fannie Mae, the biggest U.S. home mortgage lender. He was vice chairman from 1991 to 1996. Fannie Mae has assets of $924 billion and is the second largest financial institution after Citigroup in the U.S.

In 2004, Franklin Raines, was forced out as Fannie Mae's leader after regulators concluded the company had manipulated its accounting, spurring a loss of about $30 billion in market value.

Franklin Raines is one of just a few African-American to become CEO of a Fortune 500 company.

Raines worked for 11 years at investment banking firm Lazard Freres and Co., where he was a general partner providing financial advice to public and private clients.

Raines served in the Administration of President Jimmy Carter as Assistant Director of the White House Domestic Council and Associate Director of the Office of Management and Budget from 1977-1979. He served in the Cabinet of President Bill Clinton from 1996 to 1998 as the Director of the Office of Management and Budget. In that role he led negotiations with Congress that resulted in the first balanced federal budget in thirty years

Frank Raines grew up in Seattle, Washington. He attended public schools, graduated from Franklin High School, and graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College in 1971. He attended Oxford University in England as a Rhodes Scholar and graduated from the Harvard Law School, cum laude, in 1976. He has received honorary doctorate degrees from Howard University, Lafayette College, Amherst College, the University of Maryland, and the University of Puget Sound. He is also the recipient of the Harvard Medal. He has been elected as a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Academy of Social Insurance and as a member of the Trilateral Commission and the Council on Foreign Relations.
Tags: Executive Male, Fannie Mae, Financial Services, Former Fortune 500 CEO, Franklin Raines, United States

Aylwin Lewis

Born: May 28, 1954, Houston, TX.

Company: Potbelly Sandwich Works

Position: Chief Executive Officer and President

Industry: Food Services

Country: United States

Aylwin B. Lewis, 52, is President and Chief Executive Officer of Potbelly Sandwich Works, a Chicago-based restaurant chain with more than 200 stores in 13 states. Mr.Lewis was President and Chief Executive Officer of Sears Holdings Corporation, before stepping down on February 2, 2008. Prior to being named Chief Executive Officer of Sears in September 2005, Mr. Lewis was President of Sears Holdings and Chief Executive Officer of KMart and Sears Retail following Sears' acquisition of KMart Holding Corporation in March 2005.

Prior to that acquisition, Mr. Lewis had been President and Chief Executive Officer of KMart since October 2004. Prior to that, Mr. Lewis was Chief Multibranding and Operating Officer of YUM! Brands, Inc., a franchisor and licensor of quick service restaurants including KFC, Long John Silvers, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and A&W, from 2003 until October 2004, Chief Operating Officer of YUM! Brands from 2000 until 2003 and Chief Operating Officer of Pizza Hut from 1996. Mr. Lewis is a director of The Walt Disney Company and Halliburton Co.

Mr. Lewis attended Jesse Jones High School, Houston, TX. He received dual bachelor degrees from the University of Houston in both Business Management and English Literature and an MBA from the University of Houston.

Ursula M. Burns

Born: New York, New York, September 20, 1958

Company: Xerox Corporation

Position: Chairman and CEO

Industry: Printing and Imaging Equipment

Country: United States

Ursula Burns, former president of Xerox Corporation, was named by the board to succeed Anne Mulcahy as chief executive officer effect July 1, 2009 and assumed the role of chairman of the company on May 20, 2010.

She is the first black woman to head a Fortune 500 company. According to Xerox, this is also the first time a female chief executive has replaced another female chief executive at a Fortune 500 company.

Burns was ranked 27th on FORTUNE magazine's ninth annual list of the 50 Most Powerful Women in Business.

Burns joined Xerox in 1980 as a mechanical engineering summer intern. She subsequently held several positions in engineering, including product development and planning. In June 1991 she became the executive assistant to Paul A. Allaire, then Xerox chairman and chief executive officer.

From 1992 through 2000, Burns led several business teams, including the office color and fax business, office network copying business and the departmental business unit.

In May 2000, she was named senior vice president, Corporate Strategic Services, and was named president of Xerox Business Group Operations in 2002. She was appointed an officer of the company in 1997 and named a corporate senior vice president in 2000.

In April 2007, Burns was named president of Xerox, expanding her leadership to also include the company's IT organization, corporate strategy, human resources, corporate marketing and global accounts. At that time, she was also elected a member of the company's Board of Directors.

Burns received a bachelor of science degree from Polytechnic Institute of New York in 1980 and a master of science degree in mechanical engineering from Columbia University in 1981.

She serves on professional and community boards, including American Express, Boston Scientific Corp., CASA - Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, FIRST - For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology, National Association of Manufacturers, University of Rochester, and the Rochester Business Alliance.

Computer Hardware, Consumer Products Manufacturers, Apparel, Personal Care Products, Current Fortune 500 CEO, Executive Female, Information Technology Services, United States, Ursula Burns, Xerox Corp.

Ronald A. Williams

Born: c. 1950

Company: Aetna Inc.

Position: Chairman and CEO

Industry: Health Care

Country: United States

Ronald A. Williams is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Aetna Inc., a leading diversified health care benefits company, which had revenue of approximately $27.6 billion in 2007. Under his leadership, Aetna has sought to make a positive impact on health care in America by serving as a catalyst for change, focusing the industry, public policy leaders, physicians and employers on issues aimed at increasing access and affordability.

Joining Aetna in 2001, Mr. Williams has focused on creating innovation in the industry, especially through information technology, and bringing new levels of transparency to the health care system. In September 2001, Aetna became the first national insurer to offer a consumer-directed health plan. In August 2005, Aetna’s launch of a new online consumer tool to view physician-specific price information was widely recognized as the beginning of a new era of transparency in the health care marketplace. More recently, Aetna led the effort to develop industry standards for electronic personal health records, which provide a new way for consumers to be more engaged in their health care.

In 2002, Mr. Williams was named President and joined Aetna’s Board. He was named CEO in February 2006 and Chairman of the Board in October 2006. Throughout his Aetna career, Mr. Williams has been outspoken in making the business case for quality in health care. He guided efforts to create Aetna’s Aexcel network to provide access to cost-effective, quality care in high-cost specialties.

Mr. Williams also is a strong proponent of meaningful health care reform. He was an early advocate in calling for an individual coverage requirement to expand access to health care and provide assistance to those who truly cannot afford it. He has championed specific reforms in op-ed articles he authored or co-authored in The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, The Financial Times and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

Mr. Williams also lends his time and expertise to a number of organizations, such as the Council for Affordable Quality Healthcare, which he currently chairs. He is a trustee of The Conference Board and the Connecticut Science Center Board. In January 2007, he was elected to the Board of Directors of American Express Company, and in October 2008, he was elected a vice chairman of The Business Council. At the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he serves on the MIT North America Executive Board. He is a member of the Alfred P. Sloan Management Society, the Business Roundtable, the International Federation of Health Plans, the Healthcare Leadership Council and the National Intelligence Senior Advisory Group.

Prior to joining Aetna, Mr. Williams was Group President of the Large Group Division at WellPoint Health Networks Inc. and President of the company’s Blue Cross of California subsidiary. Mr. Williams joined Blue Cross of California in 1987 and accepted a series of increasingly prominent roles. Previously, Mr. Williams was co-founder and Senior Vice President at Vista Health Corp., group marketing executive at Control Data Corp., and President and co-founder of Integrative Systems.

Mr. Williams is a graduate of Roosevelt University and holds an M.S. in Management from the Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.