For the first time in the history of FedEx, it has appointed a female as its CEO. The foremost and largest delivery services company across the continent, FedEx, recently announced the appointment of Ramona Hood as the company’s CEO; making her the first Black woman in the company’s 49-year history to hold that position.
The newly appointed CEO started her adventure with FedEx almost three decades ago when the company was formerly referred to as Roberts Express. At age 19, she started as a receptionist for FedEx’s Custom Critical division in Green, Ohio. When she got employed, the young mother was simply looking for a position that would align with her college course schedule. Little did she know she was building a path of longevity within the Fortune 500 company.
According to the company, throughout her career at FedEx, she’s been the ultimate driving force of innovation. She worked her way through several leadership roles including serving as Vice President of Operations, Strategy, and Planning for FedEx Custom Critical. She’s also occupied executive-level positions within the FedEx Supply Chain division.
Hood who graduated from Ohio-based Walsh University and also holds an Executive MBA from Case Western Reserve University Weatherhead School of Management will occupy at the helm of FedEx Custom Critical as the President and CEO, where she began as a receptionist in 1991. Her role is to see the strategic direction of the company and its executive leadership team. She strives to push diversity efforts within the company forward.
In a statement released by Hood, she said “It is that level of intentionality that you have to have. I now have a team that has no women on it. I have one African American man. As I add positions to the team, I need to focus on the diversity I’m talking about.”
Hood’s new position comes at an era when there is a need for more racial representation in the C-suite.
