The African American Directors Forum (AADF) was formed in 2017 with an objective of achieving measurable progress in the areas of Board room, C-Suite and, Supplier Representation for African Americans in Pittsburgh publicly traded companies. Intentionally a call to action, the initiative has been embraced by corporate Pittsburgh and garnered broad support from Pittsburgh’s largest corporations.
Measurable progress was made on several fronts including the appointment of highly qualified African Americans to the boards of Pittsburgh companies. The model for success was simple in concept but, challenging in execution: Bring together imminently qualified board candidates with the people who are making decisions regarding board appointments.
The initiative has expanded to other cities and now comprises Forums directed at four conversations:
- Increasing representation in the Board Room
- Increasing representation in the C-Suite
- Expanding the Executive Talent Pipeline
- Knowledge sharing and community building for 1st time, newly appointed directors
The success in Pittsburgh has led to the replication of the AADF model in several other cities. Additionally, the growing AADF network has allowed AADF to become a resource for companies conducting board searches and companies looking for best and next practices for their Diversity and Inclusion toolboxes.
If you would like to know more about our events, please send us an email at aadfnational@gmail.com.
In AADF’s first 36 months ….
- Supported more than 25 board searches
- Connected more than 75 African American thought leaders with African Americans aspiring for the C-Suite.
- Created a community of more than 1,000 African Americans who deliver value to and extract value from AADF’s initiatives.