The Black Executive CMO Alliance (BECA), an alliance of Black marketing executives from iconic consumer and business-to-business brands and companies across the globe, today announced Loucia Hamilton as BECA’s first-ever Executive Director, and the addition of five new Black C-suite executives expanding its membership to 38. New members include Damaune Journey, Global Chief Growth Officer, 72andSunny, DeLu Jackson, Chief Marketing Officer, ADT, Diane Primo, Chairman and CEO, Purpose Brand, Kenny Mitchell, Chief Marketing Officer, Snap, Inc., and Lesleigh Irish-Underwood, Chief Brand & External Relations Officer, MetroPlusHealth. Officially made during BECA’s 2022 member meeting, December 8-9, the announcements signify the profound impact BECA continues to have across various industries, the exponential growth, support, and potential for the organization, and the continued need to build pipeline programs driving more representation in the C-suite.
“BECA began as a way to harness the collective power of Black C-suite leaders whose ingenuity and hard work has helped them ascend to top positions in their companies, and respective fields, and to provide these executives with a unique space to share, learn, elevate, and pay it forward together. Since then our organization has taken off, raising the profile of our members, providing a much-needed platform for ongoing dialogue about the lived experiences and challenges faced by Black marketing leaders, and successfully creating a pipeline program, the BECA Playbook, for the next generation of marketing leaders and CMOs,” said Jerri DeVard, BECA Founder. “I am excited about what we’ve built together and to welcome the next phase of the alliance, with new members, a new class of Future Leaders, and a new Executive Director as we expand upon our mission and create lasting impact.”
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With more than a decade of proven fundraising, events, and non-profit experience, Loucia Hamilton joins BECA as new Executive Director. Her previous fundraising efforts secured over $6 million dollars to support the post-secondary success for first generation and low-income students in Maryland and have increased overall educational opportunities for Baltimore students. In her new role, Loucia looks to build and amplify BECA’s success through outreach and increased philanthropic efforts.
BECA also announced a new cohort to The BECA Playbook. Launched last December, The BECA Playbook is the first-of-its-kind two-year mentorship journey to propel the careers of selected Black ‘Future Leaders’ on the marketing path to the C-suite by offering unique learning and mentorship modules such as one-on-one coaching, C-suite network building, branded credentials and certifications, curated learning experiences, and more.
In 2021, 25 high-potential mid-career Black marketing professionals representing some of America’s best-known brands were selected to participate in the inaugural cohort of this innovative mentorship journey designed to propel their careers and prepare them for leadership positions with top organizations. This year’s cohort of Future Leaders welcomes 22 marketing professionals representing companies such as AT&T, Coca-Cola, Deloitte, GM, Kohl’s, Mars-Wrigley, Meta, Taco Bell, Unilever, UPS, and U.S. Bank.
In conjunction with The BECA Playbook, the alliance will again sponsor eight Future Leaders to attend the 70th International Festival of Creativity through a partnership with Ascential. June 2022 marked the first time BECA officially took to the global stage at Cannes Lions leading timely discussions on the role of Black marketers in disrupting the marketplace, diversifying brand storytelling, and creating a pipeline for Black marketing leaders.
“The contributions of Future Leaders during the 2022 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity were immeasurable and will undoubtedly grow in the next year,” said Duncan Painter, CEO of Ascential. “We are proud to partner with BECA once again, with the shared goal of supporting the next generation of Black marketing leaders.”
BECA will continue to drive meaningful dialogue tied to the importance of representation as part of key stages like Cannes Lions and other prominent industry forums.
DeVard added, “We will continue to focus on BECA’s growth despite economic and business challenges, a pending recession, and the lasting impact of COVID on the industry. Many talk about creating change and taking action, but BECA is doing the work and has created a lasting movement. I couldn’t be more proud of what we have done thus far, and the commitment and dedication of all members to continue BECA’s progress.”
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