Coca-Cola, Delta, Nike, Pinterest, Raytheon Technologies, Post Holdings, BCG & Other Fortune 1000 Organizations Come Together to Provide Consortium-Based Leadership Development for Diverse and Underrepresented Communities
CNEXT is proud to announce the founding partners of Accelerate, a program to help develop and advance high-potential leaders while also engaging participants’ direct managers
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 25, 2022 – CNEXT, a highly-diverse global community for leadership exchange, development, and advancement of high-impact leaders, along with its founding partners, launched Accelerate, for diverse and underrepresented populations at the Director/Senior Director level. The 18-month leadership development program is designed to fast-track diverse professionals through the pipeline to senior ranks.
The inaugural class kicked off on October 12th and comprises 50 mid-level leaders selected from Accelerate’s founding partners. Participants will attend multiple virtual full-day sessions facilitated by members of CNEXT’s vast network of former Fortune-ranked CEOs, executives from founding partner companies, and best-in-class practitioners. The program is underscored by assessments and coaching conversations.
“After many years of public awareness, publicized diversity hiring initiatives and other symbolic gestures, the global executive talent pool still lacks diversity,” says Cheryl Stokes, CEO of CNEXT. The Accelerate program is appropriate and supportive of all types of diversity and aims to open a pipeline of highly developed emerging leaders to fill this gap.”
Jack Stahl, former President & Chief Operating Officer of The Coca-Cola Company and CNEXT co-founder, says, “We are creating an alliance of top global companies to help change the shape of corporate America. Tapping into a consortium of the world's most respected former CEOs and DEI leaders, we are proud to launch this intensive one-of-a-kind development program that will build more diversity in C-suites and boardrooms for years to come.”
Accelerate is built around four development pillars: Leadership, Personal Impact, Enterprise Excellence (including cross-functional knowledge), and an Inclusive Managers series to engage the participants’ direct managers. The CNEXT Insight Network encourages collaborative learning and building connections with peers across all founding companies.
Visit the Accelerate page to learn more.
