Women with Vision: Ramona Hood, the FIRST African American CEO of FedEx

Ramona Hood is now the FIRST African American and woman to become CEO of FedEx Custom Critical.

 

At 19 years old Ramona Hood, a single mother taking night classes and seeking a consistent job, had no idea her entry-level position as a receptionist, at FedEx Custom Critical, would later turn into a CEO position.

 

Ramona began her career with the company in 1991 when it was still called Roberts Express, working a normal 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. shift which made it possible for her to still complete her nightly college courses. For nearly three decades, she gained knowledge and experience throughout a variety of positions within the company while also completing her bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Walsh University and an Executive MBA from Case Western Reserve University.

 

As she made her way up the ladder of success, Hood became responsible for numerous innovative and strategic ideas including one which made it possible for FedEx Custom Critical employees to work from home, an uncommon practice in the early 2000s. Hood demonstrated leadership as head of the subsidiary FedEx Truckload Brokerage and went on to achieve an office position at the FedEx Supply Chain in 2016. She then returned to FedEx Custom Critical where she took on an executive position.

 

Now as CEO, Ramona continues her innovative ideas as she focuses on diversity within the workplace, customer satisfaction, and technological advances. She has established the “Ramona Roundtables” in which she has met with groups of employees in order to gain valuable insight and is now taking on a “listen and learn” tour where she plans to meet with consumers and independent contractors.

 

She has been recognized for her achievements with a multitude of awards some of which include the Women of Note award from Crain’s Cleveland Business, the Progressive Woman award from Smart Business, the 2019 International Thought Leader of Distinction award from MEECO Leadership Institute, and several awards from within the FedEx company for her exemplary work.

 

WBLS is proud to highlight Ramona Hood as our Woman with Vision as she has epitomized growth and resilience, taking full advantage of her starting point to fulfill her own vision.

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BY: Nialani Pringle