Company Description: Sara Lee Corporation is a global consumer packaged goods company with more than $20 billion in annual revenues.
Education: B.A., Yale University
J.D., University of Chicago Law School
Department Size: 50
Immediate Prior Position: Vice President & Deputy General Counsel, Sara Lee Corporation
1. How does participation in community activities help your career?
I think that the traditional thinking that participating in community activities enhances your career has the wrong focus. We say that it looks good on your resume and expands your network and resources.
For me, the true value of that participation is that it adds balance to my life, making me a more complete person. By joining in with the community, you maintain a sense of who you are. The more wholeness there is in your life, the more successful you can become. Our careers are just a segment of our lives. Our souls also need to be nourished.
Giving something back is especially important for African-Americans and other minorities because it links us not only to where we came from but also to those shoulders we have stood upon to get where we are. This world has far too much selfishness, and the notion that we are self-made is ludicrous.
2. How important is mentoring to a successful career?
Mentoring has been extraordinarily important to me, but again, not in the traditional sense. It has not been a monolithic process, but one where I have learned different things from different people. In fact, I have never had one traditional mentor, but I certainly have learned a great deal from many people. Some of them never knew I was learning from them. But I did learn from them—by looking at and interacting with them. So, I learned the rules—when to take advantage of things, how much exposure to face, and the like.
Again, for African-Americans and minorities, we need as much mentoring as we can get. Too often, we take the attitude that, even if we want to follow certain models, social barriers will make our efforts fruitless. We forego far too many opportunities by adopting that view.
3. What would you change about your career path?
I would not change anything. I have been in tough places and there are some experiences that I would have preferred not to have had. But those challenging circumstances prepared me to be where I am—those experiences toughened me up.
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From the December 2001 issue of Diversity & The Bar®