Company Description: The New York Times Company, a leading media company with 2000 revenues of $3.5 billion, publishes The New York Times, the Boston Globe, and 15 other newspapers. It owns eight network-affiliated television stations, two New York radio stations, and has more than 40 websites.
Education: B.A., Howard University
J.D., Harvard Law School
Department Size: 12
Immediate Prior Position: Senior Vice President and General Counsel, The New York Times Company
1. Please describe any special opportunities or challenges for minorities in your industry.
The New York Times Company’s core purpose is enhancing society by creating, collecting, and distributing high-quality news, information, and entertainment. Newspapers are the company’s primary line of business and, over the years, The New York Times has done an outstanding job of attracting and retaining minority journalists and executives, culminating in the company’s being rated by Fortune magazine as the one of the best companies for minorities to work.
Over the years, I have observed an increasing number of minority lawyers coming into the media law field. It is my hope that this growth continues, with minority lawyers practicing in all aspects of the field, from First Amendment to telecommunications. Media companies should continue to diversify their legal staffs, at least to the extent that they diversify their substantive workforces. I am hopeful that the recent downturn in the economy will not cause companies to discontinue growth in this important area.
2. Please describe a defining moment that was pivotal to your success.
Early in my career, I was asked to give a presentation to the board of directors on a completely new statute. While I realized this was an important project, I thought that some of my superiors seemed overly anxious about it. From my point of view, based on the reasonable confidence that came from earlier successes, I was not troubled by the project; but, being the new guy in the department, I did not realize that it was unusual for a junior attorney to make a presentation before the board.
I prepared for the presentation in the way that I usually do for such matters—by over-preparing and putting myself in the position of the board and answering questions I expected it to have. The board—a very important constituency for a corporate lawyer—apparently thought the presentation went well. It became a factor in my being promoted, first, to assistant corporate secretary and then over the years up the chain of command to general counsel. At the time it was just another aspect of my doing my job as well as I could. Only upon looking back at it do I think it could be called a “defining” moment.
3. How has mentoring been important to your career?
Mentoring can be a very important aspect of a successful career. While many of us are successful in our careers up to a point—and usually a very high one—all of us, at whatever level, can benefit from the kind of feedback that comes from a committed mentor. The mentoring relationships in which I have been involved have promoted both self-awareness and personal direction and have resulted in my or my mentee’s becoming a more efficient and effective executive. Some of my mentors have been lawyers within the legal department and some have been business executives. When looking for a mentor, one should look not only in the legal department but throughout the company. Some mentor relationships are short-term and some can be career long. My view is that one should not be reluctant to approach a potential mentor to ask if he or she is willing to play that role but, as in all we do, we should do the homework necessary to generate a positive response. Having been a mentee as well as a mentor, I can confirm that there are benefits that flow each way in the relationship.
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From the December 2001 issue of Diversity & The Bar®