Ramona Hood recently joined one of our internal CBIZ Women’s Advantage calls to talk to us about leadership. During the Q&A discussion, led by Caitlin Waters and Stefania DeMarco, Ramona shared her background and journey with us.
After 33 years, Ramona made the decision to retire and now serves on the board of Brinker International, the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland and the Knight Foundation. Her passion for inclusivity in economic development is driven by the importance of giving underrepresented voices a platform.
Her career at FedEx Custom Critical began as a receptionist while being a single mom seeking consistent hours to pursue her education. Connections played a critical role in her success, as she built relationships with influential leaders and had powerful mentors and sponsors who paved the way for her.
She attributes her professional growth to three key elements:
- Clearly articulating her goals, including her ambition to become President & CEO, which was supported by her predecessor.
- Building a personal "Board of Directors," consisting of mentors, coaches and sponsors who advocated for her when she wasn’t in the room.
- Embracing discomfort, taking risks, learning from failure and continuing to grow from every experience.
How did your leadership philosophy evolve from your early experience with the company?
Leadership is key to defining your brand. I learned by emulating what I admired and avoiding what I didn’t. Leadership is multifaceted — it's about adapting to situations and individuals, being mindful of communication and fostering openness to diverse ideas. I've grown by embracing different perspectives and uniting people toward a common goal.
How do you navigate risk and uncertainty in today’s economy?
As President & CEO, I focused on identifying potential risks through a risk concentration analysis, looking at areas like revenue sources and industry reliance. By understanding where we were overly reliant, we could strategically mitigate risks through diversification. I believe in using data-driven frameworks to anticipate risks and develop proactive plans to address them.
Is there any advice you can provide to women in male-dominated industries?
Transportation supply chain is a male dominated industry. For me, it wasn’t just being a woman in a C-suite position; it was also being the only African American at the table. When I went into my role in 2020, I was the first African American President and CEO of a FedEx organization in their 48-year history. It required me to look outside of the organization to connect with other women of color in senior roles to get a little comfortable with the new space I was in. It’s important to have what I call “your sisterhood.” People who are there to support me, check on me, allow me to vent and then say, “OK, now get over it.”
CBIZ Women’s Advantage is so very grateful to Ramona for the time she spent with us, the insights she shared and her ongoing inspiration. Thank you, Ramona!