Meet our Spring 2022 Executive in Residence: Deb Elam

Hear her story, ask her your questions, and learn from one of the leaders in her field!

Space is limited, so please register in Handshake if you plan to attend the session.

Register here: https://tulane.joinhandshake.com/edu/events/962338

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Deborah (Deb) Elam is a visionary senior executive and one of the country's foremost experts in diversity. She is an inspiring DEI speaker, presenting to esteemed audiences and venues like The United Nations in New York and The House of Commons in London. Deb is the President and CEO of Corporate Playbook™, a company that provides leaders with strategic direction to elevate diversity, equity, inclusion, philanthropy, and culture in the workplace.

In addition to Corporate Playbook™, Deb is the creator and host of Dining with Deb™. This innovative dining experience brings together professional women across racial, religious, and political lines to drive meaningful connections and conversations.

Deb is the Executive Vice-Chairwoman of CNEXT, a highly-diverse global community for leadership exchange, development, and advancement of high-impact leaders. Deb leads CNEXT's diversity initiative, designed to help develop women and people of color who are now at the director/senior director level into C-suite-ready leaders.

Deb was GE's first-ever black female corporate officer. Her role as Global Chief Diversity Officer placed her in the top 185 of 300,000 employees. In Deb's decorated thirty-year career at General Electric (GE), she led GE's philanthropic efforts through the GE Foundation's $130M budget and GE Volunteers, tackling some of the world's most critical challenges across health, education, and skill attainment.

Deb is a powerful connector who elevates those around her. As a leader and mentor, she oversaw a course for women called Leadership Practices which had an 85% retention rate of participants 5 years later. The course became one of GE's most highly rated courses. Deb took this a step further with Developing Women Leaders: Synergistic Forces Driving Change. This initiative provided high-potential women with the experience and visibility necessary to become leaders and led to a significant increase in female representation at the leadership level. Deb's efforts enabled GE to win the prestigious Catalyst Award for foremost organizations supporting women's growth and advancement.

Deb has received numerous accolades, including 50 Most Powerful Women in Philanthropy from Inside Philanthropy, Women of Excellence Legacy Award from the National Association for Female Executives, and Women of Power Award from the National Urban League.

Deb received a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Louisiana State University and a Master of Public Administration from Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She was also awarded an Honorary Doctor of Science from Clarkson University in Potsdam, New York.

Deb serves as an independent director at DJE Holdings (Edelman) www.edelman.com and ShotSpotter SSTI (NASDAQ). She is on the board of directors at the New Orleans Culinary and Hospitality Institute (NOCHI) and the Louisiana State University Foundation. She was appointed to the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) Advisory Committee on Diversity and Digital Empowerment (ACDDE). Deb is also a member of the National Black MBA Association, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, and The Links, Incorporated.