The Executive Leadership Council today announced the appointment of Lori Walker as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer (COO), effective January 10, 2022. The ELC is the preeminent global membership organization for Black current and former CEOs, senior executives and board members of Fortune 1000 and equivalent companies, top-tier entrepreneurs and global thought leaders. The organization advocates for advancing Black leadership by increasing the number of Black corporate CEOs, C-Suite executives and board members, and building the pipeline of the next generation of Black corporate leaders.
Ms. Walker will support Michael C. Hyter, President and CEO of The ELC, in addressing a range of strategic issues including enhancing organizational effectiveness and integrity, providing staff leadership, and overall strategic planning for the organization as a whole and for individual programs and initiatives. She is responsible for day-to-day operations of the organization, implementing best practices in management systems, including appropriate integration and collaboration of teams and functional areas, to ensure strong organizational performance to meet ambitious goals. She will manage three programmatic departments: Corporate Partnerships, Member Services & Events, and The Institute for Leadership Development and Research.
“Operational excellence is a key priority for The ELC. Hiring the right COO is critical to the success of our organization and our ability to successfully serve our members and multifaceted stakeholder groups. It was important to identify someone who not only has the skills required to do the job but can serve as an effective leader for the membership and staff. Lori’s talents and expertise make her our ideal candidate and we are excited to welcome her to our leadership team,” said Hyter.
Ms. Walker comes to The ELC with 1.5 years of experience at Cigna, serving as COO for CuraScript Specialty Distribution. She previously spent 18 years at Cardinal Health in various leadership roles, including General Manager & Vice President of Distribution Services; Vice President, Supply Chain-NASCF & Global Supply Chain Integration Lead for Patient Recovery; and Vice President, Strategic Planning and Execution/Chief of Staff for the Medical Segment. She has prior Finance and Strategy experience at Ashland Oil, Mead Westvaco, and Limitedbrands.
Ms. Walker has a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting and Finance from Eastern Kentucky and a Masters of Business Administration from Benedictine College. She is a Certified Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt.
About The Executive Leadership Council:
The Executive Leadership Council opens channels of opportunity for the development of Black executives to positively impact business and our communities. An independent non-profit 501(c)(3) founded in 1986, The ELC is the pre-eminent membership organization committed to increasing the number of global Black executives in C-Suites, on corporate boards and in global enterprises. Comprising nearly 800 current and former Black CEOs, senior executives and board directors at Fortune 1000 and Global 500 companies, and entrepreneurs at top-tier firms, its members work to build an inclusive business leadership pipeline that empowers global Black leaders to make impactful contributions to the marketplace and the global communities they serve. For more information, please visit www.elcinfo.com.
