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| January 2006
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ALUMNI NEWS |
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| NASA Leader Named Among Top 50 Female Business Execs “Hey! Look at what an AU student did,” exclaims Sykes, who credits the Key Executive program with helping her move her career to the next level. “I was literally floundering as to what I wanted to do in the future, but I owe a lot to the Key program for opening my eyes about what leadership is about and for giving me insight into my own abilities. It takes a village to get here...” Sykes still isn't sure who nominated her. When the press folks first approached Sykes to tell her she’d made the list, she didn’t believe them until her assistant convinced her otherwise. “I’m just very honored and humbled to be among such a great cadre of women,” she says.SPA Dean William LeoGrande offered his kudos: “Gwen Sykes is an outstanding public servant, and this well-deserved recognition makes us all proud to count her among the alumni of our Key Executive MPA program.” Sykes, who was Gwendolyn Brown while attending AU, shares BE’s top 50 list with some equally impressive women, including the CEO of MTV; the executive VP for Global Marketing Resources & Initiatives at Kraft Foods; the executive VP & CFO at Scholastic Corp.; the executive VP of Universal Records and president of Motown; the group president of Liz Claiborne; the president of Information Technology at Lockheed Martin; the founder and chair of Radio One; and the chair and CEO of Y&R and Young & Rubicam Brands. Oh yeah, Oprah Winfrey made the list as chair of Harpo Inc., too. “I’m thrilled, my parents are more than thrilled, and most of my friends have said things like, ‘You‘re with Oprah now,’” says Sykes. Oprah aside, of all her “fellow” women with whom she shares a spot on the list, Sykes says she most hopes to meet the founder of Radio One at the awards luncheon on February 3 in Phoenix. According to Black Enterprise, honorees are selected over a six-month period during which editors review hundreds of biographies, resumes, and interviews from potential candidates. The criteria are clear: “...the extent to which her clout inside the company has a direct impact on revenues, profitability, product development, and brand position; the scope of her career; her ability to influence the direction of major corporations, nonprofits, and institutions through board membership; her unfettered access to the CEO, top management, and corporate board; and her industry-wide reputation.” Black Enterprise, which brands itself as the “ultimate guide to financial empowerment” for African Americans, has provided business and investment resources since 1970. The publication goes to 3.7 million readers monthly, offering information on entrepreneurship, careers, and financial management. The February issue is on newsstands now. -Melissa
Reichley |
Gwendolyn
Sykes, SPA/MPA ’01,
was elated to hear she had made the list. “I am truly honored and
wanted to share with the folks who have supported me and kept me on the
straight and narrow on many levels. I could not have made it without you,”
she wrote in an e-mail to her friends and colleagues, including AU’s
School of Public Affairs.