How CEO Simone Ross Fights Inequities in the C-Suite and Beyond
In 2012, Simone Ross landed her first C-suite position. One morning, she got ready for work, selecting a stylish orange dress, pairing it with orange lipstick and leaving her natural curls down. She felt confident and ready to take on the day. But then, she wavered. Her daring fashion style reflected her character, but not that of an executive. She looked far from the demure, composed executives that she knew. So, she traded in her dress for a black suit, wrangled her curls up and left for work, leaving behind the pieces that made her authentic and unique. That was just one instance when Ross felt boxed in. As a Black woman, her journey in the corporate health care industry was turbulent, as she was often criticized and attacked because of her race. As the microaggressions mounted, she became tired of it. Something needed to change—and it wasn’t going to be her. Upon leaving her executive role, Ross decided to shift her career path and pursue consulting with a new goal: ...