This Conversation with Stella Nkomo was recorded at ILA’s 2022 Global Conference and is moderated by Professor Lize Booysen. 

Over twenty years ago, Our Separate Ways: Black and White Women and the Struggle for Professional Identity was the first book to provide an in-depth look at how race and gender affect the advancement of women into senior leadership positions in corporate America. Although the women studied came from widely diverse backgrounds, they shared a common assumption upon entering the workforce, “I have a chance.” Both groups had challenging career journeys. But there were also stark differences in barriers they encountered on the path to senior leadership. The reissue of Our Separate Ways in 2021, shows there is still a long journey to transforming the face of senior leadership in corporate America. Leaders still have much to do to achieve racial and gender equality in their organizations. Professor Nkomo, an ILA Lifetime Achievement Awardee, shares insights about how leaders can accelerate all women into senior leadership roles.