America

Meet the Black woman leading Google’s legal department

It is quite rare for women of colour to rise to the top leadership positions of Fortune 500 companies. The problem has largely been due to traditional prejudice against women and America’s history with racism as well as a lack of opportunities for Black people and other minorities.

In recent weeks, there have been conscious attempts by corporate America to diversify its leadership, a move some African Americans have decried as tokenism. Be that as it may, there is a recognition in the US that Blacks and other minorities have to be economically empowered.

As such, a number of big companies have committed to diversity programs as well as investing in Black communities and Black-owned businesses and startups. In addition, some have also appointed Black people and other minorities to senior executive positions. Bojangles, one of the largest restaurant chains in the US recently appointed a Black senior executive in its over 40 years of operation. JP Morgan also appointed Thasunda Duckett to its Operating Committee.

A trailblazer on our radar making waves in the legal profession is Halimah DeLaine Prado. She was in August appointed by Google as its general counsel to oversee the company’s legal department. Besides her appointment aiming to improve diversity in the world’s number one search engine, she is also well qualified for the job.

Prior to her appointment, Delaine Prado ran Google’s product legal team, and her promotion comes at a critical time as the company has been facing multiple antitrust investigations from governments around the world, according to Fortune. The tech giant has also been bedevilled by complaints from employees that it has failed to take action against racism and sexism.

Delaine Prado will report directly to Google’s SVP of global affairs, Kent Walker, in her new role. Fortune describes Walker as an influential lawyer who has played a key role in guiding the company’s political and legal response to the numerous challenges it has been facing.

By her appointment, DeLaine Prado will become part of an elite group of Black women occupying that role at a Fortune 500 company, which includes Rhonda Ferguson of railroad company Union Pacific and Deneen Donnley of energy company Con Edison, according to Because of Them We Can

DeLaine Prado grew up in the Philadelphia area. She is a graduate of Yale and Georgetown law school. She has been at Google since 2006 and recently served as vice president of legal, where she ran the global team handling counsel for Google products including ads, search and YouTube, according to Axios.

Before joining Google, she practised media law and products liability law at Dechert LLP and Levine Sullivan Koch and Schulz (now Ballard Spahr). Also, she worked as a clerk for the Honorable Mary A. McLaughlin of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, according to a biography on the website of a charter school where she’s a board member.

The wife and mother of two is passionate about education and juvenile rights and has served on multiple boards that address these issues. She once served on the board of the Juvenile Law Center, which advocates for the rights, dignity, equity and opportunity for youth in the child welfare and justice systems.

 

Source: face2faceafrica.com

Ogyem Solomon

Solomon Ogyem – Media Entrepreneur | Journalist | Brand Ambassador Solomon Ogyem is a dynamic Ghanaian journalist and media entrepreneur currently based in South Africa. With a solid foundation in journalism, Solomon is a graduate of the OTEC School of Journalism and Communication Studies in Ghana and Oxbridge Academy in South Africa. He began his career as a reporter at OTEC 102.9 MHz in Kumasi, where he honed his skills in news reporting, community storytelling, and radio broadcasting. His passion for storytelling and dedication to the media industry led him to establish Press MltiMedia Company in South Africa—a growing platform committed to authentic African narratives and multimedia journalism. Solomon is the founder and owner of Thepressradio.com, a news portal focused on delivering credible, timely, and engaging stories across Ghana and Africa. He also owns Press Global Tickets, a service-driven venture in the travel and logistics space, providing reliable ticketing services. He previously owned two notable websites—Ghanaweb.mobi and ShowbizAfrica.net—both of which contributed to entertainment and socio-political discussions within Ghana’s digital space. With a diverse background in media, digital journalism, and business, Solomon Ogyem is dedicated to telling impactful African stories, empowering youth through media, and building cross-continental media partnerships.

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