3 key takeaways from members of the UPS Board of Directors

A historic moment: UPS has one of the most diverse boards among Fortune 500 companies, with 31% ethnically and culturally diverse members and 46% women. In November, former Chief Marketing and Customer Experience Officer Kevin Warren invited the three Black directors to sit down for a candid discussion, in partnership with the UPS African American Business Resource Group.

Rodney Adkins, Wayne Hewett and Russell Stokes recounted their personal career journeys and shared what excites them about the future. Here are the key takeaways.

One piece of advice that could shape someone’s career:

‘Whatever it is that you are really after, you have to be passionate … because if you are not passionate about it, someone else is going to outperform you, outwork you, outhustle you. So, you have just got to be passionate.’ – Wayne Hewitt

‘Always remember you are the main character in the book you write about yourself each and every day. You determine what gets written about what happened on that particular day, how you deal with it, how you recover from it. – Russell Stokes

“There is a famous quote that says, ‘Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens.’ One of the things [my mentor] taught me early in my career is that we all do a good job talking, but we need to develop great, great listening skills.” – Rodney Adkins

Inclusion and belonging goes hand in hand with good business:

‘For us to be successful, we have to be in a position where we can uniquely make sure that each and every [customer], irrespective of their background and how their background made them who they are, feel good about the service that we are providing them. I don't know how it is possible to serve such a diverse set of customers without having a diverse set of individuals working at UPS.’ – Wayne Hewitt

‘I never cease to be amazed as I come to the board meetings by the people in the room, their backgrounds, their opinions … I learn from each and every one of them. This is a board that has been architected to not only address the diverse needs of the markets we serve, but to make sure we have both the capabilities and the capacity to engage in a very productive way with management to make sure we have a long-term and viable enterprise.’ – Russell Stokes

Excitement for UPS’ future: The panel noted UPS is unique position on the frontlines of change around the world, especially where the digital meets the physical. 

‘This is going to be one of the most transformative times we are ever going to live through. It is unbelievably exciting. This is like a sweets shop, just thinking about all the things that you all get to do … making things happen in the global ecosystem, determining how things are transported and how logistics play out in the future. This place is making the future happen each and every day.” – Russell Stokes

‘I have got to tell you, there is some excitement in this company. And to me, since I have been around almost a decade, it is a new company. And when you think about the exciting leadership, what you are doing as stewards of this company, how the market is responding to this company … there is a vibe that gives me a lot of confidence in terms of what we are doing today and how that will sustain itself through the future. So unstoppable!’ – Rodney Adkins