Shelley Willingham, CDE®

Shelley Willingham, CDE®, has a diverse work experience spanning over several years. Shelley currently serves as the Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) at The Diversity Movement since August 2020. Prior to that, they were a Forbes Coaches Council Influencer at Forbes Coaches Council. Shelley joined this invitation-only membership in 2021 as a recognized thought leader in business coaching and a content contributor for Forbes.

In 2017, Shelley started Douglas Alexandra, where they worked as the CEO and Chief Business Strategist. Shelley supported coaching clients and provided assistance to solopreneurs and small business owners with their marketing needs. Shelley also taught people how to execute marketing strategies through their private coaching programs.

From 2011 to 2016, Shelley held the position of Chief Communications Officer and Vice President of Marketing at Saint Augustine's University. During their tenure, they served as the chief branding, marketing, and communication strategist for the university and was responsible for HR and IT. Shelley played a crucial role in developing and evaluating marketing programs to align with the institution's goals and financial objectives.

Shelley's entrepreneurial spirit led their to found and serve as CEO of The National Organization for Diversity in Sales and Marketing from 2003 to 2011. Here, they executed marketing and communication plans for client partners and developed strategies to support talent acquisition and marketing goals for multicultural audiences. Shelley also performed detailed financial analysis and initiated strategic initiatives to drive revenue.

Earlier in their career, Shelley founded and served as CEO of Creative Strategies Unlimited, Inc. from 2000 to 2003. Shelley began their professional journey as a Senior Sales Executive at InterCall from 1998 to 2000, where they excelled in selling conferencing technology solutions and achieved outstanding sales success. Before that, they held the role of Senior Sales Executive at Pitney Bowes from 1994 to 1998.

Shelley Willingham, CDE®, holds a Master of Science (M.S.) degree in Corporate and Organizational Communication from Northeastern University, which they obtained from 2011 to 2013. Prior to that, they completed their Bachelor's Degree in English at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from 1990 to 1994. Shelley also possesses a certification as a Certified Diversity Executive (CDE®) from The Society for Diversity. Additional information on the month and year of obtaining this certification is unavailable.