Meet Ramona Hood, FedEx’s First Black CEO, Who Started Off As A Receptionist At The Company

Delivery service company FedEx has appointed its first Black woman CEO, who started off as a receptionist at the company.

On Tuesday, the mega shipping business announced Ramona Hood as the company’s new CEO, who was formerly the VP of operations, strategy, and planning. Hood worked for the company for 28 years and started at the business as a receptionist back in 1991 when she was 19. At the time, FedEx was still called Roberts Express, and today she now manages the Custom Critical Division. “I wasn’t thinking this was going to be my career, and I’d be here for 28 years,” said Hood. “I was a young mother. I wanted a job that had a stable shift that would allow me to do (college) courses as appropriate.”

Through the years, Hood has climbed the ladder in the business, going from heading subsidiary FedEx Truckload Brokerage to eventually securing an officer position at FedEx Supply Chain in 2016, according to Black Enterprise. Hood then came back to serve as an official in FedEx Custom Critical.

Her educational background consists of a bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Walsh University and an Executive MBA from Case Western Reserve University. As CEO, Hood said she is interested in the ideas from the company’s employees, customers, and independent contractors driving for Custom Critical. Taking action, Hood has already created “Ramona Roundtables,” which brings employees together to discuss ways to make the company better.

“The next thing I’ll be doing is going out and spending time with customers and independent contractors,” Hood said. “I’m defining that as my ‘listen and learn tour.’” She plans on focusing on the needs of customers while “looking at things in ways we haven’t in the past.”