Mary Smith, ABF Board Member and Patron Fellow, and Sharon Hwang, Life Fellow, were announced as two members of Chicago United’s 2023 Class of Business Leaders of Color. Chicago United began to honor Business Leaders of Color in 2003, following findings from The Corporate Diversity Profile Survey.
Chicago United uses the BLC to highlight executives of color who they believe are qualified executives of color who are ready to step into corporate directorships. Since its inception, the BLC has identified 515 board-ready candidates who have served in nearly 500 corporate directorships.
Mary Smith is the current President of the American Bar Association and Vice Chair at VENG Group. When Smith was elected as the ABA’s President, she became the first female Native American president of the ABA. Smith is a past president of the National Native American Bar Association and past president and founder of the National Native American Bar Foundation.
Sharon Hwang is currently a shareholder at McAndrews, Held and Malloy. She serves on the firm’s executive committee and as Chair of the firm’s diversity committee. Outside of the firm, she served as the President of the Board of Directors for the Greater Chicago Legal Clinic, where she presided over the Clinic’s five-year strategic planning process, including a renaming and rebranding of the clinic.
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