Women We Admire is pleased to announce The Top 50 Women Leaders of Atlanta for 2024. Atlanta stands as the eleventh largest in the United States and ranks among the top 25 economies globally, coming in at number 22. Several prominent industries are at the forefront of the city’s economic prosperity, including technology, research, financial services, film and television, healthcare, manufacturing, logistics, and transportation. Known as the “Hollywood of the South,” Atlanta is rapidly gaining prominence and recognition, driven by the remarkable women leaders at the helm of this transformation.
This year, we honor the contributions of Stacey Young Rivers, a Warner Bros. Discovery executive. As Head of People Growth and Enterprise Skills Strategy for all employees globally at Warner Bros., Rivers combines her experience in entertainment, technology, and human resources to create impactful solutions in corporate learning and education.
Additionally, we highlight Smita Srivastava, Senior Director of Global People and Culture Capabilities at The Coca-Cola Company. With over a decade of experience in human capital strategy, transformation, and the future of work, Srivastava transforms business by placing people at the center of her work.
We further acknowledge the accomplishments of Delta Air Lines executive, Maya Dukes. As the Managing Director of Global Brand Strategy, Creative, and Social Media, Dukes focuses on empathetic storytelling while building diverse, industry-leading teams.
Please join us in celebrating the accomplishments of The Top 50 Women Leaders of Atlanta for 2024.
1. Deisha Barnett
President, Global Communications (CCO), UPS
Deisha Barnett is an accomplished leader and corporate board director who counsels CEOs, shapes strategies, advocates for inclusion, and builds high-performing teams. She is a passionate driver of transformation and results. Barnett is the President of Global Communications at UPS, where she leads all facets of storytelling targeting the company's over 500,000 employees and countless external stakeholders around the world. Barnett’s team creates content that drives brand relevance, sparks employee engagement, and reinforces UPS's purpose of moving the world forward by delivering what matters.
Previously, Barnett led the Metro Atlanta Chamber’s brand communications team and was the organization’s first head of DEI. Her work spanned communications, marketing, and the Millennial and Gen Z-targeted movement, ChooseATL. She was also the architect behind ATL Action for Racial Equity, which aims to address the effects of systemic racism in the Atlanta region and beyond. For nearly a decade, Barnett was a senior leader in Walmart's communications team. Crisis and financial communications, consumer public relations (PR), philanthropy communications, DEI communications, and CEO positioning are among the areas that fell under her leadership. Barnett’s fingerprints helped position Walmart as an innovative business, a trusted brand, and a responsible corporate citizen. Barnett started her career in Ketchum’s consumer brands and multicultural marketing practices. She is known for her authentic leadership and impactful approach to storytelling. PRWeek described her as a “pro who represents the future of PR.”
Barnett is a member of the Arthur W. Page Society and PRWeek CCO Network Roundtable. She was named the 2022 Woman of Excellence by the United Way of Greater Atlanta. Her nonprofit board service includes the Atlanta Conventions and Visitors Bureau, the University of Georgia Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communications, the Atlanta Press Club, the Grady Health Foundation, the Alliance Theatre, and the Communications Committee for Super Bowl LIII. Barnett is a proud wife, mom, and alumna of Clark Atlanta University (CAU). She has a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications with a concentration in Public Relations. Her alma mater honored her with its 2022 Pathways to Excellence Award, one of the highest honors given to CAU alumni. She also serves on the university's board of advisors, and she is on the board of directors for Urban Skin Rx, a skincare brand for diverse skin tones.
3. Maurene Adams
Chief Executive Officer, International Salon, LLC
Maurene Adams is the Chief Executive Officer of International Salon, LLC. She is a certified trichologist practitioner who helps men, women, and children with hair loss regain their beautiful hair. In her current role, she uncovers, analyzes, and interprets hair and scalp maladies. She assists with the regrowth of clients' hair who have alopecia areata (AA), androgenetic alopecia (AGA), traction alopecia, and telogen effluvium (TE).
Adams is also a certified hair loss restoration specialist. In this role, she assists clients in feeling and looking their best by creating custom-made cranial prostheses for those experiencing alopecia universalis or alopecia totalis, or who have burns causing hair loss. She treated a client who is a two-time cancer survivor, and after three months of treatments, the client regained her hair. A male client experiencing male pattern baldness saw his hair return after 50 days of treatment.
Adams can also help determine the foods that aid in restoring beautiful hair and getting health on the right track. Before joining International Salon, LLC, she was an owner at Irie Styles Caribbean LLC. She graduated from Walden University with an undergraduate degree in healthcare management.
7. Christina Shim
Chief Sustainability Officer, IBM
Christina Shim is IBM's Chief Sustainability Officer. Before IBM, Shim was managing director for Palladium International, a global impact firm. She built the Commercial Innovation Practice, supporting companies with sustainability and ESG strategies and execution. Her global experience includes time with several top-tier management consulting firms, including Booz Allen Hamilton, Bain & Co., and PricewaterhouseCoopers in New York, London, Singapore, and Washington DC. She also worked at the Central Intelligence Agency in Washington DC.
Shim has extensive experience in defining new strategies and go-to-markets, implementing operational teams to support those strategies, bringing together relevant stakeholders across functions/sectors/geographies, and identifying and plugging gaps. She is a serial intrapreneur and innovator, specializing in sustainability and ESG, growth and transformational business strategy, investment strategy, incubators and accelerators, and ecosystem-based implementation. Her clients and partners have included Fortune 500 and Global 3000 firms, private equity firms, nonprofits, federal government organizations, and start-ups.
Shim serves as an independent director for 1-800-Flowers.com, a NASDAQ-listed company, has mentored entrepreneurs at various venture funds, and has served on the board as an advisor to fintech and climate tech startups, accelerators, nonprofits, and Princeton and Columbia University around sustainability and responsible investing. Shim graduated from Columbia Business School with an MBA in International Markets and from Princeton University with an undergraduate degree.
9. Shirley Strachan
Global Partner Development Leader, Security, Microsoft
Shirley Strachan is the Global Partner Development Leader Security of Microsoft, an American multinational corporation and technology. In her leadership roles at Microsoft, and throughout her 30-year career in the industry, she has prioritized harnessing the power of technology to drive meaningful enterprise results. She does this by building and leading top-performing, diverse, and widely distributed sales teams that work with partners and customers to deliver intelligent systems and solutions.
Strachan is a passionate leader, a raving fan of technology, sales, business development, and strategy, who has also relished the opportunity to experience a multitude of cultures having lived and worked in numerous geographies during her career. In her 13 years with Microsoft, Strachan has held multiple leadership positions managing partner and customer engagement teams. Before Microsoft, she co-founded a successful retail solutions start-up, where she served as VP of sales and business development for six years. Preceding that, she held a variety of leadership positions with Fujitsu across geographies, including the UK, the Caribbean, and the Americas.
Before joining Microsoft, Strachan was a VP of global business development at Reflexis Systems Inc. Earlier in her career, she worked with Fujitsu as a VP of sales. Strachan graduated from the University of Phoenix with an undergraduate degree in business management.
12. Erica Crosling
Senior Director, Region Communications, Comcast
Erica Crosling is the Senior Director of Region Communications for the Big South Region. She is a storyteller, leader, big picture, and strategic thinker with a demonstrated, successful track record in creating and executing initiatives that drive corporate narratives, internally and externally, and engage employees across large enterprises. She has a solid background in strategic planning and implementation of external communications plans utilizing creative and innovative tactics. She has strong relationships with media throughout metro Atlanta and surrounding areas and holds excellent pitching and media coordination abilities. Crosling is a decisive team leader with senior-level expertise in budgeting and financial management, as well as a hands-on manager with experience in developing and executing employee recognition and incentive programs
Previously she was Director of Communications for AT&T where she was the employee communication lead for enterprise-wide content channel evolution strategies, including digital, virtual, and desktop signage. Prior to that, she was the Director of Executive Communications for Cricket Wireless for 7 years.
Crosling holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Sociology from Rutgers University. She is also on the Executive Board of InspireEdu.
14. Theresa Spralling
President & Chief Executive Officer, The Spralling Group, LLC.
Theresa Spralling is the President and Chief Executive Officer of The Spralling Group, LLC. She is a dynamic senior leader driven by a set of core values, including honesty, accountability, respect, integrity, and positive outcomes. Spralling earned a 4-year journalism scholarship to attend the University of Alabama. She continued her education at Oglethorpe University in Atlanta, Georgia, where she received a dual Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration and Behavioral Science. She completed postgraduate studies and received an array of certifications, including engineering, conflict transformation, and an ASTD (American Society of Training and Development) Coaching Certificate. As a recent retiree from AT&T, Spralling is focused on entrepreneurship, leadership, and organization development and creating powerful impacts for others.
For over 30 years, Spralling has extensively worked at the intersection of engineering, technology, sales, DE&I, and human capital, helping to forge strategic alliances, design and sell engineering solutions, enhance people skills, and build a powerful workforce. She is a founding leader of the "From Tolerance to Understanding" movement at AT&T, working to highlight the power of critical conversations to raise awareness and reach understanding. Her achievements are comprised of a plethora of leadership awards, prestigious honors, and top recognition among various professional affiliations, including the Top 100 Women of Influence Award, the Top Women to Watch Award, the Leadership Impact Award, and most recently, the Catalyst for Change Leadership Award.
Spralling currently serves as vice chair for the Board of Trustees at Stillman College in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and she was recently appointed a board member of the Students Without Mothers organization. One of her proudest career achievements is leading the Women of AT&T National Organization to award-winning success and growing the organization from 6,000 members to over 25,000 members during her leadership.
15. Victoria Jones
VP, Brand Marketing & Strategy, ABM Industries
Victoria Jones is the VP of Brand Marketing and Strategy of ABM Industries. ABM is one of the world's largest providers of integrated facility services. Jones is a marketing leader with extensive experience in business-to-business marketing, brand strategy, corporate strategy, positioning, research, naming, M&A, advertising, branding, brand governance, and creative leadership for Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 companies.
Originally from Antwerp, Belgium, Jones fuses customer empathy and brand planning with a unique combination of creativity and analytical aptitude to help clients grow better brands and businesses. She is keen to see beyond the surface, read between the lines, do homework beyond first impressions, and seek more profound meaning. She is a leader who inspires ideas that deliver distinction and growth.
Before joining ABM Industries, Jones was a consultant at Brand Strategy Consultant. Before that, she was an SVP of brand strategy at Phase 3 Marketing and Communications. Earlier in her career, she worked with The Jones Group, Inc. Jones graduated from Hofstra University with an undergraduate degree in business and corporate communications and from Atlanta College of Art with an undergraduate degree in advertising.
View the complete list of awardees.
16. June Kim
Managing Director, UHY Consulting
June Kim is a Managing Director with UHY Consulting and leads the firm’s BlackLine Practice. Her delivery team has designed and implemented BlackLine, one of the top accounting automation platforms, for hundreds of Fortune 1000 companies. She focuses on identifying cost efficiencies, maximizing productivity, and implementing sustainable process improvements while maximizing use and adoption.
Kim’s goal is to ensure clients are leveraging technology and finance automation solutions that strengthen and transform their companies. She has a Master’s in Science of Accounting from Eastern Michigan University. Kim is a Certified Public Accountant with both the Georgia State Board of Accountancy and the Michigan State Board of Accountancy. She is a certified BlackLine Implementation Professional and is frequently called upon to speak at BlackLine conferences and events, including a presentation on one of the largest BlackLine projects integrating different instances of BlackLine for two recently merged, global telecom giants.
Kim has hands-on attest and taxation experience for complex entity structures serving a variety of industries, as well as preparation, review, and tax projections for C corps, S corps, and consolidated corporate tax returns, including foreign reporting requirements.
17. Jennifer Fann
Senior VP, Atlanta Health Solutions Practice Leader, Aon
Jennifer Fann is the Senior Vice President and Atlanta Health Solutions Practice Leader for Aon. She first joined the company in 2019. Aon provides health, wealth, human capital, and risk consulting services with approximately 500 offices worldwide, serving 120 countries with 50,000 employees.
Fann leads strategic growth and operations, which includes managing her team and employer relationships, delivering on Aon United's culture, brand, and growth, and ensuring client service and innovation. Fann's core competencies include human capital, well-being, sustainability, employee benefits, process improvement, customer relationship management, merger and acquisition integration, workforce resilience, employee engagement, and onsite health. She has led many strategic projects and key client relationships to produce outcome metrics for a healthy and safe workforce. She is also passionate about serving the communities in, which she works and lives, and she holds executive board positions at The Drake House and National Charity League, Inc.
Previously, Fann was a vice president and national account executive at Cigna. Before that, she was a principal at Mercer. Earlier in her career, she worked with CIGNA Healthcare as an underwriter. She is a graduate of Harvard Business School's executive leadership program where she learned modern business strategies to foster innovation, integration of new technologies, product development, pricing, customer experience, marketing, economics, and the world's 8 major economies, accounting, negotiations as well as ethics. She also earned an undergraduate degree in business from Belmont University.
She enjoys building communities! Whether it is through corporate teams, business partners or Board service, she brings people together. Jennifer serves as a high-impact business executive and creative industry innovator delivering results for prestigious organizations. She builds strong teams and organizations, with a focus on competitive advantages, team architecture, and future-focused strategies. Her personal passions include cultivating a deep love of travel, hiking, yoga and enjoying brunches with extra bacon.
19. Varsha Bidarakoppa
Principal & Director, Booz Allen Hamilton
As a Principal at Booz Allen’s civil health business, Varsha Bidarakoppa leads the technology team focused on engineering, product, data and analytics, security, and innovation to enable technology transformation. She is responsible for technology strategy, product road maps and development, and technology operations with a keen focus on creating efficient products and platforms, underpinned by Agile methodologies, Cloud, and DevOps initiatives.
Varsha has supported capture and proposal development for high-value opportunities at both federal agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Commercial clients. Her success in realizing business outcomes is a result of her customer focus, collaborative, and data-driven leadership, whether it is growing and scaling existing footprints or incubating and accelerating new initiatives.
Varsha has over 25 years of experience in diverse strategic and operational leadership roles in the Health, Telecom, Transport, and Resource domains. Before joining Booz Allen, she served as Senior Manager at Accenture Technology group., where she oversaw the technology strategy and operations for Tier1 Telecom, Transport, and Resource industry clients. Prior to Accenture, Varsha held multiple senior technology leadership roles at Motorola, Huawei, and LG.
Varsha earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Karnataka University, India.
22. Dr. Stacey Young Rivers
Head of People Growth & Enterprise Skills Strategy, Warner Bros. Discovery
Stacey Young Rivers is Head of People Growth and Enterprise Skills Strategy for all employees globally at Warner Bros. Discovery. Warner Bros. Discovery, a premier global media and entertainment company offers audiences the world’s most differentiated and complete portfolio of content, brands, and franchises across television, film, streaming, and gaming. The new company combines WarnerMedia’s premium entertainment, sports, and news assets with Discovery’s leading non-fiction and international entertainment and sports businesses.
Rivers is a distinguished executive with over 15 years of experience in technology, people development, and career development strategies. Holding a PhD in Educational Leadership, she has dedicated her mission to creating impactful solutions in corporate learning and education with a special focus on students. As a learning leader, she has spearheaded numerous successful projects, significantly impacting employee engagement and the development of critical skills. She pursued a PhD to deepen her understanding of how learning and technology can be harnessed to enhance career outcomes. Her research contributed valuable insights into industry-academia collaborations supporting students’ career development.
Rivers holds several honors, including “Woman of Color in STEM Technology All-Star” for her career contributions. She is active on several nonprofit boards and committees focused on technology, education, and entrepreneurship. Her thought leadership and advocacy in promoting equity in AI and education have earned her a board seat on the Women’s Entrepreneurial Opportunity Project, an Atlanta-based nonprofit organization supporting women business owners. Using her expertise as a learning leader, researcher, blogger, author, and speaker, Rivers aims to influence the global dialogue on the role of Gen AI in human learning with a focus on career development. Her current body of work exemplifies a deep commitment to using technology and learning as a force for social good.
26. Christina Carswell
Director of Internal Audit, ICE
Christina Carswell is a Director of Internal Audit at Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (NYSE: ICE), a Fortune 500 company that designs, builds, and operates digital networks that connect people to opportunity. In her role, Carswell is responsible for Sarbanes-Oxley and regulatory compliance, along with the Quality Assurance Improvement Program. She is an engaged and successful leader with more than a decade of experience in the accounting sector.
Within her leadership role in internal audit, Carswell undergoes daily collaboration with upper management, external auditors, and her team. She has multiple years of experience presenting to Boards, as well as the Audit Committee. As a leader, she strives to build relationships across the organization and work with employees to grow and develop skills. She is a leader of vision and maintains a high level of accountability for her teams and herself.
Carswell started her career in public accounting with Ernst & Young in Tax Services. She continued to grow her career by joining ICE in the Tax and Treasury Department and then transitioned to a role within Internal Audit. She holds her Bachelor’s of Accounting and Master's of Taxation both obtained from the J.M. Tull School of Accounting at the University of Georgia. She is a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in the state of Georgia.
27. Sheraline Barthelmy
Senior Director, Business Operations Finance & Technology, Cox Enterprises
Sheraline Barthelmy is the Senior Director of Business Operations Finance and Technology of Cox Enterprises, which provides low latency compute and storage platforms for the rapidly growing edge-cloud market. Barthelmy’s role ensures that Cox continuously develops customer-centric products throughout the entire lifecycle and customer journey. She is adept at aligning strategic direction with execution. Value delivery and optimization have been key focuses in her current role. Additionally, she manages all marketing campaigns, prospect engagement, and thought leadership.
Before her current role, Barthelmy was VP of technology strategy and product delivery at FLEETCOR, a financial services company that provides secure digital payments to suppliers and their employees. She developed the $200 million North America Fuels Technology budget and identified and mitigated risks to deliver innovative products. Barthelmy also worked at Cox Automotive Inc., where she progressed from senior manager in the technology finance sector to senior director of global PMO and finance. She created the strategic vision for her respective functional areas in finance and HR and played a key role in the M&A activities for Cox Automotive's DealerTrack merger.
Barthelmy holds a Bachelor's degree in Finance from Michigan State University and an MBA from St. Edward’s University. She has also attended programs at Cornell University, Emory, and MIT.
29. Kate Pulio-Deighton
Senior Director, Crisis & Litigation Communications, FTI Consulting
Kate Pulio-Deighton is a leader of the Crisis and Litigation specialty practice within the Strategic Communications segment of FTI Consulting, a global management consulting firm. In her role, she advises companies navigating high-profile crisis situations and complex commercial, operational, reputational, and financial issues.
This includes supporting clients facing operational disruptions, safety threats, litigation, government investigations, leadership transitions, reductions in force (RIFs), regulatory compliance and enforcement actions, cybersecurity incidents, malfeasance, misconduct allegations, organized labor campaigns, and employee relations issues, among other high-stakes circumstances.
At such critical moments, Kate and her colleagues work alongside a company's executive, communications, and legal teams to develop and execute communications strategies that ensure the client's messages are clear and consistent and reach the intended audiences. She also helps her clients enhance their state of crisis readiness, delivering comprehensive crisis management plans, scenario-specific response playbooks, and tabletop exercises that simulate “real world” crises.
With a B.A. in Journalism - Strategic Communications from the University of Missouri ("Mizzou"), Kate is equipped with a distinct understanding of media landscapes, managing reporter relationships, and how organizations can convey truthful – yet impactful – messages. She often serves as a spokesperson and communicates with media members on her client's behalf.
Kate's clients operate across a range of industries, including healthcare, retail and consumer goods, manufacturing, construction, transportation, energy, technology, media and telecommunications ("TMT"), and legal and financial services.
View the complete list of awardees.
32. Yaarit Silverstone
Senior Managing Director – Accenture Strategy, Talent & Organization, Accenture
Yaarit Silverstone is the Senior Managing Director for Talent and Organization within Accenture Strategy. Accenture is an Ireland-based professional services company that offers solutions, such as IT consulting and system integration for industries, including retail and energy. Silverstone’s role focuses on developing talent and organization effectiveness and transformation offerings and capabilities that help clients bring their people strategies and aspirations to life.
With more than 30 years of consulting experience, Silverstone specializes in diagnosing complex organizational performance issues and designing, implementing, and sustaining leadership development programs, as well as large-scale journey management, human capital strategy and transformation, and, talent management solutions. During her 20 years at Accenture, she has held leadership roles in the firm’s Talent and Organization Performance service line, as well as in the chemicals, life sciences, resources, and products industry groups. Before joining Accenture, she led Gemini Consulting’s North American Human Capital practice and ran her consultancy.
Silverstone holds a Master’s degree in Psychology and Business Administration from Rand Afrikaans University and the University of the Witwatersrand.
35. Whitney McDowell-Robinson
VP, Student Development & Engagement, Brenau University
Dr. Whitney McDowell-Robinson serves as the Vice President for Student Development & Engagement and an adjunct professor in the College of Education at Brenau University in Georgia. Prior to this appointment, she worked for Tougaloo College in Mississippi; whereby, she held numerous roles including Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Services. Dr. McDowell-Robinson earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Tougaloo College, a Master of Science degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Jackson State University, and her Doctor of Philosophy degree in Urban Higher Education also from Jackson State University.
Active in an array of professional and civic organizations, she serves as the Treasurer for the Hall County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., the Done in a Day Chair (community volunteerism lead) for the Junior League of Gainesville Hall County, the Cookie Leader for Troop 11917 of the Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia, the Chapter Councilor for the Kappa Kappa Chapter of Alpha Sigma Lambda Honor Society, and a Board Advisor for the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). She served as the 2022-2023 Corresponding Secretary for the Jackson (MS) Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., 2020-2022 Director – College for the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Board of Directors, 2020-2021 Jackson Workforce Leadership Academy Fellow for the Aspen Institute, and the 2018-2019 President of the Mississippi Association of Colleges & Employers (MACE). Additionally, she is a member of the Mississippi Association of International Educators (MAIE), the National Career Development Association (NCDA), the Mississippi Counseling Association (MCA), the Southern Association of Colleges & Employers (SoACE), the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA), the Florida Memorial University Education Advisory Council, and a mentor within the International Career Advancement Program (ICAP).
Among numerous keynotes, publications, presentations, and grant awards, Dr. McDowell-Robinson is also the recipient of the 2021 Lifestyle Education and Resource Services’ Community Service and Enhancement Award, 2020 NACE/Spelman Johnson Rising Star Award, the 2018 Outstanding Career Services Professional (MACE), a 2017 Boys & Girls Club of Southwest Mississippi Hall of Fame Recipient, and a 2017 Tougaloo College “40 Under 40” Award Recipient. Additionally, she is a national board-certified mental health counselor, and she often volunteers her services with local community organizations.
38. Tiffany Woods
Senior Director, Southeast Forestry, National Wildlife Federation
As the Southeast Director of Private Lands Forestry for the National Wildlife Federation (NWF), Tiffany leads programs that intertwine the conservation of forested habitats with the economic and ecological needs of private landowners across the Southeast. During her tenure, she has fundraised and built a multi-million dollar program through grant writing and project implementation.
With a Master’s degree from the University of Georgia (UGA) Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources and an undergraduate degree from the UGA College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, she has over two decades of hands-on experience in forestry, prescribed fire, landowner engagement, and program growth and management. Tiffany approaches her work with an emphasis on collaborative conservation, and by recognizing that the most effective environmental stewardship successes occur when diverse organizations, partners, and individuals unite together for a common goal.
The Southeast Forestry Program has seen the implementation of projects that restore the iconic longleaf pine ecosystem on private lands and most recently, community-owned forests and projects on Historically Black Colleges & Universities. She is the co-founder and co-lead for “Longleaf for All”, a working group for America’s Longleaf Restoration Initiative, which is creating a movement of awareness and positive change for historically underserved landowners, professionals, and students in the historic Longleaf pine range. Tiffany's vision extends to large-scale initiatives focused on restoring native forest landscapes while directly addressing barriers to access, inclusivity, and equity. Bridging the gap between conservation goals and the interests of landowners has been a hallmark of her career at NWF.
42. Maisha Riddlesprigger
Head of Academics, Overtime Elite
Maisha Riddlesprigger currently serves as the Head of Academics for Overtime Elite (OTE), a transformative sports league in Atlanta, GA that offers the world’s most talented young basketball players a pathway to becoming professional athletes and high-level college recruits. As the Head of Academics, she designed and launched OTE Academy in 2021, a personalized in-person education academy that provides elite high school athletes with a high school education/diploma and an extended education in financial literacy, media/social media training, mental health and wellness, and an understanding of the business of basketball. In the last two NBA drafts, OTE has seen four of their former athletes drafted in the top 10 of the NBA Draft.
Previously in Washington, DC, she served as principal of two DC Public Schools in Wards 7 and 8, with a focus on turning around high-poverty schools, targeting student achievement, family engagement, mental health support for students and families, and student satisfaction rates.
The most recent school that she led was awarded the EmpowerK12 Bold Performance School Award in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 for significantly exceeding expected student proficiency levels on the annual state assessments. In 2019 she was recognized as the District of Columbia Public Schools Principal of the Year and was a finalist for the Washington Post Principal of the Year. The following year her school also was honored with the Together with Families award for their work empowering and engaging families in their community. As a result-driven leader, she served as a formal mentor to newly appointed school leaders in the District of Columbia. She has also worked with community leaders across business sectors as a member of the Seeding Disruption Fellowship, a cross-sector group of city leaders to generate, seed, and catalyze disruptive practices for the purpose of dismantling systems of racial inequity in Washington, DC.
Community engagement and empowerment are an important part of her professional and personal passions. She currently serves as a board member for CARE Anacostia (Community, Advocacy, and Resources for Education), an organization dedicated to providing educational resources, influencing policy, and advocating for students in high-poverty schools. She was profiled as one of the Notable Women Shaping DC as a result of her work in the field of education and community engagement and has served as a featured speaker on innovation in education and the work of anti-bias and racism in schools at national conferences and online webinars.
44. Kali Franklin
VP, Human Resources, On Location
Raised in Southwest Atlanta, educated at The Paideia School, Georgia State University, and University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business, Kali Franklin is a proud Atlanta native who credits her educational and cultural upbringing for much of her professional success. Wife to her childhood sweetheart, Wali Bashir, mother to a two-year-old daughter, Hali Elizabeth, her family planted roots in Midtown Atlanta, where they enjoy the conveniences of city-living with their two Cocker Spaniels, Spartacus and Zoë.
In her professional life, as Vice President, Human Resources for On Location (“unparalleled access to the best and biggest events in sports, music and lifestyle”), Kali is responsible for fostering an environment of collaboration, innovation, and the relentless pursuit of excellence. As a champion of people, both in process and development, she thrives at creating meaningful connections within the company and communities which are served. Leading in customer-focused industries such as retail, technology, sports, and entertainment, she is tasked with designing reliable HR infrastructure and building people strategies that are underpinned by organizational goals and priorities. By crafting resources that help managers better assess talent, she reduces the cost of attrition. By curating developmental experiences that add depth and capability for top talent, she increases the value of retention. By educating employees on the intricacies of health insurance, she decreases the spending on one of the largest labor-related line items. By influencing senior leaders to embrace more representation and diversity, she drives profitability of products and services offered to our customers. It is through the investment in people that most businesses succeed or fail and as the champion of the most valuable asset, the people, she contributes to the bottom line by leveraging her business acumen to propel engagement and boost productivity.
Over the course of her twenty plus-year human resources career, she has proven to be a resourceful partner who is results-oriented, influential, and vision driven. Her exciting background includes successful assignments within a small and informal family business, on the operations and supply chain side of a national retailer (Target), instrumental in the launch of a new business division for a global technology company (Microsoft), and as the functional leader for three well respected sports and entertainment companies (Arthur Blank's Sports and Entertainment businesses, NYC Football Club and Overtime Elite). In each of these experiences, she has proven to be a transformational leader with a track record of developing and implementing strategic human capital plans, establishing accountability, identifying solutions to resolve problems, and cultivating a diverse workplace that enables all team members to contribute at their full potential.
Equally committed to her community, Kali serves on several boards in the Atlanta area- YMCA of Metropolitan Atlanta, The Gateway Center, Hammond House Museum and The Paideia School Alumni Council. Proud of her ability to quickly identify and interpret business obstacles, Kali is often reflective of the challenges that she has faced and the leadership philosophy that has pulled her through is, “If you can only find one solution to the problem, you don’t fully understand the problem or the opportunity”.
45. Teresa Ostapower
Chief Information Officer, Diebold Nixdorf
Teresa Ostapower has over 13 years of executive leadership experience in digital and technology and over 30 years of experience in technology leading IT strategy, software development, architecture, digital, and technical operations. She is currently the CIO at Diebold Nixdorf and is responsible for IT strategy, planning, and execution, as well as modernization to digital and cloud technologies to enable business sales and operations. Diebold Nixdorf automates, digitizes, and transforms the way people bank and shop, offering proven expertise and comprehensive portfolios in cutting-edge product technology, multi-vendor software, and service excellence for financial and retail customers.
Ostapower was previously the SVP of technology Transformation, architecture, and operations at AT&T, aggressively modernizing software delivery to drive speed, cost, and quality improvements. She led numerous transformation initiatives across AT&T. From 2013 to 2017, Ostapower was AT&T’s first chief digital officer, where she was responsible for the Business Strategy, Sales/Marketing, CX/UX, Analytics, and Development/Operations teams to enable best-in-class digital capabilities for consumer and business segments.
Over her 33-year career, Ostapower is known for being a passionate and humble leader with a proven track record for results. She is recognized for the successful execution of major transformations, willingness to disrupt/challenge/innovate, analytical insights, and an energetic “get the job done” mindset. Ostapower graduated from the University of Georgia with an undergraduate degree in management information systems.
46. Kelly Jamieson
Senior VP, Operations, InVeris Training Solutions, Inc.
Kelly serves as the Senior Vice President of Operations for InVeris Training Solutions and has been a member of the Operations Team since 1996. Kelly’s talent as a leader was recognized early, and by 1998, she was promoted to Manager of Procurement. Along her journey were a series of promotions, and in 2011, she was promoted to Director of Materials.
In 2012, she was sent to another location to determine the issues and report back on an action plan. In 2013, Meggitt PLC recruited her for a role in corporate as the Director of Sourcing, and she was transferred to be responsible for the strategic planning and execution of procurement planning across 14 business units.
In 2014, Kelly returned to InVeris (then Meggitt) to head up the operations team as Sr. Vice President. Managing a team of over 100 employees in various countries. Her team has had success in executing record-breaking quarterly production deliverables in a short turnaround time while maintaining a safe workspace and quality product. In 2020, she was instrumental in executing the sale of the company and was responsible for much of the transition.
Prominent in her skill set is her people skills towards her employees, peers, and management. With her continuous drive to ensure that all aspects of the business are integrated and working to plan, she is an exceptional communicator and makes timely and decisive decisions. Her proactive management style, professional demeanor, and strong work ethic result in high-performing teams.
View the complete list of awardees.
47. Laura Livers
Chief Revenue Officer, Intouch Insight
Laura Livers, Chief Revenue Officer, joined Intouch Insight in July 2021, bringing a wealth of experience in customer experience utilizing a myriad of research methodologies.
Prior to joining Intouch Insight, Laura served as the EVP, of US Qualitative Solutions for Schlesinger Group following the acquisition of Focus Pointe Global, where she served as Chief Executive Officer. Laura has led the successful integration of eight companies and panels to deliver one seamless, exceptional brand experience for clients. She believes in the power of data and is passionate about empowering her team to help clients bring the voice of the customer into the boardroom. Her objective is simply to provide the world’s best service offerings through intelligent recruitment, emerging technologies, world-class project management, compliance excellence, and trusted relationships.
Laura’s expertise in marketing research and data collection includes partnering with all types of researchers, including insights providers, brand and consulting agencies, and Fortune 500 companies. Prior to joining Focus Pointe Global in 2009, Laura served as President of mystery shopping firm Shop‘n Chek Worldwide, now MarketForce.
Specialties: Leadership, M&A/Acquisitions, Strategic Planning, Operations, P&L/Budgeting, Sales & Marketing, Quality Assurance, Personnel & Performance management.
48. Chesley Gaddis
VP, Sales & Partner, Intrepid
Chesley Gaddis boasts nearly 20 years of experience in employee benefit consulting. In 2006, she began her career at Intrepid in an advocacy role, initially viewing it as a temporary role while searching for her “dream job.” However, she soon discovered that professional fulfillment stems from the people you work with rather than the specific tasks you perform. After being promoted to a consulting role, she realized it wasn't the right fit. Recognizing her unique strengths, Chesley created a role that leveraged her English and Creative Writing background to improve the communication and marketing of benefits to clients, becoming Intrepid’s Communications Director.
After a successful decade as Director of Communications, Intrepid’s president, Liz Frayer, encouraged her to transition into business development. Today, Chesley leads the sales team, focusing on building genuine relationships rather than pursuing quick sales. Her passion lies in connecting with people and fostering lasting relationships.
A lifelong Atlantan, Chesley resides in Inman Park with her husband, Owen, and their two children, Holland (6) and Hamilton (4). Chesley is a proud alumna of Sweet Briar College, an all-women’s liberal arts school, where she graduated in 2003 with a degree in English and Creative Writing, and learned the enduring value of female friendships and community.
49. Brooke Grant
VP, Consulting & Compliance, Intrepid
Brooke Grant is a results-driven consultant with nearly two decades of experience, leading her team in delivering outstanding service and benefit programs at Intrepid. Her exceptional organizational and communication skills, coupled with her meticulous attention to detail, have earned her a reputation for achieving client goals and navigating complex challenges. As Intrepid’s VP of Compliance, Brooke’s commitment to excellence extends beyond successful renewals. She is dedicated to continuous improvement, staying abreast of industry compliance changes and updates to ensure best practices for every client.
Brooke holds a bachelor’s degree in Animal Science from the University of Georgia. Following her love for animals, her career began in animal pharmaceuticals, where she worked for two years before transitioning to Intrepid. A lifelong learner, Brooke has earned numerous designations and certificates to enhance her expertise in the health insurance industry.
An Atlanta native, Brooke now resides in Roswell with her husband, Johnathon, and their son, Ryan. When she isn’t driving her son to a soccer-related event, she enjoys riding her horse and spending time with her dogs.
50. Dee Ann Turner
Founder, CEO, Dee Ann Turner & Associates
As Founder and CEO, Dee Ann Turner leads her organization, Dee Ann Turner & Associates, LLC, writing books, speaking to over 50 audiences per year, and consulting and coaching leaders globally. She is the author of the best sellers, It’s My Pleasure: The Impact of Extraordinary Talent and a Compelling Culture (2015), Bet on Talent: How to Create a Remarkable Culture and Win the Hearts of Customers (2019), and Crush Your Career: Ace the Interview, Land the Job and Launch Your Future (2021).
Turner is a 33-year veteran of Chick-fil-A, Inc. Before retirement, she was vice president of talent and vice president of sustainability for Chick-fil-A, Inc. Selected as the company’s first female officer in 2001, she was instrumental in building and growing Chick-fil-A’s well-known culture and talent systems. During her long career, she worked closely with Chick-fil-A’s founder and other key leaders as an architect of their organizational culture. Turner was responsible for thousands of selections of Chick-fil-A franchisees and corporate staff members. Additionally, she led talent management, staff learning and development, diversity and inclusion, and culture and engagement. Before her retirement, she launched and led Chick-fil-A’s Sustainability and Social Responsibility function.
Turner also hosts the Crush Your Career Podcast and is the talent expert in residence at High Point University. In 2023, Turner was named to the Georgia Titan 100. The married mother of three grown sons and one daughter-in-love, she serves various nonprofit boards and can often be found on her standup paddleboard on Lake Hartwell.
View the complete list of awardees.