Debra Lee, former chairman and CEO of BET Networks, is known for his pioneering leadership in the media and entertainment industries.
Lee joins wealth host Brad Smith to discuss her book I’m Debra Lee It also provides valuable advice for young professionals, especially people of color and people of color, eager to bring organizations into the media.
“I wrote it because I looked around and I didn’t see a lot of senior executives, or very few women, hardly any black female executives, that’s the CEO. That number is still low, and I said I wanted to explain and detail my journey so that I hope young people can learn it from it,” Lee said.
“I wrote because I looked around and I didn’t see a lot of senior executives or very few women, and hardly any black female executives were CEOs.”
Lee then stressed the importance of education: “I encourage young people to get adequate education. This is the first step. My father always told me that I was born that year on Brown and the Education Board. So I had the opportunity, I didn’t have the opportunity behind me,” she said.
Additionally, Lee encourages expanding his skills when craving for a C-Suite position: “Try to expand your experience. Not only to be a lawyer, but to be a lawyer who understands the show or understands marketing. This is my path to CEO.”
Under pressure from the Trump administration, it also seized on Debra Lee’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiative’s company rollback.
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This article was written by Josh Lynch
