An Open Letter (and Challenge) to Wells Fargo CEO Charles Scharf and all the other CEOs in Corporate America

Re: “Very Limited Pool of Black Talent to Recruit”

From: Darryl L. Mobley, CEO & Founder – Catapult Leaders

The New York Post recently reported that Wells Fargo CEO Charles Scharf wrote, “there is a very limited pool of Black talent to recruit from,” in a memo to his staff – as a way to explain the firm’s failure to meet diversity goals.

I write this open letter because this issue is bigger than any single CEO or company. The underrepresentation of Black management in major corporations is a travesty.

I have not met Mr. Scharf. However, I’ve heard good things about him. I assume that he is a person of good will. I’m not here to attack him for his statement. That statement is just an echo of what I’ve heard from many in Corporate America over the past 35 years.

I don’t know where Mr. Scharf gets the info that caused him to say that there is not enough talent in all of Black America to fill positions at Wells Fargo. I do know that his assertion is flat-out incorrect and harmful. There is a very large pool of Black talent, ready and able to take on the challenges faced by Wells Fargo and the rest of Corporate America.

I don’t want to “agree to disagree,” or just throw up my hands in resignation, because that will not lead to progress. I do want to say that this stops right here, right now.

The best CEOs don’t make excuses. They make it happen. For that reason, it’s put up, or shut up time for both CEOs who believe that there is too little talent in Black America and for those of us who source management talent.

To that end, I challenge Mr. Scharf and all CEOs who truly want to increase the hiring of talented Black professionals to “say it with your chest,” and take your talent needs to one or more of the talent search professionals who leave their info on this post. If we can’t find the talent you seek – – I will come back to this space and “say it with my chest,” that there was no talent to meet your needs.

I invite every talent search professional and firm that sources Black management talent to comment on this post and include their capabilities & contact info.

I’ll start it off:

The firm I represent is Catapult Leaders (https://CatapultLeaders.com). Catapult Leaders specializes in sourcing talented Black college & grad school graduates for great entry-level positions in top companies. Catapult Leaders exists for “When Your Business Absolutely, Positively, Finally Commits To Hiring Talented Black College & Grad School Students.”

Who’s next?

Enjoy Life!

Darryl

NY Post article:  http://bit.ly/putup-shutup