Women of the B.E. 100s

Black Enterprise, August, 1998 by Eric L. Smith

A LOOK AT HOW WOMEN CEOs ARE RUNNING SOME OF TODAY'S LARGEST BLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES

THE WORLD OF THE BE 100s is one of exclusivity. The CEOs that run these concerns often move within select inner circles and make their multimillion-dollar deals behind tightly dosed doors.

These CEOs also share another common trait--they are almost exclusively male.

Of the companies on the 1998 BE INDUSTRIAL/SERVICE 100 list, only five firms--TLC Beatrice International Holdings Inc., Soft Sheen Products Inc., Thomas Madison Inc., V&J Foods and Management Technology Inc.--are headed by women. While they may be in the minority, their impact in the African American business community is unmistakable. Together, these five concerns accounted for $1.69 billion in revenues in 1997 (TLC Beatrice accounting for $1.4 billion), and employed over 8,500 workers. And, three of these five firms hold lofty positions among the top 20 black companies in the nation.

But their contribution doesn't stop there. Peruse our lists of auto dealerships, advertising companies, investment firms, banks and insurance concerns and you'll find female CEOs are represented. Among them are auto dealers such as Norma Ross, running Bob Ross Buick in Centerville, Ohio, and Emma Chappell, a powerful force on the financial scene as head of the United Bank of Philadelphia.

Talk to each of these women and they will confide that their success has come only after facing obstacles of race and gender. but if they share any attribute, it's determination to succeed and an ability to thrive despite the many hurdles thrown in their path.

Here are just some of their stories:

Norma Ross CEO of Bob Ross Buick

Norma Ross never envisioned herself running Bob Ross Buick. She was always more content to remain behind the scenes, while her husband Bob made the big deals and set the fast pace for their Centerville, Ohio, dealership. Bob Ross Buick has the unique distinction of being the first of just two black-owned Mercedes dealerships in the nation.

But following her husband's death last year, Ross, 64, had to make a choice. Either allow the auto dealership her husband purchased in 1979 to die with him or carry it on in his name. The decision came rather quickly. "I never entertained any thoughts of selling the store," says Ross. "I went back in the office the same week after his death, committed to continuing what my husband had put in place. I have no intention of getting out," she says with conviction.

What helped with the difficult transition was her familiarity with the business. Whether it was performing public relations and consulting work for the dealership, or just offering words of sage advice and counsel to her husband, Ross was always involved in the company. She maintained an active if subtle presence in the dealership and knew the management staff well.

But it's one thing to have operated in the background--and another to step to the forefront. Now overseeing a staff of 128 employees, Ross, a former schoolteacher, says she's still adjusting to her new role. "It means getting used to long hours and into the corporate role of scheduling and attending dealer meeting," says Ross. "I'm carrying a full schedule as president of this company."

Her introduction to the world of auto dealerships came almost by osmosis. In Richmond, Indiana, while Bob Ross was going dealers would inevitably gather at their house and end up discussing the business. "Dealer operations became a daily discussion in my home," she says. "So I was always aware of how the business worked."

After several years of operating a Buick, Opal and International Harvester Trucks dealership in Richmond, the couple pooled their resources in 1979 and purchased Davis Buick and Mercedes-Benz in Centerville. Today Ross and her daughter, Jenell, are in the midst of expanding the operation. They recently opened another lot and currently sell from a broad vehicle base that includes Buick, Mercedes, GMC and a host of pre-owned vehicles. Last year, the company had sales of $66.7 million, landing it in the No. 23 spot on the BE AUTO DEALER 100 list.

Jenell, 28, who has served as the company's customer relations manager for the last five years, has witnessed firsthand her mother's desire to keep the business running. "She's a very energetic, enthusiastic person," says Jenell. "I can be here from 8 a.m. to late in the evening and she's still here, wanting to talk and walk through plans or ideas she has about the business."

The transition has meant sacrifices on Jenell's part as well. She had been attending graduate school part time at Wright State University in Dayton to earn an M.B.A. But that's been put on the back burner for the moment. "I had to be here as much as possible," she says. "It's been almost a year [since her father's death], but we're still getting comfortable with our expanded roles." Currently, she is attending the National Automobile Dealer Association's (NADA) dealer academy, a preparatory program for aspiring auto dealers. The goal is that either she or her brother, Robert, already a NADA graduate who now leases and sells used luxury automobiles with his own company, 21st Century Auto Leasing, will run the company once her mother steps down.