Black MBA - Summer 2008 - (Page 33)

Passing it forward also is a phrase Maurice Cox, vice president of Corporate Development & Diversity at Pepsi-Cola North America, assigns to Fitzhugh’s legacy. PepsiCo hired Fitzhugh in 1965 as vice president of Special Markets, a position he held until his retirement in 1974. After retirement, he remained a consultant at PepsiCo, during which time he and Cox collaborated on projects. Fitzhugh added a level of sophistication, says Cox, to the company’s thinking about ethnic marketing. Cox adds that Fitzhugh made it a discipline more focused on sales and marketing, as opposed to public relations. “I’ve never known anyone more committed to the African-American community,” Cox says. “[Fitzhugh] knew his commitment to the African-American community could only be enhanced by a robust, free enterprise system.” Lacy notes that Fitzhugh’s ability to rise to the top in both academia and business wasn’t an easy feat. “A lot of times, professors can be good professors and educators but not know how to apply it to the real world,” she says, “but he could do both. And for a major corporation like PepsiCo to tap into that genius and to hire him after retirement, and for him to rise to the top… it’s a very noteworthy transition.” Though Fitzhugh died in 1992, his legacy continues via the annual H. Naylor Fitzhugh Conference, renamed in Fitzhugh’s honor in 2002, hosted by the African American Student Union at the Harvard Business School. This year’s 36th Conference, held in Boston in February 2008, focused on global leadership and socioeconomic, political and environmental realities. Featured guests included Damon Buffini, chairman of Permira, and Tracey T. Travis, CFO of Polo Ralph Lauren. Harvard’s H. Naylor Fitzhugh Conference and the PepsiCo/ H. Naylor Fitzhugh Scholars Program are direct manifestations of Fitzhugh’s legacy, which Lacy says gives opportunities to others. Leading by example, she continues, Fitzhugh proved that African Americans can make a difference and be successful. LESSON OF A LIFETIME Back inside the HUSB lobby, Lacy stands beside Naylor and the bronzed image of his grandfather. She recalls the dedication ceremony held a few years ago that recognized H. Naylor Fitzhugh’s legacy. Before heading back upstairs to her office to prep for HU’s 2008 Commencement, Lacy imparts perhaps the biggest lesson of all, concluding, “It’s about knowing whose shoulders you stand on.” mba Read Black MBA Magazine’s Fall 2008 conference issue for more about H. Naylor Fitzhugh’s legacy, which includes being a catalyst for change in the areas of education, entrepreneurship, community and target marketing. Temple Hemphill is a Chicago-based journalist and author working on a book about postpartum mood disorders. Powering New Ideas. It takes new ideas and forward thinking to deliver solutions to the country’s energy needs. At FPL Group we value diversity of knowledge and innovation in professionals who want to make a difference. Explore the opportunities to power your career at www.FPLCareers.com. WWW.FPLCAREERS.COM We are a drug-free, nonsmoking workplace and equal opportunity employer. 377249_florida.indd 1 BlackMBA • Summer 2008 33 5/7/08 8:40:34 AM http://www.FPLcareers.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Black MBA - Summer 2008

Black MBA- Summer 2008 Contents Mailbag Up Front From the President & CEO Politics of Change Catalyst for Change: Results of our 2008 Political Poll Know Whose Shoulders You Stand On: The Legacy of H. Naylor Fitzhugh Howard University: Changing With the Times Straight Talk: CEO to CEO Creating Your Own Sandbox Dual Threats Avoiding the Faux Pa Invest in Your MBA Everything You Need to Know About...Estate Planning On Campus Plan Ahead The Big Show What's in a Name? On the Move Market Forecast Jeff Friday Keith Wyche Life Lessons On the Ground Real Biz A Golden Opportunity Entrepreneurial Institute Tech Tools Read for Success Stacey Tisdale Advertiser Index

Black MBA - Summer 2008

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