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Marvin Ellison ’s journey to becoming president, CEO, and chairman of Lowe’s began far from the boardroom. While attending the University of Memphis, he worked part-time at Target, earning $4.35 an hour, according to Fortune. “I was fortunate to land in a company that believed in developing people, and I just grinded it out for 15 years all the way up to a director level,” Ellison told Daymond John, the entrepreneur behind FUBU and an investor on “Shark Tank,” in a 2022 interview. That early experience shaped how Ellison approached his career, especially as someone who didn’t come from a traditional corporate pedigree. “I didn’t have an Ivy League education. I didn’t have any stellar international opportunities or stints on my resume. I’m competing against all of these exceptionally talented people on paper; I had to find a way to differentiate myself,” he shared in the interview. His strategy became simple but demanding: Take every tough assignment no one else wanted. “I’d take...
JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon believes AI will eventually shorten the work week and says people should embrace it now, before it transforms every corner of the workforce. Speaking at Fortune’s Most Powerful Women conference at the America Business Forum in Miami, FL, on Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025, Dimon said the future of work may involve fewer hours but greater value — if leaders take the proper steps now. He urged companies to modernize data systems so AI can use them effectively, invest despite power limitations, and create humane transitions for jobs that will disappear. “It’s going to affect every application, every job, every customer interface,” Dimon said, as Fortune reported. “My guess is the developed world will be working three-and-a-half days a week in 20, 30, 40 years, and have wonderful lives,” he continued. As AI takes on more routine work, the same result may require fewer hours — though every transition brings its own challenges. “It will eliminate jobs. People should...
Starbucks is making significant changes to its North American operations. The coffee giant announced on Sept. 25 a $1 billion restructuring plan that includes closing stores and laying off hundreds of corporate employees, CNBC reports. According to the outlet, about 900 non-retail employees will lose their jobs. This marks the second round of layoffs under CEO Brian Niccol, following the reduction of 1,100 corporate workers in February 2025, as AFROTECH™ previously reported. Starbucks Closing Stores Per CNBC, the number of company-operated stores in North America is expected to shrink by roughly 1% in fiscal year 2025. The plan could result in more than 500 Starbucks store closures across the U.S. and Canada, leaving 18,300 locations open, the outlet notes. CNBC reports that about $850 million of the $1 billion restructuring costs will be tied to store closures, with $150 million covering employee separation costs. CEO Niccol emphasized the changes in a letter to employees, saying...
Artificial intelligence (AI) is beginning to reshape the workforce at some of the world’s largest technology companies. Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff confirmed that the company cut 4,000 customer support roles — from 9,000 to about 5,000 — due to the deployment of AI agents, according to the Los Angeles Times. The outlet notes that Salesforce employs more than 76,000 staff worldwide. The Los Angeles Times reports that Salesforce has attributed these cuts to rising efficiency enabled by AI agents, which now handle a significant share of customer interactions. Per Salesforce’s website, AI agents can respond to customer pricing inquiries, generate marketing materials and manage websites without continuous human direction. Salesforce said in a statement that these efficiencies have reduced support case volume, eliminating the need to replace certain support engineer positions, according to the Los Angeles Times. CNBC highlighted that Benioff told podcast listeners of “The Logan Bartlett...
Sony Pictures Entertainment has officially announced its next EVP, Chief Communications Officer, and the move is a major one… a historic feat, if you will. According to a press release shared with AFROTECH™, Tahra Grant will serve in the position, succeeding Robert Lawson who will relocate to the company’s headquarters in Tokyo, Japan as SVP of Corporate Communications for the entire Sony Group. Not only is Grant the first Black woman to be named Chief Comms Officer at a major Hollywood studio, she is also the only Black woman to hold the position at a major studio among the stars. Since joining the studio in 2016, Grant has “streamlined and sharpened corp comm ops, handling crisis and issues with def skills during Covid and the double strikes, before and after,” per the report. Within a year with the company, she was promoted to SVP of Media Relations and her expertise in the industry continues to expand. She has also worked on several Sony blockbusters, which include Little Women,...
Rosalind “Roz” Brewer has joined a coalition of leaders to advocate for financial prosperity in Black communities. As AFROTECH™ previously told you, Brewer — an alumnus of Spelman College — formerly helmed as Walgreens Boots Alliance chief executive officer (CEO). This company, headquartered in Illinois, owns the retail pharmacy chain Walgreens in the U.S. and the U.K. However, Brewer exited her position in August 2023. She was the only Black woman to hold the C-suite title in the S&P 500 at the time, per Bloomberg. The former Walgreens CEO was also the third Black woman to lead a Fortune 500 company, notes Forbes. Before Walgreens, Brewer served in leadership roles for retail giant Walmart and then transitioned to its Sam’s Club division as president and CEO to advance digital technology and improve shoppers’ experience, a news release mentions. She also took on the role of the chief operating officer (COO) of Starbucks Coffee Company from 2017 to 2021. Her contributions included...