For the first time in over 100 years, a Black woman is on Prada’s board

Pamela Culpepper has made history by becoming the first Black woman to serve on the board of Prada. The luxury fashion brand has been in existence for some 109 years.

In a statement, Prada noted that Culpepper was appointed as an independent non-exclusive director of Prada S.p.A. along with Anna Maria Rugarli.

The statement further indicated that Culpepper and Rugarli were appointed based on their backgrounds in Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) and in accordance with the Diversity Policy of the Board of Directors.

They will be assisting and supporting the Board of Directors in sustainability assessments and decisions with regards to the three courses of action at the basis of the Group’s ESG strategy: people, environment and culture.

Lorenzo Bertelli, Prada Group Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, said: “I am pleased to welcome to the Board Pamela Culpepper and Anna Maria Rugarli, professionals with an extensive knowledge in ESG topics and who held leadership positions in multinational companies. Their contribution will be crucial for the Board and for the deployment of Prada’s sustainability strategy. This decision will allow us to accelerate several projects already in our pipeline.”

Culpepper co-founded Have Her Back, LLC., a female-owned, female-led culture consultancy focused on advancing equity for all. She was also the Chief Human Resources Officer at Cboe Global Markets, Inc., one of the world’s largest exchange holding companies.

She has over 25 years of experience as a veteran HR executive. She was Golin’s Chief People Officer before she joined Cboe. For more than 14 years prior, she held various leadership roles with PepsiCo, Inc., including Chief Global Diversity and Inclusion Officer, Vice President Human Resources for Quaker Foods and Snacks; Vice President Human Resources for PepsiCo’s Beverages Supply Chain; and Vice President Talent Management and Diversity for Quaker, Tropicana and Gatorade, Prada said.

Also, she held progressive roles with McKesson Corporation, Clorox and Wells Fargo before joining PepsiCo.

Culpepper has a BA in Psychology from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and a Master of Public Administration in Organizational Change from California State University, Eastbay.