Episode 10: Keesha Boyd Talks Career Pivoting and Navigating Corporate Culture (Pt. 1)

Episode 10: Keesha Boyd Talks Career Pivoting and Navigating Corporate Culture (Pt. 1)

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I'm super excited to interview one of my favorite people in the whole wide world, my best friend, Keesha Boyd. Keesha is an accomplished media executive and has had a rich and interesting career trajectory that many of us can learn from. Now I know you might be thinking that I'm biased since she's my best friend, but I promise you, you will feel the same way after listening to this interview. There was so much great stuff in this interview that we broke it into two segments, so you'll hear even more in episode 11.

In this episode you will learn:

• How Keesha went from psychotherapist to HR leader to multicultural product and content exec
• Advice on how to navigate the corporate terrain
• The difference between a mentor and a sponsor

Keesha's Bio:

Keesha Boyd is an Executive Director for the Multicultural Consumer Services department of Comcast. In her role she is responsible for understanding the media and product consumption habits of multicultural customers for the purpose of defining strategy around digital, product and content engagement efforts. Keesha is a seasoned leader with over 12 years of experience across a variety of disciplines including Process Improvement, Change Management, Human Resources, Learning and Development, Diversity/Inclusion Intervention and Talent Acquisition. She holds a B.A. from Emory University, a M.Ed. in Counseling Psychology and a M.A. in Organizational Psychology both from Columbia University with a focus on organizational behavior, race, culture and cultural identity.

Previously, Keesha served as Executive Director for Talent Curriculum Strategy and the Leadership Center of Expertise, Comcast University’s first centralized shared service delivery of Leadership Development. Prior to that, she held the role of Director of Organizational Effectiveness for Comcast University and was responsible for the successful implementation of the company’s division change management learning and processes in support of its National Customer Operations initiatives. Having held a number of leadership roles with corporate giants Comcast, Ryder Transportation and McDonalds Corporate Headquarters, Keesha has demonstrated her knack for process improvement, problem analysis and launching new initiatives which has positioned her as a sought after resource.

When Keesha is not on the corporate stage she enjoys mentoring, being on the board of NAMIC Philadelphia Chapter, being a member of Delta Sigma Theta Incorporated and Co-Chairing an Anti-Bullying program for girls.

Some highlights and insights from this episode:

When considering changing departments or positions within your organization:

• Make sure you are getting the work done in your current position.
• Meet with the right people in the organization to do your research.
• If you're going to meet with those people, make sure you are going to do something with the information they give you in order to manage your reputation.
• Get support from your mentors (someone who advises you on your career path, has your best interest at heart and can create a safe space for you to share your career interests and challenges) and sponsors (someone who has the authority to affect or influence a career move).

Listen to part 1 of my interview with Keesha below: