Episode 7 - Lori George Billingsly

Lori George Billingsley is the former Global Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Officer for The Coca-Cola Company (TCCC). In that role, she led the company’s DEI Center of Excellence, all directed

to enable a more engaged global workforce, mirror the markets served, and support a more inclusive culture to best position the employees of the company to drive growth. During her tenure, Coca-Cola set bold public goals, including being 50% led by women and mirroring its markets by 2030, built a more inclusive culture, launched the first-ever global pay equity analysis, and tied executive pay to progress on DEI.

She was with the company for 20 years, having spent most of them in a variety of roles with increasing responsibility within Public Affairs and Communications. Prior to becoming the DEI Officer, she was the Vice President of Community and Stakeholder Relations for the company’s North America Operating Unit where she oversaw community giving and engagement, grant management, employee volunteerism, community board placements, disaster relief efforts and top-tier, strategic relationships with key opinion shapers, non-governmental organizations and community leaders. Other roles included global issues communications and shareowner affairs.

Lori has over 35 years of public affairs, issues management, community, stakeholder and shareowner relations, social impact and diversity, equity and inclusion experience in developing and implementing breakthrough strategic initiatives that meet organizational goals, target audience needs and produce results. Prior to joining Coca-Cola, she led her own public relations consultancy, LG Communications; was a vice president at Porter/Novelli, a leading public relations firm where she co-founded their Multicultural Communications and Alliance Building practices; and a senior public affairs specialist for the District of Columbia Government’s Office of Human Rights and Minority Business.

She currently serves on the Board of Directors of Pioneer Natural Resources (NYSE: PXD), NAACP Foundation and Arete Executive Women of Influence. She is a member of The Coca-Cola Company’s Black Accountability Council, the National Association of Corporate Director’s Center for Inclusive Governance Advisory Council, Howard University’s School of Communications Board of Visitors, Executive Leadership Council, OnBoard, International Women’s Forum, Extraordinary Women on Boards, IWIN Advisory Board Committee and The Links, Inc.

She formerly served on the Boards of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Inc. (Chair), Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, United Way of Greater Atlanta, Atlanta Mission, Leadership Atlanta, ColorComm and The Coca-Cola Foundation. She also served on the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Partnering for Racial Justice in Business Advisory Council, WEF’s Community of Chief DEI Officers, The Conference Board DEI Innovators Council and as Co-Chair of American University’s Inaugural Women’s Network and Co-Chair of the TCCC’s Political Action Committee.

Lori is a featured speaker globally and has received numerous national awards, including the Alumni Award for Distinguished Postgraduate Achievement from Howard University, PUSH for Excellence, Dr. MLK Jr. Corporate Award, Atlanta Business Chronicle Top Diversity and Inclusion Officer, Atlanta Business League’s Top 100 Black Women of Influence, Academy of Women Achievers’ YWCA of Greater Atlanta, Inaugural Bravo! Award for Diversity and Inclusion from the Hispanic Public Relations Association, Chairman’s Circle Leadership Award from the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Order of the Phoenix Award and is a Georgia PRSA Hall of Fame Inductee.

She received her Bachelor of Arts in public relations at Howard University and her Master of Arts in public communications at American University. In 2019, she completed a 13-month Executive Leadership Experience Program at Harvard Business School; and in 2021, she completed Stanford University Graduate School of Business Directors’ Consortium. Lori is an ordained minister.