H. Naylor Fitzhugh Conference - Breaking the Glass Ceiling

Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Tips and Strategies to be Successful as a Person of Color in Corporate America

People of color are being hired at record numbers in large corporations, but most fail to advance beyond middle-level management. This panel features a number of people who have successfully climbed the ladder and hold senior-level positions in Corporate America. They will be sharing their insights and reflecting on how they distinguished themselves.

Panel Speakers

J. Veronica Biggins, Partner, Hodge Partners

Veronica Biggins is the Managing Partner of Hodge Partners, Atlanta, an executive and board search firm. Prior to joining Hodge Partners, Veronica was a Senior Partner at Heidrick & Struggles Executive Search. Veronica previously served as Assistant to the President of the United States and Director of Presidential Personnel under William Jefferson Clinton. She was responsible for selecting and hiring all political appointees within the federal government. In this role, she worked directly with the President on appointments at all levels of the administration, including the placement of agency heads, ambassadors and members of presidential boards and commissions. Veronica served as Vice Chairman of the U.S. Delegation to the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing. She recently retired as Chairman of the Czech Slovak American Enterprise Fund.

Prior to joining the Clinton Administration, Veronica was an Executive Vice President at NationBank (now Bank of America). Veronica serves on the board of directors of AirTran Airways, Kaiser Permanente of Georgia, Avnet and Zep, Inc. She is active in her community. Veronica holds a master’s degree from Georgia State University and a bachelor’s degree from Spelman College. She is a graduate of the International Business Fellows program and the Duke University Fuqua Executive Management program. Veronica is a Senior Fellow in the Harvard Advanced Leadership Initiative.

James McLetchie, Partner, McKinsey

James McLetchie is a Principal at McKinsey & Company in New York, where he is a leader in the Merger Management practice. James focuses primarily on the healthcare field, with a particular eye toward projects dealing with technology, synergies, and strategy.

Prior to joining McKinsey, Mr. McLetchie was a Director at PriceWaterhouse Coopers for 8 years. He holds an MBA in Finance and Management Information Systems from Purdue University, and he is certified as a Chartered Accountant by the Association for Certified Chartered Accountants in the UK. James is passionate about animals, and works with a non-profit group for animal protection. He is also passionate about sports, particularly European football, having spent time at World Cup and Euro Cup events.

Gary Ludgood, SVP of Global Network Field Operations, AT&T

Gary Ludgood is Senior Vice President - Global Network Field Operations for the AT&T Network Operations organization. He has worldwide responsibility and overall accountability for service delivery and maintenance of core network elements and the associated telecommunications infrastructure. Gary began his career in 1979 with BellSouth and has held a variety of job responsibilities in network planning, construction and engineering, business development and system design support.

A native of Mobile, Alabama, Gary attended the University of Alabama, where he graduated in 1979 with a degree in Electrical Engineering Technology. Gary is involved in organizations within the Atlanta community, including serving on the Deacon Board of Zion Baptist Church-Marietta, a member of the Board of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Georgia and Alabama, Georgia’s Own Credit Union board member and is active in numerous civic associations.

Troy Dixon, Managing Director, Deutsche Bank

T. Troy Dixon is a Managing Director in the US Residential Mortgage Backed Securities (RMBS) trading group in the Global Markets Division of Deutsche Bank. As Head of the Bank's US Residential Mortgage Backed Securities Trading effort, Mr. Dixon is responsible for managing the firm's multi billion dollar mortgage risk portfolio. He joined the firm from UBS Investment Bank in 2006, where he has been credited with being chiefly responsible for leading his team to the top ranked position in the industry acclaimed Institutional Investor Trading Rankings. In 2006 Mr. Dixon was honored by Black Enterprise Magazine as one of the “75 Most Powerful Blacks on Wall Street” and in 2007 he was named “Top 40, Under 40” by Investment Dealers Digest.

Prior to joining UBS, Mr. Dixon held several senior trading positions on Wall Street, most recently as a Director at Credit Suisse, where he ran the Mortgage Pass Through Group. During his tenure, he successfully advanced Credit Suisse to the number one ranked trading position within the MBS arena in 2001/2002.

A native of Hollis, Queens, Mr. Dixon attended Saint Francis Prep High School where he excelled both academically and athletically. He went on to earn a full scholarship to attend the College of the Holy Cross where he played both varsity football and baseball. T. Troy Dixon graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Economics from The College of the Holy Cross. He is currently a Presidents Council member with his alma mater.