Great Women in Compliance

In the thick of Black History Month and on the brink of Women’s History Month, security and compliance I came across a podcast hosted by Lisa Fine and Mary Shirley, two women who are on a fast trek of heterogeneity and inclusion. In this piece, I had the notion to call attention to a select few Black women to look to for mentorship and connection throughout their careers.

In recent research it was cited that “According to Wired, BIPOC makes only 5% of the workforce in major tech companies. Using recent census data and current job openings, Zippia estimates Black cybersecurity analysts make up about 8% of the workforce while in regulatory compliance, it’s closer to 7%.” 21.9 % of these brilliant assets to a thriving industry are women, but Black women only make up 8%. Making strides against the competition and making a solid mark is at an all-time, high, and Black women are here to make their voices heard while working endlessly to provide community, opportunity, and, invaluable wisdom.

There is a podcast hosted by Lisa Fine and Mary Shirley, that spotlights and celebrates women in the compliance industry while sharing history and navigational wisdom entitled Great Women in Compliance. Senior executives and entry-level associates are always able to vastly benefit from the ability to network and strongly identify where they feel represented. Here’s a list of Black professional women in the space that are making a name for themselves while being the catalyst in an untapped world and spearheading powerful change.

Jennifer Newton

Jennifer Newton is the founder and CEO of the National Association of Black Compliance & Risk Management and Compliance Professionals or NABCRMCP. She and her team of professionals and elites are faithful to providing a wealth of promotional and networking opportunities as well as advancement for Black Risk Management professionals. Jennifer is an attorney at Greenberg Traurig and focuses on banking and financial institutions on risk management and compliance matters. Jennifer stands firm in her belief in the power of alternate viewpoints doubling down on the necessity of diversity and perspective.

Cynthia M. Patton

Cynthia M. Patton is the senior vice president and chief compliance officer for Amgen. She was recently selected as the 2019 Black Enterprise “Most Powerful Women in Corporate America” feature for her unwavering dedication to inclusion. She is proud to be the front runner for African American women at Amgen and plans to continue to make more powerful moves in the industry very soon. She now holds the title of General Counsel at Verily Life Sciences.

Tawanna Black

Tawanna Black is the CEO of the nation’s first entity dedicated exclusively to “creating inclusive regional economies by providing public and private sector employers to dismantle institutional racism and build shared accountability for inclusive economic growth”. She founded this company in 2017. She was recently named TCB’s Person of the Year and granted the Community Impact Award. Tawanna has become a diversity and economic influencer in her time in the field. Her company's mission is to be a safe haven for consulting, research and advocacy.