2023/24 Board of Directors, Board
Yolanda Friend is an outcome driven, Inclusion & Diversity executive at Accenture, a global professional services company operating in more than 200 cities across 49 countries with more than 735K employees worldwide.
Yolanda is at her best when she is creating an inclusive environment where everyone can authentically thrive, achieve their goals and contribute to the success of the organization. She joined Accenture in 2006 and spent ten years helping clients navigate transformational change and learn new ways of working. These deep change management and stakeholder engagement skills provided a strong underpinning for her leadership role as Inclusion & Diversity Managing Director, supporting 80K+ internal employees in the North America market.
An advocate for change, Yolanda strongly believes that Accenture’s rich diversity makes the company stronger and more innovative and is focused on increasing representation across all segments of diversity. Yolanda is also deeply committed to building awareness around why inclusion is a critical success factor for organizational performance.
A transparent and balanced leader, her Top 5 Gallup Clifton Strengths are Achiever, Focus, Maximizer, Futuristic and Responsibility. This combination of strengths creates a powerhouse executive who is prepared to seize opportunities, prioritize effectively, follow through on commitments, and remain energized by visions of the future.
Yolanda earned an MBA from Florida A&M University, a Historically Black College/University (HBCU). Her college experience imprinted upon her the immeasurable value of excellence, discipline, hard work, and preparation. She is committed to ensuring that everyone knows the value of HBCUs and Hispanic Serving Institutions.
Yolanda is married with a blended family of four children and remains consciously grateful for all life has to offer.
