When Ramona Hood achieved her milestone appointment as president and CEO of FedEx’s Custom Critical after a three-decade career with the company, the accomplished executive never fathomed she would lead the division in the throes of a pandemic.

“I didn’t anticipate incorporating COVID-19 plans into my first 90 days as CEO of FedEx Custom Critical, but I’m thankful for our team members who have risen to the challenge to keep us operating and serving our customers,” she says.

As Hood and her team reviewed the unit’s business continuity plan, she says they methodically approached aspects such as social distancing as well as mapping out strategy and decisions on safety and operations based on information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organization, and other leading health organizations.

The 28-year FedEx veteran has never let barriers stand in her way as she made her ascent from a 19-year-old receptionist and single mother to the first African American divisional chief executive of the corporate leviathan that provides millions across the globe with a range of transportation and business services.

I recognize the fact that I’m one of few African American women who sits in an executive position in transportation so I look at it as part of my obligation to take on responsibilities and roles that allow me to strategically touch individuals—women, African American women.