Photography by Martha Williams
As the Atlanta office managing director for global professional services firm Accenture, trailblazer Chloe Barzey is the first-ever woman and African American in that role. Responsible for the company’s business development, employee engagement, inclusion and diversity, and other efforts across Georgia, Tennessee, and Alabama, she wants to ensure people like her continue to have the same opportunities.
During her four-year tenure in the role, Barzey has led many of the company’s diversity programs, including serving as the executive sponsor of the 800-plus-member Atlanta Women’s Employee Resource Group. The organization provides critical leadership, knowledge-sharing, and networking opportunities to help women in traditionally male-dominated fields and activities. She also sponsored the Atlanta pilot of the company’s Black Founders Development Program, which provides funding, corporate mentorship, and strategic connections to Accenture business partners and clients for Black technology startup founders and entrepreneurs, who currently receive less than 1 percent of invested funds in the United States.
That commitment to equity extends to Accenture’s community partnerships designed to provide pathways to employment for all Atlantans via initiatives such as the Goodwill Clean Tech Accelerator. This workforce training program equips individuals with the necessary technical skills and certifications needed for high-demand, high-wage, entry-level, clean-energy jobs. “Apprenticeships play a crucial role in closing the skills gap, particularly for underrepresented groups and reskilling workers whose jobs are being or will soon be changed by technology,” she says. Like all of Barzey’s community projects, the initiative demonstrates her commitment to practical, effective social justice and equity programs. “Diversity unlocks innovation, inclusion is a choice, and achieving equity requires intention through everyday actions,” she says.
