Real estate giant Realogy, which owns high-profile brands such as Coldwell Banker and Century 21, announced Friday that it has appointed Felicia Williams to its board of directors.
Felicia Williams
Williams is a veteran executive with years of experience at clothing retailer Macy’s, and is the first Black director to join Realogy’s board. She will serve as a financial expert on the board’s audit committee, and is the 11th member of the board.
In a statement Friday Williams said she is “thrilled” to join Realogy.
“As the company continues its transformation journey, I look forward to partnering with my fellow board members and Realogy’s management team to help guide and further position the company for future success,” she added.
Ryan Schneider
Realogy CEO and and President Ryan Schneider added in the statement that Williams’ “breadth of financial expertise, including her deep understanding of accounting principles, financial reporting, and enterprise risk, reinforces our commitment to leading with excellence in all aspects of our business.”
“I am incredibly excited to work with her,” he added.
Williams has worked for Macy’s for the past 17 years. Currently, she serves as Macy’s fellow to CEO Action for Racial Equity, a business coalition that promotes racial equality. In 2020, Williams was also Macy’s interim chief financial officer, and prior to that she was an executive vice president.
Realogy’s statement added that before working as an executive at Macy’s, Williams performed “key corporate finance functions” that included risk management, financial services, investor relations and more.
Before joining Macy’s, Williams worked for Coca-Cola. She is also currently a board member for Meridian Bioscience.
Williams’ appointment to Realogy’s board comes at a time when many major real estate companies are trying to diversify their leadership ranks. Last September, for example, both Zillow and Redfin joined a multi-industry pledge to work toward improving diversity among their board members. And about a month after that, Zillow appointed its first Black board member.
Realogy has worked in the past to push its board to become more than a club for white men, and a recent report shows that by the end of 2020 nearly a third of the members were women. The board has also already included persons of color, though Williams is the first Black member.
Michael J. Williams
Michael J. Williams, chairman of Realogy’s board, ultimately expressed excitement about Williams joining the company.
“Felicia is a proven leader with a wealth of finance and risk management skills and experiences that will undoubtedly complement Realogy’s highly distinguished board,” he said. “We look forward to working with her immediately.”
