The 2024 edition of SaVoy Magazine's annual Power 300 list of the most influential executives in Corporate America includes seven Morehouse alumni; Kevin Carpenter '96, Ted Colbert '96, Wayne Davis '00, Curley Dossman '73, Calvin B. Johnson, MD, MPH '88, Bill Nichols '97 and Cleveland Sellers '98.
The list features distinguished leaders who are integral to the progress and prosperity of major organizations across the globe.
Kevin Carpenter '96
Vice President of Integrated Supply Chain & Chief Supply Chain Office • The Toro Company
In his role, Carpenter has responsibility for procurement, manufacturing, order services, transportation, safety, quality, service, and productivity. For over two decades, Kevin has provided inclusive access through mentorship and internship opportunities to students of the Atlanta University Center Consortium, National Society of Black Engineers, and the National Black MBA.
Carpenter has a proven track record of outstanding leadership and operational expertise. He has transformed organizations to enable companies to experience revenue and earnings growth by driving operational excellence in the integrated supply chain.
Carpenter holds a Master of Business Administration from the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve, a Master of Science in Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management from Youngstown State University, a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology and a Bachelor of Science in General Engineering, with a Minor in Mathematics, from Morehouse College. He also completed Finance for Senior Executives at Harvard Business School and holds a Master of Arts in Biblical Studies from Ashland University.
Ted Colbert III '96
President & Chief Executive Officer, Boeing Defense, Space & Security • Boeing
In this role, Colbert provides solutions for defense, government, space, intelligence and security customers worldwide. Beyond the United States, Defense, Space & Security has prominent operations in Australia, India, Saudi Arabia, and the United Kingdom. Colbert is a member of Boeing’s Executive Council.
Colbert is a member of the Executive Leadership Council (ELC) and serves on the board of directors of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, the Virginia Tech Innovation Campus Advisory Board, and New Leaders, where he serves as board chair.
Colbert is also a non-executive board member of Archer Daniels Midland and a member of the National Space Council’s Users Advisory Group, which is chaired by Vice President of the United States Kamala Harris.
In 2022, The Black Engineer of the Year Awards named Colbert Black Engineer of the Year, the organization’s top honor.
Colbert completed the Dual Degree Engineering Program at the Morehouse College and the Georgia Institute of Technology with Bachelor’s degrees in Industrial and Systems Engineering and Interdisciplinary Science.
Wayne H. Davis '00
Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer • The Hertz Corporation
In this role, Davis is responsible for leading the Hertz, Dollar and Thrifty brands and shaping the company’s global marketing strategy, which includes e-commerce, loyalty, media planning and sponsorships, to drive effective brand reach and customer engagement.
Under his leadership, the ‘Hertz. Let’s Go!’ campaign featuring Tom Brady and Emmy-nominated actress Yvonne Orji has continued to drive success resulting in increased brand awareness. Prior to joining Hertz, Davis held several brand leadership roles at GE Appliances, including leading and increasing sales for its Haier, Hotpoint and Café brands during his tenure. He was also the Commercial Leader for FirstBuild, GE’s innovation hub, where he launched the Opal Nugget Ice Maker.
Davis was a member of the 2020 Class of Leadership Louisville’s Bingham Fellows, and in 2018, named one of the Louisville Business First Forty Under 40.
Davis holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Morehouse College and an MBA from Xavier University.
Curley M. Dossman Jr. '73
President of Community Programs • Georgia-Pacific.
In this role, Dossman oversees all the company’s community-based programs nationwide and the company’s philanthropic giving. He works closely with Chief Executive Officer Christian Fischer, other company executives, and civic leaders in Atlanta and across the country. Advises senior management and HR leaders on cultural issues and diversity strategies across all Koch Companies.
Throughout his career, Dossman has assumed positions of increasing responsibility in the government and public affairs arena. In 1984 he joined AT&T as Regional Attorney for the Southeastern U.S. Just prior to joining GP in late 1994, he was state vice president, government affairs for AT&T, where he was responsible for representing that corporation’s interests in the legislative, regulatory and industry relations areas.
Dossman serves on the board of the 100 Black Men of America, Immediate Past International Board Chair, 100 Black Men of Atlanta, National Center for Civil and Human Rights, Savannah State University, Board of Visitors and the National Black College Alumni Hall of Fame.
He received a Bachelor’s degree from Morehouse College and a Law degree from Washington University School of Law.
Calvin B. Johnson, MD, MPH '88
Senior Vice President & Chief Medical Officer, Royal Caribbean Group
In this role, Dr. Johnson leads the Group’s global health and wellness policy, manages its public health and clinical practice, and oversees the strategic plans and operations of its global healthcare organization, serving the health needs of nearly 100,000 crew members from over 150 nations and approximately 8 million sailing passengers annually.
Since joining RCG during the pandemic, Dr. Johnson has guided the development and implementation of public health protocols and policies leading to RCG’s return to full operations during the pandemic, with Celebrity Cruises being the first cruise line in the industry to return to sailing with passengers from a US port in 2021.
Dr. Johnson graduated from Morehouse with a degree in Chemistry. He earned his Medical Doctor degree from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and a Master of Public Health degree in Health Policy and Management from the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Bill Nichols Jr. '97
Senior Vice President, Commercial • bluebird bio
In this role, Nichols serves as a cross functional leader responsible for strategic planning and operations across all three of bluebird bio’s GT assets in rare disease—Sickle Cell Disease, Transfusion Dependent Thalassemia and Cerebral Adrenoleukodystrophy.
During his 20+ year career in Biotech and BioPharma, Nichols has deep experience across multiple pre-launch and commercial roles focused on addressing the needs of rare and underserved communities.
Prior to his tenure at blue, he worked at Bristol-Myers Squibb and Dova Pharmaceuticals, now Sobi, where he launched or led numerous brands in disease states ranging from Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C, and Oncology.
In addition to his professional career, Nicholas is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. and an advisor to Young Black Pharma and Brothers of Color in Pharma (BROCIP).
Nichols holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Morehouse College and multiple advanced degree certificates from Wharton.
Cleveland Sellers, III '98
Head of Business Services, Americas • Capgemini
He leads the overall P&L and all aspects of the business, transforming business operations for global enterprises.
With demonstrated success in developing go-to-market strategies, delivering revenue growth, and building strategic alliances, Sellers is passionate about developing high performance teams, driving a culture of continuous innovation.
With experience across software, hardware, services and operations, Sellers brings holistic solutions to his clients’ strategic requirements. He is responsible for an overall portfolio that includes advisory, digital transformation, intelligent automation and RPA, enterprise apps and BPO for key enterprise operations across all industries in Americas.
Sellers has a proven track record for building and running digital services for large flagship technology companies. Prior to joining Capgemini, he worked for large technology firms including IBM, Salesforce and Teradata, leading their strategic business and regional development. He has also advised Fortune 500 companies, helping them to shape and optimize their digital strategies with the right blend of technology, services, and cloud operations.
He holds a B.A. degree in English from Morehouse College.