Ramona Hood
Ramona Hood
Ramona Hood is the CEO of FedEx Custom Critical. Hood is the first black woman to become CEO in the company’s history.
Education
Hood holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Management from Walsh University.[2] In 2016, Hood received an Executive MBA in Business Administration and Management from Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University.[1]
Career
Hood started with FedEx as a receptionist in 1991 when the company was still called Roberts Express. She never thought that at 19 year old she would later become the company’s CEO:
“I wasn’t thinking this was going to be my career and I’d be here for 28 years.
I was a young mother.
I wanted a job that had a stable shift that would allow me to do (college) courses as appropriate.”[2]
In 2016, Hood became a Vice President of FedEx Supply Chain.
In 2018, she became a Vice President of Operations, Planning and Strategy at FedEx Custom Critical.
Since 2020, Hood has been the President and CEO of FedEx Custom Critical.[1]
In the early days as CEO, Hood is looking to gain useful insight from employees, customers and independent contractors driving for Custom Critical.
She has created her famous “Ramona Roundtables,” which she is wrapping up in February 2020 and involved her talking with small groups of employees.
She said:
“The next thing I’ll be doing is going out and spending time with customers and independent contractors.
I’m defining that as my ‘listen and learn tour.’ She also mentions that under her leadership, Custom Critical will be agile in addressing customer needs and using technology, all while “looking at things in ways we haven’t in the past.”[2]
Awards
Throughout her career, Hood has been recognized for her exemplary excellence in leadership, responsibility, and passion-driven results in the industry.
Hood was recognized by the Greater Akron Chamber with the 30 for the Future award (2010) and acknowledged by Sales & Marketing Executives International with a Distinguished Sales & Marketing Award (2013).
And she received the Woman of Inspiration Award from Walsh University (2013). [3]
In 2010 and 2016, Hood received the FedEx Five Star Award, which is the highest recognition team members can receive at FedEx.[3]
Additionally, in 2016, Hood received the Women of Note award from Crain’s Cleveland Business, Progressive Woman award from Smart Business, and Influential Woman in Trucking award from the Women In Trucking Association. Most recently, Hood was recognized in 2019 by the MEECO Leadership Institute with the International Thought Leader of Distinction award.[3]