Kimberly Moore-Wright ’95, executive vice president for Charlotte-based Truist Financial Corp, advises students that to grow their career, they should build relationships with those around them.
“You never know where those relationships might take you down the road,” Moore-Wright said during the fall 2021 C-Suite Speaker Series. “I think it’s true today that rarely do you see somebody climbing the ladder in the traditional way. The relationships that you build along the way are crucial to get you to the next step.”
Moore-Wright, a member of Truist’s executive leadership team, spoke about her rise from Belk College of Business accounting student to become one of the few African American females in the C-suite at a top U.S. bank.
Recently, she became chief teammate officer and head of enterprise diversity for Truist. In this role, she is responsible for all aspects of human resource management for Truist’s more than 50,000 employees.
During the conversation with Belk College Dean Jennifer Troyer, she was asked what advice she’d give her younger self as a Belk College student. She offered three tips.
Take advantage of opportunities
As a student she said she was focused on graduating more than on the overall college experience.
“I wish I would have done an international study abroad opportunity,” Moore-Wright said. “I think it would have made my experience even richer.”
Appreciate the journey
She said life doesn’t always work the way you plan it, and that’s OK.
“You might have a timetable for yourself and have everything worked out, but appreciate the fact that life happens – ebbing and flowing with that – and embrace that in some instances and turn that into opportunity,” she said.
Career paths aren’t always linear
Many careers aren’t linear, and that’s OK, she said.
“Where you start isn’t ultimately where you’re going to finish,” she said. “I never would have dreamed of being in this position when I was a student at UNC Charlotte,” she added.
Moore-Wright is one of three Belk College alumni who are part of Truist’s executive leadership team. Her conversation with the dean also focused on the challenges of navigating through a global pandemic and how organizations can increase the racial and ethnic diversity of their workforce.
In its sixth year, the C-Suite Speaker Series features alumni and friends of the Belk College in leadership positions who interact with undergraduate and graduate students.