Jerri DeVard | BECA Founder & CEO

“I created this alliance because it did not exist and was so desperately needed. To achieve meaningful corporate diversity, we need less rhetoric and more allies, action and accountability.”

Jerri is the former Executive Vice President and Chief Customer Officer of Office Depot, Inc., responsible for the P&L for e-commerce, customer service, all marketing functions, data & analytics, communications, and events, having previously served as its Chief Marketing Officer. She has more than 40 years of extensive marketing and leadership experience at large global brands.

Prior to Office Depot, she served as Chief Marketing Officer of The ADT Corporation, a leading provider of home and business security services. Prior to that, Jerri served as Executive Vice President, CMO for Nokia based in Helsinki and London. Additionally, she held senior marketing roles as SVP at Verizon Communications, CMO at Citibank, VP at Revlon, VP at Harrah’s Entertainment, at the NFL and at General Mills, formerly the Pillsbury Company. In recognition of her impactful career, Jerri received the ADCOLOR 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award, was inducted into the American Advertising Federation Hall of Fame in 2024 and received the 2025 Clio Award for Lifetime Achievement.

Jerri is an Economics graduate of Spelman College, where she served as a member of the Board of Trustees and received her MBA from Clark Atlanta University Graduate School of Business. She currently serves as a director on the boards of Dow, one of the world’s largest materials science companies; Under Armour Inc., the global athletic performance and innovation brand; cars.com, a leading digital marketplace that connects car shoppers with sellers; and Root Insurance, a disruptive digital company utilizing AI to provide auto insurance. Jerri previously served on the boards of ServiceMaster, Belk, Gurwitch Products, Tommy Hilfiger, and the advisory board of Pepsico.