OneTen Announces Maurice Jones as Chief Executive Officer

Largest Private Sector Jobs Effort Taps Former HUD Leader

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Jan 27, 2021, 08:30 ET

NEW YORK, Jan. 27, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The board of directors of OneTen, a coalition bringing together business leaders committed to upskilling, hiring and promoting one million Black Americans over the next 10 years into family-sustaining jobs with opportunities for advancement, announced today that it has named Maurice Jones as its CEO, effective March 1, 2021. Jones is an innovative business leader and prominent social advocate whose breadth and depth of leadership experience is equally matched by a passion for driving positive social change and economic justice and creating a more equitable society.

"The OneTen board of directors is thrilled to have a leader with Maurice's extraordinary business acumen and long legacy of providing the highest level of service join us on our mission to create one million jobs for Black Americans over the next 10 years," said co-chair, Ken Frazier, Chairman and CEO of Merck. "Maurice possesses the expertise to launch OneTen in communities across the country and create lasting, meaningful impact."

"Maurice is the right person to lead OneTen," said co-chair, Ginni Rometty, former Executive Chairman and CEO of IBM. "His strong relationships within the business community will link OneTen member companies to the critical work that needs to be done to remove structural barriers, shift to a skills-first paradigm and create a more flexible talent pipeline in order to reach our goals."

Jones joins OneTen from his role as President and CEO of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), one of the country's largest organizations supporting projects to revitalize communities and catalyze economic opportunity for residents. Prior to joining LISC, Jones was the Secretary of Commerce and Trade for the Commonwealth of Virginia. Jones previously served as Deputy Secretary for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) from April 2012 through January 2014 where he managed the Department's day-to-day operations, the annual operating budget of $40 billion and the agency's 8,900 employees. Before his appointment at HUD, Jones was President of Pilot Media, the largest print and digital media organization in Hampton Roads, Virginia.

"I could not be more excited to accept the position as CEO of OneTen," said Maurice Jones. "OneTen is reimagining how business leaders come together to effect change and create a more equitable society. My goal in leading this newly established organization is to firmly establish our capabilities and elevate our reach and impact. Thirty-nine of America's leading employers have already signed on to this initiative, and support continues to grow. I look forward to the opportunity to address persistent inter-generational gaps in opportunity and wealth by working to ensure that Black Americans with the skills and aptitude to earn success also have the opportunity to achieve success."

Jones received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Hampden-Sydney College and attended Oxford University in England on a Rhodes Scholarship, where he received a Master of Philosophy in International Relations. He later received a Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia.

About OneTen

OneTen is a coalition of leading chief executives and their companies who are coming together to upskill, hire and promote one million Black Americans over the next 10 years who do not yet have a four-year degree into family-sustaining jobs with opportunities for advancement. We connect employers with talent partners, leading non-profits and other skill-credentialing organizations who support the development of diverse talent. By creating more equitable and inclusive workforces, we believe we can reach our full potential as a nation of united citizens. Member corporations include Accenture, ADP, Allstate, American Express, Amgen, Aon, AT&T, Bain & Company, Bank of America, Cargill, Caterpillar, Cisco, Cleveland Clinic, Comcast, Deloitte , Delta Air Lines, Eli Lilly , General Motors, Gilead Sciences, HP Inc., Humana, IBM, Illinois Tool Works, Intermountain Healthcare, Johnson & Johnson, Lowe's, Medtronic, Merck, Nike, Nordstrom, Northrop Grumman, Pepsico, Roper Technologies, Stryker, Target, Trane Technologies, Verizon, Walmart, and Whirlpool Corporation. Join us at OneTen.org.

SOURCE OneTen