Shellye Archambeau

Shellye Archambeau is an inspiring leader, entrepreneur, and author who is dedicated to helping individuals and organizations shape their future and break through barriers. She is a relentless advocate for increased gender, racial, and ethnic diversity in the corporate world and beyond.

Shellye began her career at the Northern California division of AT&T in 1987 and quickly rose to the level of VP of the Northern California division and market president for national corporate markets. In 2000, she made history by becoming the first African American woman to hold a CIO role at a Fortune 500 company when she joined Blockbuster. Archambeau was also the first Black American to serve on the boards of both Verizon and MercadoLibre.

Currently, Shellye serves on the boards of Sonos, Nordstrom, and The Economist. She is also an investor in early-growth technology companies, such as Greenhouse Software, RxAdvance, and Bright Health. Additionally, she is the CMO of Veritas Technologies, an industry leader in protecting and managing critical data.

Her first book, Unapologetically Ambitious: Take Risks, Break Barriers, and Create Success on Your Own Terms (HarperCollins Leadership, 2018), is as inspiring as Shellye herself and encourages individuals to reach their potential while recognizing their unique gifts and talent. In Unapologetically Ambitious, Shellye shares her own experiences and what obstacles people must overcome in order to reach the top.

In the book, Shellye outlines 3 key elements to achieving success. Firstly, she encourages readers to have a plan but to break it. This is done by having a goal, and then turning that goal into multiple projects that can be executed quickly, allowing for continual improvement. Secondly, it is important to understand that setbacks and failures are part of the journey and that one should move past them and pivot to the next step. Finally, Shellye emphasizes the significance of getting outside feedback and support — both from mentors and peers — to grow better and faster.

In addition to Unapologetically Ambitious, Shellye has written several other books. Dare: Straight Talk on Confidence, Courage, and Career for Women in Charge (HarperCollins Leadership, 2021) provides women with unique insights, advice, and actionable steps to empower them on their career journey. Power Up: How Smart Women Win in the New Economy (HarperCollins Leadership, 2019) addresses disparities in wages and opportunities, and finds strategies to create a new structure of success.

Shellye Archambeau is an incredible role-model for people who may feel eclipsed by the corporate landscape. Through her bold and inspiring books, she reminds us that success is available to us all when we’re willing to take risks, break barriers, and create success on our own terms.