On Monday, Pinterest named former Harpo Studios executive Andrea Wishom to its board of directors.
Wishom is the social media company's first Black board member and its third female board member, according to TechCrunch.
“For the past few months, the board has been meeting with many great candidates, and Andrea stood out for several reasons," said Ben Silbermann, CEO, and co-founder, Pinterest in the news release. She’s an expert in creating positive and inspirational content for global audiences, and a passionate advocate for building a company culture of respect, integrity, inclusion, and support — areas in which we must innovate and improve. Andrea has spent her career outside of Silicon Valley and has a vision for reimagining the board/employee relationship. We welcome her creativity and authenticity, and I’m honored to grow Pinterest alongside her.”
According to USA Today, Wishom's hiring comes following a virtual walkout by employees on Friday over gender and racial discrimination.
"Part of meeting this moment is looking outside the expected and bringing different perspectives to the table," Wishom said in the release. "There are real challenges to address, and that responsibility is not lost on me. I’m committed to listening and sharing my perspective and providing guidance as Pinterest continues to make positive strides forward.”
The company is also facing a lawsuit, which was filed by former Chief Operating Officer Francoise Brougher, for alleged gender bias and wrongful termination, Bloomberg reported.
Wishom currently serves as President at Skywalker Holdings and spent 20+ years at Harpo Productions in various roles in production, programming, development, and executive. She also earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of California, Berkeley.
