In 2021, Michelle Gethers-Clark was preparing to move across the country to join her new colleagues in the Bay Area as the company’s first-ever combination chief diversity officer and head of corporate responsibility. Then she got a call from then-CEO Al Kelly. He had an idea—well, a mission, really—to run by her.
The company had already committed some $32 million to renovate the former headquarters of the Norfolk Southern in Atlanta, a 123,000-square-foot facility that in 2022, was destined to become Visa’s first meaningful presence in that city. Atlanta was a city filled with Black talent, so, yes, the new location was part of a commitment to diversify company ranks. But Kelly also wanted to make sure that the leaders in the new building represented the full professional potential of a career at Visa. (Visa is making its debut this year on Fortune’s Best Companies to Work For list.)
