Kimberly Ayers Shariff was appointed Executive Vice President, Strategy for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Penguin Random House U.S. in May 2021, when she also became a member of the Penguin Random House U.S. Board. In this role, Kimberly leads Penguin Random House’s implementation of its companywide approach to inclusive corporate culture including the creation and implementation of the PRH DEI Strategic Plan. As such, she oversees the development a broad-based vision for the company’s future ensuring the creation of books for everyone, by everyone, out of a culture where all feel welcome, empowered and properly resourced to fully participate in the process.
Kimberly spent more than half her career in the non-profit sector as Chief Administrative Officer at American Ballet Theatre, and Deputy General Counsel at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (LCPA) where she also served as a member of the LCPA President’s internal think tank. Prior to her work in the non-profit arena, Kim began her in-house career at Black Entertainment Television. While there, she had the opportunity to work on the legal aspects of BET’s merger with Viacom and was tapped to establish the business and legal affairs functions for the company’s post-merger New York City location.
With over 20 years of legal and operational experience in the arts/culture, media and entertainment industries, Kimberly has honed her skills as a subject matter specialist in inclusion strategy, legal and business affairs, human resources, as well as non-profit management. She has been described as having a keen ability to analyze the existing infrastructure of complex organizations, and then implement strategy to enhance inclusive culture, operational efficiency, development strategy, channels of communication and risk management without sacrificing culture, artistic integrity, programming efficacy or entrepreneurial spirit.
Kimberly attended Georgetown University where she earned a B.A. in Sociology as well as a Certificate of African Studies from the School of Foreign Service. Thereafter, she earned a law degree from Tulane University School of Law.
While Kim’s most significant and treasured role is that of mother to her 2 extraordinary daughters, she is also a freelance photographer who has worked with publications including the Wall Street Journal, a visual artist who participated in her first cooperative art show in NYC in June 2017, and she’s got a couple children’s book ideas down on paper as a result of the ever-present prompting of her daughters! Kim is also constantly dreaming up new ways to help people including trying her hand at bringing a product to market which she designed to improve and maintain the cleanliness of NYC streets.
This same spirit of generosity and love of giving back is not only reflected in her professional pursuits in the nonprofit world, but has also led Kim to maintain significant involvement with several philanthropic and volunteer causes, including her: service to Jazz at Lincoln Center for many years as a member of the Board of Directors; advisory service to After School Arts Program in Litchfield County, Connecticut; active participation with Jack & Jill of America, Inc.; and active service at her daughters’ school, The Brearley School, where she has been designated as a member of the Parent Anti-Racist Advisory Group, Parent Equity Committee and served as a member of the Nominating Committee, a class parent, and co-chair of the Speaker Series.
As for devoting her time to the development of her fellow publishing and arts industry professionals, among other endeavors Kim: serves on the Association of American Publishers (AAP) DEI Committee and supports both the AAP DEI Forum and AAP DEI Summit; serves on the Selection Panel and as a Pod Advisor for the New York Foundation for the Arts Emerging Leaders Program; serves on the Development Committee of The Moth; was appointed to the George Washington University Publishing Advisory Board; and serves as a lecturer, panelist and guest instructor for the New York University Summer and Advanced Publishing Institutes and in connection with classes such as Management and Leadership in Transitional Times.
Ms. Shariff grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. From the age of 10 on, she played tournament tennis and commenced her career on the varsity tennis team at her school in Grade 7. After High School, she then went to Georgetown University where she played on the Women’s tennis team and earned a B.A. in Sociology as well as a Certificate of African Studies from Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service. Thereafter, she obtained her law degree from Tulane University School of Law.
One common thread throughout the years when she was engaged in these academic pursuits was her unwavering love of performing and the arts. While she continued to model, act do voiceover work and create multi-genre visual art (drawing and photography) during this time, when she first began practicing law, she auditioned for a spot in the summer program at the Yale School of Drama. Upon acceptance, she took a sabbatical from legal practice to study at this storied institution. Her continued love of learning led her to apply for a scholarship to attend the Harvard Business School (HBS) Executive Education program entitled Performance Measurement for Effective Management of Nonprofit Organizations. She is full of gratitude to the HBS Club of New York for awarding her a full scholarship to attend the program which she completed in May 2019. Kim also completed the Human Resources Management certificate program through eCornell in April 2020 and received Senior Certified Professional® (SHRM-SCP) credential from the Society of Human Resource Management after passing the certification exam in February 2022. She also earned a Data Science Principles certificate from Harvard Business School Online.
Kim currently lives in Manhattan, and she remains a pilates loving, Citibike riding, rock and ice climbing, skier, tennis and squash player who reads voraciously and always allows her globetrotting spirit to prevail.
Instagram @ayersshariff | Facebook Kimberly Ayers Shariff | Twitter @ayersshariff | LinkedIn Kimberly Ayers Shariff