Ovell Barbee

Ovell Barbee is a renowned, visionary leader with vast experience in human resources and a passion for diversity, equity, and inclusion. He’s held executive leadership roles at Fortune 500 companies in an array of industries including Motorola, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, General Motors/OnStar, Spectrum Health (now Corewell Health) and Indiana University Health. In these roles, he drove sustained cultural change and reduced barriers for diverse populations with a “human-centered” approach that addressed systemic and unconscious barriers and bias and he implemented policies and practices allowing everyone opportunities to thrive within a corporate culture.

As a respected Human Resources and DEI thought leader, Ovell is an accomplished and sought-after speaker who chaired the National HR Healthcare Conference in 2022 and has been selected again for 2023. He’s presented at the Healthcare HR Management Institute’s National Forum, the Becker’s Healthcare Annual Meeting, the National Diversity Council’s National Black Men in Leadership Summit and many other local, state and national meetings. He’s been featured in webinars, podcasts, and news articles on Human Resources and DEI topics.

Background

Growing up in Grand Rapids, Michigan in a family that instilled the importance of hard work and education, Ovell earned a bachelor’s degree in communications, and a master’s in social work from the University of Michigan, then attended Michigan State University for a second master’s degree in HR and labor relations.

He shares his life story, and lessons learned, in a book, titled “The Big House”, slated to be published in 2023.

Awards and Affiliations

Ovell has been honored as one of 50 HR Professionals by OnCon; as a Top 100 Chief Diversity Officer by the National Diversity Council; and a Top 50 Under 50 Executive by the National Black MBA Association.

He served on the board of the National Diversity Council’s National Coalition for Racial Justice and Equity and is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), the National Black MBA Association (NBMBAA) and a decades-long member of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity.