Mellody Hobson

Mellody Hobson became one of America’s most prominent business leaders through a career defined by discipline, long-term vision, and deep loyalty to the firm where she built her reputation. After joining Chicago-based Ariel Investments as a young college graduate, she rose through the company over nearly three decades to become its co-chief executive officer. Beyond Ariel, she has held several influential board roles, including at Starbucks (SBUX), where she became the first Black woman to chair an S&P 500 company.

Early life and education

Mellody Hobson was born in 1969 in Chicago, the youngest of six children raised by her mother, Dorothy Ashley, a real estate speculator who often struggled to keep the family housed and financially secure. Hobson and her siblings moved frequently, often living in unfinished or unfurnished rental units that their mother owned. Hobson has attributed her early understanding of hardship to both her mother’s generosity—Ashley was reluctant to evict tenants behind on payments—and to discriminatory lending practices such as redlining, which limited her mother’s opportunities.

Ashley involved her daughter in the family’s finances, giving Hobson an early understanding of the pressures and decisions that come with managing money.

Hobson excelled academically. After graduating from St. Ignatius College Prep in 1987, she chose Princeton University, where she earned an A.B. in international relations and public policy in 1991. Although she had opportunities with major Wall Street firms, Hobson chose to return to Chicago and join Ariel Capital Management, the investment firm where she had interned during college.

Rise at Ariel Investments

Hobson began her full-time career in the client services and marketing division of Ariel, which later adopted the name Ariel Investments. She advanced quickly, becoming vice president of marketing from 1993 to 1994; senior vice president from 1994 to 2000; and president beginning in 2000. During these years she also became a regular financial commentator, appearing on television programs such as Good Morning America and CBS This Morning. In 2009, she created and hosted the ABC special Un-Broke: What You Need to Know About Money, which featured celebrities offering basic financial guidance.

Her work at Ariel also broadened her professional network. Ariel founder John W. Rogers, Jr. introduced her to Senator Bill Bradley of New Jersey, who in turn introduced her to Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz.

Through Schultz she met DreamWorks Animation founder Jeffrey Katzenberg and joined the DreamWorks board in 2004. The next year, Hobson joined the boards of Starbucks and The Estée Lauder Companies (EL).

Another defining relationship began in 2005, when Hobson met filmmaker George Lucas at the Forstmann Little conference in Aspen, Colorado. The two began dating in 2006 and married at Skywalker Ranch in 2013. Their daughter, Everest, was born later that year.

After nearly 28 years with Ariel, Hobson was named co-CEO in 2019 as part of a long-planned generational transition. She purchased a block of shares from Rogers that increased her ownership stake to 39.5% and reduced his to 34.1%, with the remaining shares held by Ariel employees and board members (21.8%) and a small number of outside investors (4.6%).

Leadership, board roles, and influence

From 2009 to 2014, Hobson was a member of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Investor Advisory Committee, which advises the agency on disclosure, market integrity, and other matters affecting investors.

During this period, she deepened her involvement with DreamWorks Animation, chairing the company from 2012 to 2016 and stepping down after helping negotiate its $3.8 billion sale to Comcast (CMCSA).

In 2017, she became the first Black woman (and only the second woman) to chair the Economic Club of Chicago. The following year she joined the board of JPMorgan Chase (JPM) and was named vice chair of the Starbucks board.

In 2020, she was elected chair of the Starbucks (SBUX) board of directors, the first Black woman to lead the board of an S&P 500 company. She held the position until 2024 and then chose not to stand for reelection. Hobson expressed confidence in the leadership of Brian Niccol, the incoming CEO and chair, and said it was an appropriate time to conclude her roughly 20-year tenure on the board. Starbucks noted in a regulatory filing that her decision was not the result of any disagreement with the company.

Beyond her corporate work, Hobson has held leadership roles in several civic and educational organizations. She has been chair of After School Matters, a director of the Chicago Public Education Fund, and a board member of the George Lucas Educational Foundation.

Recognition and influence

Hobson has been recognized for her leadership in business and finance by a number of major publications. Forbes has included her among the world’s 100 most powerful women, and Fortune has regularly named her to its most powerful women in business list. She has also appeared on Barron’s roster of the 100 most influential women in U.S. finance. In addition, Time magazine has featured her on its Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world.

Hobson is also known for her popular 2014 TED Talk, “Color Blind or Color Brave?,” which examines the need for candid conversations about race in business and public life. Together, these recognitions and public contributions have underscored her influence in corporate governance, long-term investing, and efforts to expand financial literacy.