Their Journey: Quiana Kee says support system vital to success as Black female in business

FORT MILL, S.C.—From her early childhood, Quiana Kee had an interest in engineering.

And her parents fostered that interest by making sure she had exposure to minority engineering programs, realizing there were not a lot of Black people entering the field.

While many childhood dreams evolve as children grow into adults, that wasn't the case with Kee. Currently the quality director for the Americas region within Continental's tire business, she followed up on those early career aspirations by majoring in electrical engineering.

As she entered the University of Pittsburgh—a predominantly white school—Kee followed her parents' early guidance and was part of the institution's Minority Engineering Program. That brought her the support system she said was key to her success in college.

Kee was active in the National Society of Black Engineers during college as well, which she called one of the largest student-run organizations in the nation. Its annual conference included a career fair that attracted industries that are "intentional about diversity and nurturing black talent," she said. "They are interviewing and giving job offers on the spot, so they are going to be making that investment into Black engineering talent."

That was Kee's entry point into the automotive industry, as she was hired by Motorola to work in telematics. She joined Continental when it purchased Motorola's automotive division and spent nearly 20 years in the unit, going from electronics into positions in product management and business development before jumping over to the tire business in October 2020.

She said she is bringing all the experience she gained in those posts on the automotive side and putting that into use in the tire organization, which she still views as the flagship unit for Conti.

Support system a necessity
Just as she credits her college networking organizations in helping to establish a level of comfort in the work environments at Motorola and then Continental, Kee said it was important for her to have a similar support system as she became a professional.

"Even in my career, I didn't have a whole lot of Black co-workers, and didn't see a lot of Black executives either," she said.

During her 20-year career, she has had two Black bosses, one an executive who became a mentor to her. "Having that support network matters, no matter who you are," Kee said. "You have to have a support network available to you so you don't feel alone."

The Continental Women's Network is one of the strongest employee resource groups at the company, and it has been a huge help to Kee. Members discuss issues specific to women, have the opportunity for professional development and talk about the challenges they face as women in a male-dominated industry.

Kee said she has faced several challenges being both female and Black. Once she was mistaken for a secretary while traveling outside the country, while later in her career—after she had become an executive—a fellow male exec asked her to take notes during a meeting they were going into with other executives. She told the male that surely there was someone else he could ask to take notes. She shared the response with those in the Conti Women's Network, and others said they would have done the same thing.

"The other challenge is just being underestimated, both for being a female and being a Black female," Kee said.

The best way to overcome such challenges, she said, is being comfortable in who you are. "One thing that helps with this is making sure you have a network that reinforces who you are and supports you in that way," she said. "It is understanding what I bring to the table, and being confident with that. And making sure I speak up and advocate for myself in a proper, professional way."

Continental is working to go even further with its efforts, she said, using the Women's Network as a model to establish a Black Employee Resource Group and launching a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council.

She said there has been a gap in support for Black females, an issue she said wasn't exclusive to Continental but rather for the industry in general. The diversity council should help, as it will bring a variety of perspectives, including with Kee and another Black female member giving their input. They can share their experiences with minority organizations and talk about historically Black colleges.

"Some people have not had exposure to that, and now I'm bringing my perspective and experiences to the table, and now that voice is heard," she said.

This is information Continental can tap into to redefine Black talent. There are some industries that say the pipeline for minority talent isn't there, but Kee said that just isn't the case.

"I've been to these conferences," she said, "and I see Black talent everywhere. It's not just one minority organization, there are so many more minority organizations that are developing minority talent. ... Now people partner with these organizations to tap into that pipeline.

"You have to have the right platform and listen to these voices, and that's where this council will help."

Uncomfortable conversations
With the many events of last year that brought race relations to the forefront, Continental conducted roundtable events to put a focus on the issues. Kee said Black colleagues participated in the roundtables, which had external moderators through UNC Charlotte.

The participants were asked to speak to their experiences of race both personally and professionally. She said the events were emotional not only for those telling their stories, but for those hearing them as well. It allowed the audience to hear other people's experiences in life that they may not have even known to ask about because they hadn't been exposed to it.

"They may have had no idea that some of us are treated differently in a shopping experience," Kee said. "Or they may have no idea that somebody would be treated differently when they're trying to sell their home because of the color of their skin. Or that somebody would be treated differently when they apply for a job because of the color of their skin, or because of how their name sounds, or how their name is spelled."

She said these talks have been important to starting the discussion and opening minds. The next step is to bring cultural awareness within the organization, looking at policies within Continental to see if the firm has any biases in its processes, and study how recruitment is handled, along with retention and advancement.

Kee said she is acutely aware of the level of responsibility in being a role model for both Blacks and females.

"I would rather pay it forward because there are others who have come before me who have done the work that allows me to be here," she said. "I'm standing on the shoulders of others before me.

"I live by the creed of lifting as I climb. I leave the door open for others and have a path for others to come through. I'm big on sharing what I know. I will formally and informally mentor others so they can be successful on their journey as Black talent coming through Continental or the automotive industry. Or as female talent in the same way."

And her best advice to those she is mentoring?

"Don't underestimate yourself. Don't undervalue your talent, your experience. Make sure that you don't count yourself out before you even try."