Barron Witherspoon

An orator and leader capable of bringing people together, Barron Witherspoon is a leader in the consumer goods industry who motivates others.

Barron Witherspoon is a recognized thought leader in the fast-moving consumer goods industry. He provides business solutions, critical thinking, analysis, and personal leadership in some of the most difficult business challenges in the industry.

As a key leader in both the Consumer Goods Forum and the global standards group called GS1, Witherspoon is leading the thinking on digital readiness. At the global forum in Brussels, Witherspoon twice delivered critical speeches that helped provide the framework for the industry. His work has led the industry to establish new standards for the creation and exchange of product data, and he is known for his collaboration skills and ability to bring parties together despite competing interests and objectives.

Witherspoon is also highly visible in the community through his service to others. He has served as chair of the board on the board of directors for INROADS, a national organization that provides leadership and scholarships to students, especially in the area of STEM education. He also serves on multiple committees and chairs the Development Committee on the Tuskegee University Board of Trustees.

Witherspoon has received numerous awards for his service, including the prestigious Martin Luther King Legacy award in Cincinnati. He has been profiled in the Cincinnati Post, Savoy Magazine, Who’s Who in Black Cincinnati, and the Tennessee Walking Horse Report. Witherspoon also serves his community through his work as a licensed and ordained minister. He preaches across the country and authored The Fallacy of Affinity, a study in crosscultural worship. Along with his wife, Karen, Witherspoon focuses his service and philanthropy on education and employment for youth. Witherspoon is generous with his time, talent, and treasure to advance organizations with missions in these areas.

Witherspoon often uses his oratory skills to inspire others. He has been the featured speaker at many business leadership functions in the U.S. and abroad, and he delivered the spring 2018 commencement address at his alma mater, Tuskegee University.

Finally, Witherspoon mentors over 20 young men and women despite a demanding travel and business schedule. In particular, Procter & Gamble (P&G) sponsors an annual leadership camp and conference called Tuskegee University Business and Engineering (TUBE), where an average of 30 student leaders are selected to be trained by P&G leaders in the fall of each year. These student leaders then organize all aspects of the spring conference—fundraising, program development, and identification of corporate partners—that provides career opportunities and leadership training activities to approximately 300 students at Tuskegee University.