Ekpedeme “Pamay” M. Bassey was Chief Learning Officer at The Kraft Heinz Company in 2020, when she was asked to take on the title of Chief Learning and Diversity Officer, too.

“The work we were doing was expanding, and we were providing more leadership acceleration programs for populations that had been unrepresented traditionally in the workplace. In that summer of George Floyd, where a lot of spotlight was being put on DEI work, there was an agreement to amplify all we were doing, separately, and add diversity to our team,” she says.

Bassey is just one example of an increasingly common phenomenon in the C-Suite: Leaders who hold not one, but two executive positions at their companies.

Louis Montgomery, a Partner at executive search firm JM Search, says he's noticed the trend, as fewer companies are looking to add to the C-Suite now, instead opting to offer additional functions to a proven performer at the company. Somewhere along the way, the ‘and job’ has surfaced.

At Kraft Heinz, several company leaders, in addition to Bassey, hold 'and' titles: There's a Global Chief Legal and Corporate Affairs Officer, a Global Event and Corporate Brand Manager, and Lead of Global Talent and HR Strategy.

For women executives, the trend holds both promise and pitfalls. Leaders who take on an additional title can expand their skills and make themselves more marketable — but the risk of burnout is acute.

“I have high expectations for myself, and the expectations the company has for me are similar, just now it’s two different areas," Bassey says. "If I’m losing sleep, it’s because I want to deliver, and that’s something I think that women tend to do — raise expectations. For better or worse, we may think: I’ve got to crush this, because whatever I do is reflecting on other women, and as a Black woman, other Black professionals,” she says.

Here's why companies are appointing more executives with multiple roles, and what women executives should keep in mind before taking on another title:

THE EXPANSION AND CONTRACTION OF DEI

The growing trend of ‘and jobs’ has especially impacted CDOs because so many executives, like Bassey, were tasked with also tackling DEI initiatives in 2020. While CDO roles continue to be more important than ever, they are now facing a period of scrutiny and cutbacks. In response, many companies that introduced a CDO are now combining the title with other functions.

“Anecdotally, I’ve spoken to a number of CDOs whose roles have been eliminated or rolled into something else. I think the trend is rolling it into the broader HR or talent development responsibilities,” Montgomery says.

“Frankly, in my personal opinion, I think the roles are separate enough and the CDO role is important enough that it should be separate."

ENSURING EXECUTIVE ALIGNMENT

For many corporations, offering leaders the chance to take on an expanded role can help create alignment at the executive level. That alignment is especially important for functions like communications and marketing, human resources and DEI, and technology and AI.

At The Kraft Heinz Company, Bassey says her expansion to Chief Learning and Diversity Officer helped align multiple initiatives.

“For learning and diversity, I think there’s magic that happens at the intersection. It’s helpful for me to be able to say to my learning team: Make sure you’re incorporating key concepts around diversity in your programs, and vice versa. I think companies are being intentional about these ‘and’ roles and they see those intersections,” Bassey says.

The combined job title is also a way for executives to be recognized for the full scope of work they are already doing.

Marissa Andrada, Chief Transformation Officer at WUF World, formerly held the ‘and’ title of Chief Diversity, Inclusion and People Officer while working at Chipotle. After being Chief People Officer at Chipotle for a little over two years while also doing diversity-centered work, her job title officially expanded to recognize her diversity work in 2020.

“It’s inevitable that organizations will continue to reset and evolve capabilities and roles, based on where the organization is relative to the environment,” Andrada says.

CUTTING COSTS

Hiring a new C-suite leader comes with a hefty price tag, so in a time of corporate austerity, it makes sense that companies are opting not to add another executive to the payroll.

When executives take on an expanded role it generally means increased compensation, but that’s not always the case. Companies may have different approaches, notes Bassey.

Overall, it’s less expensive to source inside talent, and less risky than taking on a new hire who’s unfamiliar with the company culture.

“It could be a way of stretching and growing leaders, and getting them ready for what’s next… It’s likely helpful for the company, instead of going outside to find somebody, knowing that you have that knowledge and creating that experience to help them step up,” says Andrada.

WHAT WOMEN NEED TO KNOW

An added bonus of the ‘and role’ for women executives is that it gives them the chance to demonstrate their range of abilities and build credibility. This can be especially helpful for diversity officers who may later want to transition into other executive level roles.

At Chipotle, Andrada notes that her additional equity and diversity tasks became some of her biggest accomplishments. Her team set up a network of primarily female, minority-owned boutique search firms to find new talent for the company’s two HQ support centers. When Andrada left Chipotle in 2022, out of her 15 direct reports (VPs and SVPs), 10 were women and 8 were diverse.

However, women executives must make sure they’re not taking on more than they can handle — especially since they are also more likely to have responsibilities at home, too.

During her time overseeing both diversity and HR at Chipotle, Andrada and her husband moved back to her hometown to care for her parents, and she had to delegate some of her executive responsibilities. She felt guilty for not being able to do everything.

“I had this massive responsibility for a hundred thousand people and their well-being, but most importantly, the responsibility for the health and well-being of my family... The biggest challenge was declaring what I needed and the level of moral support I needed to effectively manage it all,” she says.

Bassey advises executives to understand exactly what the job will entail before taking on another title.

“If you are considering taking on an expanded role, it is wise to determine what the scope of that role is and what leverage you have to deliver in that role," she says. "It is also wise to ensure that you have discussions about expectations and compensation, so that everyone is on the same page as much as possible."