Pratt Wiley: President & CEO, The Partnership
“Leading with Purpose and Expanding the Partnership’s Legacy”
Submitted by the Ethnic Online Editorial Team
In the ever-evolving landscape of diversity, equity, and inclusion, Pratt Norton Wiley stands out as a transformative leader committed to developing authentic leadership among professionals of color. As President and CEO of The Partnership, Inc., Wiley helms New England’s premier organization dedicated to advancing diversity in corporate America. Under his leadership, The Partnership has evolved from a regional institution into a nationally recognized organization cultivating some of the most prominent leaders of color in business, government, and civic life.
The Partnership, roots trace back to one of Boston’s most turbulent eras. In the early 1970s, court-ordered school desegregation exposed deep racial divisions in the city, sparking civic unrest and revealing the urgent need for cross-sector collaboration. In response, two distinct organizations emerged to address the challenges of racial inequality from different angles: The Boston Committee and The Corporation for Boston.
- The Boston Committee was initiated by Mayor Kevin White, who believed that tackling racial tensions required the cooperation of Boston’s key power centers—church, media, business, and political institutions. The committee sought to identify actionable solutions through collaboration and dialogue.
- The Corporation for Boston, founded by a diverse group of civic leaders, took a more analytical approach, focusing on understanding and addressing the underlying causes of racial and economic inequities.
For roughly fifteen years, the two organizations worked in parallel, each striving to improve race relations and strengthen Boston’s civic fabric. By the late 1980s, Boston’s philanthropic community recognized that the city needed a unified, sustained effort to cultivate Black leadership and address the persistent loss of talent from the region.
- The merger of these two entities gave birth to The Partnership, an organization with a bold mission: to attract, develop, and retain talented Black professionals and empower them to thrive in Boston’s corporate and civic communities.
Bennie Wiley, 1st President & CEO of the Partnership
Under the leadership of Bennie Wiley, who became CEO shortly after the merger in 1991, The Partnership refined its mission and reimagined its business model. Bennie identified the economic power center as a critical driver of social change and recognized that Boston’s success depended on cultivating a strong base of Black executives and professionals. She shifted The Partnership toward a fee-for-service model, inviting corporations to invest in their own diversity by sponsoring employees through the organization’s leadership programs. This approach not only created a sustainable financial foundation but also positioned diversity as a shared responsibility across the business community.
To this day, countless alumni credit The Partnership with shaping their success and affirming their identities as leaders of color. After fourteen years at the helm, Bennie made the deliberate decision to step down in 2005, viewing her departure as an opportunity for both personal renewal and organizational evolution—passing the torch to a new generation of leadership while exploring new seasons of her own life through board service and travel. Her legacy established the foundation on which The Partnership continues to thrive.
Today, under the leadership of Pratt Wiley, the organization has expanded its reach nationally, modernizing its programs and building on its founding principles. What began as a response to crisis has become a model for inclusive excellence—an enduring testament to vision, resilience, and the belief that when professionals of color are empowered to lead, entire communities rise with them.
Over the years, the Partnership has collaborated with more than 500 corporations and supported over 4,600 executives and professionals through leadership development programs. Wiley has not only sustained this legacy but redefined it—broadening the organization’s reach, modernizing its programs, and positioning it as a key force in shaping inclusive corporate cultures nationwide. His vision emphasizes two core missions:
- Empowering professionals of color to lead with authenticity
- Helping companies foster workplaces where diversity thrives
Before joining The Partnership, Wiley built an impressive career at the intersection of law, politics, and public service. A graduate of Georgetown University and Boston College Law School, he began his professional journey as a corporate attorney at Nutter, McClennen & Fish LLP in Boston, advising clients on mergers, acquisitions, and public finance. His legal acumen later propelled him to a national stage when he joined President Barack Obama’s administration as the National Director of Voter Expansion for the Democratic National Committee. In this role, Wiley spearheaded the DNC’s efforts to ensure that every eligible voter could register, vote, and have their ballot counted—a mission rooted in fairness, access, and civic empowerment.
Wiley’s leadership extended beyond electoral policy. His tenure shaped strategies that strengthened voter engagement infrastructures across all 50 states and provided critical support to Democratic candidates, including then-presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. Prior to that, he served as the National Regional Voter Protection Coordinator for Obama for America in 2012, overseeing voting rights operations in key battleground states like Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.
While his career trajectory has taken him from corporate boardrooms to the heart of American democracy, Wiley’s focus remains consistent: building systems that include rather than exclude. Today, as CEO of The Partnership, he continues to champion leadership development that reflects the true fabric of America’s talent. Beyond his organizational role, he serves on the boards of Mass General Hospital, Boston Public Market, the Massachusetts Hospital Association, and the Shady Hill School, and was appointed by Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey to the Governor’s Advisory Council on Black Empowerment.
Pratt Wiley’s story exemplifies what it means to lead with both purpose and vision. Through The Partnership, he is not only shaping the future of executive leadership but also ensuring that future is equitable, inclusive, and representative. His work continues to remind corporate America that diversity is not just a metric—it’s a movement.
If you have attended the Partnership over the years or participated as Corporate partner, please be sure to reach out and thank both Pratt Wiley & Bennie Wiley for their dedication to your success!