Kimberly Ayers Shariff is a senior executive, attorney, and organizational strategist with more than two decades of experience leading cultural, media, and nonprofit institutions through periods of transformation and growth. She currently serves as executive vice president, strategy for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Penguin Random House U.S., where she leads the company’s enterprise-wide efforts to foster an inclusive culture and expand opportunities across the publishing ecosystem. She is also a member of the Penguin Random House U.S. Board. Before joining Penguin Random House, Shariff served as chief administrative officer of American Ballet Theatre and previously held leadership roles including deputy general counsel at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. Earlier in her career, she worked at Black Entertainment Television (BET), where she helped support legal and business affairs initiatives, including the company’s merger with Viacom and the establishment of business and legal operations for BET’s New York office. Shariff earned a Bachelor of Arts in sociology and a certificate in African studies from Georgetown University, as well as a Juris Doctor from Tulane University School of Law. She is active in a number of educational and cultural organizations and serves as a mentor and advisor to emerging leaders.

Kimberly was appointed EVP, Strategy for DEI at Penguin Random House in May 2021. In this role at a global book publisher, she is the architect of companywide strategy to advance the creation of books for everyone, by everyone, while fostering a culture in which all feel empowered to participate fully in the process. She is also a member of the U.S. Lead Team.

After graduating from Georgetown University (B.A., Sociology) and Tulane Law School (J.D.), Kimberly spent more than half her career in the nonprofit sector, serving as Deputy General Counsel at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and Chief Administrative Officer at American Ballet Theatre. She began her career in the legal department at Black Entertainment Television, where she established the legal presence at the company’s New York City location following its acquisition by Viacom.

With more than 20 years of legal and operational experience in arts and entertainment, Kimberly has been a midwife for creativity across the spectrum. She draws on her legal, HR, communications, and operations acumen to analyze the infrastructure of complex organizations and implement strategies that enhance operational efficiency while cultivating cultures driven by innovation, artistic integrity, and entrepreneurial spirit.

Alongside her work as a strategist, attorney, and arts executive, Kimberly maintains a multidisciplinary creative practice. A longtime photographer, her celebrity portraiture has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, while her other visual art has been exhibited in New York City and resides in the homes of commission clients across the U.S. Her lifelong engagement with the arts spans fashion, performance, and the creation and celebration of narrative in many forms.

Kimberly serves on multiple nonprofit boards and lives in Manhattan with her husband and two daughters, her beloved and constant sources of inspiration.