Ursula Burns
Ursula Burns | |
---|---|
Born | September 20, 1958 |
Education | Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute (BS) Columbia University (MS) |
Known for | Former CEO of Xerox |
Title | Senior advisor, Teneo |
Board member of | VEON Uber Scratch |
Spouse(s) | Lloyd Bean (died 2019) |
Children | 1 daughter, 1 stepson |
Ursula M. Burns (born September 20, 1958), is an American businesswoman. She was the chair and CEO of VEON from late 2018 to early 2020,[1][2] a senior advisor to Teneo,[3][4]. She is a member of the board of directors of Uber.[5][6][7]
In 2009, Burns became CEO of Xerox, the first among black women to be a CEO of a Fortune 500 company, and the first woman to succeed another as head of a Fortune 500 company.[8][9] Burns served as CEO of Xerox from 2009 to 2016 and Xerox chairwoman from 2010 to 2017.[10][11]
Burns was elected a member of the National Academy of Engineering in 2013 for technical and business leadership of the renaissance of a global services and technology company.
In 2014, Forbes rated her the 22nd most powerful woman in the world.[12] Among other civic positions, she was a leader of the STEM program of the White House from 2009 to 2016, and head of the President's Export Council from 2015 until 2016.[13]
Early life and education[]
Burns was raised by a single mother in the Baruch Houses, a New York city housing project.[8] Both of her parents were Panamanian immigrants. She attended Cathedral High School, a Catholic all-girls school on East 56th Street in New York. She went on to obtain a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering from Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute (now New York University Tandon School of Engineering) in 1980 and a master of science in mechanical engineering from Columbia University a year later.[14][15][16] She has since received additional honorary degrees from New York University,[17] Williams College,[18] the University of Pennsylvania,[19] Howard University,[20] Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute,[21] The City College of New York,[22] Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT),[23] the University of Rochester,[24] Xavier University,[25] and Georgetown University.[26]
Business career[]
Xerox[]
Burns first worked for Xerox as a summer intern in 1980, and permanently joined a year later, after completing her master's degree. She worked in various roles in product development and planning at the company for the remainder of the 1980s.[27] In January 1990, her career took an unexpected turn when Wayland Hicks, then a senior executive, offered Burns a job as his executive assistant. She accepted and worked for him for roughly nine months before returning home because she was about to be married.[28] In June 1991, she then became executive assistant to then chairman and chief executive Paul Allaire. In 1999, she was named vice president for global manufacturing.[27] In May 2000, Burns was named senior vice president of corporate strategic services and began working closely with soon-to-be CEO Anne Mulcahy, in what both women have described as a true partnership. Two years later, Burns became president of business group operations.[29]
In 2007, Burns assumed the role of president of Xerox.[29] In July 2009 she was named CEO, succeeding Mulcahy, who remained as chairwoman until May 2010.[27] The first black woman CEO to head a Fortune 500 company,[8] Burns was also the first woman to succeed another woman as head of a Fortune 500 company.[9] Shortly after being named CEO, Burns led the acquisition of Affiliated Computer Services.[4] While as CEO, Burns was named an International Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2013.[30] In 2016, she led Xerox in a split into two independent companies:[5] Xerox Corporation and Conduent Incorporated.[4] She remained chairwoman and CEO of Xerox through the process, and was then appointed chairwoman of the standalone document technology company.[31] After stepping down from the position in December 2016, Burns was succeeded by Jeff Jacobson. She retained the title of chairwoman of the newly formed document technology company[5] until May 2017, when she left the Xerox board and her role as chairperson.[32]
Public service roles[]
U.S. President Barack Obama appointed Burns to help lead the White House National STEM program in 2009,[33][34] and she remained a leader of the STEM program until 2016.[13] In March 2010 President Obama appointed Burns as vice chair of the President's Export Council,[33][34] which she led from 2015 to 2016.[13]
Board roles[]
Burns has served on numerous boards, including those of Boston Scientific,[14] FIRST, the National Association of Manufacturers, the University of Rochester, the MIT Corporation, the Rochester Business Alliance, and the RUMP Group.[14] She remains a board director of the American Express Corporation,[33][35] Exxon Mobil Corporation,[36] Datto Inc.,[33][37] and Nestlé.[4] In July 2017, it was announced that she would join the board of the beverage company Diageo on April 2, 2018.[5] She joined Teneo as a senior advisor in June 2017.[4] Burns joined the board of directors of Uber in late September 2017.[7] In 2020, she was appointed to the board of directors of Waystar.[38]
Veon[]
In July 2017, Burns was elected chairman of VEON, the world's 11th largest telecoms service provider by subscribers,[1] by its board of directors.[39] With the sudden departure of the CEO in March 2018, she was made executive chairwoman pending a selection process, and in December 2018, she was appointed as CEO.[40]
In February 2020, Kaan Terzioğlu and Sergi Herrero were appointed co-CEOs, succeeding Burns.[41] In June 2020, Gennady Gazin succeeded Burns as chairman.[42]
Diageo[]
Though Burns was announced to be joining Diageo board as a non executive director but Diageo announced on March 2018, that "Burns will not take up her appointment as Non-Executive Director on the Diageo Board" as she has been appointed as interim Executive Chairman of VEON[43]
Community activities[]
Burns provides leadership counsel to community, educational and non-profit organizations including FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), National Academy Foundation, MIT, and the U.S. Olympic Committee, among others.[33][better source needed] She is a founding board director of Change the Equation, which focuses on improving the U.S.'s education system in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).[33][44] She served as vice chairwoman of the executive committee of The Business Council between 2013 and 2014.[45][46] She has delivered the commencement address at universities including Rochester Institute of Technology,[47] MIT,[48] the University of Rochester,[49] Xavier University,[50] Howard University,[51] Williams College,[52] and Georgetown University.[26]
She has been listed multiple times by Forbes as one of the 100 most powerful women in the world. In 2015, she was listed as the 29th.[12] In 2018 she was featured among "America's Top 50 Women In Tech".[53]
In 2016 hacked emails revealed she was on a list of potential candidates for vice president for Hillary Clinton.[54]
Personal life[]
Burns was married to Lloyd Bean (1938–2019), who also worked at Xerox, and they lived in Rochester, New York.[27][55] She has a daughter Melissa (born c. 1992) and a stepson Malcolm (born c. 1989) who attended MIT.[27][56] Burns has been a major donor to McQuaid Jesuit High School in New York.[57]
Memoir[]
Burns published a memoir, Where You Are Is Not Who You Are: A Memoir, in 2021.[58]
See also[]
- List of International Fellows of the Royal Academy of Engineering
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b [1], "VEON names former Xerox CEO Ursula Burns as chairwoman," Reuters, Eric Auchard, July 24, 2017
- ^ Boyadzhieva, Yanitsa (2 June 2020). "Veon settles on new chair, board members". Mobile World Live. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
- ^ "Global leadership". VimpelCom.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e [2], "Ursula M. Burns joins Teneo as Senior Advisor," Teneo, June 28, 2017
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d [3], "Diageo announces appointment to its Board of Directors," Webwire, July 26, 2017
- ^ "VEON shareholders elect new independent Supervisory Board directors". VimpelCom.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Travis Kalanick appoints Ursula Burns, John Thain to Uber's board". techcrunch.com. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c Byrnes, Nanette; Crockett, Roger O. (June 8, 2009). "An Historic Succession At Xerox". Business Week.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Shambora, Jessica (May 22, 2009). "Xerox'snext CEO: Ursula Burns".
- ^ "Xerox's stock price is rising, but it's not what you think". democratandchronicle.com. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
- ^ Johnson, Kandia (2017-01-06). "Ursula Burns Steps Down as XEROX CEO After Company Split". blackenterprise.com. Black Enterprise Magazine. Retrieved 2017-01-10.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "The World's 100 Most Powerful Women". Forbes.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c [4], "Xerox's Ursula Burns: U.S. Businesses Must Embrace Globalization ", US News, Gaby Galvin, May 5, 2017
- ^ Jump up to: a b c "Ursula M. Burns". BlackEntrepreneurProfile.com.
- ^ "Ursula Burns, CEO". Xerox. Retrieved July 28, 2016.
- ^ "Xerox CEO Ursula Burns MS'82 ME to Speak at Class Day". engineering.columbia.edu. Retrieved 2018-01-19.
- ^ [5] "Ursula M. BurnsReceives Honorary Doctorate from NYU," New York University, May 12, 2010
- ^ [6] "Williams College Announces its 2015 Honorary Degree Recipients," Williams College, March 18, 2015
- ^ [7] "Penn's 2013 Commencement Speaker and Honorary Degree Recipients," University of Pennsylvania, March 12, 2013
- ^ ""Recipients of Honorary Degrees and Other University Honors (by year)," Howard University". howard.edu. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
- ^ [8] "Remarks at 2013 Honorary Degree Recipients Dinner," Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, May 2013
- ^ [9] "CCNY Names Top Three for 2015 Commencement Honors," The City College of New York, March 12, 2015
- ^ "Ursula Burns Inspires RIT Graduates to Strive for the 'Unimaginable'". www.rit.edu. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
- ^ "Commencement :: University of Rochester". www.rochester.edu. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
- ^ "Ursula Burns is Xavier University's commencement speaker". nola.com. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Georgetown Announces 2018 Commencement Speakers". www.georgetown.edu. 4 May 2018. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e Bryant, Adam (February 20, 2010). "Xerox's New Chief Tries to Redefine Its Culture". The New York Times.
- ^ "Leading the way: Ursula Burns". London Business School.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Ursula Burns | USOC Board of Directors". Team USA. Retrieved 2016-10-07.
- ^ "60 new Fellows elected to the Academy for 2013". Royal Academy of Engineering. 24 July 2013. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
- ^ [10], "Xerox Names Ursula BurnsChairman of Post-Separation Document Technology Company," Xerox, May 20, 2016
- ^ [11], "Robert Keegan replaces UrsulaBurns as Xerox chairman," Rochester Business Journal, Velvet Spicer, May 24, 2017
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f "Ursula M. Burns, Director since: 2007". Xerox. 2016-08-01. Retrieved 2016-10-07.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Ursula M. Burns". The White House. Retrieved 2018-02-23.
- ^ "AXP Company Profile & Executives - American Express Co. - Wall Street Journal". quotes.wsj.com. Retrieved 2018-02-23.
- ^ "Ursula M. Burns Elected to ExxonMobil Board". ExxonMobil News Releases. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
- ^ "Datto, Inc.: Board of Directors - Bloomberg". www.bloomberg.com. Retrieved 2018-02-23.
- ^ "Waystar Appoints Ursula Burns to Board of Directors". prnewswire.com. Retrieved 29 July 2020.
- ^ [12], "VEON board elects former Xerox CEO Ursula Burns as chairman," Reuters and The Economic Times, July 24, 2017
- ^ Bicheno, Scott (13 December 2018). "Burns officially made Veon CEO at last". Telecoms.com. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
- ^ Burkitt-Gray, Alan (14 February 2020). "New Co-CEOs for Veon as Ursula Burns Rreverts to Chairmanship". Capacity Media. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
- ^ Boyadzhieva, Yanitsa (2 June 2020). "Veon Settles on New Chair, Board Members". Mobile World Live. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
- ^ GmbH, finanzen net. "Diageo Says Ursula Burns Not To Take Up Non-Executive Director Role On Board". markets.businessinsider.com. Retrieved 2021-07-08.
- ^ "Fem Boss: Ursula Burns – Chairman & CEO of Xerox Corporation - Innov8tiv". innov8tiv.com. 27 April 2014. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
- ^ "Dow Chairman and CEO Andrew Liveris Elected Chairman, The Business Council" (Press release). Business Wire. October 19, 2012.
- ^ Press Release: The Dow Chemical Company, Dow Chairman and CEO Andrew Liveris Elected Chairman, The Business Council, Yahoo!, October 19, 2012
- ^ "Xerox President Ursula Burns Selected as RIT's 2009 Commencement Speaker". RIT.edu.
- ^ Turner, Elijah Jordan (November 9, 2010). "Xerox CEO Ursula M. Burns to speak at Commencement". The Tech.
- ^ "Xerox Corporation CEO UrsulaBurns to Address University of Rochester College Commencement". Rochester.edu.
- ^ [13][dead link]
- ^ [14] "Xerox Chairman & CEO Ursula M. Burns to Deliver Howard University 2015 Commencement Address," Howard University, April 23, 2015
- ^ [15] "Ursula M. Burns, Commencement Speaker," Williams College, 2015
- ^ "Anne Aaron". Forbes.
- ^ Seitz-Wald, Alex (October 18, 2016). "Hacked emails reveal 39 names on Clinton's "first cut" VP list". NBC News.
- ^ "Lloyd Bean Obituary - Rochester, NY | Rochester Democrat And Chronicle".
- ^ Alesci, Cristina. "Xerox's Ursula Burns: Business is made for men". CNNMoney. Retrieved 2018-01-19.
- ^ [16], "Major gifts make major difference," Catholic Courier, Mike Latona, August 4, 2014
- ^ "Where You Are Is Not Who You Are: A Memoir". GoodReads.
Further reading[]
- Pendergast, Sara.; Pendergast, Tom; Gale, Thomson (2007). Contemporary Black biography. Volume 60 : profiles from the international Black community. Detroit: Thomson Gale. ISBN 978-1-4144-9766-2. OCLC 170034863.
- Britton, Dana M.; Hetfield, Lisa (2016). Junctures in women's leadership : business. New Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers University Press. ISBN 978-0-8135-6593-4. OCLC 917888397.
External links[]
- "Ursula M. Burns", Black Entrepreneur Profile Website
- Ursula Burns Archived 2015-02-20 at the Wayback Machine Video produced by Makers: Women Who Make America
- Appearances on C-SPAN
- 1958 births
- American people of Panamanian descent
- American technology chief executives
- Columbia School of Engineering and Applied Science alumni
- Directors of Xerox
- Living people
- People from the Lower East Side
- American chief executives of Fortune 500 companies
- African-American women engineers
- African-American engineers
- Xerox people
- American women business executives
- American women chief executives
- Directors of ExxonMobil
- Businesspeople from New York City
- Polytechnic Institute of New York University alumni
- 20th-century American businesspeople
- 20th-century American businesswomen
- 21st-century American businesspeople
- 21st-century American businesswomen
- American chairpersons of corporations
- American corporate directors
- Women corporate directors
- American mechanical engineers
- Engineers from New York (state)
- American women engineers
- Directors of Uber
- Fellows of the Royal Academy of Engineering
- Female Fellows of the Royal Academy of Engineering