Carly Fiorina

Carly Fiorina
Name	Carly Fiorina
Caption	Fiorina in 2015
Birth name	Cara Carleton Sneed
Birth date	6 September 1954
Birth place	Austin, Texas, U.S.
Education	Stanford University (BA), University of California, Los Angeles (JD), University of Maryland, College Park (MBA)
Occupation	Businesswoman, politician
Party	Republican
Spouse	Todd Bartlem, 1985, div, 2024, Frank Fiorina, 1985
Children	2 stepchildren

Carly Fiorina is an American business executive and former political candidate, best known for her tenure as the chief executive officer of Hewlett-Packard and her subsequent campaigns for public office. She was the first woman to lead a Fortune 20 company and later sought the Republican nomination for President of the United States in 2016. Fiorina's career has spanned the Silicon Valley technology sector, corporate governance, and national politics, often positioning her as a prominent voice on economic policy and leadership.

Early life and education

Born Cara Carleton Sneed in Austin, Texas, she is the daughter of Joseph Tyree Sneed III, a federal judge, and Madelon Montross, an abstract expressionist painter. She attended Charles E. Jordan High School in Durham, North Carolina, before enrolling at Stanford University, where she graduated with a degree in medieval history and philosophy. After briefly working as a receptionist at Marcus & Millichap Real Estate, she attended the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law but left to pursue a Master of Business Administration at the University of Maryland.

Business career

Fiorina began her business career as an account executive at AT&T, rising through the ranks to become a senior vice president. She played a key role in the planning and execution of the IPO for the systems and technology unit, which later became Lucent Technologies. In 1999, she was named chief executive officer of Hewlett-Packard, becoming one of the most prominent women in corporate America. Her controversial tenure included the high-profile acquisition of rival Compaq, a move that faced significant opposition from the Hewlett family and shareholders like Walter Hewlett. After a decline in the company's stock price and clashes with the board of directors, she was forced to resign in 2005 with a substantial severance package. She later served on the boards of Revolution Money, the Cyber Threat Alliance, and the CIA's External Advisory Board.

Political career

Following her corporate career, Fiorina turned to politics, serving as an advisor to John McCain during his 2008 presidential campaign and chairing the external advisory board of the Central Intelligence Agency. In 2010, she won the Republican nomination for the United States Senate in California, challenging incumbent Barbara Boxer. The campaign, one of the most expensive Senate races in state history, focused on issues like job creation, federal debt, and health care reform, but she ultimately lost to Boxer. This race established her as a national figure within the GOP.

2016 presidential campaign

Fiorina announced her candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination in May 2015, positioning herself as a political outsider and critic of the Obama administration. Her campaign gained notable momentum after a strong performance in the September 2015 debate, where she criticized frontrunner Donald Trump and detailed her policy positions on national security and deregulation. She suspended her campaign in February 2016 following poor showings in the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary, later becoming a vocal surrogate for Trump and being considered for the vice presidential slot on the ticket.

Post-political activities

Since her presidential run, Fiorina has remained active in public discourse through the Carly Fiorina Enterprises consultancy, her chairmanship of the philanthropic One Woman Initiative, and her role on the board of the Freedom House organization. She is a frequent commentator on Fox News and Fox Business Network, and authored the book *"Find Your Way: Unleash Your Power and Highest Potential."* She also leads the Unlocking Potential Foundation, which focuses on entrepreneurship and leadership development.

Personal life

She married her college sweetheart, Todd Bartlem, in 1977; they divorced in 1984. She married Frank Fiorina, an AT&T executive, in 1985, gaining two stepdaughters. A breast cancer survivor, she has been an advocate for cancer research and served as the national ambassador for the Susan G. Komen foundation. She resides in Northern Virginia and is a member of the Episcopal Church.

Category:American business executives Category:American women in business Category:Republican Party (United States) presidential nominees Category:People from Austin, Texas Category:Living people