Ursula Burns

Ursula Burns is an American business executive renowned for her groundbreaking career at the Xerox Corporation, where she became the first Black woman to serve as CEO of a Fortune 500 company. Her leadership spanned a critical period of digital transformation for the historic document technology firm. Burns has since held influential roles on the boards of major corporations like ExxonMobil and Uber, and has been a prominent advocate for STEM education and corporate governance reform.

Early life and education

Ursula Burns was raised in the Baruch Houses, a public housing project on New York City's Lower East Side. Her mother, a Panamanian immigrant, worked various jobs including operating a child care center from their home. Burns attended Cathedral High School, an all-girls Catholic school in Manhattan. She earned a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from the Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute (now part of New York University). She subsequently received a Master of Science in the same field from Columbia University in 1981, having completed a summer internship at Xerox Corporation.

Career at Xerox

Burns joined Xerox as a summer intern in 1980 and began full-time employment in 1981 as a mechanical engineering intern. She held various roles in product development and planning, working on the Xerox 1090 copier and early laser printer projects. In 1990, she transitioned into executive assistant roles, serving as an assistant to Wayne Clough, then head of engineering, and later to Paul Allaire, then Chairman and CEO. This exposure to senior leadership propelled her career; she became vice president for global manufacturing in 1999. Burns played a key role in the pivotal 2000 acquisition of Tektronix's color printing division, which formed the core of Xerox's Phaser product line. She was named senior vice president in 2000, and president of the Business Group Operations in 2002, overseeing global research and development, manufacturing, and supply chain. In 2007, she was promoted to President of Xerox, and succeeded Anne Mulcahy as Chief Executive Officer in July 2009, also assuming the role of Chairman in 2010. Her tenure focused on transforming Xerox into a business process services company, notably through the $6.4 billion acquisition of Affiliated Computer Services in 2010. She led the company until December 2016, overseeing its split into Xerox (document technology) and Conduent (business process services).

Board memberships and corporate leadership

Following her departure from Xerox, Burns expanded her influence through corporate directorships and advisory roles. She served as chairman of the VEON supervisory board and was a senior advisor to Teneo, a global advisory firm. Her significant board positions have included ExxonMobil, where she chaired the Public Issues and Contributions Committee, and Uber Technologies, where she joined the board during a period of major governance overhaul. She has also served on the boards of American Express, Diageo, and the Boston Scientific Corporation. In 2020, she was appointed by President Joe Biden to co-chair the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST). She is also a founding partner of the private equity firm Integrum Holdings.

Philanthropy and public service

Burns is a dedicated advocate for education, particularly in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. She served as chair of the STEM Funders Network and has been a board member of the National Academy Foundation and the University of Rochester. She was a vice chair of the President's Export Council under the Obama administration and served on the White House national program for STEM education. Burns is also a former board member of the Ford Foundation and a life member of the MIT Corporation, the board of trustees of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Her philanthropic focus consistently aligns with creating economic opportunity and advancing diversity and inclusion in corporate America.

Personal life

Burns is married to Lloyd Bean, a former Xerox scientist and executive whom she met at the company. The couple resides in New York City and has two children. She is known for her direct, no-nonsense communication style and is a vocal proponent of meritocracy and personal accountability. In her leisure time, Burns is an avid reader and enjoys spending time with her family.

Category:American business executives Category:African-American businesspeople Category:1958 births Category:Living people