Ursula Burns, CEO
“As I've progressed in my career, I've come to appreciate -- and really value -- the other attributes that define a company's success beyond the P&L: great leadership, long-term financial strength, ethical business practices, evolving business strategies, sound governance, powerful brands, values-based decision-making.” - Ursula Burns, Chairman and CEO
When Burns joined Xerox in 1980 as a mechanical engineering summer intern, the company was the leader in the global photocopying market. As she later assumed roles in product development and planning, the company was securing its leadership position in digital document technologies. From 1992 through 2000, Burns, at a pivotal point in the company’s history, led several business teams including the company’s color business and office network printing business. In 2000, Burns was named senior vice president, Corporate Strategic Services, heading up manufacturing and supply chain operations. Alongside then-CEO Anne Mulcahy, Burns worked to restructure Xerox through its turnaround to emerge as a leader in color technology and document services. A key factor in the company’s turnaround was its research and development of new products and technologies, and at the time Burns was responsible for leading Xerox's global research as well as product development, marketing and delivery. In April 2007, Burns was named president of Xerox, expanding her leadership to also include the company's IT organization, corporate strategy, human resources, corporate marketing and global accounts. At that time, she was also elected a member of the company’s Board of Directors. Burns was named chief executive officer in July 2009 and shortly after, made the largest acquisitions in Xerox history, the $6.4 billion purchase of Affiliated Computer Services, catapulting the company’s presence in the $500 billion business services market and extending the company’s reach into diverse areas of business process and IT outsourcing. On May 20, 2010, Burns became chairman of the company, leading the 140,000 people of Xerox who serve clients in more than 160 countries. Building on Xerox’s legacy of innovation, they’re enabling workplaces – from small businesses to large global enterprises -- to simplify the way work gets done so they can focus more on what matters most: their real business. Burns earned a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering from Polytechnic Institute of NYU and a master of science degree in mechanical engineering from Columbia University. In addition to the Xerox board, she is a board director of the American Express Corporation. Burns also 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. 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). In March 2010, U.S. President Barack Obama appointed Burns vice chair of the President’s Export Council. Ursula Burns in the News"Meet Fortune 500's female powerbrokers", CNN, 8 May 2012 "Career advice from Fortune 500's women CEOs", Fortune, 7 May 2012 “Burns says Xerox will compete for health exchange contracts”, Rochester Democrat & Chronicle, 17 April 2012 Ursula says Xerox is looking to win contracts to build and manage technology for online insurance marketplaces being set up under the U.S. health care overhaul. “Sea of change at Xerox”, Rochester Democrat & Chronicle, 8 April 2012 Xerox CEO Ursula Burns details the services led, technology driven strategy of today’s Xerox in an extensive cover-story interview including on-line video. “The 9 Most Influential Women In Tech, Ranked By PeekYou”, The Huffington Post, 5 April 2012 “Xerox CEO Burns on the rising value of reputation”, Fortune.com (blog) 6 March 2012 Ursula Burns discusses the importance of corporate reputation "Xerox CEO Ursula Burns, Focused on the Core", eWeek 13 February 2012 In an eWEEK cover story Ursula Burns discusses Xerox’s transition to a services provider "Fresh Copy: How Ursula Burns Reinvented Xerox", Fast Company December 2011 / January 2012 Issue Fast Company magazine features Ursula Burns and how her life experience, style, and passion for Xerox shaped the transformation of the company. “Game changer in business and tech: Ursula Burns”, Huffington Post 1 November 2011 Huffington Post video profiles Xerox CEO's success in steering Xerox. Ursula Burns explains why Xerox and ACS make a good fit. “Xerox's Burns on U.S. Economy”, Bloomberg 30 September 2011 Ursula Burns speaking on Bloomberg Television's "Conversations With Judy Woodruff," talks about the outlooks for the U.S. economy and Xerox's growth, President Barack Obama's jobs program and U.S. energy policy. “Xerox CEO's career advice: Listen to your mom”, Fortune 16 August 2011 Fortune Postcards blog features a Patricia Sellers’ interview with Ursula Burns along with video. “Xerox PARC: Still Inventing Cool New Stuff After All These Years”, Forbes.com, 2011 July 1 "Why You Should Care About Xerox", CRN 20 May 2011 Xerox CEO Ursula Burns talks about the new Xerox and her vision for channel partners, including the company’s evolving service offerings and how strategic partnerships are providing more value to VARs "Beyond the copy: Xerox CEO keeps focus on the business process", NPR Marketplace Interview, 18 May 2011 “Leave behind more than you take”, CNNMoney.com, 12 May 2011 “The U.S. is becoming a 'server nation”, CCNNMoney.com, 12 May 2011 “Xerox CEO: Our schools lost focus”, CNNMoney.com, 12 May 2011 “Xerox CEO on U.S. Education“, Bloomberg Television's "Street Smart”, 29 April 2011 “Xerox Delivers”, Barrons Cover Story, 13 September 2010 |
Featured Engagements
Xerox Press Conference at drupa 2012 Leadership highlights from Ursula Burns at the Xerox press conference at drupa 2012 - the world's largest print tradeshow. Moderated interview session with Katie Ledger, former BBC reporter. CES 2012 “Innovation Power Panel” Q&A with Ursula, Ford's CEO and Verizon. Economic Club of Washington Ursula discusses that leaders and policy makers in all sectors have become too satisfied with the status quo. Rather than focus on what can't be done, we all need to exhibit a lot more impatience with "what is" and passion for "what might be." London Business School’s Business Leader Series Q&A with Ursula on career, leadership and transformation Cleveland Clinic’s Annual Medical Innovation Summit “Perspectives from the Top of Industry.” CEO panel moderated by Maria Bartiromo. Churchill Club Ursula and George Colony, Chairman & CEO of Forrester Research, have a candid discussion about innovation, the economy, leadership, recent "aha moments," how they're viewing the market, and more. The Wall Street Journal Viewpoints Breakfast Series Ursula talks with Alan Murray, deputy managing editor for The Wall Street Journal, about the company's transition from a copier company to a document-services company, working with the Obama administration's Export Council and success MIT Sloan School of Management Dean’s Innovative Leader Series Ursula speaks on her career and leadership at the Dean’s Innovative Leader Series which brings to MIT global leaders from the business world to share their experiences with MIT Sloan students and the broader MIT community.
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