Ursula M. Burns on “living in her head” and rethinking what it meant to be the first Black woman CEO of a Fortune 500 company
Photo-Illustration: by The Cut; Photo: Getty Images In 2009, Ursula M. Burns earned a promotion at Xerox and became the first Black female CEO of a Fortune 500 company. The daughter of a single mother from Panama, Burns went to Brooklyn Polytech, now known as Polytechnic Institute of New York University, and landed her first position as an engineering intern at Xerox in 1980 at the age of 19. She went on to serve as Xerox’s CEO for six years until the company split in two with Conduent Inc.
Do you wish others would stop fixating on the fact that you’re “the first” and just focus on your work? This was also the first time a female CEO succeeded another female CEO. We didn’t catch that one, but it’s also an interesting point. It felt great to become the CEO of Xerox. It felt great to be the first Black female CEO. But I also felt a little bit conflicted. Because for me, it was less about being Black and just about the fact of becoming CEO. Do you know how many people become CEOs? There are 500 Fortune CEOs. It’s a big deal, in and of itself.Slow down and enjoy the moments.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Alan Ruck and Justine Lupe on the “Relentless Delusion” of Connor and WillaThe duo behind 'Succession’s' most delightfully delusional contenders talk about their character arcs, season four power rankings, and the transactional relationships driving the show. Read on here:
Read more »
Europe sounds the alarm over exponential growth of Omicron variantEuropean Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Wednesday that the Omicron variant will likely become the dominant coronavirus strain by mid-January....
Read more »
Russell Brand reflects on 19 years sober: ‘There is hope for all of us’Actor Russell Brand shares inspiring message on 19th anniversary of being sober.
Read more »
‘The Good Boss’ Director Fernando León Reflects on Two Decades Directing Javier BardemThe Spanish Academy surprised some this year when it selected Fernando León de Aranoa’s Javier Bardem-starrer “The Good Boss” (“El buen patrón”) as the country’s submission for this year’s Best Int…
Read more »
Billie Eilish Says Watching Porn Since Age 11 Really 'Destroyed My Brain' - E! OnlineBillie Eilish reflected on how watching pornography for the past eight years has influenced her views on sex, bodies and herself: 'I feel incredibly devastated that I was exposed to so much.'
Read more »