TRAILBLAZER
Ursula Burns
CEO , Xerox
For many working mothers , there ’ s still the pressure of trying to ‘ have it all ’: a Facebook-perfect marriage , happy children , a tidy home and Insta-worthy garden , a wide circle of friends , being a regular presence at the gym , and hitting career milestones .
But Ursula Burns , the first Black female CEO of a Fortune 500 company , never understood the pressure .
“ I was not a believer that you had to go to all your kids ’ games . I just don ’ t understand what that ’ s all about ,” she flatly told CNBC . “ It takes a village , and we had the village .” As Burns began to rise up in the business world , her husband , the late Lloyd Bean , retired to be a full-time dad to their two children , Melissa and Malcolm . The family was supported by wider family members , too , allowing Burns to lead Xerox from 2009 to 2016 .
Founded in 1906 , Rochester , New York , Xerox began as a printing service and has since grown to become a leader in digital document products and services . Scientists and engineers at Xerox use augmented reality , robotic process automation , additive manufacturing , Industrial Internet of Things , and cleantech in their work .
Burns is the first African American female CEO of a Fortune 500 company
Ursula ’ s career and supporting STEM students Born and raised on Manhattan ’ s Lower East Side , Burns and her siblings were raised by their Mother , who took on various jobs to earn enough money to pay for their education . At Cathedral High , a Roman Catholic preparatory school , Burns enjoyed maths – something recognised by her teachers .
She then went on to study at the Polytechnic Institute of New York University in Brooklyn and earned a bachelor ’ s degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1980 . At Columbia University , she completed a master ’ s degree in Mechanical Engineering and then joined Xerox as a summer intern for mechanicalengineering . This also paid part of her educational costs .
Once her master ’ s degree was completed , Burns started working at Xerox full time , beginning in product development . By 2000 , she was Senior Vice President of corporate strategic services , where she was able to learn more about global research and product development . In 2007 , Burns became President of Xerox , and CEO in 2009 . That year , then-President Barack Obama appointed Burns to guide the White House National STEM programme , an initiative that
18 April 2023