Ursula M. Burns, is an American businesswoman. She was the chair and CEO of VEON from late 2018 to early 2020, a senior advisor to Teneo, and a non-executive director of Diageo since April 2018. She is a member of the board of directors of Uber. In 2009, Burns became CEO of Xerox, the first among black women to be a CEO of a Fortune 500 company, and the first woman to succeed another as head of a Fortune 500 company. Burns served as CEO of Xerox from 2009 to 2016 and Xerox chairwoman from 2010 to 2017. In 2014, Forbes rated her the 22nd most powerful woman in the world. Among other civic positions, she was a leader of the STEM program of the White House from 2009 to 2016, and head of the President's Export Council from 2015 until 2016.
Run, don't walk, to buy this book about the amazing life and career of Ursula Burns, who rose to lead and help save the Fortune 500 company, Xerox. If you're looking for life and business lessons about how to navigate both as a black woman, this book is for you. If you're wondering why girls should study STEM subjects and become engineers in our changing economy, you'll understand why. And if you're ready to be inspired during this difficult time in America, Ursula's story of being a poor immigrant's daughter delivers. - Hillary Rodham Clinton Ursula Burns' journey toward becoming the first Black woman CEO of a Fortune 500 company is fascinating and surprising. And, her views of the corporate landscape as it relates to our personal lives is priceless. Wish I'd had this enlightening memoir at the start of my business career. It's perfect for any person who dreams big and wants more for the world in terms of greater human compassion. - Katrina Adams, author of Own the Arena: Getting Ahead, Making a Difference, and Succeeding as the Only One Often, when we think of big business we think money, power, and product. But, when Ursula Burns speaks of the corporate world she celebrates and brings to light the people-the human component-that makes all things possible. This book is a wonderful tribute to the American worker. - Darren Walker, President of the Ford Foundation With its focus on business and leadership, Burns' writing is refreshingly lucid, crisp, and jargon-free, making readers feel as if in conversation with the author, hearing about her time at Xerox and other fascinating stories, such as her meetings with former President Obama. Readers will find this business memoir through the lens of a Black woman to be both engrossing and eye-opening. - Booklist