Ursula Burns

Ursula Burns is an American business executive best known as the former chairman and chief executive officer of Xerox. When she became CEO in 2009, she was widely recognized as the first Black woman to lead a Fortune 500 company, and she later oversaw a major transformation of the company. Her career is frequently cited as a landmark in American corporate leadership.

Early life

Burns was born on September 20, 1958, in New York City and grew up on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, raised by a single mother. She has often spoken about her modest upbringing and the value her family placed on education. She studied mechanical engineering, earning a bachelor's degree from the Polytechnic Institute of New York University and a master's degree from Columbia University.

Career

Burns joined Xerox as a summer intern in the early 1980s and went on to spend her career at the company, rising through engineering and management roles. She took on increasing responsibility in product development and manufacturing operations, becoming known for her direct style and operational focus. In 2007 she was named president of Xerox, positioning her as a likely successor to then-CEO Anne Mulcahy.

In 2009 Burns became chief executive officer of Xerox, a transition notable both for the leadership succession from one woman to another and for her status as the first Black woman to head a Fortune 500 corporation. During her tenure she pursued a strategy that emphasized business services alongside the company's traditional document-technology operations, including a large acquisition aimed at expanding the services segment. She later served as chairman as well, and oversaw the separation of Xerox into two independent companies.

Beyond Xerox, Burns has held prominent roles in public service and on corporate boards. She was appointed by the U.S. government to help lead initiatives promoting science, technology, engineering and mathematics education and to advise on export and competitiveness matters. She has also served on the boards of major corporations.

Recent work

After leaving Xerox, Burns took on leadership at the telecommunications company VEON, where she served as chairman and, for a period, chief executive. She has continued to serve on corporate boards and to speak publicly on leadership, diversity in business and the experiences that shaped her career. She is also the author of a memoir reflecting on her path from the Lower East Side to the top of corporate America, and she remains a frequently referenced figure in discussions of executive leadership and representation.