MS’82; Senior Advisor of Teneo Ltd; Chairman and CEO of Veon Ltd (Retired); Chairman and CEO of Xerox Corporation (Retired)

Ursula Burns has extensive international experience in leading large companies that are facing technology sea changes within their industries.

Burns served as Chairwoman of the Board of Xerox Corporation from 2010 to 2017 and as Chief Executive Officer from 2009 to 2016, after being appointed President in 2007. Burns joined Xerox as a summer intern in 1980 and held leadership roles spanning corporate services, manufacturing, and product development. As CEO, she led Xerox’s transformation from a global leader in document technology to a diversified business services company serving enterprises and governments worldwide. Shortly after becoming CEO in 2009, she spearheaded Xerox’s largest acquisition—the $6.4 billion purchase of Affiliated Computer Services.

In 2016, Burns oversaw Xerox’s successful separation into two independent, publicly traded companies: Xerox Corporation, focused on document technology and outsourcing, and Conduent Incorporated, a business process services company. After retiring from Xerox, Burns was appointed Chairwoman of VEON, Ltd. in 2017. She later served as both Chairwoman and CEO from December 2018 to June 2020, guiding the company through critical compliance and restructuring initiatives.

Burns has extensive experience serving on public company boards, including past roles at Nestlé, American Express, Exxon, Waystar, and Endeavor. She is a Founding Partner of Integrum Holdings LP, a private equity firm, and serves as Non-Executive Chairwoman of Teneo Holdings LLC, a global consulting and advisory firm. She also sits on the Board of Directors for Uber Technologies Inc., Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited, and IHS Holding Limited. In addition, Burns serves on several private company boards and provides leadership counsel to prominent community, educational, and non-profit organizations, including the Ford Foundation, the Mayo Clinic, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Corporation, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Appointed by U.S. President Barack Obama, Burns led the White House’s national STEM program from 2009 to 2016 and served as Chair of the President’s Export Council from 2015 to 2016, following her tenure as Vice Chair from 2010 to 2015. She served on the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Advisory Council on Supply Chain Competitiveness as Vice Chair from 2022 to 2024.

Burns holds a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Columbia University and a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Polytechnic Institute of New York University. She is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Royal Academy of Engineering, and the G7 Gender Equity Advisory Council.

Her memoir, "Where You Are Is Not Who You Are," was published in June 2021.