Ursula Burns Interview: Her Path to Xerox's Top

Ursula Burns recalls growing up in New York City in a housing project on the Lower East Side during the heart of the Civil Rights Movement and describes her mother as extremely impactful. She would tell her “You must leave behind more than you take.” Burns discusses her time as an engineering student, working at Xerox, how she transitioned from the technical to business side of the company, and the defining moments of her career that would eventually lead her to become CEO of Xerox. Corporate chief executive Ursula Burns was born on September 20, 1958 in New York City to Olga Burns. She attended and graduated from Cathedral High School before earning her B.S. degree in mechanical engineering from the Polytechnic Institute of New York in 1980. Burns went on to receive an M.S. degree in engineering from Columbia University in 1981. Burns began her career at Xerox Corporation in 1980 as a mechanical engineering intern. The internship was one facet of a minority education program initiated by the recently-founded Xerox National Black Employee Association. She transitioned into management in 1991 and became executive assistant to Wayland Hicks, then chairman of Xerox. Between 1992 and 1997, Burns served as the vice president and general manager of the Workgroup Copier Business in London. Burns returned to the United States in 1997 and was assigned as the vice president and general manager at Xerox Headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut. In 2001, Burns was appointed senior vice president of the document systems and solutions group, a position she left after one year to become senior vice president of the business group operations. Burns was the first woman to ever be named as the senior vice president of the business group operations; and, in 2007, she was elected president of Xerox. Burns was promoted to CEO two years later, and chairman the following year, making her the first African American woman to head a Fortune 500 Company. After her retirement from Xerox in 2017, Burns was named chairwoman of the Dutch telecommunication services company, VEON, Ltd. The following year she was appointed CEO, holding both positions until June 2020. In June 2021, Burns released her book, Where You Are Is Not Who You Are. From the 2013 PBS Documentary “Makers: Women Who Make America”, examines how women have helped shape America over the past 150 years, striving for a full and fair share of political power and economic opportunity. Subscribe for access to never-before-seen conversations from society’s most inspirational figures, giving insight into the lives and events that shaped our culture and history. Learn more about our work and how to support our mission here: https://www.lifestories.org/. For the latest interviews, series, and films from Life Stories, visit our other channel:    / @lifestoriesinterviews   Follow us on Instagram:   / lifestoriesinterviews   Ursula Burns, CEO of Xerox (2009 to 2016) 00:00 Intro 00:07 Growing up in NYC 05:10 Public housing 07:19 Parents 12:00 Mother 19:12 College 23:45 Finding her voice 28:15 Interest in business 30:03 Career-defining moments 37:19 Working her way up 41:43 Becoming CEO 45:09 Diversity in the Workplace 47:36 Work-life balance 48:51 Q&A ©Kunhardt Productions & McGee Media. All rights reserved. #UrsulaBurns #KunhardtFilmFoundation