Meg Whitman

Meg Whitman, a seasoned executive in the technology and corporate sectors, brings a wealth of leadership experience from her roles at several top-tier companies. She served as the CEO of eBay from March 1998 to late 2008, where her leadership was instrumental in scaling the company into a global e-commerce leader. Following her success at eBay, Whitman took on the role of CEO at Hewlett-Packard from 2011, driving the company's focus on hardware, software, and services for businesses, and achieving projected annual revenues exceeding $50 billion. Additionally, her executive tenure includes the short-lived role as CEO of Quibi, a short-form streaming platform, from its inception in 2018 until its closure in 2020, and her investment in the eSports organization, Immortals Gaming Club, in 2018.

Whitman's career also extends into various industries beyond technology. Before her high-profile roles, she was the president and CEO of Florists Transworld Delivery (FTD) from 1995 to 1997, where she guided its transformation from a florist-owned association to a for-profit, privately owned company. Her earlier executive positions include serving as the general manager of Hasbro Inc.’s Preschool Division, overseeing global brands like Playskool and Mr. Potato Head, and as president of the Stride Rite Corporation’s Stride Rite Division, where she introduced the Munchkin baby shoe line. Her professional journey began at Procter & Gamble, working in brand management from 1979 to 1981, followed by a tenure at Bain & Company where she was a vice president in their San Francisco office, and a role as senior vice president of marketing for the Disney Consumer Products Division from 1989 to 1992.

Beyond her corporate responsibilities, Whitman has engaged in political and diplomatic arenas. She ran for the governorship of California in 2010 as the first woman to represent the Republican party in this race. Although she did not win, she remained politically active, endorsing Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential campaign and later speaking at the 2020 Democratic National Convention to support Joe Biden. In 2022, she was appointed as the United States Ambassador to Kenya, a role she continues to fulfill. Her leadership and influence have been recognized globally; in 2014, Forbes magazine ranked her 20th on their list of the 100 Most Powerful Women in the World, and the Harvard Business Review named her one of the top-performing CEOs. Whitman also dedicates efforts to philanthropy, focusing on education and environmental causes through her family foundation.