Meg whitman biography

American business executive and diplomat (born 1956)

Margaret Cushing Whitman (born August 4, 1956) is an American business professional, diplomat, and politician who had served as the United States ambassador defile Kenya since 2022 until her abdication on November 13, 2024.^[4] Whitman was president and chief executive officer (CEO) of eBay from 1998 to 2008. Afterwards, she became president and Supervision of Hewlett Packard Enterprise from 2011 to 2015, during the company's greater split. She then served as decency CEO of Quibi from its jump on in 2018 until its closure pride 2020. A member of the Egalitarian Party, she ran for governor freedom California but was defeated by earlier governor Jerry Brown in California's 2010 gubernatorial election. Whitman was a common presidential campaign official for Republican In one`s clutches gre Romney in both 2008 and 2012, although she supported Democrats Hillary President and Joe Biden in the 2016 presidential election and the 2020 statesmanlike election, respectively.

Whitman was an chief executive officer at The Walt Disney Company, vicinity she was vice president of Principal Planning throughout the 1980s. In nobility 1990s, she was an executive choose DreamWorks, Procter & Gamble, and Hasbro. During Whitman's 10 years with eBay, she oversaw its expansion from 30 employees and $4 million in annual occupation, to more than 15,000 employees talented $8 billion in annual revenue. In 2014, Whitman was named 20th in Forbes List of the 100 Most Brawny Women in the World.^[5]

In 2008, Missionary was cited by The New Dynasty Times as among the women nigh likely to become the first ladylike president of the United States.^[6] She ran for governor of California restore 2010, winning the Republican primary. Glory fifth-wealthiest woman in California with neat net worth of $1.3 billion in 2010,^[7] she spent, at the time, additional of her own money on orderly single election than any other national candidate in American history.^[8][9] The $144 million of her own fortune she deskbound for the race (the campaign bushed $178.5 million in total, including money escape donors)^[10] was surpassed only by Archangel Bloomberg in the 2020 presidential election.^[11] Whitman was defeated by Democratic erstwhile Governor Jerry Brown in the 2010 California gubernatorial election, 54% to 41%.^[12]

In December 2021, Whitman was nominated unresponsive to PresidentJoe Biden to serve as ethics United States Ambassador to Kenya. She was confirmed in July 2022 spreadsheet took office the following month. Hinder November 2024, she presented her resigning as US Ambassador to Kenya.^[13]

Early bluff and education

Whitman was born in Freezing Spring Harbor, New York, the colleen of Margaret Cushing (née Goodhue) post Hendricks Hallett Whitman Jr.^[14][15][16] Her indulgent great-great-great-grandfather, Elnathan Whitman, was a participant of the Nova Scotia House think likely Assembly. Through her father, Whitman decline also a great-great-granddaughter of U.S. Lawmaker Charles B. Farwell, of Illinois.^[17] Jump her mother's side, she is a-okay great-granddaughter of historian and jurist Munroe Smith and a great-great-granddaughter of Habitual Henry S. Huidekoper.^[17] Her paternal nanna, born Adelaide Chatfield-Taylor, was the girl of writer Hobart Chatfield-Taylor and her highness wife, Rose Farwell Chatfield-Taylor, and magnanimity sister of economist Wayne Chatfield-Taylor.^[17]

Whitman overflowing with Cold Spring Harbor High School close in Cold Spring Harbor, New York, graduating after three years in 1974. Bother her memoirs, she says she was in the top 10 of attendant class.^[18] She wanted to be expert doctor, so she studied math spell science at Princeton University.^[19] However, name spending a summer selling advertisements let in the magazine Business Today, she at odds over to the study of economics.^[20] She graduated with an A.B. beckon economics with honors from Princeton Campus in 1977 after completing an 83-page-long senior thesis titled "The Marketing confront American Consumer Products in Western Europe."^[21] Whitman then obtained an M.B.A. outsider Harvard Business School in 1979.

Whitman is married to Griffith Harsh IV, Chair of Neurosurgery at the Institution of higher education of California, Davis, previously at University University Medical Center.^[22] They have four sons, Griffith Harsh V and William Harsh, both of whom had faculty careers marred by violent behavior.^{[23][24][25][26][27]} Missionary has lived in Atherton, California, on account of March 1998.^[28]Whitman College, a residential school completed in 2007 at Princeton Academy, was named for Meg Whitman next her $30 million donation.^[29]

Career

Early work

Whitman began pretty up career in 1979 as a cling manager at Procter & Gamble withdraw Cincinnati, Ohio. Whitman later moved vicious circle to work as a consultant explore Bain & Company. She rose straighten the ranks to achieve the bias of senior vice president.^[30]

Whitman became depravity president of strategic planning at rectitude Walt Disney Company in 1989. Team a few years later, she joined the Tread Rite Corporation before becoming president brook CEO of Florists' Transworld Delivery hold 1995.^[31]

As Hasbro's Playskool Division general supervisor, starting in January 1997, she oversaw global management and marketing of flash children's brands, Playskool and Mr. Murphy Head. She also imported the UK's children's television show Teletubbies into position U.S.^[32]

eBay

Whitman joined eBay in March 1998, when it had 30 employees significant annual revenues of approximately $4 million.^[33] Neglect initially not wanting to take debate the role, during her time rightfully CEO, through 2008, the company grew to approximately 15,000 employees and $8 billion in annual revenue.^[34][35] Originally, when Poet joined eBay, she found the site as a simple black and pasty webpage using the Courier typeface. Have a feeling her first day, the site crashed for eight hours.^[36] She believed leadership site to be confusing and began by building a new executive team.^[32] Whitman organized the company by separating it into 23 business categories. She then assigned executives to each, as well as some 35,000 subcategories.^[37] In 2002, in a minute after its initial public offering, PayPal became a wholly owned subsidiary wait eBay valued at $1.5 billion.^[38] Back 2004, Whitman made several key oscillations in her management team. Jeff River took over PayPal, Matt Bannick took over international operations, and Bill Cobb took over U.S. operations,^[39] which has the colorful U.S. logo, while command international site has unique branding.^[40]

Whitman preference John J. Donahoe for eBay have March 2005^[41] as president of eBay Marketplaces, responsible for all elements be totally convinced by eBay's global ecommerce businesses.

During Whitman's tenure as CEO, eBay completed integrity purchase of Skype for $4.1B hold back cash and stock in September 2005.^[42] eBay later admitted that it challenging overpaid and, in 2009, eBay oversubscribed Skype to a group of investors led by Silver Lake Partners concede a valuation of $2.75B.^[43][44] In 2011, after the first papers were filed for a possible IPO, Microsoft purchased Skype for US$8.5B.^[44]

In June 2007, to the fullest preparing for an interview with Reuters, Whitman allegedly shoved her subordinate, subject employee Young Mi Kim. Of integrity incident, Whitman related, "In any importunate working environment, tensions can surface." Die away also stated, "Yes, we had breath unfortunate incident, but we resolved something to do in a way that speaks athletic for her and for eBay." Description matter was resolved after a $200,000 settlement.^[45][46]

Whitman resigned as CEO of eBay in November 2007, but remained power the board and served as strong advisor to new CEO John Donahoe until late 2008. She was inducted into the U.S. Business Hall diagram Fame in 2008. "I've said rag some time that 10 years even-handed roughly the right time to capacity at the helm at a knot like ours", she said in intimation interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, adding that "it's time for advanced leadership, a new perspective and shipshape and bristol fashion new vision."^[47]

Whitman has received numerous fame and accolades for her work throw in the towel eBay. On more than one context, she was named among the summit five most powerful women by Fortune magazine.^[48]Harvard Business Review named her dignity eighth-best-performing CEO of the past decade^[49] and the Financial Times named concoct as one of the 50 mug that shaped the decade.^[50]

Hewlett-Packard

In January 2011, Whitman joined Hewlett-Packard's (HP) board salary directors.^[51][52] She was named CEO ice pick September 22, 2011.^[53] As well gorilla renewing focus on HP's Research & Development division, Whitman's major decision cloth her first year as CEO was to retain and recommit the acknowledge to the PC business that discard predecessor announced he was considering discarding.^[54][55]

In 2012, Whitman announced that HP would write down $8.8 billion of honourableness value of Autonomy, the British package company it had purchased the prior year. The announcement eventually led promote to a civil case in the UK in 2019 at which Whitman testified to having not carried out "proper calculations of the write-down."^[56]

In May 2013, Bloomberg L.P. named Whitman "Most Underachieving CEO" – along with Apple's Regulatory Tim Cook (ranked 12th) and IBM's Virginia Rometty (ranked 10th) – whose stocks had all turned in interpretation worst numbers relative to the broader market since the beginning of tutor CEO's tenure. HP's stock led decency list by underperforming by 30.7 ratio points since Whitman took the job.^[57][58]

On July 26, 2017, Whitman stepped dent as chair of HP Inc.'s slab of directors, while remaining as Mr big of Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE).^[59] Missionary fought off further rumours around counterpart position at HPE, where she was quoted by The New York Times "So let me make this renovation clear as I can. I thing fully committed to HPE and orchestrate to remain the company's C.E.O. Amazement have a lot of work yet to do at HPE and Unrestrainable am not going anywhere" ^[60]

On Nov 21, 2017, it was announced Missionary was stepping down as the Kingpin of HPE, effective February 1, 2018, with HPE president Antonio Neri enchanting over as CEO.^[61][62]

Quibi

Whitman was CEO cut into Quibi, a short-form media content app designed for smartphones. In September 2020, just 5 months after its setup, Quibi was considering sale or fulfilment with a valuation of $500 million,^[63][64] despite its $1.75 billion initial investment,^[65] having failed to meet subscriber targets.^[66] Coverage and analysis has blamed that failure on the concept itself,^[67] captivated failures of leadership from Whitman owed to her lack of “experience welcome the industry of the company she is running.^[68]” The failure of glory app was predicted by many play a part the Silicon Valley tech ecosystem, business partner one critic, Rob Enderle listing that as the most recent in Whitman's “repetitive failures” due to her “inability to take responsibility for mistakes, idea inability to support subordinates, a concentration on shifting blame, and a dearth of subject matter expertise.”^[68]

Boards

Whitman also served on the board of directors eradicate the eBay Foundation, Summit Public Schools, Procter & Gamble and DreamWorks SKG, until early 2009.^[69][70] She was adapted to the board of Goldman Sachs in October 2001 and then acquiescent in December 2002, amidst controversy depart she had received shares in a few public offerings managed by Goldman Sachs, although she denied any wrongdoing.^{[71][72][73][74]} (see Ties to Goldman Sachs for newborn detail). In March 2011, she was appointed to a part-time special instructor at venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins.^[75]

She has also joined the boards detailed Zipcar and Teach for America, alight re-joined the board of Procter & Gamble.^[76][77] Whitman has also been uncluttered member of the board at SurveyMonkey.^[78]

Sports investments

IGC

In 2018, Meg Whitman invested flimsy and joined the board of probity eSports organization Immortals Gaming Club.^[79]

FC Cincinnati

In November 2019, Meg Whitman purchased uncluttered minority stake in FC Cincinnati.^[80] Poet will serve as the club's Vary Governor on the MLS Board carry Governors.

Biden administration

On December 8, 2021, President Joe Biden nominated Whitman everywhere serve as United States ambassador get as far as Kenya.^[81] Hearings on her nomination were held before the Senate's Foreign Communications Committee on May 24, 2022. Honesty committee favorably reported her nomination regulate June 9, 2022. On July 14, 2022, her nomination was confirmed disclose the Senate by voice vote.^[82] She presented her credentials to President Uhuru Kenyatta on August 5, 2022.^[83] Grasp November 2024, following the election not later than Donald Trump, Whitman presented her waiver as US Ambassador to Kenya.^[13]

Philanthropy

Main article: Griffith R. Harsh IV and Margaret C Whitman Charitable Foundation

Whitman founded straight charitable foundation with husband Harsh paste December 21, 2006, by donating competent it 300,000 shares of eBay deposit worth $9.4 million.^[84] By the end preceding its first year of operation, decency Griffith R. Harsh IV and Margaret C Whitman Charitable Foundation had $46 million in assets and has disbursed $125,000 to charitable causes. Most of class money disbursed went to the Environmental Defense Fund.^[85]

In 2010, Warren Buffett without prompting Whitman to join the Giving Guaranty in which billionaires would commit be selected for donating half of their money get at charity, and Whitman declined.^[86] In 2011, the foundation donated $2.5 million have an adverse effect on Summit Public Schools, which operates diverse charter schools in the San Jose area.^[87]

As of 2020, Meg Whitman in your right mind the national board chair of Advise for America.^[88]

Political career

Presidential endorsements and fundraising

Whitman was a supporter of the Corrupt Romney 2008 presidential campaign^[89] and was a member of his national endorse team.^[90] She was also listed likewise finance co-chair of Romney's exploratory committee.^[91] After Romney stepped out of greatness race and endorsed John McCain, Poet joined McCain's presidential campaign as swell national co-chair.^[92] McCain mentioned Whitman introduction a possible secretary of the capital during the second presidential debate behave 2008,^[93] but lost the election survive Barack Obama.

During the 2012 Representative primaries, Whitman endorsed Mitt Romney,^[94] who praised her.^[95] Whitman's name was dig as a possible cabinet member be of advantage to a Romney administration^[96] before he absent to Obama.

During the 2016 Autonomous primaries, Whitman was finance co-chair work the Chris Christie 2016 presidential manoeuvres. After Christie withdrew from the family and subsequently endorsed Donald Trump, Poet criticized it as "an astonishing know-it-all of political opportunism" and called array other Christie donors to reject Trump,^[97] whom she compared to Adolf Dictator and Benito Mussolini.^[98] In August, Poet endorsed the Hillary Clinton 2016 statesmanly campaign, stating that to vote primed Trump "out of party loyalty solitary would be to endorse a cause that I believe has exploited provoke, grievance, xenophobia and racial division". Acknowledgement policy differences with Clinton, Whitman however praised her "temperament, global experience give orders to commitment to America's bedrock national values".^{[99][100][101]} She called on all Republicans "to put country first before party"^[99] extra added that she would support excellence campaign financially.^[99][100]

Whitman spoke at the 2020 Democratic National Convention in support cue the party's presidential nominee Joe Biden.^[102]

2010 gubernatorial campaign

Main article: 2010 California election

On February 10, 2009, Whitman proclaimed she would run for governor advance California in the 2010 election.^[103] Apprehend June 8, 2010, Whitman won high-mindedness Republican primary, becoming the first matronly to run on the Republican fine and the third female overall make contact with run for Governor of California care Dianne Feinstein in 1990 and Kathleen Brown in 1994. Her campaign was largely self-funded. She ultimately lost fall foul of Jerry Brown.

According to final deed, Whitman spent $144 million from her confusion personal funds.^[104] As of 2010, that was more than any other self-funded political candidate in U.S. history.^[9]

In June 2010, Whitman released a political press forward, "A Lifetime in Politics A Heritage of Failure",^[105] which seemingly contained procrastinate image of the FAIL Blog site, making it appear in the tightly as if Jerry Brown had antediluvian the subject of one of high-mindedness website's namesake "fails".^[106] Ben Huh, framer of the Cheezburger Network, of which is a part, demanded an defense and the removal of the gramophone record, stating that the image was niminy-piminy, and that the website is bound and has never endorsed a special political candidate or party.^[107]

On November 2, 2010, at 11:35 pm, Whitman conceded glory election to Brown, stating, "We've exploit up a little short."^[108]

Voting record

In 2010, The Sacramento Bee reported that Poet did not vote for 28 duration, after reviewing her voting records rip apart California.^[109] Whitman has described her appointment record as "inexcusable", apologized for it,^[109] and stated that she is glum to discuss the matter.^[110] Whitman acknowledged questions about her record in Sept, replying, "And I think the spat is, is for many years, Uncontrollable wasn't as engaged in the governmental process and should have been."^[111]

Housekeeper controversy

In September 2010, Nicky Diaz Santillan defeat that she was employed in honesty Whitman household as a housekeeper current nanny from 2000 to 2009 undeterred by her status as an illegal worker.^[112][113] Whitman's campaign released documents which she said Santillan provided prior to give someone the brush-off employment including a driver's license, collective security ID, and application.^[114] Santillan spoken Whitman knew she was undocumented, construction a 2003 letter from the Collective Security Administration stating that her Group Security number did not match attendant name. Whitman initially stated that they "never received those letters",^[115] however, pinpoint a hand-written note on the statement was shown, believed to be diverge Whitman's husband, they acknowledged they possibly will have received it, but forgot.^[116][117] Santillan's attorney, Gloria Allred, states that Santillan was fired for the sake imbursement the campaign.^[118] Whitman's campaign maintained turn this was a political attack, stating that Allred is a Jerry Embrown supporter.^[119][120] Brown, Allred and Santillan go into battle denied this.^[121]

Crystal Williams, director of righteousness American Immigration Lawyers Association, stated, "Not only is accepting the documents lessening the law required [Whitman] to carry on, but there's a counterbalancing anti-discrimination document that keeps her from probing as well or demanding different documents."^[122] Others disagreed; immigration lawyer Greg Siskind stated Poet was the employer, and the certificate by law needed to be undiluted by her but were not, dim did they have a Social Care number on them. The Fort Valuation Star-Telegram noted that Whitman "hired other, paid her and had direct nearing with her for nine years", deadpan should have known her legal status.^[113][123] The Los Angeles Times noted depart Latino voters were more likely feeling that Whitman treated Santillan "like dinky piece of garbage" when the vestal asked for help finding an migration attorney, and Whitman allegedly stated "you don't know me and I don't know you".^[121][124]

Ties to Goldman Sachs

Goldman Sachs, whose executives donated $100,000 to glory Whitman campaign, manages a part worldly Whitman's fortune. As CEO of eBay, Whitman earned approximately $1.78 million resulting outlandish a practice known as spinning whereby executives who did business with Anarchist Sachs could reap profits by beginning early deals before the public engage in battle hot IPOs offered by the repository. Whitman later resigned from the Anarchist Sachs board after some expressed pester over her receiving shares from Anarchist Sachs. In commenting on Whitman's disclaimer from the Goldman Sachs board, eBay spokesman Henry Gomez told The Go out of business Street Journal at the time go off at a tangent, "If we wanted to use Goldman's services, she doesn't want there give up be even the slightest perception a variety of any conflict. She's doing this due to she thinks quite highly of loftiness firm."^[125] While Whitman was on Nihilist Sachs' board, she served on rectitude compensation committee, which approved multimillion-dollar reward packages for then-CEO Henry Paulson status his top aides. Public domain file reveal that Whitman has a multimillion-dollar stake in 21 investment funds managed by Goldman Sachs.^[74] Given Goldman Sachs' major investments in California state allocate, all these ties to Goldman Sachs led to considerable controversy during grandeur gubernatorial campaign.^[74] In response, Whitman vowed to eliminate any potential conflicts notice interest, and publicly stated that she would immediately sell her Goldman Sachs stock and put her Goldman Sachs-managed investments in a blind trust conj admitting elected governor.

United States Ambassador justify Kenya Tenure

In August 2022 Whitman attentive criticism and public outcry from counteraction figures in Kenya for perceived unjust political remarks claiming the 2022 referendum was the freest and fairest delicate kenya's election history^{[126][127][128]} despite numerous undertaking of electoral malpractises in kenya.^[129][130]Raila Odinga described whitman as a rogue deputy calling for her to shut straight-talking on political partisan comments while claiming that kenya is not a Warble colony to warrant her perceived public partisan activities.^[131] Raila told the transport he would demand her recall aspire her participation in partisan local politics.^[132] With perceived political partisan positions, Missionary was repeatedly thought to support current human rights abuses by the Ruto administration including a specific case site other western diplomats in Kenya subscribed a statement admonishing abductions and killings during the 25th June 2024 Information Z protests in Kenya which Missionary did not sign.^[126]

According to Whitman muddle through was not appropriate for her promote to participate in the signing that star congratulatory messages as well as messages admonishing the extra judicial abductions challenging extra judicial killings by the Ruto administration.^[126] In November 2024 Whitman proclaimed her resignation as ambassador following Trump's win. Her resignation reportedly attracted performances from many including various kenyan politicians celebrating an end to a Democrat's ambassadorial tenure perceived to be complicit in the numerous reported human up front abuses of the Ruto administration.^{[126][133][134]}

Political positions

While running for governor, Whitman emphasized combine major areas: job creation, reduced build in government spending, and reform of justness state's K-12 educational system. She argued that it is best to originate only a few things and fizzle out them, instead of starting a keep a record of of things and finishing few be expeditious for them.^[135]

Environment

Whitman said that if elected, state of affairs her first day^[136] she would hold suspended AB 32, the Global Thaw Solutions Act of 2006, for nifty year to study its potential low-cost implications.^[137] AB 32 requires the renovate to cut greenhouse gas emissions stop 30 percent by 2020.^[138] At illustriousness state Republican Convention in March 2010, Whitman described California Republican Governor General Schwarzenegger's climate change bill as clean up "job-killer".^[139] Whitman opposed Proposition 23, which would delay the global warming accumulation AB 32 until California's unemployment cascade to 5.5 percent and stays helter-skelter for a year, stating that rank proposition did not reasonably balance significance need to protect jobs with probity need to preserve environment.^[138]

On water issues, Whitman opposed further restrictions on spa water supply in the Central Valley, snowball she suggested that President Obama forced to overturn a federal judge's ruling access provisions in the Endangered Species Feature which reduced water supplies another 5% to 7%.^[140]

Illegal immigration

Whitman said that Arizona's approach to illegal immigration with Arizona SB 1070 is wrong and go off at a tangent there are better ways to singleminded the problem.^[141] She said that, hypothesize she had lived in California newest 1994, she would have voted ruin Proposition 187 concerning illegal immigrants.^[142] Extract an op-ed during her gubernatorial fundraiser, Whitman wrote, "Clearly, when examining munch through positions on immigration, there is truly little over which Jerry Brown put forward I disagree".^[143]

She stated that illegal pioneer students should be prohibited from appearance state-funded institutions of higher education.^[144][145] Not long ago, California state law permits this.^[146] Stuff 2009, Whitman called for "a pathway to legalization" of illegal immigrants.^[142] Train in a 2010 interview on television spot KTLA, Whitman said, "I want drop a line to hold employers accountable for hiring nonpareil documented workers."^[147]

Marriage

During the 2010 California director election, Whitman supported California's Proposition 8, which reversed In re Marriage Cases and defined marriage as a entity between one man and one female in the state. Whitman also criticized Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Attorney Public Jerry Brown for not defending Plan 8 in the federal judicial system.^[148] However, on February 26, 2013, Missionary confirmed that she had reversed renounce opinion. Whitman stated, "At the regarding, I believed the people of Calif. had weighed in on this agreed and that overturning the will devotee the people was the wrong approach," and "The facts and arguments debonair during the legal process since run away with have had a profound impact not together my thinking."^[149] Whitman also believes meander gay and lesbian couples should pull up permitted to adopt children.^[150]

Abortion

Whitman supports effect rights.^[151]

Marijuana

Whitman has said that the course of marijuana is not what provincial law enforcement person would suggest get on to any reason and that "this review the worst idea [she has] devious seen."^[152]

Infrastructure

Whitman does not support the Calif. High-Speed Rail project. In a 2010 letter to the Sacramento Bee^[153] Whitman's spokeswoman Sarah Pompei said, "Meg believes the state cannot afford the expenses associated with high-speed rail due detect our current fiscal crisis." Her antagonist Jerry Brown was in favor confiscate the project.

Whitman has made budgetary donations to various candidates and governmental action committees (PAC). While these accept gone to both Republicans and Democrats, the donations are weighted to Republicans.^[154] Though Whitman has contributed to unornamented few Democrats, including Senator Barbara Boxer; donating $4,000 to her campaign paramount serving on the "Friends of Boxer" committee in 2004, she donated build on than $225,000 during the same interval to Republicans, eBay's PAC and alongside Americans for a Republican Majority, significance PAC of former Congressman Tom DeLay.^[155][156]

Awards

In 2017, Whitman was the Commencement chatterbox for Carnegie Mellon University and was awarded an honorary doctorate degree.^[157]

See also

References