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Carly FiorinaAmerican businessman and politician
Date of Birth: 06.09.1954
Country:  USA |
Content:
- Early Life and Education
- Career in the Tech Industry
- Hewlett-Packard
- Merger with Compaq
- Other Business Ventures and Philanthropy
- Political Career
- California Senate Race
- 2016 Presidential Campaign
- Ted Cruz's Running Mate
- Personal Life
- Awards and Recognition
Early Life and Education
Carly Fiorina was born on September 6, 1954, in Austin, Texas, to Joseph Tyree Sneed III, a law professor at the University of Texas, and Madelon Montross Juergens, an artist. She attended various schools, including one in Ghana, as her family moved due to her father's career advancements. Fiorina began law school at the University of California but dropped out after her first year, much to her father's dismay. She graduated from Stanford University in 1976 with degrees in medieval history and philosophy, and earned an MBA from the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, College Park, in 1980. She also attended the Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Career in the Tech Industry
Fiorina began her career in 1980 with AT&T Communications, where she rose through the ranks from sales representative to executive vice president and CEO of AT&T Long Lines by 1989. From 1989 to 1998, she served as director of North American operations and later executive vice president of Network Systems Corporation. In 1998-1999, she worked for Lucent Technologies.
Hewlett-Packard
In 1999, Fiorina joined Hewlett-Packard as CEO and president. One of her first decisions was to spin off HP's test and measurement equipment division into a separate company. After a successful IPO, this entity became Agilent Technologies. Aiming to transform HP into a pure-play computing and hardware company, Fiorina pursued a $14 billion acquisition of PricewaterhouseCoopers' technology arm, but abandoned the deal due to negative market reaction.
Merger with Compaq
In 2001-2002, under Fiorina's leadership, HP acquired Compaq in a deal worth $25 billion. The acquisition aimed to consolidate the three major IT companies into a single entity. Fiorina remained CEO of HP, overseeing the integration of Compaq. However, her tenure was marked by the dismissal of thousands of former Compaq employees. Compaq ceased to operate as a standalone company by 2005, though the last laptop with the Compaq Presario brand was manufactured in a Chinese HP factory in 2010. Despite the merger, HP's stock price plummeted, profits barely grew, and Dell gained significant market share in the personal computer sector. Critics deemed the merger a failure in terms of increasing HP's market dominance.
Other Business Ventures and Philanthropy
Fiorina served on the board of directors of the World Economic Forum and the advisory board of the Foundation For Health Coverage Education since July 2011. She also held board positions at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd (until December 2009), New York Stock Exchange, Cisco Systems Inc. (since January 2001), Cybertrust (since October 27, 2005), and Revolution Health Group LLC. She was a director of Kellogg Company and Merck.
Fiorina has appeared as a commentator on FOX Business Network and CNBC, and co-chaired the U.S. Leadership in Development program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. She was involved in the Defense Business Board, chaired the Central Intelligence Agency's External Advisory Board, and served on the Department of State's Advisory Group for Transformational Diplomacy.
Political Career
Presidential Campaign of John McCainIn 2008, Fiorina was an advisor on economic issues for Republican presidential candidate John McCain.
California Senate Race
In 2010, Fiorina ran for the U.S. Senate from California as a Republican. She lost to Democratic incumbent Barbara Boxer by a 42% to 52% margin.
2016 Presidential Campaign
In 2015, Fiorina announced her candidacy for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. She highlighted her business experience and criticized the Obama administration's handling of foreign policy. Fiorina also opposed same-sex marriage and supported reducing government regulation. She withdrew from the race in February 2016.
Ted Cruz's Running Mate
In April 2016, Ted Cruz announced that Fiorina would be his running mate in his vice-presidential run. However, Cruz dropped out of the race in May 2016.
Personal Life
Fiorina has been married twice. She has two stepdaughters from her second husband, Frank Fiorina. Her younger stepdaughter, Lori Ann, passed away in 2008 at the age of 35.
Awards and Recognition
Fiorina has received numerous awards and recognitions, including:Honorary Fellowship, London Business School (2001)
Appeal of Conscience Award (2002)
Concern Worldwide "Seeds of Hope" Award (2003)
Private Sector Council Leadership Award (2004)
Ranked as the most powerful woman in business by Fortune magazine (1998-2004)
