Keynote Speaker

Carly Fiorina, Former CEO of Hewlett-Packard and Smith Alumna

Carly Fiorina worked her way through undergraduate and graduate school and began her business career as a secretary for a small business. She became the first woman to lead a Fortune 20 company, serving as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Hewlett-Packard from 1999 to 2005. She was named Fortune’s Most powerful Woman in Business for six consecutive years.

During her tenure at HP, Carly led the reinvention of this legendary company, tripling its rate of innovation, achieving market leadership, transforming its cost structure and accelerating growth. Despite controversy and opposition, she successfully acquired and integrated Compaq Computer, in what is now seen as the most successful high-tech merger in history. Under her leadership, HP doubled in revenues to $88 Billion and generated 11 patents a day, with significantly improved profitability and cash flow. HP became a leader in every product category and market segment in which it competed.

Carly is politically active. In her own first-time candidacy, she ran against four-term Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer in California in 2010. She currently serves as the Vice-Chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. She served as Republican Victory Chair for John McCain’s presidential run.

Carly is one of the most recognized business leaders in the world and an opinion leader who champions innovation, competitiveness and job creation. She also is actively engaged in policy formulation and philanthropy. Among her many activities, she serves on the Advisory Board of the Foundation for Health Coverage Education. She is a Co-Chair of the US Leadership in Development at the Center for Strategic and International Studies as well as on the Leadership Council of the Initiative for Global Development. She is a founding supporter of the African Leadership Academy and a founder of the One Woman Initiative. She has also served on the Defense Business Board, as the Chairman of the CIA’s External Advisory Board and on the Advisory Group for Transformational Diplomacy for the Department of State. She has been a member of the Boards of Kellogg Company, Cisco Systems, Merck and Taiwan Semiconductor. She is a cancer survivor who openly tells her story, acting as a Global Envoy for Lance Armstrong’s LIVESTRONG organization.

Carly earned her undergraduate degree from Stanford University, an MBA from the University of Maryland and a Masters of Science in Business from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She and her husband Frank live in Virginia and California. They have a daughter and two granddaughters.