MBA Alumni Spotlight: HP CEO Meg Whitman
Meg Whitman has been slaying the business world one corporation at a time. She’s the true definition of a businesswoman who doesn’t play when it comes to her money—and success. She’s currently reigning over Hewlett-Packard Enterprise, but she’s been building her empire for more than 20 years.
And she’s not done.
The CEO of Hewlett-Packard Enterprise set her expectations high from the start. Raised in the wealthy suburbs of Oyster Bay, New York, on Long Island, Whitman has ties to Boston’s elite, reports Business Insider. She eventually left the nest to study at Princeton University. While she initially had interests in medicine, Whitman changed her major to economics, eventually going on to receive her MBA at Harvard Business School.
Her first major gig landed her in Cincinnati in the late ’70s when she joined P&G, a consumer goods corporation. That’s where her feminist leanings truly began to reveal themselves. Whitman learned that the company refused to give female employees company credit cards because it didn’t find it safe for women to travel alone, as Business Insider describes. The lady boss got the company to change that policy. She continues to influence the corporation through its board, on which she sits.
READ MORE: “Top MBA Recruiters: Hewlett-Packard”
From there, it was a wrap. Whitman went on to work for major toy company Hasbro, where she was in charge of the famous Mr. Potato Head, as well as bringing Teletubbies to U.S television. Where Whitman left one of her greatest marks, however, was online retailer eBay. In 10 years, she helped increase the company’s revenue from $4 million to $8 billion, and its employee numbers grew from 30 to 15,000, creating one of the most massive and quick corporate turnarounds in recent memory.
Her hard work there paid off. She moved on to become CEO of Hewlett-Packard in 2011, where she’s transformed the company and even separated it into two entities: Hewlett-Packard Enterprise and HP Inc. That’s where she plans to stay—even amid offers from places like like hyper-valued ride sharing startup Uber. The company was seeking a new CEO, preferably a woman, but she wasn’t interested.
Her time at Hewlett-Packard hasn’t been all sunshine though. She took her role as CEO during turbulent times and was forced to do massive layoffs to salvage the company. The layoffs began in 2012 and continued well into 2015. But making tough decisions is part of what makes Whitman a great leader—at least, in the business world.
Whitman ran for governor of California as a Republican in 2010. Though current politics might show that some people value a leader with a business background Whitman ultimately lost to current Governor Jerry Brown.
Politics may not be her game, but her place in business is abundantly secure. In 2015, she was named 7th overall on Fortune‘s list of highest paid women and 7th on its list of most powerful women. She kept the latter title last year too—and moved up the list when it came to her income. Whitman’s success highlights how far an MBA can take someone, especially women, who aren’t always as welcome in the business world as some of their male colleagues.
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The Best MBA Return on Investment in the Houston Metro
One of the top things an MBA looks for when choosing a business school is the return on investment. Return on investment, or ROI, is one of the most common profitability ratios, and an easy way to determine if an MBA is “worth” your time and money. We took a look at the Houston metro, and ranked the top business schools in the area based on their ROI, comparing average starting salaries with tuition costs. Continue reading…
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The Best York Schulich School of Business Dual MBA Options
Getting a joint degree is a great opportunity, particularly for students who were already planning to pursue higher education in two fields. A dual degree streamlines the process and also saves students’ money and time. Obtaining a dual MBA gives grads the edge of having both business administration experience and extensive industry-specific training when they enter the workforce. This could be of huge benefit to future leaders with management aspirations within a specific field. For those who wish to pursue a dual MBA just half an hour from downtown Toronto, York University’s Schulich School of Business may be just the place. We’ve laid out the dual MBA options for Schulich students.
MBA/JD
Osgoode Hall Law School and Schulich School of Business team up to offer students an opportunity to earn a Master of Business Administration/Juris Doctor. According to U.S. News, getting a JD/MBA may have considerable rewards. The article states that 46 of the Fortune 500 CEOs hold JD degrees. Additionally, having an MBA and a JD affords professionals flexibility should they choose to switch careers. MBA training could also make new lawyers more likely to move up the ladder at their firm, due to leadership and analysis training.
Students with an interest in business law will be pleased by the comprehensive nature of Schulich’s program. This dual degree would shave a year off of the five years it generally takes to earn a JD and an MBA separately. Schulich boasts that this track provides students with the space and resources to, “… learn to manage complexity, ambiguity and change as you examine business and legal issues in a global environment.” B-schoolers who’ve pursued this degree at Schulich have gone on to prestigious careers at companies like Goldman, Sachs & Co. and Stikeman Elliott.
MBA/Financial Engineering
The MBA/Financial Engineering track is an opportunity to earn a concurrent Graduate Diploma in Financial Engineering. Students pursuing this program take courses at Schulich and York University’s Department of Mathematics and Statistics. The combination of an MBA and diploma in Financial Engineering will open doors to fields like derivatives trading and valuation and risk management in banks and investment firms. These degrees will also improve students’ odds of succeeding in financial analysis in brokerage houses, consulting firms and financial institutions. MBA/Financial Engineering students must complete the requirement for the Graduate Diploma within one term of finishing their MBA requirements.
MBA/MFA, MBA/MA
Schulich offers unique joint degrees in either Business Administration and Art. This track is an excellent opportunity for anyone aspiring toward a management career in the culture and arts sectors. Schulich has partnered with the School of the Arts, Media, Performance and Design (AMPD) Graduate Studies to create this noteworthy program, which takes full-time students three years to complete. The MBA/MFA includes education in Visual Arts, Theatre, Film and Dance, whereas the MBA/MA includes Art History, Dance, Music, Film and Theatre Studies. According to Schulich’s website, students with these joint degrees have gone on to achieve titles like Theatre Director, Corporate Communications Manager and VP of Strategy.
