Founder, Carly Fiorina Enterprises and Unlocking Potential Foundation; Former Presidential Candidate and CEO of HP
Business luminary and leadership expert Carly Fiorina has traveled a diverse professional journey, from secretary to CEO, from public to private, and from for-profit to non-profit. Throughout her robust career have been two constants: leadership and problem solving. Today, Carly is a passionate, articulate advocate for problem-solving, innovation, and effective leadership. She is founder and Chairman of Carly Fiorina Enterprises, which counsels companies to create an equitable workplace culture, build high-performance teams, and teach the fundamentals of leadership, and of Unlocking Potential Foundation, a non-profit organization that invests in human potential by supporting local leaders who are solving problems in their communities and places of work. Carly began her career as a secretary for a nine-person, real-estate business and eventually became the first woman ever to lead a Fortune 50 company. When she was recruited to lead HP in 1999, the industry was facing the worst technology recession in 25 years. Under Carly’s leadership, revenue grew, innovation tripled, growth quadrupled, and HP became the 11th largest company in the U.S. In 2015, Carly launched a campaign for President. Running as a political outsider, she spoke about empowering and engaging citizens to take back government from a political ruling class that has failed to deliver results. During her run, many more Americans came to know her as a clear-eyed, direct leader capable of actually solving problems. In addition to her regular speeches to students, businesses and non-profits, Carly is also a best-selling author. Her titles include Tough Choices and Rising to the Challenge. Her third book, Find Your Way, was published in spring 2019 and documents the path to unleashing one’s own power and highest potential based on Carly’s own personal and profession. Carly and her husband, Frank, have been happily married for 33 years. They reside in northern Virginia near their daughter, son-in-law and two granddaughters.