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A native of [[Long Island]], [[New York]], Whitman is a graduate of [[Princeton University]] and [[Harvard Business School]]. Whitman has served as an executive in numerous international companies, including Procter & Gamble, [[The Walt Disney Company]], [[DreamWorks]], and Hasbro in addition to eBay.
A native of [[Long Island]], [[New York]], Whitman is a graduate of [[Princeton University]] and [[Harvard Business School]]. Whitman has served as an executive in numerous international companies, including Procter & Gamble, [[The Walt Disney Company]], [[DreamWorks]], and Hasbro in addition to eBay.


In September 2009 she announced her candidacy for [[Governor of California]], as a [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]. Whitman won the primary on June 8, 2010 after being endorsed by her political mentor [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]], with more than 64% of the vote. She will face former governor [[Jerry Brown]] in the [[California gubernatorial election, 2010|November election]].
In September 2009 she announced her candidacy for [[Governor of California]], as a [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]. Whitman won the primary on June 8, 2010, with more than 64% of the vote. She will face former governor [[Jerry Brown]] in the [[California gubernatorial election, 2010|November election]].


==Early life and education==
==Early life and education==
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==Career==
==Career==
Beginning her career in 1979 as a brand manager at [[Procter & Gamble]] in [[Cincinnati, Ohio]], Whitman later moved on to work as a consultant at [[Bain & Company]]'s San Francisco office. She then rose through the ranks to achieve a senior Vice President position.<ref>{{cite book|title=Organizational behavior|last=Hellriegel, Slocum|first=Don, John W.|publisher=Princeton, N.J. : Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic|year=2008|pages=NA|}}</ref>
Begin

In 1989, Whitman became vice president of strategic planning at [[The Walt Disney Company]] and in 1991, joined [[Stride Rite Corporation]], before becoming president and CEO of [[Florists' Transworld Delivery]] in 1995.<ref>page 56, ''The eBay Phenomenon'' by Elen Lewis publ 2008 by [[Marshall Cavendish]] books</ref>

In January 1997, Whitman joined [[Hasbro]]'s Playskool Division as a General Manager. Here she oversaw global management and marketing of two children's brands, [[Playskool]] and [[Mr. Potato Head]] as well as importing the [[Teletubbies]] into the U.S.<ref name=aware>{{cite book|title=Strategic management: awareness and change|last=John, Frank|first=Thompson Martin|publisher=Cengage Learning EMEA|year=2005|pages=201|isbn=9781844800834}}</ref>

===eBay===
Whitman joined [[eBay]] in March 1998, when it had 30 employees<ref>{{cite news|author=Thomas, Owen|title=eBay founder fact checks John McCain|url=http://valleywag.com/5060675/ebay-founder-factchecks-john-mccain|date=October 8, 2009|work=Valleywag|publisher=Gawker Media|access date=2009-03-04}}</ref> and revenues of approximately $4 million. During her time as CEO, the company grew to approximately 15,000 employees and $8 billion in annual revenue by 2008.<ref>Santa Maria Times. ''Meg Whitman right for job'', ‎Dec 9, 2009‎</ref>Originally, when Whitman had joined eBay, she found the website as a simple black and white webpage with [[Courier (typeface)|courier font]]. On her first day, the site crashed for eight hours.<ref name=arc>{{cite book|title=The arc of ambition: defining the leadership journey|last=Champy, Nohria|first=James, Nitin|publisher=Basic Books|year=1999|pages=95|isbn=9780738201030}}</ref> She believed the site to be confusing and began by building a new executive team.<ref name="aware" /> Whitman organized the company by splitting it into twenty-three business categories. She then assigned executives to each, including some 35,000 subcategories.<ref>{{cite book|title=Managing Now|last=Dessler, Phillips|first=Gary, Jean|publisher=Cengage Learning|year=2007|pages=6|isbn=9780618741632}}</ref> In 2004 Meg Whitman made several key changes in her management team. Jeff Gordon took over [[PayPal]], Matt Bannick took control of international operations and Bill Cobb was placed in control of U.S. operations,<ref>{{cite book|title=Strategic management: competitiveness and globalization|last=Michael, Duane, Robert|first=Hitt, Ireland, Hoskisson|publisher=Cengage South-Western|year=2006|pages=82|isbn=9780324316940}}</ref> which has the colorful U.S. logo, while each international site has its own unique branding.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Official eBay Bible: The Newly Revised and Updated Version of the Most Comprehensive eBay How-To Manual for Everyone from First-Time Users to eBay Experts|last=Griffith|first=Jim|publisher=Penguin Group (USA)|year=2007|pages=257|isbn=9781592403011}}</ref>
[[File:EBay Logo.svg|200px|thumb|left|eBay's logo.]]
Shortly after taking the company [[Initial public offering|public]], Whitman retold how stock for the company would rise 80 points and fall 50 points in a single day. Soon after, Whitman received a call at her eBay office from [[Arthur Levitt, Jr.]], Chairman of the [[U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission]] (SEC). She called in her general counsel and the two sat down and answered the line on speaker phone. Instead of any perceived negative reaction to stock [[Volatility (finance)|volatility]], Levitt was calling to ask about the company going public and was concerned about whether the SEC was customer-friendly. He also discussed his interest in collectible [[Great Depression|Depression era]] glass, post 1929.<ref>{{cite book|title=The world is flat: a brief history of the twenty-first century|last=Friedman|first=Thomas L.|publisher=Picador|year=2007|pages=619|isbn=9780312425074}}</ref>

In June 2007, while preparing for an interview with ''[[Reuters]]'', Whitman allegedly shoved her subordinate, communications employee Young Mi Kim. Of the incident, Whitman related, "In any high-pressure working environment, tensions can surface." Kim also stated, “Yes, we had an unfortunate incident, but we resolved it in a way that speaks well for her and for eBay”.<ref>Mehta, Seema. [http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-0615-whitman-20100615,0,3139793.story Meg Whitman reportedly shoved EBay employee in 2007.] ''Los Angeles Times.'' June 15, 2010.</ref><ref>Stone, Brad. [http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/15/us/politics/15whitman.html?scp=2&sq=whitman&st=cse Settlement Was Paid in Whitman Shoving Incident.] ''[[The New York Times]].'' June 14, 2010.</ref>

Whitman resigned as CEO of eBay in November 2007, but remained on the Board and served as an Advisor to new CEO [[John Donahoe]] until late 2008. She was inducted into the U.S. Business Hall of Fame in 2008. "I've said for some time that 10 years is roughly the right time to stay at the helm at a company like ours", adding that "it's time for new leadership, a new perspective and a new vision", she said in an interview with the ''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]''.<ref>{{cite news|title:Whitman quits eBay CEO post as of March 31|author=Verne Kopytoff|work=San Francisco Chronicle|date=January 24, 2008}}</ref>

===Directorships===
Whitman also served on the board of directors of the eBay Foundation, Procter & Gamble and [[DreamWorks SKG]], until early 2009.<ref name=bio>{{cite web|url=http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/biography/S-Z/Whitman-Meg-1956.html|title=Meg Whitman Business Biography|publisher=Referenceforbusiness.com|date=|access date=2010-05-27}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author=Lifsher, Marc|title=Ex-EBay chief Meg Whitman quits board seats|url=http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-whitman6-2009jan06,0,5142789.story|date=January 6, 2009|work=Los Angeles Times|publisher=Tribune Company|access date=2009-02-22}}</ref> She was appointed to the board of [[Goldman Sachs]] in October, 2001 and then resigned in December 2002, amidst controversy that she had received shares in several [[public offerings]] managed by [[Goldman Sachs]].<ref>{{cite news|author=Bain & Company|title=Meg Whitman joins Goldman Sachs' Board of Directors|url=http://www.bain.dk/bainweb/publications/publications_detail.asp?id=3989&menu_url=publications_results.asp.story|date=October 1, 2001|work=Bain & Company}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author=Kane, Margaret|title=Whitman resigns from Goldman Sachs board|url=http://news.cnet.com/Whitman-resigns-from-Goldman-Sachs-board/2110-1017_3-978561.html.story|date=December 20, 2002|work=cnet.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author=Lance Williams and Carla Marinucci|title=Whitman's fortune entwined with Goldman Sachs|url=http://californiawatch.org/money-and-politics/whitmans-fortune-entwined-goldman-sachs|date=April 10, 2010|work=californiawatch.org}}</ref>

==Political positions==

Whitman was a supporter of former Bain & Company CEO and [[Massachusetts]] Governor Mitt Romney's presidential campaign<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21407008/page/2/|title=MTP transcript for Oct. 21, 2007 - Meet the Press, online at MSNBC - MSNBC.com|publisher=MSNBC|date=2007-10-21|accessdate=2010-05-27}}</ref> in 2008 and was on his National Finance Team.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/03/us/politics/03money.html?ex=1177905600&en=3820b87532ea5dc6&ei=5070|work=The New York Times|title=Romney Reaps $20 Million to Top G.O.P. Rivals|first=David D.|last=Kirkpatrick|date=April 3, 2007|accessdate=May 12, 2010}}</ref> She was also listed as Finance co-chair of Romney's [[exploratory committee]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/candidates/mitt.romney.html|work=CNN|title=Election Center 2008: Candidates - Election & Politics News from CNN.com|accessdate=May 12, 2010}}</ref> However, after Romney stepped out of the race and endorsed McCain, Whitman joined McCain's presidential campaign as a national co-chair.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/News/PressReleases/481e9209-2ea4-4069-ada6-d66b4301f0f9.htm|title=John McCain 2008 - John McCain for President|publisher=Johnmccain.com|date=|accessdate=2010-05-27}}</ref>

McCain mentioned Whitman as a possible [[United States Secretary of the Treasury|Secretary of the Treasury]] during the [[United States presidential election debates, 2008#October 7: Second presidential debate (Belmont University – Nashville townhall)|second presidential debate]] in 2008.<ref>Reuters (2008). [http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE4970PR20081008 McCain, Obama discuss possible Treasury secretary picks]. Retrieved October 8, 2008.</ref>

Whitman has made monetary donations to various candidates and PACs. While these have gone to both [[Republican Party (United States)|Republicans]] and [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrats]], the donations are weighted to Republicans.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newsmeat.com/ceo_political_donations/Meg_Whitman.php|title=Meg Whitman at|publisher=Newsmeat.com|date=2010-05-19|accessdate=2010-05-27}}</ref> Though Whitman has contributed to a few Democrats, including Senator [[Barbara Boxer]]; donating $4,000 to her campaign and serving on the "Friends of Boxer" committee in 2004, she donated more than $225,000.00 during the same period to Republicans, eBay's PAC and to Americans for a Republican Majority, the PAC of former Rep. [[Tom DeLay]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Weigel|first=David|url=http://washingtonindependent.com/62382/meg-whitmans-donations-barbara-boxer-tom-delay|title=Washingtonindependent.com|publisher=Washingtonindependent.com|date=|accessdate=2010-05-27}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Marinucci|first=Carla|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/nov05election/detail?entry_id=48814#ixzz0Wx4GvMLs|title='&#39;San Francisco Chronicle'&#39;|publisher=Sfgate.com|date=2009-10-02|accessdate=2010-05-27}}</ref>

Whitman has emphasized three major areas, job creation, reduced state government spending, and reform of the state's K-12 educational system. She has argued that it is best to start only a few things and finish them, instead of starting a lot of things and finishing few of them.<ref name=McLaughlin-20091116>{{cite news|author=McLaughlin, Ken|title=Campbell takes Silicon Valley in new San Jose State poll|url=http://www.mercurynews.com/california-governors-race-2010/ci_13802741|publisher=San Jose Mercury News|date=November 16, 2009‎|accessdate=December 26, 2009}}</ref>

====Education====
"As governor, Meg will support policies that will not allow undocumented immigrants admission to state-funded institutions of higher education, such as UC, CSU and community colleges."<ref>http://www.megwhitman.com/platform_topic.php?type=immigration&page=1</ref>

Whitman launched a Spanish-language television ad campaign in June of 2010 during the World Cup Soccer Games. One advertisement is quoted by the LA times that "The Latino kids attending public schools in California today will be tomorrow's doctors, engineers, businessmen and teachers."<ref>http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/california-politics/2010/07/meg-whitman-continues-courting-latinos-this-time-with-education-themed-tv-ad.html</ref>

====Environment====
She has said that if elected, on her first day<ref>{{cite news|author=Gardner, Michael|title=Emissions initiative in Whitman's cross hairs|url=http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2009/oct/05/emissions-initiative-whitmans-cross-hairs/|date=October 5, 2009|publisher=San Diego Union Tribune|accessdate=2009-10-05}}</ref> she would suspend AB 32, the [[Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006]], to study its potential economic implications.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2009/sep/24/whitman-says-shed-suspend-8216green8217-initiative/|title=Whitman says she'd suspend 'green' initiative|date=September 24, 2009|publisher=San Diego Union Tribune|accessdate=2009-09-24}}</ref> At the state GOP Convention in March 2010, Whitman described California Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's climate change bill as a "job-killer."<ref>Marinucci, Carla & Garofoli, Joe{{cite news|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/03/14/MNI91CFEOE.DTL&sfgabt=ttmabtctopstories|title=Lots of tough talk at state GOP convention|date=Sunday, March 14, 2010|publisher=San Francisco Chronicle|accessdate=2010-03-15 | first1=Carla | last1=Marinucci | first2=Joe | last2=Garofoli}}</ref> On water issues, Whitman opposes water conservation measures in the [[Central Valley (California)|Central Valley]] and has suggested President Obama should overturn a federal judge's ruling under provisions in the [[Endangered Species Act]].<ref>[http://www.megwhitman.com/story/202/meg-whitman-let-the-water-flow.html], ''Meg Whitman: Let the water flow'', Fresno Bee. June 12, 2009‎</ref>

====Same-sex marriage====
Whitman supported California's [[California Proposition 8 (2008)|Proposition 8]] in 2008, which reversed ''[[In re Marriage Cases]]'' and outlawed same-sex marriage in the state. Whitman believes that the same-sex marriages that took place before the ban should be recognized, and that gay and lesbian couples should be permitted to adopt children.<ref name=Finnegan>{{cite news|author=Finnegan, Michael|title=GOP gubernatorial candidate Whitman outlines stands|url=http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-whitman11-2009feb11,0,5416436.story|date=February 11, 2009|work=Los Angeles Times|publisher=Tribune Company|accessdate=2009-02-22}}</ref> Whitman is a supporter of [[civil union]]s.<ref name=Finnegan />

====Abortion====
She voted in favor of [[California Proposition 4 (2008)|California Proposition 4]], an initiative that requires minors to notify a parent prior to requesting an abortion, except in certain cases. Whitman supports abortion rights, but not late-term abortion. <ref>{{cite news|author=Marinucci, Carla|title=Meg Whitman makes case on how she's different|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/02/12/BACU15SUDJ.DTL|date=February 13, 2009|work=San Francisco Chronicle|publisher=Hearst|accessdate=2009-02-22}}</ref>

====Illegal immigration====
Whitman states that [[Arizona]]'s approach to illegal immigration with [[Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act|Arizona SB 1070]] is wrong and that there are better ways to solve the problem.<ref>{{cite web|title=Steve Poizner and Rival Meg Whitman Square Off|publisher=[[KCBS-TV]]|date=May 2, 2010|url=http://cbs5.com/local/whitman.immigration.law.2.1659532.html|accessdate=2010-05-13}}</ref>

According to Whitman's website, "Meg believes the federal government should complete the construction of the border fence and ensure that adequate resources and manpower are deployed to the Mexican border." "Meg will seek a legislative solution to prevent cities, such as San Francisco, from shielding undocumented immigrants from federal immigration laws." "Modeled after drug seizure raids, Meg will institute a system where state and local law enforcement agencies conduct inspections of workplaces suspected of employing undocumented workers."<ref>http://www.megwhitman.com/platform_topic.php?type=immigration&page=1</ref>

"Meg is 100% opposed to any form of amnesty. As governor, she will advocate for a comprehensive federal immigration solution that secures the border."<ref>http://www.megwhitman.com/platform_topic.php?type=immigration&page=1</ref>

====Marijuana====
Southern California Public Radio states that Whitman's stance on marijuana is relatively new. She said that the legalization of [[Cannabis (drug)|marijuana]] is not what any law enforcement person would suggest for any reason and that "this is the worst idea [she has] ever seen".<ref>{{cite news|title=Meg Whitman to speak in Seal Beach|url=http://www.scpr.org/news/2010/03/16/meg-whitman-speak-seal-beach/}}</ref>

===Voting record===
''[[The Sacramento Bee]]'' reported that Whitman did not vote for 28 years, after reviewing her voting records in California.<ref>[http://www.sacbee.com/capitolandcalifornia/story/2205364.html Meg Whitman's voting record short, sparse] Andrew McIntosh. The Sacramento Bee, September 24, 2009.</ref><ref name="sac_bee_2">[http://www.sacbee.com/capitolandcalifornia/story/2238891.html Whitman registered to vote in San Francisco, Santa Clara County, records show] Andrew McIntosh. The Sacramento Bee, October 8, 2009.</ref> Records uncovered by conservative radio host [[Hugh Hewitt]] countered the claims of the ''[[Sacramento Bee]]'' and resulted in an interview by Hewitt with editor Amy Chance.<ref>{{cite news|author=Hewitt, Hugh|title=Fun With "Journalists": Sacramento Bee Edition|date=October 10, 2009|publisher=The Hugh Hewitt Show|url=http://www.hughhewitt.com/blog/g/47e304a6-47c5-446f-b636-adac7ea09730|accessdate=2009=11-20}}</ref> However, Whitman has described her voting record as "atrocious", apologized for it,<ref name="sac_bee_2"/> and stated that she is happy to discuss the matter.<ref name=Cillizza200910>{{cite news|author=Cillizza, Chris|title=CA-Gov: Whitman Defends Handling of Vote Story|date=October 10, 2009|publisher=The Washington Post|url=http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/governors/ca-gov-whitman-defends-handlin.html|accessdate=2009=10-10}}</ref>

==2010 campaign for California Governor==
{{Main|California gubernatorial election, 2010}}
On September 22, 2009, Whitman announced she would run for governor of California in the 2010 election.<ref>{{cite news|author=Finnegan, Michael|title=Meg Whitman, EBay's former CEO, joins California governor's race|date=February 10, 2009|publisher=Los Angeles Times|url=http://articles.latimes.com/2009/feb/10/local/me-whitman10|accessdate=2009=10-10}}</ref>

Whitman's campaign is largely self-funded. As of June 6, she had spent $81 million, all but about $10 million of it from her own bank account.<ref>{{cite news|author=Collins, Terry|title=Wealthy businesswomen energize Calif. GOP voters|url=http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100608/ap_on_el_ge/us_california_primary|work=Yahoo!News|date=June 8, 2010|accessdate=June 8, 2010}}</ref>

In the summer of 2010 Whitman released a political ad which seemingly contained images of the [[Fail_blog| FAIL Blog]] website, making it appear in the ad as if Jerry Brown had been the subject of one of the website's namesake "fails."<ref name="New York News & Features">[http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2010/06/meg_whitmans_failblog_fail.html], Whitman's fail.</ref> Ben Huh, founder of the Cheezburger Network, of which failblog.org is a part, has demanded an apology and the removal of the video, stating that the image was faked, and that the website is non-partisan and has never endorsed a particular political candidate or party. <ref name="Honesty Fail.">[http://failblog.org/2010/06/25/honesty-fail-2/]</ref> FactCheck.org found that "Meg Whitman's attack ad fails to tell the truth"<ref>[http://factcheck.org/2010/07/jerry-brown-a-legacy-of-failure/]</ref>

==Awards and honors==
Whitman has received numerous awards and accolades. On more than one occasion, named among the Top Five most powerful women by Fortune Magazine .<ref>{{cite news|title=The Power 50|url=http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2007/fortune/0709/gallery.women_mostpowerful.fortune/3.html|work=Fortune Magazine|first1=Katie|last1=Benner|first2=Eugenia|last2=Levinson|first3=Rupali|last3=Arora|access date=May 12, 2010}}</ref>'' [[Harvard Business Review]]'' has named her the eighth-best-performing CEO of the past decade<ref>{{cite news|title=The 100 Best-Performing CEOs in the World|work=Harvard Business Review|date=January, 2010|url=http://hbr.org/web/extras/100ceos/8-whitman|accessdate=2010-01-07}}</ref> as well as having the ''[[Financial Times]]'' name her as one the 50 faces that shaped the decade.<ref>{{cite news|title=Fifty Faces That Shaped The Decade|work=The Financial Times|date=December 16, 2009|url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/32e550e8-efd4-11de-833d-00144feab49a,Authorised=false.html?_i_location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ft.com%2Fcms%2Fs%2F0%2F32e550e8-efd4-11de-833d-00144feab49a.html%3Fnclick_check%3D1&_i_referer=&nclick_check=1|access date=2010-01-07}}</ref>

== Ties to Goldman Sachs ==

Goldman Sachs, whose executives have donated $100,000 to the Whitman campaign as well as other democratic campaigns, manages a part of Whitman's fortune. As CEO of EBay, Whitman earned approximately $1.78 million resulting from a practice known as [[spinning (IPO)]] whereby executives who did business with Goldman Sachs could reap profits by getting early deals before the public on hot IPOs offered by the bank. While Whitman was on Goldman’s board, she served on the compensation committee, which approved multi-million dollar bonus packages for then-CEO [[Henry Paulson]] and his top aides. Public domain documents reveal that Whitman has a multi-million dollar stake in 21 different investment funds managed by Goldman.<ref>{{cite news|author=Lance Williams and Carla Marinucci|title=Whitman's fortune entwined with Goldman Sachs|url=http://californiawatch.org/money-and-politics/whitmans-fortune-entwined-goldman-sachs|date=April 10, 2010|work=californiawatch.org}}</ref> Given Goldman's major investments in California state finances, all these various ties to [[Goldman Sachs]] have led to considerable controversy.<ref>{{cite news|author=Lance Williams and Carla Marinucci|title=Whitman's fortune entwined with Goldman Sachs|url=http://californiawatch.org/money-and-politics/whitmans-fortune-entwined-goldman-sachs|date=April 10, 2010|work=californiawatch.org}}</ref> In response, Whitman has vowed to eliminate any potential conflicts of interest, and has publicly stated that she will immediately sell her Goldman stock and put her Goldman-managed investments in a [[blind trust]] if elected governor.<ref>http://cbs5.com/politics/whitman.goldman.sachs.2.1659766.html</ref><ref>{{cite news|author=Lance Williams and Carla Marinucci|title=Whitman's fortune entwined with Goldman Sachs|url=http://californiawatch.org/money-and-politics/whitmans-fortune-entwined-goldman-sachs|date=April 10, 2010|work=californiawatch.org}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|3}}

==Further reading==
{{cite book|last=Whitman|first=Meg|title=The Power of Many|publisher=Crown|location=San Francisco|year=2010|isbn=9780307591210}}

==External links==
*[http://www.megwhitman.com/ Meg Whitman for Governor] ''official campaign site''
*{{GovLinks | natgov = | followmoney = 139415 | votesmart = 119984 | ontheissues = | nyt = w/margaret_c_whitman | cspan = 58256 | findagrave = }}
*[http://www.forbes.com/2007/03/06/women-billionaires-rich_07billionaires_cz_lk_0308women_slide_10.html?thisSpeed=30000 Billionaire Women We Envy], ''[[Forbes]]'', March 6, 2007
*[http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1945363,00.html Is California Sold on Governor Meg Whitman?], Sheelah Kolhatkar, ''Time Magazine'', December 14, 2009
*[http://spotlight.vitals.com/2010/06/dr-griffith-harsh-celebrates-wife-meg-whitman-winning-gubarnatorial-election/ Meg Whitman Celebrates Gubernatorial Nomination with husband Dr. Griffith Harsh], ''Vitals'', June 9, 2010

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{{s-bef|rows=2|before=[[Jeffrey Skoll]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Chief Executive Officer]] of [[eBay]]|years=1998 – 2008}}
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{{s-ttl|title=[[President]] of [[eBay]]|years=1998 – 2008}}
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{{s-bef|before=[[Arnold Schwarzenegger]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] nominee for [[Governor of California]]|years=[[California gubernatorial election, 2010|2010]]}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Whitman, Meg}}
[[Category:American billionaires]]
[[Category:American chief executives]]
[[Category:American women in business]]
[[Category:California Republicans]]
[[Category:EBay employees]]
[[Category:Female billionaires]]
[[Category:Goldman Sachs people]]
[[Category:Harvard Business School alumni]]
[[Category:People from Long Island]]
[[Category:Princeton University alumni]]
[[Category:Procter & Gamble]]
[[Category:Women in California politics]]
[[Category:1956 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]

[[de:Meg Whitman]]
[[es:Meg Whitman]]
[[fr:Meg Whitman]]
[[mr:मेग व्हिटमन]]
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[[simple:Margaret Whitman]]
[[zh:玛格丽特·惠特曼]]

Revision as of 06:29, 1 August 2010

Meg Whitman
Personal details
Born
Margaret Cushing Whitman

(1956-08-04) August 4, 1956 (age 68)
Cold Spring Harbor, New York, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseGriffith Rutherford Harsh IV
ChildrenGriffith Rutherford Harsh V
William Whitman Harsh
Residence(s)Atherton, California, U.S.
Alma materPrinceton University (B.A.)
Harvard Business School (M.B.A.)
OccupationFormer President and CEO of eBay

Margaret Cushing "Meg" Whitman (born August 4, 1956) is an American businesswoman, author, and political candidate. Whitman is best known for serving as Chief Executive Officer and President of eBay from 1998 to 2008, and served on its board of directors. She is the fourth wealthiest woman in the state of California with a net worth of $1.3 billion in 2010.[1]

A native of Long Island, New York, Whitman is a graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Business School. Whitman has served as an executive in numerous international companies, including Procter & Gamble, The Walt Disney Company, DreamWorks, and Hasbro in addition to eBay.

In September 2009 she announced her candidacy for Governor of California, as a Republican. Whitman won the primary on June 8, 2010, with more than 64% of the vote. She will face former governor Jerry Brown in the November election.

Early life and education

Whitman was born on Long Island, New York, the daughter of Hendricks Hallett Whitman and Margaret (née Goodhue) Whitman.[2][3] She attended Cold Spring Harbor High School in Cold Spring Harbor, New York, graduating after only three years in 1974. She was in the top ten of her class.[4] She had wanted to be a doctor, so she studied physics and mathematics at Princeton University.[citation needed] However, after spending a summer selling advertisements for a magazine, she switched to studying economics,[5] earning a BA with honors in 1978. Whitman then obtained an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1979.[6][7]

Whitman is married to Griffith Harsh IV, a neurosurgeon at Stanford University Medical Center.[8] They have two sons. She has lived in Atherton, California, since March 1998.

Career

Beginning her career in 1979 as a brand manager at Procter & Gamble in Cincinnati, Ohio, Whitman later moved on to work as a consultant at Bain & Company's San Francisco office. She then rose through the ranks to achieve a senior Vice President position.[9]

In 1989, Whitman became vice president of strategic planning at The Walt Disney Company and in 1991, joined Stride Rite Corporation, before becoming president and CEO of Florists' Transworld Delivery in 1995.[10]

In January 1997, Whitman joined Hasbro's Playskool Division as a General Manager. Here she oversaw global management and marketing of two children's brands, Playskool and Mr. Potato Head as well as importing the Teletubbies into the U.S.[11]

eBay

Whitman joined eBay in March 1998, when it had 30 employees[12] and revenues of approximately $4 million. During her time as CEO, the company grew to approximately 15,000 employees and $8 billion in annual revenue by 2008.[13]Originally, when Whitman had joined eBay, she found the website as a simple black and white webpage with courier font. On her first day, the site crashed for eight hours.[14] She believed the site to be confusing and began by building a new executive team.[11] Whitman organized the company by splitting it into twenty-three business categories. She then assigned executives to each, including some 35,000 subcategories.[15] In 2004 Meg Whitman made several key changes in her management team. Jeff Gordon took over PayPal, Matt Bannick took control of international operations and Bill Cobb was placed in control of U.S. operations,[16] which has the colorful U.S. logo, while each international site has its own unique branding.[17]

eBay's logo.

Shortly after taking the company public, Whitman retold how stock for the company would rise 80 points and fall 50 points in a single day. Soon after, Whitman received a call at her eBay office from Arthur Levitt, Jr., Chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). She called in her general counsel and the two sat down and answered the line on speaker phone. Instead of any perceived negative reaction to stock volatility, Levitt was calling to ask about the company going public and was concerned about whether the SEC was customer-friendly. He also discussed his interest in collectible Depression era glass, post 1929.[18]

In June 2007, while preparing for an interview with Reuters, Whitman allegedly shoved her subordinate, communications employee Young Mi Kim. Of the incident, Whitman related, "In any high-pressure working environment, tensions can surface." Kim also stated, “Yes, we had an unfortunate incident, but we resolved it in a way that speaks well for her and for eBay”.[19][20]

Whitman resigned as CEO of eBay in November 2007, but remained on the Board and served as an Advisor to new CEO John Donahoe until late 2008. She was inducted into the U.S. Business Hall of Fame in 2008. "I've said for some time that 10 years is roughly the right time to stay at the helm at a company like ours", adding that "it's time for new leadership, a new perspective and a new vision", she said in an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle.[21]

Directorships

Whitman also served on the board of directors of the eBay Foundation, Procter & Gamble and DreamWorks SKG, until early 2009.[6][22] She was appointed to the board of Goldman Sachs in October, 2001 and then resigned in December 2002, amidst controversy that she had received shares in several public offerings managed by Goldman Sachs.[23][24][25]

Political positions

Whitman was a supporter of former Bain & Company CEO and Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney's presidential campaign[26] in 2008 and was on his National Finance Team.[27] She was also listed as Finance co-chair of Romney's exploratory committee.[28] However, after Romney stepped out of the race and endorsed McCain, Whitman joined McCain's presidential campaign as a national co-chair.[29]

McCain mentioned Whitman as a possible Secretary of the Treasury during the second presidential debate in 2008.[30]

Whitman has made monetary donations to various candidates and PACs. While these have gone to both Republicans and Democrats, the donations are weighted to Republicans.[31] Though Whitman has contributed to a few Democrats, including Senator Barbara Boxer; donating $4,000 to her campaign and serving on the "Friends of Boxer" committee in 2004, she donated more than $225,000.00 during the same period to Republicans, eBay's PAC and to Americans for a Republican Majority, the PAC of former Rep. Tom DeLay.[32][33]

Whitman has emphasized three major areas, job creation, reduced state government spending, and reform of the state's K-12 educational system. She has argued that it is best to start only a few things and finish them, instead of starting a lot of things and finishing few of them.[34]

Education

"As governor, Meg will support policies that will not allow undocumented immigrants admission to state-funded institutions of higher education, such as UC, CSU and community colleges."[35]

Whitman launched a Spanish-language television ad campaign in June of 2010 during the World Cup Soccer Games. One advertisement is quoted by the LA times that "The Latino kids attending public schools in California today will be tomorrow's doctors, engineers, businessmen and teachers."[36]

Environment

She has said that if elected, on her first day[37] she would suspend AB 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, to study its potential economic implications.[38] At the state GOP Convention in March 2010, Whitman described California Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's climate change bill as a "job-killer."[39] On water issues, Whitman opposes water conservation measures in the Central Valley and has suggested President Obama should overturn a federal judge's ruling under provisions in the Endangered Species Act.[40]

Same-sex marriage

Whitman supported California's Proposition 8 in 2008, which reversed In re Marriage Cases and outlawed same-sex marriage in the state. Whitman believes that the same-sex marriages that took place before the ban should be recognized, and that gay and lesbian couples should be permitted to adopt children.[41] Whitman is a supporter of civil unions.[41]

Abortion

She voted in favor of California Proposition 4, an initiative that requires minors to notify a parent prior to requesting an abortion, except in certain cases. Whitman supports abortion rights, but not late-term abortion. [42]

Illegal immigration

Whitman states that Arizona's approach to illegal immigration with Arizona SB 1070 is wrong and that there are better ways to solve the problem.[43]

According to Whitman's website, "Meg believes the federal government should complete the construction of the border fence and ensure that adequate resources and manpower are deployed to the Mexican border." "Meg will seek a legislative solution to prevent cities, such as San Francisco, from shielding undocumented immigrants from federal immigration laws." "Modeled after drug seizure raids, Meg will institute a system where state and local law enforcement agencies conduct inspections of workplaces suspected of employing undocumented workers."[44]

"Meg is 100% opposed to any form of amnesty. As governor, she will advocate for a comprehensive federal immigration solution that secures the border."[45]

Marijuana

Southern California Public Radio states that Whitman's stance on marijuana is relatively new. She said that the legalization of marijuana is not what any law enforcement person would suggest for any reason and that "this is the worst idea [she has] ever seen".[46]

Voting record

The Sacramento Bee reported that Whitman did not vote for 28 years, after reviewing her voting records in California.[47][48] Records uncovered by conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt countered the claims of the Sacramento Bee and resulted in an interview by Hewitt with editor Amy Chance.[49] However, Whitman has described her voting record as "atrocious", apologized for it,[48] and stated that she is happy to discuss the matter.[50]

2010 campaign for California Governor

Main article: California gubernatorial election, 2010

On September 22, 2009, Whitman announced she would run for governor of California in the 2010 election.[51]

Whitman's campaign is largely self-funded. As of June 6, she had spent $81 million, all but about $10 million of it from her own bank account.[52]

In the summer of 2010 Whitman released a political ad which seemingly contained images of the FAIL Blog website, making it appear in the ad as if Jerry Brown had been the subject of one of the website's namesake "fails."[53] Ben Huh, founder of the Cheezburger Network, of which failblog.org is a part, has demanded an apology and the removal of the video, stating that the image was faked, and that the website is non-partisan and has never endorsed a particular political candidate or party. [54] FactCheck.org found that "Meg Whitman's attack ad fails to tell the truth"[55]

Awards and honors

Whitman has received numerous awards and accolades. On more than one occasion, named among the Top Five most powerful women by Fortune Magazine .[56] Harvard Business Review has named her the eighth-best-performing CEO of the past decade[57] as well as having the Financial Times name her as one the 50 faces that shaped the decade.[58]

Ties to Goldman Sachs

Goldman Sachs, whose executives have donated $100,000 to the Whitman campaign as well as other democratic campaigns, manages a part of Whitman's fortune. As CEO of EBay, Whitman earned approximately $1.78 million resulting from a practice known as spinning (IPO) whereby executives who did business with Goldman Sachs could reap profits by getting early deals before the public on hot IPOs offered by the bank. While Whitman was on Goldman’s board, she served on the compensation committee, which approved multi-million dollar bonus packages for then-CEO Henry Paulson and his top aides. Public domain documents reveal that Whitman has a multi-million dollar stake in 21 different investment funds managed by Goldman.[59] Given Goldman's major investments in California state finances, all these various ties to Goldman Sachs have led to considerable controversy.[60] In response, Whitman has vowed to eliminate any potential conflicts of interest, and has publicly stated that she will immediately sell her Goldman stock and put her Goldman-managed investments in a blind trust if elected governor.[61][62]

References

  1. ^ http://www.forbes.com/lists/2010/10/billionaires-2010_Margaret-Whitman_5AW7.html
  2. ^ Certo, Samuel C. (February 15, 2002). Modern management: adding digital focus. Prentice Hall. p. 22. ISBN 9780130670892.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: year (link)
  3. ^ "Meg Whitman to Wed June 7". The New York Times. April 20, 1980. Retrieved May 12, 2010.
  4. ^ Whitman, Hamilton, Meg, Joan (January 2010). The Power of Many: Values for Success in Business and in Life. Crown Publishing Group. p. 75. ISBN 9780307591210.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: year (link)
  5. ^ Lewis, Elen (2008). The Ebay Phenomenon: The Story of a Brand That Taught Millions of Strangers to Trust One Another. Marshall Cavendish. p. 55. ISBN 978-1905736102.
  6. ^ a b "Meg Whitman Business Biography". Referenceforbusiness.com. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |access date= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  7. ^ Carr-Ruffino, Norma (October 2004). The Promotable Woman. Career Press, Incorporated. p. 76. ISBN 9781564147769.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: year (link)
  8. ^ Cohen, Adam (2003). The Perfect Store: Inside EBay. Little, Brown & Company. p. 112. ISBN 9780316164931.
  9. ^ Hellriegel, Slocum, Don, John W. (2008). Organizational behavior. Princeton, N.J. : Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic. pp. NA. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  10. ^ page 56, The eBay Phenomenon by Elen Lewis publ 2008 by Marshall Cavendish books
  11. ^ a b John, Frank, Thompson Martin (2005). Strategic management: awareness and change. Cengage Learning EMEA. p. 201. ISBN 9781844800834.
  12. ^ Thomas, Owen (October 8, 2009). "eBay founder fact checks John McCain". Valleywag. Gawker Media. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |access date= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  13. ^ Santa Maria Times. Meg Whitman right for job, ‎Dec 9, 2009‎
  14. ^ Champy, Nohria, James, Nitin (1999). The arc of ambition: defining the leadership journey. Basic Books. p. 95. ISBN 9780738201030.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  15. ^ Dessler, Phillips, Gary, Jean (2007). Managing Now. Cengage Learning. p. 6. ISBN 9780618741632.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  16. ^ Michael, Duane, Robert, Hitt, Ireland, Hoskisson (2006). Strategic management: competitiveness and globalization. Cengage South-Western. p. 82. ISBN 9780324316940.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  17. ^ Griffith, Jim (2007). The Official eBay Bible: The Newly Revised and Updated Version of the Most Comprehensive eBay How-To Manual for Everyone from First-Time Users to eBay Experts. Penguin Group (USA). p. 257. ISBN 9781592403011.
  18. ^ Friedman, Thomas L. (2007). The world is flat: a brief history of the twenty-first century. Picador. p. 619. ISBN 9780312425074.
  19. ^ Mehta, Seema. Meg Whitman reportedly shoved EBay employee in 2007. Los Angeles Times. June 15, 2010.
  20. ^ Stone, Brad. Settlement Was Paid in Whitman Shoving Incident. The New York Times. June 14, 2010.
  21. ^ Verne Kopytoff (January 24, 2008). San Francisco Chronicle. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help); Text "title:Whitman quits eBay CEO post as of March 31" ignored (help)
  22. ^ Lifsher, Marc (January 6, 2009). "Ex-EBay chief Meg Whitman quits board seats". Los Angeles Times. Tribune Company. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |access date= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  23. ^ Bain & Company (October 1, 2001). "Meg Whitman joins Goldman Sachs' Board of Directors". Bain & Company.
  24. ^ Kane, Margaret (December 20, 2002). "Whitman resigns from Goldman Sachs board". cnet.com.
  25. ^ Lance Williams and Carla Marinucci (April 10, 2010). "Whitman's fortune entwined with Goldman Sachs". californiawatch.org.
  26. ^ "MTP transcript for Oct. 21, 2007 - Meet the Press, online at MSNBC - MSNBC.com". MSNBC. 2007-10-21. Retrieved 2010-05-27.
  27. ^ Kirkpatrick, David D. (April 3, 2007). "Romney Reaps $20 Million to Top G.O.P. Rivals". The New York Times. Retrieved May 12, 2010.
  28. ^ "Election Center 2008: Candidates - Election & Politics News from CNN.com". CNN. Retrieved May 12, 2010.
  29. ^ "John McCain 2008 - John McCain for President". Johnmccain.com. Retrieved 2010-05-27.
  30. ^ Reuters (2008). McCain, Obama discuss possible Treasury secretary picks. Retrieved October 8, 2008.
  31. ^ "Meg Whitman at". Newsmeat.com. 2010-05-19. Retrieved 2010-05-27.
  32. ^ Weigel, David. "Washingtonindependent.com". Washingtonindependent.com. Retrieved 2010-05-27.
  33. ^ Marinucci, Carla (2009-10-02). "''San Francisco Chronicle''". Sfgate.com. Retrieved 2010-05-27.
  34. ^ McLaughlin, Ken (November 16, 2009‎). "Campbell takes Silicon Valley in new San Jose State poll". San Jose Mercury News. Retrieved December 26, 2009. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  35. ^ http://www.megwhitman.com/platform_topic.php?type=immigration&page=1
  36. ^ http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/california-politics/2010/07/meg-whitman-continues-courting-latinos-this-time-with-education-themed-tv-ad.html
  37. ^ Gardner, Michael (October 5, 2009). "Emissions initiative in Whitman's cross hairs". San Diego Union Tribune. Retrieved 2009-10-05.
  38. ^ "Whitman says she'd suspend 'green' initiative". San Diego Union Tribune. September 24, 2009. Retrieved 2009-09-24.
  39. ^ Marinucci, Carla & Garofoli, JoeMarinucci, Carla; Garofoli, Joe (Sunday, March 14, 2010). "Lots of tough talk at state GOP convention". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2010-03-15. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  40. ^ [1], Meg Whitman: Let the water flow, Fresno Bee. June 12, 2009‎
  41. ^ a b Finnegan, Michael (February 11, 2009). "GOP gubernatorial candidate Whitman outlines stands". Los Angeles Times. Tribune Company. Retrieved 2009-02-22.
  42. ^ Marinucci, Carla (February 13, 2009). "Meg Whitman makes case on how she's different". San Francisco Chronicle. Hearst. Retrieved 2009-02-22.
  43. ^ "Steve Poizner and Rival Meg Whitman Square Off". KCBS-TV. May 2, 2010. Retrieved 2010-05-13.
  44. ^ http://www.megwhitman.com/platform_topic.php?type=immigration&page=1
  45. ^ http://www.megwhitman.com/platform_topic.php?type=immigration&page=1
  46. ^ "Meg Whitman to speak in Seal Beach".
  47. ^ Meg Whitman's voting record short, sparse Andrew McIntosh. The Sacramento Bee, September 24, 2009.
  48. ^ a b Whitman registered to vote in San Francisco, Santa Clara County, records show Andrew McIntosh. The Sacramento Bee, October 8, 2009.
  49. ^ Hewitt, Hugh (October 10, 2009). "Fun With "Journalists": Sacramento Bee Edition". The Hugh Hewitt Show. Retrieved 2009=11-20. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  50. ^ Cillizza, Chris (October 10, 2009). "CA-Gov: Whitman Defends Handling of Vote Story". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2009=10-10. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  51. ^ Finnegan, Michael (February 10, 2009). "Meg Whitman, EBay's former CEO, joins California governor's race". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2009=10-10. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  52. ^ Collins, Terry (June 8, 2010). "Wealthy businesswomen energize Calif. GOP voters". Yahoo!News. Retrieved June 8, 2010.
  53. ^ [2], Whitman's fail.
  54. ^ [3]
  55. ^ [4]
  56. ^ Benner, Katie; Levinson, Eugenia; Arora, Rupali. "The Power 50". Fortune Magazine. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |access date= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  57. ^ "The 100 Best-Performing CEOs in the World". Harvard Business Review. January, 2010. Retrieved 2010-01-07. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  58. ^ "Fifty Faces That Shaped The Decade". The Financial Times. December 16, 2009. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |access date= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  59. ^ Lance Williams and Carla Marinucci (April 10, 2010). "Whitman's fortune entwined with Goldman Sachs". californiawatch.org.
  60. ^ Lance Williams and Carla Marinucci (April 10, 2010). "Whitman's fortune entwined with Goldman Sachs". californiawatch.org.
  61. ^ http://cbs5.com/politics/whitman.goldman.sachs.2.1659766.html
  62. ^ Lance Williams and Carla Marinucci (April 10, 2010). "Whitman's fortune entwined with Goldman Sachs". californiawatch.org.

Further reading

Whitman, Meg (2010). The Power of Many. San Francisco: Crown. ISBN 9780307591210.

Business positions
Preceded by Chief Executive Officer of eBay
1998 – 2008 		Succeeded by
President of eBay
1998 – 2008
Party political offices
Preceded by Republican nominee for Governor of California
2010 		Succeeded by
Most recent
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Meg_Whitman&oldid=376551678"