Burns Takes Over as New Xerox CEO

Xerox has a new chief executive officer. On July 1, Xerox President Ursula M. Burns replaced Anne M. Mulcahy as CEO, a position she has held since 2001. Burns, 50, an African-American woman who started with Xerox in 1980 as an intern and rose through the ranks, has played an increasingly crucial role in recent years, overseeing the IT organization, corporate strategy, human resources, corporate marketing and global accounts. Still, despite her busy schedule, she found time to speak to in-plants at both the NGPA conference last fall and the 2007 ACUP conference.

Mulcahy, 56, who is credited with turning Xerox around after it came close to bankruptcy, will remain chairman of the Xerox board. During her tenure, Xerox has completely overhauled its product line, launching more than 80 products in the last three years alone.

"It is humbling to follow such a great leader and to serve as CEO of such a great company," says Burns. "I'm grateful for the opportunity and, like Anne, focused on creating value for our customers, our people, our shareholders and our communities."