Pat Russo has spent her career in technology industries, working with IBM, AT&T, and Lucent Technologies, among others. She joined the HP board in 2011 where she is the Lead Independent Director and will become Chairman of Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Co. when HP separates into two publicly traded companies in the fall of 2015. She has served on the board of General Motors since 2009 when the company emerged from bankruptcy and where she chairs the Governance committee. She serves on the board of Alcoa where she is the Lead Independent Director and also chairs the Governance committee. She also serves on the board of Merck and KKR Management Company, LLC.

Formerly she was the Chairman and CEO of Lucent Technologies, where she led that company through one of the most challenging periods in the telecommunication sector’s history, returning the company to profitability and growth after the severe telecom industry downturn. Her leadership positioned the company for its strategic merger with Alcatel, a bold move that led the global telecom equipment industry consolidation. She served as CEO of the combined company (Alcatel-Lucent) through the end of 2008. Ms. Russo’s management and leadership experience as chief executive officer and chairman of complex global companies as well as her experience with turnarounds, corporate strategy, mergers and acquisitions, sales and marketing brings important expertise to the oversight and development of the companies on whose board she serves.

She has been recognized numerous times for her business achievements on the Fortune Most Powerful Woman’s list and included as one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People. She is Chairman of the Board of the Partnership for DrugFree Kids, a national non-profit dedicated to preventing drug and alcohol abuse amongst our youth.

She is a graduate of Georgetown University and the Harvard Advanced Management Program. She received an Honorary Doctorate from Stevens Institute of Technology and Columbia College. She is a member of the US Business Council, the New York Economic Club, as well as a Trustee of the Committee for Economic Development.