Outgoing Xerox Corp. CEO Ursula Burns was on Hillary Clinton’s shortlist for vice president, according to a March email from Clinton campaign manager John Podesta that was revealed by WikiLeaks.
Podesta reportedly included Burns on a list of what he termed “a first cut of people worth considering.”
Xerox declined comment on the revelation.
Also included on the list were Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders ”“ then still challenging Clinton as Democratic presidential nominee ”“ Microsoft founder Bill Gates, General Motors CEO Mary Barra, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen, and Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, who was named Clinton”™s running mate in July.
Burns announced earlier this year that she would retire as CEO of Xerox following the Norwalk company”™s announced spinoff of business process outsourcing unit Conduent, expected at the end of the year. In 2009, President Barack Obama appointed Burns to help lead the White House national program on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM), and she was appointed chair of the President”™s Export Council in 2015 after having served as its vice chair since 2010.
