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• Meg Whitman was the CEO of the Internet auction site eBay from 1998 until her departure in March 2008. On December 31, 2008, the Republican Whitman resigned from the boards of Ebay, DreamWorks and Procter and Gamble. This helped to fuel speculation that she was preparing to run for the governorship of California.Los Angeles Times: Ex-EBay Chief Meg Whitman quits... (January 6, 2009)

  On February 9, 2009, Whitman announced her intention to run for governor of California in 2010. Whitman was expected to face California insurance commissioner Steve Poizner in the Republican gubernatorial primary.Los Angeles Times: EBay's Whitman to run for California governor (February 9, 2009)

• Fast Facts

  1. Name: Margaret Cushing Whitman
  2. Born: August 4, 1956
  3. Birthplace: Long Island, New York
  4. Companies: Hasbro, eBay, FTD
  5. Political affiliation: Republican
  6. Alma-mater: Princeton University
  7. Net Worth (2007): $1.4 billion
  8. Occupation: formerly CEO of eBay
  9. Spouse: Griffith R. Harsh IV
  10. Co-chair of John McCain's 2008 presidential campaign
  11. Announced candidacy for governor of California on September 22nd, 2009 http://www.megwhitman.com/

• Key Dates

  • 1979: Begins work for Procter & Gamble in Cincinnati
  • 1989: Joins Walt Disney Company as senior vice-president of marketing in Consumer Products Division
  • 1995: eBay founded by Pierre Omidyar
  • 1995: Named CEO of Florists Transworld Delivery (FTD)
  • 1997: Named General Manager of Hasbro Preschool Division
  • 1998: Named CEO of eBay
  • 2005: Named one of "World's Most Influential People" for second year in a row by Time
  • March 17, 2008: Named co-chair of John McCain's presidential campaign
  • September 22, 2009: Announced candidacy for governor of California

• Run for Governor

  After weeks of speculation surrounding her possible political future, Meg Whitman formally announced on February 9, 2009, that she would seek the Republican gubernatorial nomination in 2010.Los Angeles Times: EBay's Whitman to run for California governor (February 9, 2009) In a statement, Whitman said the state of California "faces challenges unlike any other time in its history— a weak and faltering economy, massive job losses, and an exploding state budget deficit. California is better than this, and I refuse to stand by and watch it fail."Bloomberg.com: EBay's Whitman Plans to Run for California Governor (February 9, 2009) Meg officially announced her candidacy on September 22nd 2009 to an audience of 350 people in Fullerton, California.

• Professional Background

  Prior to eBay, Whitman held executive positions at the Walt Disney Company, the flower delivery company FTD, and the toymaker Hasbro.

• eBay

  Whitman's ten-year tenure at at the global auction giant eBay brought the company from obscurity to one of the biggest business phenomenons in the Internet age.

  While at eBay, Whitman engineered the highly profitable acquisition of Internet payments processor Paypal, as well as the not-so-highly-profitable acquisition of online telephone service Skype. Whitman stepped down as the head of eBay on March 31, 2008, leaving the job to John Donahoe, head of the company's auctions division.

• Republican Politics

  In 2008, Whitman campaigned initially for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, but was named co-chair of John McCain's campaign after the Arizona Senator locked up the nomination. Whitman has since been mentioned numerous times as a potential McCain running mate (the candidate chose her as one of the "wise persons" he would consult as president), and will speak at the 2008 Republican Convention.USNews.com: CEO Meg Whitman as Veep? (August 19, 2008)

• Related Pages on Mahalo

  Hasbro | eBay | DreamWorks | Procter and Gamble | John McCain | 2008 Republican Convention | Republican Party | California | Steve Poizner

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