Ms. Chao served as the 18th U.S. Secretary of Transportation from January 2017 until January 2021. Prior thereto, she served as the 24th U.S. Secretary of Labor from January 2001 until January 2009, and was the first woman of Asian American & Pacific Islander heritage to serve in a President’s cabinet in history. Previously, Ms. Chao was President and CEO of United Way of America, Director of the Peace Corps and a banker with Citicorp and BankAmerica Capital Markets Group. She earned her M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and has served on a number of Fortune 500 boards. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of ChargePoint Holdings, Inc., which is a new economy technology company in the mobile sector focusing on sustainable and environmentally friendly transportation. In the past five years, she also served as a director of Embark Technology, Inc. and Hyliion Holdings Corp. Recognized for her extensive record of accomplishments and public service, she is also the recipient of 38 honorary doctorate degrees. In her capacity as a director on numerous public boards while out of government, she has advocated for innovation and business transformations. She has also been a director on many private and nonprofit boards, including Harvard Business School Board of Dean’s Advisors and Global Advisory Board, Los Angeles Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games 2028, and a trustee of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
Ms. Chao brings to the Board extensive experience in the public, private and non-profit sectors. In her two cabinet positions, she led high-profile organizations, navigating complex regulatory and public policy environments, and she provides the Board with valuable insight on strategy, logistics, transportation, and workforce issues. Under her leadership, the Department of Labor set up a record number of health and safety partnerships with labor unions. While she was Director of the Peace Corps, she launched the first Peace Corps programs in the newly independent Baltic states and the former republics of the former Soviet Union, including Ukraine. This experience leading social impact at scale is of value to the Board in her role as an independent director and member of the Public Responsibilities Committee. Ms. Chao’s leadership and governance expertise gained from her government service, nonprofits, and public company boards is of value to the Board.
Committees: Corporate Governance and Public Responsibilities