Padmasree Warrior
Born 1960 · Age 65
Indian-American chemical engineer and technology executive; former CTO of Motorola and Cisco, former CEO of NIO U.S., founder & CEO of Fable; board director at Microsoft and Spotify; prominent advocate for women in technology.
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Life & Career Timeline
Early schooling in Vijayawada
Attended Children's Montessori School and Maris Stella College in Vijayawada (primary/secondary schooling).
Born in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, India
Born Yellepeddi Padmasree into a Telugu family in Vijayawada.
B.Tech in Chemical Engineering, IIT Delhi
Graduated from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi with a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering.
Started 23-year career at Motorola
Began a 23-year tenure at Motorola that would culminate in executive leadership roles.
M.S. in Chemical Engineering, Cornell University
Completed a master's degree in chemical engineering at Cornell University.
Joined Motorola as research engineer
Hired by Motorola as a research engineer; initially the only female engineer in the factory.
General management roles at Motorola (Energy Systems Group)
Served as Corporate Vice-President and General Manager of Motorola's Energy Systems Group (period within Motorola career).
Corporate VP & CTO role in Semiconductor Products Sector
Held the role of Corporate Vice-President and Chief Technology Officer in Motorola's Semiconductor Products Sector (period within Motorola career).
Women Elevating Science & Technology (W.E.S.T.) Award
One of six women nationwide selected to receive the 'Women Elevating Science and Technology' award from Working Woman Magazine.
General Manager of Thoughtbeam product
Immediately prior to becoming Motorola CTO, served as general manager of Thoughtbeam, a Motorola product based in Tempe, Arizona.
Named Motorola Chief Technology Officer (CTO)
Became Motorola's Chief Technology Officer and senior vice-president (January 2003).
Motorola awarded National Medal of Technology (during her tenure)
Under her leadership as CTO, Motorola was awarded the U.S. National Medal of Technology (often referenced as the 2004 medal presented to Motorola during her tenure).
Promoted to Executive Vice-President, Motorola
Promoted within Motorola to Executive Vice-President (2005).
Named 11th Most Influential Global Indian by The Economic Times
Recognized by The Economic Times as the 11th Most Influential Global Indian.
Joined Corning Incorporated board of directors
Served as an external director and board member at Corning Incorporated (service period 2005–2008).
Recognized by Fortune as rising star on Most Powerful Women list
Fortune placed her as one of four rising stars on its Most Powerful Women list (circa 2006).
Inducted into WITI Hall of Fame
Women in Technology International inducted Padmasree Warrior into its Hall of Fame (2007).
Received honorary doctorate from Polytechnic University (NY)
Awarded an honorary doctorate from Polytechnic University (New York) in 2007.
Left Motorola to join Cisco Systems as CTO
Departed Motorola after 23 years and joined Cisco Systems as Chief Technology Officer (announced 4 December 2007).
Left Corning Board
Stepped down from Corning Incorporated's board of directors (reported May 2008).
SVP Engineering & GM Enterprise, Cisco
Held senior operational roles at Cisco including Senior Vice President of Engineering and GM of the Cisco Enterprise segment (timeframe within Cisco tenure).
Named one of 25 Most Influential Women in Wireless by Business Insider
Recognized by Business Insider for influence in wireless industry (2012).
World of Difference Award, International Alliance for Women
Received the World of Difference Award from the International Alliance for Women (2013).
Joined Gap Inc. board of directors
Appointed to the Gap Inc. board (joined in October 2013; served until 2016).
Appointed to Cornell University Board of Trustees
Added to the Cornell University board of trustees (May 28, 2013).
Joined Box board of directors
Became a board member at Box (2014; later left in 2016 after joining Microsoft's board).
Ranked among Forbes' The World's 100 Most Powerful Women
Listed by Forbes as one of the world's 100 most powerful women (noted as #71 in 2014).
Left Cisco Systems
Departed Cisco after serving as CTO/Chief Technology & Strategy Officer (announced mid-2015).
Joined Microsoft board of directors
Appointed as a member of Microsoft's board of directors (December 2015).
Joined NIO Inc. as Board Member and CEO, NIO U.S.
Named a board member of NIO and appointed Chief Executive Officer and Chief Development Officer for NIO U.S. (December 2015).
Named in various industry lists and awards (ongoing recognitions)
Continued to be recognized across media (Forbes multiple years, Fast Company, WSJ '50 Women to Watch', etc.).
Joined Spotify board of directors
Appointed to the board of Spotify (reported by multiple sources around 2017).
Featured among 'America's Top 50 Women In Tech' by Forbes
Recognized by Forbes in its 2018 list of America's Top 50 Women In Tech.
NIO IPO on NYSE (company milestone)
NIO completed an initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange (NYUS:NIO) — company milestone during her tenure on the board.
Resigned from NIO
Stepped down from roles at NIO, resigning in December 2018.
Founded Fable (Founder, President & CEO)
Founded Fable, a curated reading platform focused on mental wellness; became Founder, President and CEO (September 2019).
Public speaking / booked speaker (professional milestone)
Listed widely as a keynote speaker on technology, leadership, mental health and women in tech; speaker fees publicly listed (indicative professional milestone).
Launched Fable app
Fable launched a subscription-based app: book recommendation engine + private social groups aimed at improving cognitive fitness and mental wellness (Jan 2021).
End of Microsoft board tenure (reported)
Mahindra site reports Padmasree served as Microsoft Director 2015–2023 (indicates end of service in 2023).
Ongoing board & advisory roles
Continues to serve on boards/advisory councils including Spotify, Thorn, Joffrey Ballet, Chicago's Museum of Science & Industry, Chicago Mayor's Technology Council and IIT advisory council (dates vary).
Public recognition and legacy (ongoing)
Widely cited in lists (Forbes, Fortune, Fast Company, WSJ) and acts as mentor (State Department International Women Leaders Mentoring Partnership) and advocate for women in STEM.
Keynote at Stanford Directors' College
Delivered a Keynote Perspective session at Stanford Directors' College (Paul Brest Hall, Munger Conference Center, June 26, 2024).
Key Achievement Ages
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