Tech thought leader to deliver commencement address
The University of Rochester has invited a thought leader on technology, innovation and leadership to deliver its 168th College commencement address. Margaret Georgiadis, CEO of Mattel Inc., also will be bestowed the University’s George Eastman Medal, which recognizes outstanding achievement and dedicated service.
Georgiadis has been CEO and a member of Mattel’s board since February 2017. She is one of 32 women executives currently leading a Fortune 500 company, and she is the second woman CEO of Mattel, the global leader in learning and development through play which is headquartered in El Segundo, California. As CEO, she is leading Mattel’s rapid transformation into a purpose-driven, digital-first company that uses the power of its global consumer brands to inspire wonder, play and learning in children, especially through an emphasis on science, technology, engineering, art and math.
“I am very happy that Margo has accepted our invitation to speak to the College’s Class of 2018,” said University President Richard Feldman. “Through her leadership, Mattel is reimagining the toy company’s products and redefining its culture to effectively reposition itself in a very competitive and changing industry. She has implemented a new shared mission and set of organizational values to guide this work, which is similar to the initiatives underway at our University. I look forward to her remarks and congratulate her on being an Eastman Medal recipient.”
Before joining Mattel, Georgiadis served as president, Americas, at Google, where she led the company’s commercial operations and advertising sales in the United States, Canada, and Latin America. She also previously served as Google’s vice president of global sales operations, leading technical teams that enabled the successful commercialization of Google’s products and development of new businesses.
Georgiadis was on campus for Meliora Weekend 2017 to participate in a conversation, “Inspiring the Next Generation of Leaders in a World Transformed by Globalization and Technology,” with Wendi Heinzelman, dean of the Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. The discussion focused on how to change the national underrepresentation of women in computer science, and how both Mattel and the University are using emerging technologies to interest young people in science and engineering.
Georgiadis’ address will take place on May 20. Her son, Andreas, will also be a part of the college ceremony. He is a graduating senior set to receive a bachelor’s degree in computer science from the Hajim School.