Hewlett-Packard CFO and Tech Entrepreneur to Speak at Commencements

HP CFO Cathie Lesjak, MBA 86, will speak at the Berkeley MBA commencement May 23, sharing her experiences helping to lead one of the world’s largest tech companies.

Entrepreneur Mark DiPaola, BS 99, chairman and co-founder of inMarket, founder of Vantage Media, and a member of the Dean’s Advisory Circle at Haas, will speak at the Haas undergraduate commencement ceremony will be held Monday, May 19, at 9 a.m.

Their speeches carry on a Haas tradition of inviting distinguished alumni to speak at the commencement of the program from which they graduated.

Cathie Lesjak, MBA 86

Cathie Lesjak will share her career experiences and rise to CFO of Hewlett-Packard at 2 p.m., Friday, May 23.

In her final year at Haas, Lesjak accepted a job in marketing strategy at a grocery store chain. When the chain went private a few months later and eliminated her intended job, she applied for a treasury analyst job at HP.

She joined the company in 1986 and, by 2007, was named CFO. As CFO, she is responsible for the company’s overall financial activities and leads several departments, including finance, treasury, tax, and controllership.

Lesjak also served as interim chief executive officer of HP from August 2010 through October 2010.

In Lesjak’s multiyear journey to turn HP around, she has worked to bring costs in line with the company’s revenue trajectory, and make the required investments for the long term. She’s also focused on a disciplined approach to capital allocation centered on restoring the company’s balance sheet. In February 2014, Lesjak noted “we’ve reignited innovation at HP, and we have strengthened our relationships with customers and channel partners.”

As a 24-year veteran of the company, Lesjak has held a broad range of financial leadership roles across HP.

Before being named CFO, Lesjak served as senior vice president and treasurer, responsible for managing the company’s worldwide cash, debt, foreign exchange, capital structure, risk management, and benefits plan administration.

Earlier in her career at HP, she managed financial operations for Enterprise Marketing and Solutions and the Software Global Business Unit.

Lesjak, who participated in a keynote conversation during the Women in Leadership Conference in 2010 at Haas, has a bachelor’s degree in biology from Stanford University.

Mark DiPaola, BS 99

InMarket Chairman and Co-founder Mark DiPaola will speak at the Haas undergraduate commencement Monday, May 19, at 9 a.m.

DiPaola is a successful entrepreneur who has been involved in several startups. He launched his first “real” company at age 15, which was ultimately purchased by a customer.

In 2010 DiPaola and his brother, Todd, founded inMarket Media, a mobile marketing company based in Venice, Calif., to bring the accountability of digital marketing to the realm of retail. (Todd also received his undergraduate degree from UC Berkeley.)  inMarket partners with retailers and publishers including Conde Nast and Gannett to enable them to deliver useful information to consumers at the right time.

DiPaola previously founded Vantage Media, a startup whose performance-based model simplified the often unruly world of online advertising. In February 2007–8 years after graduating—Mark led the largest Series A funding of any U.S. company in nearly two years, at a valuation of over $150 million.  Today, Vantage Media manages online marketing for more than 2,000 schools and colleges, as well as industry leaders including Netflix and Health Net.

Under Mark’s leadership, Vantage ranked #1 on the Deloitte & Touche list of fastest growing companies in Los Angeles, and #31 in the Inc. 500.  Prior to Vantage, he was a strategy consultant at Monitor Consulting.

An Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Finalist, DiPaola received the 2009 Award for Excellence in Achievement by a Young Alumnus from UC Berkeley.

He is on the board of The Boys and Girls Club of Santa Monica and is an active supporter of Young Entrepreneurs at Haas.

As a member of the Dean’s Advisory Circle, DiPaola joins other recent graduates of all degree programs who work to bring together the Haas School’s next generation of leaders. The Advisory Circle offers the Dean candid feedback on high-level school strategy, program initiatives, and curriculum plans.

Read a Profile of Cathie Lesjak, MBA 86, in CalBusiness Magazine

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