By Khalida Sarwari
Former eBay CEO Meg Whitman shared before a crowd of fellow businesswomen at a San Francisco conference Wednesday afternoon four values she said have helped her succeed as an executive and that she plans to draw upon as she tackles California’s crises during her campaign in the upcoming gubernatorial race.
“I’ve lived in California for nearly 28 years. I care deeply about this state,” Whitman said. “I refuse to accept that California can’t be better. I refuse to let California fail.”
Whitman was the keynote speaker at the 20th Annual Conference of the Professional BusinessWomen of California, a nonprofit founded in 1989 by Congresswoman Jackie Speier to provide a forum in which businesswomen from all industries can network and share experiences.
“If you ask me who I am, my first response is, I am my mother’s daughter,” she said. “Mom taught me to dream … to ignore the limits.”
Whitman said the first value her “war mechanic” mother passed down to her was a belief in the goodness of people.
“Ebay is an example of the goodness of people,” she said, explaining the compulsory level of trust that exists between buyer and seller in the delivery of a transaction.
The second value Whitman shared was a belief in the power of listening, adding that “everyone has something to contribute.”
Third, Whitman said, “We have to invest in our relationships.” Here, she credited her former boss Frank Wells, who “taught me to stand up for myself” and husband Griffith for their support.
Finally, Whitman relayed that “nothing is worth doing if it compromises your integrity.”
With these values, Whitman claimed she is hardly daunted by the challenges ahead of her as she embarks on the campaign for governor of a state where “the infrastructure is crumbling, government spending is out of control, and people are suffering.”
“It is unacceptable that we have allowed California’s economy to fall apart,” she said.
Whitman said leadership is desperately needed, especially in the education sector, which ranks 48th in the country.
Society’s greatest gift, Whitman said, is education and knowledge and “California’s failing education system is a stifling barrier.”
“I’m committed to a bright future for the state,” Whitman said.
Whitman announced her decision in February to run for governor in 2010. The 52-year-old enters a Republican primary field with candidates including state Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner, 52, and former Congressman Tom Campbell, 56.
On the Democrats’ side, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, 41, has already hit the campaign trail. Attorney General Jerry Brown, 71, and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, 56, are also rumored to be potential Democratic candidates.