Biography Melinda Gates of as a leader in all parts of life, written by Wharton MBA student for a course on leadership from the point of view of the whole person.

1. Hao Nguyen
Melinda
Gates

2. Introduction: Melinda Gates
 An American philanthropist, former Microsoft employee, and wife of Microsoft
founder Bill Gates
 Co-founder of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
 Major accomplishments:
 Successful career at Microsoft as a General Manager for Information products
 International recognized as one of the most powerful women in the world thanks to her
work in philanthropy and global development
 A successful entrepreneur, philanthropist, and mother

3. Biographical sketch
Early life
• Born in a family
with three siblings,
an aerospace
engineer father and
a stay-at-home
mother
• Developed early
interest in
computer
Career at
Microsoft
• Worked at
Microsoft for 9
years
• Achieved a
successful career
from a Product
Manager to
General Manager
for Information
products
Personal life
• Married Bill Gates –
her boss at
Microsoft, after 6
years of dating
• Left job at
Microsoft after
marriage to focus
on starting and
raising her family
• Mother of 3
children
Philanthropy
• Co-founded Bill &
Melinda Gates
Foundation – one
of the largest
charity foundation
in the world
• Focus on global
health, education,
and access to
digital information

4. Four-way win

5. Lessons learnt
 Understand the priorities in each stage of life and act accordingly (e.g. Melinda
left her successful career at Microsoft to focus on starting her family)
 Know your passion and have the determination to pursue it (e.g. her passion in
charitable work)
 If you are passionate about something, get others involved and share that
passion with your family, community and at work
 Smartly leverage the resources and expertise across different domains to
achieve success (e.g. Melinda has incorporated her unique perspective as a woman
and a mother, as well as her experience at Microsoft into her philanthropy work)