Kelly resigned after confirmed allegations of inappropriate behavior towards women at a charity event hosted in May. Burns is said to immediately take over as active chairwoman with the other co-founder Paul Keary who is taking over as CEO.

Burns has served as the senior advisor of Teneo since her departure from Xerox in 2017. She started with Xerox in 2009, serving as the acting CEO from 2010 through 2016, and as chairwoman of the company until 2017. She is the first black woman to be named CEO of a Forbes Fortune 500 company, leading the company at the time of its largest acquisition ever -the $6.4-billion purchase of Affiliated Computer Services in 2016.

After her time at Xerox, Burns worked at a Netherlands-based telecom company named Veon, where she served as CEO from 2018-2020. She serves actively on the boards of multiple worldwide corporations like Uber and ExxonMobil. Burns has also served as a leader for the STEM-Program at the White House from 2009 to 2016, and as the head of the President’s Export Council in 2015.

Earning a master’s in mechanical engineering from Columbia University and a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from Polytechnic Institute of New York University, Burns has excelled in her field and will now apply her plethora of skills at Teneo.

“I have a deep understanding of the business, the needs of its clients, and a sincere appreciation for all the great Teneo professionals around the world. As chairwoman, I intend to focus on advising and growing Teneo’s clients, as well as continuing to build a world-class firm culture.” said Burns about her new position.

Teneo is headquartered in New York City and has over 30 additional offices spanning across Europe, the Americas, Asia, and the Middle East. The company employs more than 1,250 employees worldwide.