Mary T. McDowell

CEO, Mitel; former CEO, Polycom

What is Mary T. McDowell known for?

Mary T. McDowell, born in Chicago, Illinois in 1964, is a notable alumni of Downers Grove South High School. After her high school education, McDowell went on to graduate from the University of Illinois College of Engineering, shaping her future in the technology industry.

McDowell's career blossomed in the tech industry where she's held executive roles in several notable companies. She was a part of Hewlett Packard from 1986 to 2003 and at one point was in charge of its server division. From there, she moved to Nokia where she served as the head of its mobile phone division, overseeing the introduction of innovative products such as Nokia Asha feature phones, Nokia Life Tools, and Nokia Money.

In 2016, she took the helm of Polycom as its CEO, leading a strategic pivot to open ecosystems and acquiring Obihai to bolster the company’s phone and cloud products. After steering Polycom until its sale to Plantronics in 2018, McDowell became the CEO of Mitel, a global business communications provider.

Throughout her career, McDowell has been recognized for her influence and innovation in the tech industry. Some of her accolades include the Distinguished Alumni Award in 2011, World Master of Innovation in 2009, and being named in the Top 10 Women in Wireless in 2008 and Top 20 Women in Technology in 2000. In 2018, she was listed as one of the top 10 women in telecommunications.

Linking to external resources, you can read more about Mary T. McDowell's work at Mitel and her time leading the Polycom organization.

In her personal life, McDowell is married to Kevin Longgino, the CEO of the National Kidney Foundation.