"It’s clear that being an electrical engineer from a top-rated university has been a huge contributor to my successful career. What I have learned is that confidence in being able to solve any problem is the skill that transcends across business areas, jobs, and even industries."

 

Karenann Terrell earned her MSEE from Purdue University in 1988 and her BSEE from the General Motors Institute in 1986. She has been the chief information officer of Baxter International Inc. in Deerfield, Illinois, since April 2006. Terrell is responsible for all of Baxter's global information technology functions, supporting the company’s businesses worldwide, including its sales, manufacturing, science and technology, manufacturing, and supply chain operations. Baxter, through its subsidiaries, assists healthcare professionals and their patients with treatment of complex medical conditions, including cancer, hemophilia, immune disorders, kidney disease, and trauma. Terrell joined Baxter from the DaimlerChrysler Corp., where she most recently served as vice president and chief information officer for the Chrysler Group and Mercedes Benz North America. She also served as director of the eConnect Platform, overseeing e-business activities for the product and consumer side of the Chrysler Group. Terrell also spent 16 years at General Motors where she was responsible for brand development at Cadillac, as well as e-business management. Terrell sits on the board of directors for Women in Technology International and has been recognized as one of the 100 most influential women in the automotive business in 2005 by Automotive News. She also was recognized in the Co-Operative Education Hall of Fame and received the Women's Corporate Technology Award from the American Friends of the Jerusalem College of Technology in 2005. In addition, Terrell is a member of the Chicago Mayor’s Technology Council.