With over 25 years of experience working with cybersecurity, AI, and cloud infrastructure, Mary Yang “has made a significant and positive impact in both corporate and academic spaces,” says Kim Chan, ’92, MBA ’97. Specializing in strategy and corporate development, negotiations, and mergers and acquisitions, Mary has been a growth leader at companies such as Tandberg Inc., Cisco Systems, Nortel Networks, and Ciena. She also serves on the boards of CyberArk, a global leader in identity security, and Sunnova Energy, a leading residential solar and energy storage service provider.
In 2023, Mary was elected to the Board of Trustees of Palo Alto University, a leading institution in the field of psychology, where she contributes to the Finance and Innovation Committees. “Her work has been instrumental in developing policies to support faculty-driven startups and advance the university’s mission,” explains Kim. “Through her leadership and advocacy, Mary has helped drive positive change in both the corporate world and the mental health space.”
A quadruple degree-holder from Stanford, including a BA, a master’s from Stanford University School of Engineering, a JD from Stanford Law School, and an MBA from the GSB, Mary also regularly gives back to the Stanford community. She has served on the executive leadership team for Stanford Women on Boards, working to expand board education and engage alumni from Stanford Law School, the faculty, and Stanford Distinguished Careers Institute Fellows to increase the number of women in leadership roles. Mary also spoke on the panel, “A View from the Boardroom,” at the 2024 GSB Asian Leadership Conference, whose theme was “Building Momentum Together.” Kim recalls that Mary “shared her inspiring journey of building relationships with CEOs and C-suite executives, emphasizing the importance of stepping outside one’s comfort zone to access new networks in order to get board opportunities.” Kim continues, “Mary’s dedication to fostering inclusion, innovation, and leadership is truly inspiring.”
