Meg Whitman: 5 Things to Know

Meg Whitman was named Hewlett-Packard's CEO Thursday, replacing Leo Apotheker who stepped down as both director and chief executive after 11 months.

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Here are 5 things to know about the business woman, who joined HP's board of directors in January.

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1) This is not her first time to helm a company. Whitman is the former CEO of eBay, running the business from 1997 to Jan. 2008. She oversaw the online business' growth from a start-up company to the major retailer it is today, leaving her post as growth began to stall. 

2) She ran for governor of California in 2010. Whitman announced her candidacy in Feb. 2009, and won the Republican primary in June 2010. But, after spending over $178.5 million on her campaign, she ended up losing to Jerry Brown on Nov. 2, 2010.

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3) Whitman joined venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers in March. She was hired as a part-time strategic advisor and tasked with coaching entrepreneurs and helping to evaluate potential new digital investments. She is surrounded by high-profile company, both Al Gore and Colin Powell are also involved in the firm.  

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4) She is the fourth wealthiest woman in California. Despite spending $140 million of her personal fortune during her failed gubernatorial run, Whitman is estimated to be worth $1.3 billion, ranking her on Forbes' World's Richest Women and Power Women lists.

5) Whitman is married to a neurosurgeon. Her husband, Griffith Harsh IV, is the Neurosurgical director of Stanford's School of Medicine. The pair have two sons, Griffith Harsh V and William Harsh--both of whom have seen their share of scandals in the last few years.