Marissa Mayer biography

Marissa Mayer

Age: 37

Education: Bachelor’s degree in symbolic systems and master’s degree in computer science, both from Stanford University, each time specializing in artificial intelligence

Hometown: Wausau, Wis.

Personal: Married venture capitalist Zachary Bogue in 2009. The couple are expecting their first child, a boy, in October.

Residences: Owns a penthouse in the Four Seasons in San Francisco and a home in Palo Alto, where she’s known to throw lavish parties and fundraising dinners.

Professional: Turned down a lucrative consulting job to take a chance atGoogle Inc. in 1999 as its first female engineer and 20th employee overall. Most recently responsible for Google’s mapping products, location services, Google Local, Street View and other products.

Board seats: Wal-Mart Stores Inc., San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco Ballet and New York City Ballet.

Before Google: Worked as a grocery clerk in high school.

Interests: Mayer has an affinity for cupcakes, art and designer clothes. She wore a Naeem Khan wedding gown and once paid $60,000 at a charity auction to have lunch with Oscar de la Renta. She is a former dancer, avid runner and world traveler who has climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro and snorkeled over the continental fissure off the coast of Iceland.

Quote: “Our country in particular — and the whole world — has a real challenge in bringing more women into engineering and technical fields. It’s good to show that you don’t need to sacrifice your sense of femininity because you are an engineer.”

Sources: Los Angeles Times, Associated Press, San Francisco Chronicle and New York Times