Mary Burke is an American businesswoman. She was the Democratic candidate for Governor of Wisconsin in the 2014 election. She served as a member of the Madison, Wisconsin, school board from April 30, 2012, until July 5, 2019. Burke is a former executive at Trek Bicycle Corporation; she also served as the Wisconsin Secretary of Commerce from January 2005 to November 2007. She is the daughter of Trek Bicycle Corporation founder Richard Burke.

Early life and education

Mary Burke is the second-oldest of the five children of Richard Burke, founder of Trek Bicycle Corporation. She grew up in Hartland, Wisconsin.

She graduated magna cum laude from Georgetown University, where she received a degree in business administration. She then attended Harvard Business School, where she earned a master's of business administration degree in 1985. She also attended the London School of Economics

Career

Burke began her career as a consultant in New York and Washington, D.C., working for McKinsey & Company and briefly starting her own firm. Burke returned to Wisconsin to work for Trek, working as head of European operations and, later, as director of strategic planning. In 2005, Burke was appointed Wisconsin Secretary of Commerce by Governor Jim Doyle.

She left the post on November 1, 2007, to spend more time on family interests and non-profit work, particularly the Boys & Girls Club of Dane County. In 2008, Burke led a study on the financial troubles facing Milwaukee schools. In 2012, she was elected to a seat on the Madison school board after spending $128,000 of her own money on her campaign.

During Burke's gubernatorial campaign, two former Trek executives alleged that Burke had been forced out of her position in the European division at Trek due to financial losses and issues with her management style. Burke and her brother John, the CEO of Trek, denied the allegations. It was also later discovered that the individuals making those allegations had themselves been let go, one of whom was himself fired for "incompetence"

After Burke left Trek, she went on a two-year break, including a four-month snowboarding trip in Argentina and Colorado. She subsequently returned to a different position at her family's company.