Colin Powell Joins Salesforce.com Board

Salesforce.com (CRM) on Thursday said it has appointed Ret. U.S. Gen. and former Secretary of State Colin Powell to its board of directors, effective March 13.

Powell joins a board comprised of leaders including Salesforce chairman and CEO Marc Benioff and John Roos, former U.S. Ambassador to Japan.

Benioff, who is well-known in the tech world for his global philanthropic initiatives, said in a statement that Powell has been “instrumental in shaping Salesforce.com’s integrated philanthropic model and the formation of the Salesforce.com Foundation.”

“General Powell is an extraordinary leader who has inspired and influenced me during more than 15 years of friendship,” he said.

The retired four-star general, who served as Secretary of State under President George W. Bush, is a strategic limited partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and a member of the board of directors of the Council on Foreign Relations. He also holds various roles in educational institutions.

Powell made news earlier in the week by posting his own vintage “selfie” to his Twitter account.

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