HBS Alumni Association Board of Directors: President's Report
Greetings from the chilly Northeast!
For those of you looking for signs of spring or longing for the warmth of the sun,
we’ve got just the thing. In three short months, we’ll be in Cleveland
celebrating the 2001 HBS Global Alumni Conference, which includes a concert by the
Beach Boys! I’m delighted that many of you have already signed up for what
promises to be another stellar event, like the previous conferences in Berlin, Cape
Town, Chicago, and Hong Kong. Buenos Aires is the site for the conference in 2002,
and I’m proud to announce that in 2003, we will meet in the fascinating city of
Shanghai.
As we look forward to those upcoming events with anticipation, let me give you a
quick status report on the important, ongoing work that our Alumni Board committees
are undertaking this year.
The Communications Committee, chaired by John B. Hoffmann (MBA ’64), is
targeting three important areas: defining the School’s audiences, identifying
vehicles for communication, and addressing design and content. The committee’s
work is predicated on the fact that HBS needs to communicate its services and
programs more effectively to the appropriate constituencies. HBS Working Knowledge
— the School’s Web portal — and the multiple databases available
through eBaker (the Baker Library Research Center) are examples of underutilized yet
extremely valuable services that need to be properly marketed to alumni.
The Continuing Education Committee, chaired by Norton H. Reamer (MBA
’60), is committed to making lifelong learning the cornerstone of alumni
relations. Building on the critical work of previous committees, this group is
charged with ensuring the success of current educational programs designed expressly
for alumni: The Entrepreneur’s Tool Kit, Strengthening Your Role as a Nonprofit
Board Leader, and Transitions and Transformations. Long-term goals for this committee
include determining which programs resonate with alumni and then defining a
well-targeted marketing effort to increase cross-class and total alumni
participation.
A committee focused on Transitioning Students to Alumni, chaired by Edward F.
(“Ted”) Fischer (71st PMD), is addressing how best to connect with recent
graduates and also how best to inform current students about the services and
programs available to them when they graduate. The group is exploring ways to engage
recent graduates, through professional networking opportunities, such as modified
“treks,” mini-reunions, or mentoring relationships, to name a few. The
committee will solicit input from current students and recent graduates and review
what is presently being done to reach out to them. Its goals are to create a template
for exposing students to alumni benefits, market the benefits effectively, and
improve the overall level of involvement of recent graduates.
The Global Alumni Conference Committee continues to play a key role under the
guidance of Ellen M. Guidera (MBA ’86). In addition to monitoring the progress
of the Cleveland and Buenos Aires conferences, the committee is thinking about ways
to build foundations for successful future conferences. Subcommittees will continue
to work on developing a clear set of guidelines for future conference hosts,
exploring the use of outside conference management companies to organize part of
these events, identifying sponsors who could provide consistent support year after
year, fine-tuning the conference surveys, and examining the viability of developing
alumni vacation programs.
This promises to be a busy yet highly productive year for the Alumni Board. I am
grateful to all of the board members for their tireless support, keen focus, and
boundless enthusiasm for the many issues we have chosen to tackle this year. I
encourage you to contact the Alumni Board member in your area to share your thoughts
and ideas on these topics. The board exists to represent you and your interests,
therefore your input is critical. Thank you!
Edmund A. Hajim (MBA ’64)
January 2001
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Volunteers Crack Case, Consider School's Future
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I knew there had to be a hitch when HBS invited its alumni volunteers — fund
agents, reunion organizers, and my fellow Class Notes correspondents — back to
campus in early November for two days of free food and learning. Sure enough, when I
opened my registration packet for this year’s HBS Volunteer Conference, there it
was, staring me in the face: a case.
Led by Professor Howard Stevenson, the Saturday morning session was to be a
discussion on “HBS: At the Crossroads?” This wasn’t some lightweight
two-page case, either. It totaled fifteen pages, plus nine exhibits — many with
numbers! I could feel the flashback chills begin.
On the surface, volunteer conferences at HBS seem pretty enjoyable. They provide a
chance for those of us who contribute our time in one way or another to catch up on
the latest developments at the School. In keeping with that goal, Friday’s
events featured presentations that focused on the School’s past, present, and
future. Associate Professor Nancy Koehn’s talk touched on highlights of HBS
history, from 1908 to the present. Dean Kim B. Clark outlined current initiatives and
priorities, and Assistant Dean and Chief Planning Officer Angela Crispi’s
presentation focused on current construction projects and plans for the future of the
campus.
By the end of the afternoon, we volunteers — nearly one hundred altogether,
spanning classes from 1935 to 2000 — felt well informed. At dinner, Professor
Stevenson did his best to make us also feel thoroughly appreciated. “Incoming
students are very important, because one day they will become alumni,” said
Stevenson, the School’s senior associate dean and director of External
Relations. Flattering, if one could shake the feeling that he was simultaneously
scanning the audience to pick out his opening cold call for the next morning’s
case discussion.
Jarred back to anxiety, that night I assumed the classic posture — highlighter
in hand, scrutinizing the case as if my life depended upon it. Early Saturday
morning, the familiar debate began — thankfully without a cold call — but
with an unfamiliar slant: HBS itself. Should the School set up international centers
or develop in-country partners and sublicense its brand? Do we invest in the physical
plant or go virtual campus? Can we be both Rolls Royce and VW? Can we segment the
alumni? Wait a minute — that’s us!
In the end, no matter how much we learned about changes at the School, the discussion
in Aldrich 111 reminded us that some things remain the same: “That’s an
interesting point; I would push it further....”
The classic chip shot. Some of us still haven’t lost our touch.
— Laura Singleton
Laura Singleton (MBA ’88) is a Class Notes section correspondent and a
frequent contributor to the Bulletin.
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Advisory Boards Help HBS Assess and Attain Its Goals
As the Harvard Business School confronts the challenges of the 21st century, the
support and guidance of its graduates are more critical than ever. Three advisory
boards, staffed by volunteer alumni and other distinguished business leaders, offer
HBS direction and support when looking toward the future. The Alumni Association
Board of Directors, the Board of the Directors of the Associates, and the Visiting
Committee all assist HBS in ways that bring a valuable viewpoint to the School. James
C. Schroeder, executive director of External Relations, believes the members of these
boards “act as an important set of eyes and ears to our external
constituency.” Their ideas and perspectives “help us think about the
direction the School should take in a very complex and ever-changing social and
economic environment.” Through these insights, HBS gains a better sense of where
its success lies, in which direction it should proceed, and what the future may
bring.
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The Alumni Association Board of Directors
The Alumni Association Board of Directors serves as an important link between alumni
and the School. Comprising some 45 graduates, the board holds three formal meetings a
year to communicate the interests and concerns of HBS alumni worldwide to the Dean,
faculty, students, and staff of Harvard Business School. Members work to enhance the
well-being of HBS alumni and improve the ongoing education and participation of all
HBS graduates. As president of the board, Edmund A. Hajim (MBA ’64) feels his
volunteer work not only has helped make measurable differences, but has allowed him
to “make a special contribution by working on ways to connect the alumni to the
School.” Hajim, chairman and CEO of ING Furman Selz, considers alumni to be one
of the School’s most important resources. His bimonthly status reports in the
Bulletin keep alumni informed about the board’s ongoing work.
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The Board of the Directors of the Associates
The Associates of Harvard Business School are individuals that have close personal
and strategic ties to HBS. The goal of the Board of the Directors of the Associates
(BDA) is to help the Dean deal with the challenges that affect the School and its
senior faculty. Made up of 130 alumni, friends, and their spouses, the BDA meets once
a year to provide feedback on the School’s latest programs and initiatives. By
focusing on current research, course development, administrative and organizational
challenges, and strategic governance issues facing the School, the BDA plays an
important role in offering both counsel and support. According to BDA chairman
Raymond V. Gilmartin (MBA ’68), chairman, president, and CEO of Merck & Co.,
“The interaction between the board, the Dean, and the faculty is very open and
candid. It’s clear to me, and to all members of the board, that our ideas and
challenges are valued and that they do make a difference.” It is this easy
interaction that fosters the BDA’s positive and effective support of the School.
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The Visiting Committee
The Visiting Committee, created to offer outside assistance and expert advice,
reviews what is happening at HBS, meets annually, and reports to the
University’s Board of Overseers every three years. By appraising the
School’s goals and how they are achieved, the committee acts as an independent
sounding board and provides informal advice on the direction of the School. Chairman
C.D. (“Dick”) Spangler, Jr. (MBA ’56), president emeritus of The
University of North Carolina, finds his work on the committee both rewarding and a
great honor. He believes that “if Harvard is successful in its efforts, business
leadership in the United States and around the world will be strengthened.”
Moving HBS in a focused direction through the process of evaluation is a great
advantage. The committee, consisting of some 47 HBS alumni and academics from other
universities, acts as an external source of knowledge and offers a valuable outside
perspective on the state of the School.
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— Elena N. Berg
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