HBS Alumni Association Board of Directors:
President's Report
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| Photo by Rick Friedman. |
This spring marked both the end of the academic year and a new beginning as HBS graduated more
than nine hundred MBA students. These extremely talented young graduates joined the ranks of
over 65,000 fellow alumni, located in 89 countries around the world. My fellow board members
join me in welcoming them to our extraordinary and diverse network of alumni, all of whom are
united by the shared experience of attending HBS.
In late May, the board met in Boston to complete the efforts undertaken in the various working
committees throughout the past year. As I reflect on that meeting, I feel honored to be a part
of such a committed and enthusiastic group of people, all of whom have worked very hard during
the year to ensure that thoughtful and actionable committee recommendations were delivered and
projects completed. We have made enormous strides this year. Here is just a sampling of what we
worked on.
The Alumni Communications Committee, under the able guidance of Paul Stewart (MBA '87),
reached out to a sampling of alumni in order to better define existing market segments and
their needs. The committee's work will inform future outreach efforts and has already had
an impact through the newly designed Alumni Web site (www.alumni.hbs.edu), which was launched
earlier this summer. In addition, a subset of the committee worked with the School to develop
an in-depth, informative, and lively presentation about the current state of the School that
can be delivered effectively by alumni volunteers through the club system.
Perry Driggs (MBA '61) skillfully led the Lifelong Learning Committee in discussions on
how alumni perceive lifelong learning, what role HBS might play in that arena, and how best to
market the programs offered to alumni. It also considered what other programs alumni might find
useful at different career and life stages. Thanks to the encouragement and strong effort of
this committee and the larger board, the School has developed an impressive menu of programs
offered specifically to alumni, including Breakthrough Insights; Charting Your Course:
Discovering Working Options; The Entrepreneur's Tool Kit; Transitions and Transformations;
and Strengthening Your Role as a Nonprofit Board Member. The Breakthrough Insights program was
an experiment that proved to be an unbridled success, selling out in its first offering (see
story, page 3). Clearly, alumni are eager to benefit from more of the excellent educational
experience they received in their initial time at HBS.
Under the capable leadership of Eric Turner (MBA '82), the Committee on Recent Graduates
Transitioning into Alumni worked hard to ensure that our newest graduates leave the School well
informed about the programs and services that await them as active members of the alumni
community. Under the auspices of this committee, several board members attended a reception
hosted by the Alumni Association during graduation week, where they had a chance to visit with
members of the Class of 2002 and their families. In addition, the committee helped to spearhead
a graduating class gift program that resulted in the participation of more than 80 percent of
the class. At the committee's urging, the School inaugurated a series of visits to
first-year sections by members of the External Relations staff with a goal of describing HBS
finances and demystifying some of the commonly held beliefs about the School's funding
needs. These sessions were instrumental in informing the students and setting expectations for
a lifetime of connectedness through the Alumni Association.
As many of you know, the 2002 Global Alumni Conference was scheduled to take place in Buenos
Aires, Argentina, last March. After careful consideration by the School and conference
organizers in Argentina, the Global Alumni Conference Committee, ably chaired by Joan McCabe
(MBA '81), decided to cancel the conference with the hope of returning to the country when
the situation there is stabilized. We offer our most sincere thanks to members of the
organizing committee in Argentina that worked so tirelessly in support of the conference and,
when the decision was finalized, continued to work to maintain relationships with corporate
sponsors — they deserve our gratitude and good wishes. In the meantime, plans continue to take
shape for the Shanghai conference in June 2003. The conference Web site
(www.hbsshanghai2003.org) offers access to the conference schedule, hotel information, pre- and
postconference tour itineraries, and registration forms. Don't miss this extraordinary
opportunity to visit this exciting and vibrant city with your fellow alumni — the conference
will no doubt sell out early!
Next fall, we will welcome a new slate of twelve board members. Under the skilled guidance of
Ed Hajim (MBA '64), the Nominating Committee worked hard to winnow down a list of close to
180 able and enthusiastic prospective candidates. The board continues to be a strong and vital
resource for the School and its alumni.
The Community Standards Committee serves as an advisory panel to the School regarding values
and leadership on campus. The board strongly supports Dean Kim B. Clark's position that
HBS alumni must represent a higher standard of conduct with an emphasis on the importance of
integrity, accountability, values, principles, character, and respect for others.
Finally, I want to take a moment to salute those who are finishing their term on the board this
year and thank them for all they've done. They have helped design and refine many of the
benefits and services you enjoy as alumni, and I am deeply grateful for their energy,
imagination, and support. My sincere gratitude goes to Christoph Brand (MBA '94), Jonathan
Byrnes (DBA '80), Anthony Golamco (MBA '68), Ellen Guidera (MBA '86), Gustavo
Herrero (MBA '76), Art Hilsinger (MBA '52), John Hoffmann (MBA '64), Beth
Komachi (72nd PMD), Walt Pressey (MBA '70), Norton Reamer (MBA '60), and Allan Shaw
(MBA '71).
Many thanks to our dedicated board members for their hard work this year and to all of you who keep the HBS connections so strong and vital. Have a happy and healthy summer.
Susan Luick Good (MBA '71)
July 2002
