HBS Alumni Association Board of Directors:
President's Report
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| Luick Good Photo by Rick Friedman |
Writing this letter in early spring, I am mindful of the events that have unfolded recently in the Middle East. My thoughts and those of each board member go out to everyone who is touched by these developments and especially to those alumni who find themselves in the midst of the conflict.
After careful consideration, we decided to postpone the 2003 Global Leadership Forum originally planned to take place in Shanghai, China, in June and reschedule the conference to June 15–17, 2004, in the same venue. The worrisome reports and travel advisories with regard to the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) led us to this difficult decision. The Washington, D.C., Forum, originally scheduled for March 2004, will be deferred to a later date. The 2005 Forum will take place as planned in London on June 21–24. We are extremely grateful to the local organizing committees for their hard work and steady support as we wrestled with these difficult issues. We hope you will plan to join us next year in Shanghai for what promises to be a unique and important event.
In spite of global uncertainties, I am pleased to report that activities both on the HBS campus and further afield continue as planned. San Francisco, Chicago, and New York City recently hosted launch events for The Campaign for Harvard Business School. Each event included a powerful multimedia presentation showcasing the tremendous impact HBS alumni have around the world in a variety of undertakings. The presentations will continue in other locations starting in the fall. I hope you will take the opportunity to participate when the program comes to a city near you.
During the year, the Alumni Board met on campus in October, January, and May. We participated in a series of presentations by faculty and administrators about important activities and initiatives currently under way. We also spent a significant portion of each meeting in working committees devoted to specific areas of interest for alumni. My sincere thanks go to each of the chairs and their committees for the extraordinary commitment they have shown over the last few months. Following is a quick overview of each committee’s work.
The Clubs Committee, chaired by Kathleen Jackson (MBA ’86), focused on two areas: creating a system for encouraging and tracking faculty travel to clubs and developing standardized, Web–based templates to support the clubs’ administrative functions. Substantial progress was made, and we look forward to announcing significant improvements in these areas in the coming weeks.
The Communications Committee, chaired by Byron Carlock (MBA ’88), spent the majority of its time refining a dynamic presentation on the School for alumni that can be taken on the road. The presentation was launched at a number of HBS clubs this spring and received positive response. It can be updated easily to ensure that the most current information is included. In addition, the committee continued to discuss how best to enhance the alumni directory, with the goal of better serving alumni needs.
The Lifelong Learning Committee, chaired by Richard Decker (98th AMP, 1986), identified three areas of focus: researching the level of alumni interest in specific educational programs, examining alumni use of online products and services, and reassessing the templates for Executive Education and MBA reunions. Committee members made significant progress during the year, and their efforts resulted in new lifelong learning programs tied to reunions, a commitment to revamp Executive Education reunions, and increased marketing efforts around online alumni services and products.
Under the able leadership of Bob Shaw (MBA ’84), the Global Leadership Forum Committee spent most of the year defining a new financial and organizational model for the conferences. The committee also served as a vital resource in the planning process to the local organizing committees.
In addition to these working committees, the board has two standing committees, Community Standards and Nominating, and one ad hoc committee focused on issues relating specifically to Executive Education alumni.
In closing, I would like to thank past HBSAA president Ed Hajim (MBA ’64), chairman of the Nominating Committee, for his enthusiasm and commitment to the work of the board during his nine years of service. He will retire from the board this year, and we are all deeply grateful for his leadership. I would also like to express my gratitude to the other board members who are retiring this year. It has been an honor for me to work with each of them.
Finally, a new board president will take my place in the fall, and I will move into the role vacated by Ed. My term as president of the HBSAA has been both stimulating and rewarding on so many levels. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to lead the Alumni Association over the last two years at such a pivotal time in the School’s history.
Susan Luick Good (MBA ’71)
May 2003
