HBS Alumni Association Board of Directors:
President’s Report
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| Fischer Photo by Stuart Cahill |
I am thrilled to address you in my new role as president of the HBSAA Board of Directors. I look forward to using this vehicle to update you regularly on the work of the Alumni Board as well as other programs of note to the greater alumni community.
Because the work undertaken by the Alumni Board’s four committees is particularly relevant to you, let me start with an update on the recommendations made by each committee, representing a year’s work by these very committed volunteers. The Alumni Communications Committee, under the guidance of Byron Carlock (MBA ’88), worked with Janet Sanders, director of HBS Alumni Communications, to develop an in-depth, informative, and lively CD-ROM presentation about HBS that can be delivered effectively by alumni volunteers through the club system. Two other significant committee accomplishments are the enhancement of the search function in the alumni database (see Alumni Navigator) and the gradual transition toward a more robust directory featuring information about alumni similar to that which is collected for student class cards.
Richard Decker (AMP 98, 1986) spearheaded the Lifelong Learning Committee to address issues around programming, reunions, and online products and services. Deborah Farrington (MBA ’76) supervised the programming subcommittee, which recommended that the School offer an MBA “renewal” program to deliver the latest thinking in five critical areas of a business curriculum: marketing, finance, leadership, global economies, and accounting/control. Thanks to the support of our colleagues in Executive Education, this five-module program will be rolled out in New York City starting in January. The reunions subcommittee was chaired by Janet Clarke (AMP 111, 1992). It analyzed feedback from both MBA and Executive Education reunion attendees and found that while only subtle changes were needed to improve the MBA reunion experience, the Executive Education model should be addressed more closely. The committee’s recommendation was to undertake a full analysis of what Executive Education alumni are looking for in a reunion program and how the School might facilitate this. The online products and services subcommittee, chaired by Rich Shapack (MBA ’71), found that few alumni were aware of the current online offerings of databases and resources. Its recommendation was to ramp up a significant marketing effort around these services, emphasizing the relevancy of these tools to people’s daily professional life.
The Clubs and Associations Committee, chaired by Kathleen Jackson, MBA 1986, worked closely with the School to identify a vendor capable of providing a suite of web-based tools for clubs. Harris Interactive was contracted in the Spring to provide a series of useful administrative tools including data updates, membership renewal, event management and web templates. Thanks to the work of this committee, clubs and associations of all sizes will be able to streamline their operations and lighten the already heavy load of volunteers. In addition, the committee discussed the challenge of providing regular visits by faculty to clubs. Again, working with the School, the committee was instrumental in codifying a system for tracking faculty visits and coordinating requests.
As many of you know, the 2003 Global Leadership Forum was scheduled to take place in Shanghai last June. Unfortunately, the SARS outbreak caused us to postpone the conference to June 2004. Thanks to the strong leadership of Bob Shaw (MBA ’84), his Global Leadership Forum Committee, and our dedicated hosts in China, led by the unflappable Andrew Yao (MBA ’92), the decision to postpone was made relatively swiftly. We are also grateful to our friends in London and Washington, D.C. We can now confirm that the London Global Leadership Forum is scheduled for June 21–24, 2005, and the Washington, D.C., events will take place in June 2006. The world is certainly more complicated these days, and it has become increasingly challenging to host these events around the globe. Thank you for your patience and flexibility as we wrestle with the various forces of nature!
Finally, I want to take a moment to salute several extraordinary members of the board, some of whom are transitioning off this year and others who will stay on in an advisory capacity. Ed Hajim (MBA ’64) joined the Alumni Board in 1995. He has served in every conceivable leadership position on the board, culminating with a two-year stint as president. He has had a profound effect on the Alumni Board, on the School, and on how the two work together to produce actionable items. (Ed calls these “deliverables.”) Whether you know it or not, you have probably benefited from some of Ed’s deliverables, and we are certainly a stronger, more vital association because of them. Thank you, Ed, for all you’ve done on behalf of HBS and its alumni. Kudos, too, to Susan Luick Good (MBA ’71), whose term as president is up and who leaves very large shoes to fill. Susan stays on as past president for another two years, and I know I will be turning to her for advice and counsel on a regular basis. She has led this board admirably, and we are all extremely grateful. Thank you to the board members who are retiring this year. I am deeply thankful for their energy, imagination, and support. My sincere gratitude goes to Bob Boyd (MBA ’63), Peter Burrow (MBA ’85), Perry Driggs (MBA ’61), Helmy El-Sherif (MBA ’80), Alex Florence (OPM 16, 1990), Carlos Guzman (MBA ’88), Joan McCabe (MBA ’81), Paul Stewart (MBA ’87), Douglas Tansill (MBA ’63), and Eric Turner (MBA ’82).
I feel honored to be a part of such a committed and enthusiastic group of people, all of whom have worked very hard over the years to ensure that thoughtful and actionable committee recommendations were delivered and projects completed. We have made enormous strides this year. Thanks to all of you who keep the HBS connections so strong and vital.
