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

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