The theme of this year's annual HBS African-American Alumni Association (HBSAAA) conference, "Navigating Success in Volatile Times," seemed particularly apropos after the incidents of September 11. "Like many organizations with events scheduled in the weeks following the tragedy in New York, we grappled with whether we should cancel," said HBSAAA president Ken Powell (MBA '74). "We decided to go ahead because we wanted to contribute to New York's economic recovery as well as unite to support one another in difficult times," added Powell. The October 5–7 event drew more than two hundred participants to the Plaza Hotel in New York City.

The 2001 program featured six panel discussions and five keynote addresses and provided a multidimensional exploration of the changing landscape for personal and professional development. "We chose our theme in January, and it proved acutely relevant," Powell observed. "Through our network of contacts, we assembled an extraordinary group of business and community leaders who, in light of events that were still unfolding, spoke from the heart to inspire as well as inform us." Honorary conference chair Ann Fudge (MBA '77), for example, reminded attendees that their most important "customers" are the people in their lives, and Saturday evening's keynote speaker, New York Times managing editor Gerald Boyd, underscored the need for courage, strength, and deeper self-knowledge in the challenging times ahead.

Thomas Jones, chairman and CEO of Citigroup's Global Investment Management and Private Banking Group, prefaced his opening address on Friday evening with a moving account of his return to Lower Manhattan following the destruction of Citigroup's offices at 7 World Financial Center. Attendees then turned their attention to the original conference theme. On Saturday morning, Lloyd Trotter, president and CEO of GE Industrial Systems, gave an insider's view of GE's legendary operating principles and culture. "The adage by which we do business is, If it's not broken, break it … then put it together again, only better. Change is the constant that forces us to reinvent ourselves," he said.

Throughout the day, panelists shared valuable strategies and lessons from a wide range of career paths and industries. The distinguished list of presenters included Paula Banks (AMP:ISMP 154), vice president, global social investment, BP; Warner Williams, vice president, health, environment, and safety, ChevronTexaco; and HBS professors David Thomas and James Cash. A dynamic discussion about the future of leadership in the African-American community featured Vernon Jordan, senior managing director at Lazard Frères; National Urban League president Hugh Price; and New York State Comptroller Carl McCall. Deborah Wright (MBA/JD '84), president and CEO of Carver Bancorp, provided closing remarks on Sunday.

"We designed the conference to bridge industries, functions, and generations," said conference chair Margaret Young (MBA '81), general manager of Ogilvy Consulting, who praised the contributions of some fifty volunteers as well as top sponsors Accenture and Citigroup Private Bank. "We are determined to move forward and make a difference. I believe everyone walked away with a greater understanding of issues that will have a far-reaching impact on our lives," Young added.

The HBSAAA's second annual preconference, Venture Capital and Private Equity Summit, was held on Friday. The program, titled "Building New Networks," drew 160 participants, primarily entrepreneurs and investment professionals, for seven preselected venture presentations, networking, and professional development seminars. Professor Josh Lerner led "Anatomy of a Venture Deal," an incisive discussion about the financing of B2eMarkets, a technology-based sourcing company established in 1999. The conversation included B2eMarkets cofounder, president, and CEO Orville Bailey (MBA '94) and five members of the company's investor group.

Previous HBSAAA conferences, held each year on Columbus Day weekend, have been presented in San Francisco, Chicago, and Atlanta. Washington, D.C., will be the site of the 2002 conference. The HBSAAA also hosts local gatherings throughout the year that are geared toward the more than thirteen hundred HBS alumni of African descent. "The long-term value of our HBS experience continues whenever we recreate the energy we shared in the classroom and learn from one another," noted Powell, a former president of the HBS Alumni Association.

— Mary Ellen Gardner

For more information on the HBSAAA or the conference's agenda, visit www.hbsaaa.org.

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