The late John C. Whitehead (MBA 1947, LLD 1995) garnered enough career achievements for three lifetimes—as a business leader, public servant, and philanthropist. After retiring as cochairman of Goldman Sachs, where he worked for 38 years, Whitehead served as US Deputy Secretary of State and was awarded a Presidential Citizens Medal for his service. Subsequently, he devoted himself to advancing the cause of numerous nonprofits, in particular, serving as chairman until 2006 of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

In reflecting on his career, Whitehead said: “I would describe myself as a quiet leader, not a strong aggressive leader, like some others. I lead by example and by watching. I think some people probably could be better leaders if they used this style.”

At Goldman Sachs, Whitehead created the new-business department, which operated in a way that had never been done on Wall Street: Whitehead’s team proactively sought business and also became involved in facilitating mergers and acquisitions and IPOs. This spirit of innovation also informed Whitehead’s philanthropic efforts, which ranged from his founding of HBS’s Social Enterprise Initiative, to his work with the United Nations Association, the International Rescue Committee, and the Brookings Institute.

(Published April 2014)

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