Cahill to Lead HBS External Relations

22 Dec 2015

Cahill to Lead HBS External Relations

Ralph James moves to strategic advisor role

Re: Janet Cahill (AMP 189); Ralph James (MBA 1982)

Topics: News-School News Philanthropy-Harvard Campaign Career-Career Advancement Leadership-General

Photo by Susan Young

Janet Cahill (AMP 189, 2015, and a graduate of Princeton University), who was previously managing director of HBS External Relations and The Harvard Business School Campaign, has been named the new executive director of External Relations. Ralph James (MBA 1982), who has held that role since 2010, has assumed a new role as Strategic Advisor, External Relations.

As executive director, Cahill is responsible for managing all aspects of the School’s alumni relations, development, and alumni marketing and communications activities in support of the more than 80,000 alumni globally. She takes on this role as the School has raised close to $900 million and energized alumni at 22 events around the world during the Campaign. The Campaign, publicly launched in April 2014, is part of The Harvard Campaign, which concludes in 2018.

“It is a great privilege to work with our alumni,” says Cahill. “The HBS community is nothing short of remarkable, and I am honored to lead the External Relations team in supporting and enabling our alumni and the School to continue making a difference in the world.”

Cahill previously headed Alumni Marketing and Communications and Alumni Clubs and Associations within External Relations. She has worked with many nonprofit organizations over the years, and earlier in her career was a sales and marketing executive at companies ranging from NeXT Computer to IBM.