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Happy New Year: The HBS Alumni Board's Newest Members Look to the Future
Photo courtesy of Daniel O’Keefe
The HBS Alumni Board welcomes 22 new members for 2020–21 this fall. The complete roster is here.
The Board is a representative group of 81 alumni from across graduation years, geographies, and programs. The Board meets twice per year to learn from and serve as a resource to the Dean, faculty members, staff, and students of the School, representing the perspectives and interests of HBS alumni worldwide, and serving as advocates for alumni engagement with the School.
The Bulletin spoke with Alumni Board President Daniel O’Keefe (MBA 2003) as the Board launches plans for the coming year.
Bulletin: You’ve been volunteering at HBS in a range of roles ever since graduation. Why is it important to you to support the School in this way?
O’KEEFE: Like many, I had an incredible experience at HBS. The relationships and friendships I made during those years have sustained to this day, and it's a group I continue to learn from every year. I've never viewed HBS as simply a school or a place. I view it as a living and evolving institution gifted to us by those who came before us. So volunteering was never a hard decision for me. I'm incredibly proud to do my small part in sustaining that institution and to do what I can to leave HBS in a better place for those who follow.
How long have you served on the Alumni Board, and what motivated you to accept the invitation?
I've served on the Board for five years, on its Executive Committee for two, and humbly as its President for the last year. To be honest, I didn't even know the Board existed before receiving the invitation to join, but I viewed it as a way to engage more consistently and formally with the School, with an added benefit of doing so on campus a couple of times a year. My experience has far exceeded my expectations. Meeting active volunteers from across graduation years—people I might not have met if we didn't happen to be on the same reunion cycle—has been particularly rewarding. It has given me an entirely new network to learn and grow from.
What are some of the Board’s current projects?
While our work is continually evolving, we have a particular focus right now on lifelong learning and alumnae engagement, and have formed working groups focused on each. Sejal Shah Gulati (MBA 2000) and Kris Klein (MBA 1987) head up our Alumnae Engagement group, and our committee on Lifelong Learning is led by Jo Tango (MBA 1995) and Paula Smith Dermody (OPM 42, 2012). Each group conducts its work in between our board meetings and presents its findings and recommendations when we meet. Both areas are also priorities for External Relations, so we are well aligned with areas of particular interest to the School.
What are your goals for the Alumni Board for next year?
As a board, we serve two constituencies: our members as representatives of our broader alumni community, and the School for which we humbly serve as its ambassadors. For our members, my overarching goal is to make sure each remains well informed of the work of the School, its goals, and its challenges. I also want to make sure they have a rewarding experience as Alumni Board members given the amount of time and effort each puts into it. For the School, I want to make sure we continue to serve as a diverse sounding board around our initiatives, bringing the alumni perspective to our hardest decisions.
Are there any special challenges for the Board in the face of the pandemic?
Like everyone, we have had to adjust to the new normal. We held our spring meeting virtually, and our fall meeting will be the same. It's a challenge in that so much of the value of the Alumni Board comes from new relationships and shared learning, and that can be more difficult over a video conference. But I think we've adjusted with the support of the External Relations staff who do great work in making sure everyone gets the best experience possible. Prior to the pandemic we divided the Board into smaller sections, each led by a member of the Executive Committee. I think that has helped forge closer relationships despite the virtual engagement.
How should HBS alumni connect with the Alumni Board?
I encourage alumni interested in our work to contact any board member. We would love to hear ideas about ways we can further our alumni engagement and continue to find ways to give back to HBS.
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