Starting last fall and continuing through this coming year, Dean Srikant Datar is traveling to meet with alumni around the world. On November 8, more than 170 alumni and guests gathered in Klarman Hall to hear the dean discuss how the School is addressing today’s challenges, celebrate the Harvard Association of Boston’s (HBSAB) centennial, and connect with each other.

John I. Williams, Jr. (MBA 1978), co-president of the HBSAB, welcomed the assembled alumni, which was followed by a fireside chat with the dean and Angela Crispi (MBA 1990), the executive dean for administration. Gautam Ramchandani (MBA 1977) kicked off the second half of the program by sharing HBSAB’s history, noting its current activities, and introducing the alumni panel. The panel, moderated by Renee Fry (MBA 1999), CEO and founder, Gentreo, Next Generation Estate Planning, and featuring Juan Enriquez (MBA 1986), managing director, Excel Venture Management; Keon Holmes (MBA 2005), managing director, Cambridge Associates; and Christine Parker (AMP 199, 2021), founder and managing director, Crossroads Advisory Partners. The program was followed by a reception in the Klarman Atrium.

During the fireside chat, Crispi and Dean Datar talked about two frontiers of development for HBS, the digital campus and the physical campus. On the former topic, Dean Datar outlined the opportunities the School is pursuing as part of its ongoing digital transformation work; on the latter topic, he and Crispi discussed the development of Allston and the School’s vital connection to Boston. He also addressed recent incidents on campus related to events in the Middle East, reaffirming the School’s commitment to its values. Crispi closed the conversation with a celebration of the HBSAB’s legacy and the deep value of the HBS community.

The alumni panel featured an engaging conversation of the post-degree experience, building on the themes introduced in the fireside chat. The panelists shared various ways in which they made a difference in their companies and communities. They also discussed the ways in which the School’s physical transformation will set the stage for the needs of future students and expand space for collaborative opportunities across the University.

The Dean began this series of alumni gatherings in Fall 2022 in London and Chicago and continued this past spring in the San Francisco Bay Area; Palm Beach, Florida; New York City; Los Angeles; and East Asia.

Post a Comment