HBS Leaders on HBS | Alumni on Leadership | Community Memories

Community Memories

A collection of poignant, humorous stories and reminiscences on the HBS experience from our community members, including alumni, staff, and MBA students.

1-82 of 82 listed alphabetically by storyteller's last name

CLASS OF2003

Mariam Malik Alsikafi Story VIDEO: RT: 02:38

Story regarding how she and her classmates were affected by the tragedy of September 11th and how they intensified their search for meaning and purpose in their future work and lives. She recalls the course, Management in Perspective, in which highly accomplished executives spoke about their careers. In the open question period, students scrutinized the nature of success and examined approaches to achieving a true work-life balance.

 

CLASS OF1968

Sandy Apgar Story VIDEO: RT: 08:12

Story regarding how he defines the three elements of his transformational experience at HBS: the knowledge earned through the intellectual rigor of the program; the people who bring alive the educational process and with whom he shared the HBS journey; and the legacy of continuous learning. As executive editor of "MBA Magazine", he published an article on the issue of African Americans and the business community and he has dedicated himself to these issues throughout his career. For students seeking opportunities in the context of a financial crisis, he explains how he managed to transcend the severe economic downturn of the 1970s as a partner at McKinsey and Company.

 

CLASS OF2001

Daniella Ballou-Aares Story VIDEO: RT: 08:50

Story regarding how her Social Enterprise Summer Fellowship in Liberia transformed her thinking about her role as a citizen of the world. She worked on a HBS project to obtain medicines for the AIDS epidemic in Malawi. She co-founded a consulting firm to work on humanitarian issues. She speaks about the HBS community's responsibility to lead such efforts and to have a global impact.

 

CLASS OF2009

Stephanie Balois Story VIDEO: RT: 06:34

Story regarding her bonding with classmates during her Pre-MBA Program, the power of the HBS learning model, her admiration of alumni dedication, and her plan to convey her passion for the School to the next generation of students. She formed fast and lasting friendships in the course of her Pre-MBA. The Priscilla Ball was one of the most exciting events of her HBS years to date. As an international student far from home, she feels that her section members are a second family. During the Leading in Business and Beyond Global Summit, she attended a session on the future of the MBA Program and was taken aback by the passionate concern of the alumni which she intends to emulate for succeeding classes of students.

 

CLASS OF2007

Annie Bertrand Story VIDEO: RT: 04:18

Story regarding how her trek to India led to her to found with classmates a nonprofit organization, the Indian School Fund. They raised the resources to build a school and they designed a successful educational system that incorporates entrepreneurship into the curriculum.

 

CLASS OF1997

Kal Bittianda Story VIDEO: RT: 05:57

Story regarding how his section bonded after the tragic death of a classmate. He describes co-writing a case study with Prof. Hugo Uyterhoeven. During the 1990s dot com boom, a group of his section mates formed F Corps to share entrepreneurial ideas, which came to fruition in many collaborations.

 

CLASS OF1978

Adele Bozza Story VIDEO: RT: 05:48

Story regarding how she honors the memory of deceased classmates and celebrates the life of her husband, Joseph Grasser, MBA 1976. Her section truly consolidated its unity following a party before the last day of class when no one expected Prof. David Reibstein to present any cases. However, when he called on her, she had to pass as she was unprepared as was most of the class. Her classmates as a group supported her by revealing to the professor why they had not studied the case. To commemorate the achievements of her husband, whose dream was to create his own company, she has endowed the Joe Grasser Entrepreneurial Leadership Fund to empower and encourage new graduates to pursue their dreams and to follow their passions.

 

CLASS OF1973

Geraldine Brown Story VIDEO: RT: 08:45

Story regarding how she prevailed over her reluctance to contribute her ideas in class and has continuously applied the principles of her HBS education in her many roles in the world. When she began the MBA Program, there were not many African American students or women students. When Prof. Wickham Skinner returned a paper with the comment that her analysis represents the caliber of ideas he wanted to hear in class discussion, she immersed herself totally in the case method and advanced greatly thereby. She has capitalized on the concepts from her Human Behavior and Organizations course throughout her career as a lawyer and consultant. The School's presentation of business history has furnished her with many points for innovative entrepreneurial departures and the School's preparation for change has inspired her to seek out leadership responsibilities.

 

CLASS OF1973

Ronald Brown Story VIDEO: RT: 04:22

Story regarding how he gained a lifelong education and companion from his HBS experience. He vividly describes two case discussions. In an exploration of the issue of whether management is a profession, he argued in the negative since there are no comparable certification requirements and oversight mechanisms as in the law and medicine. At the conclusion of the second case, the professor introduced the protagonist, E.J. Weaver, who had not been identified as a woman. A student revealed his sexism and she most effectively his refuted comments. He explains the origin of his student nickname, "Aesop", as his facility with alliteration in illustrating business principles. His original reason for attending HBS was to follow Geraldine Reed, MBA 1973, to the School, and they have shared their lives ever since.

 

CLASS OF1993

Michele Browne Story VIDEO: RT: 05:31

Story regarding the competition to pick the perfect seat in class and the self-confidence she attained from the HBS experience. Eager to arrive at class early on the first day of the program, she was surprised to see she was the second to last person there. She recounts additional anecdotes about the lengths to which other students strove to secure the optimal position in the classroom. Her HBS credentials provided her with the self-assurance to take a break from her career to start a family and then to develop her own entrepreneurial ventures.

 

CLASS OF1983

Steve Brownell Story VIDEO: RT: 07:03

Story regarding how his HBS experience melded the intellectual stimulation with the enjoyment of student activities into the enduring benefits of superior business skills and a life companion. The demanding intensity of the case method and the rich interchange of perspectives among students and faculty furnished a problem-solving model which he implements in his own firm. He admires the faculty's display of a lively sense of humor and cites one example related to the case of a mystery student. His most important take-away from HBS is his wife and business partner, Jana Kirlin Brownell, MBA 1983.

 

CLASS OF1948

Tom Cannon Story VIDEO: RT: 06:50

Story regarding how he and other HBS graduates pioneered the implementation of the case method at the undergraduate level beyond Harvard. He was recruited to introduce teaching cases at the University of Kansas Business School and experimented with the HBS educational methodology in his courses. He utilized case method lessons throughout his career in management consulting and does so today as a volunteer assisting small business owners.

 

CLASS OF1988

Byron Carlock Story VIDEO: RT: 03:44

Story regarding how HBS introduced him as a young person from Arkansas to a new world. He has often invoked "Earl's Pearls", the wise words of Prof. Earl Sasser, as tools to meet business and personal demands. The analytical and decision making skills inculcated by the case method have been the "best products" of his education. As all HBS graduates, he has taken to heart the urgings of Dean McArthur and Dean Clark to serve one's community and to make a difference as a bold and courageous leader.

 

CLASS OF1988

Karen Caswelch Story VIDEO: RT: 07:10

Story regarding how personal tragedies of one grandmother passing away and another suffering a stroke during her first year in the MBA program put the entire business school experience in perspective for her. She describes the great support she received from HBS student Alistair Williamson. At her 20th reunion, she learns from classmates that they underwent similar ordeals and she reflects on her HBS experience from a long-term viewpoint.

 

CLASS OF2008

Ethel Chen Story VIDEO: 5 minutes

Story regarding her experience attending HBS in the 2000s and the friendships and networking that gave her firsthand experience of business people all over the world, enabled her to secure an internship in London, and helped her to make career decisions. She reflects on her feeling that an international perspective gained by personal experience surpasses learning of the world by reading and watching television.

 

CLASS OF1966

Pat Coady Story VIDEO: RT: 05:28

Stories regarding the camaraderie of his HBS days, including an anecdote about how his classmate Michael Bloomberg received the lowest starting salary that year. He speaks about the strong bonds among his section members, who are so close that they hold mini-reunions.

 

CLASS OF1983

Fred Cordova Story VIDEO: RT: 06:29

Story regarding how he discovered his personal strengths through the Socratic spirit of the case method and living and learning with exceptionally gifted classmates and faculty. He inverted his initial emotions of self-doubt by capitalizing fully on the collaborative educational environment at HBS, and in all of his endeavors, he has implemented a version of the HBS cooperative knowledge model. The overwhelming drive to study even pervaded his first-year honeymoon. Through Prof. Jeffrey Sonnenfeld's course on self-assessment, he identified his unique skill set which he has employed in his efforts to make a difference in the world.

 

CLASS OF1988

Glenn Creamer Story VIDEO: RT: 02:06

Story regarding how he met Mary Murray Creamer at a Goldman Sachs recruitment dinner for summer jobs. They shared a table as they interviewed with the recruiters. He needed a date for the first-year black tie party in Newport, and friends suggested that he call her. After a preliminary date, they attended the event together. They both agree that the best result of their HBS experience is finding each other.

 

CLASS OF1988

Mary Jane Creamer Story VIDEO: RT: 02:06

Story regarding how she met Glenn Creamer at a Goldman Sachs recruitment dinner for summer jobs. They shared a table as they interviewed with the recruiters. He needed a date for the first-year black tie party in Newport, and friends suggested that he call her. After a preliminary date, they attended the event together. They both agree that the best result of their HBS experience is finding each other.

 

CLASS OF1988

Philip Hart Cullom Story VIDEO: RT: 03:32

Story regarding the major impact of the case method on his service in the U.S. Navy. Prof. Jack Gabarro's teaching style of interweaving case discussions with personal stories had an especially profound influence on his way of thinking. As he has called upon the lessons and methodologies learned through case analyses throughout his career, he initiated a program to sponsor one line officer to attend HBS every year.

 

CLASS OF1967

Rafique Dawood Story VIDEO: 5.5 minutes

Story regarding his experience attending HBS in the 1960s, a discussion of his delay in arrival because of war in Pakistan, main lessons learned, endurance of friendships made, caliber of teaching, and the welcome and commitment HBS accords its alumni. He recounts with satisfaction the schooling and return to Pakistan of his children, to take part in running the family business.

 

CLASS OF2008

Charles de Segundo Story VIDEO: RT: 07:58

Story regarding the three central transformational moments of his MBA years. His preexisting sense of HBS as "forbidding" and "cutthroat" were rapidly dispelled by the emphasis on ethics in business and the necessity of business leaders to contribute to society and their communities. Classmate Alejandro Paiuk, MBA 2007, courageously set an example of openness and candor by writing and presenting a case on himself that frankly told his life story. The generosity of alumni who have returned to the School to share their life and career successes and failures was another unexpected invaluable bonus for him.

 

CLASS OF1983

Janie Decelles Story VIDEO: RT: 08:59

Story regarding how she enjoyed all aspects of her HBS experience and still benefits from her HBS ties. She formed an inter-sectional study group whose strategy was to pool their observations and preparations for the same classes. Prof. Henry Reiling's personality and aphorisms, such as "Don't run out of cash", profoundly shaped the course of her career and life. A rare setting for first-year and second-year students to mingle was the HBS Student Show, in which she played the role of a Baker 20 Lady in a James Bond spoof, and she reprises part of her performance. From Prof. Jeffrey Sonnenfeld's Self-Assessment and Career Development course, she gained insights that were invaluable as she embarked on her professional journey. She urges the students of today and tomorrow to profit from all of the rich opportunities at HBS.

 

CLASS OF1958

Stanley Diamond Story VIDEO: RT: 09:17

Story regarding the life lessons he learned while at HBS. After a warning about failing to meet academic standards in his first year, he improved his performance with the aid of his study group. He retells Prof. Thomas Raymond's "dishpan assumption" parable and discusses the responsibility of living up to the reputation of HBS MBAs. Living with two roommates of different religions taught him cultural and religious sensitivity and respect.

 

CLASS OF1988

Arnold Dicke Story VIDEO: RT: 06:18

Story regarding his fond recollections of the intensive learning environment and lifelong friendships of his Advanced Management Program. As an actuary, he quickly completed the mathematical portions of a case but he admired the insightful summation of information which enabled other students to zero in on the crux of the matter and thus he gained a deeper understanding of his own capabilities. At the executive seminars he organized, Prof. Robert S. Kaplan was a big hit, especially his pin factory story. As a symbol of the indelible impressions of his AMP experience, he remembered the names and faces of all the classmates at his reunion, even those whom he had not seen for twenty years.

 

CLASS OF1978

Fred Dolan Story VIDEO: RT: 05:15

Story regarding how HBS initially rejected him but how he persisted in his efforts to persuade the School to reconsider and his eventual triumph. In response to the School's decision, he played a joke on the School by submitting a rejection letter of his rejection letter. Associate Dean Dean Currie at first seemed to enjoy his wit and countered with his own rejection. After his acceptance to Boston University, he visited HBS and spoke with Assistant Dean James Foley who restated the School's position. Just before the opening of the term, HBS found a slot for him.

 

CLASS OF1993

Donald Evans Story VIDEO: RT: 00:55

Story regarding how he disbelieved his professor's startling first-day prediction but then it in fact proved true for him. Prof. William Sasser prophesied that the majority of his Advanced Management Program class would be pursuing different career paths within five years. After repaying his company's sponsorship of his attending AMP with four years of applying his education to their business, he struck out on his own and has developed a successful consulting firm based on the principles and skills of his HBS learning.

 

CLASS OF1998

Randy Fine Story VIDEO: RT: 04:15

Story regarding his proceeding directly from Harvard College to HBS and the entirely new world he found across the Charles River. His classmates challenged him as a young student with little business training, but this spurred him to catch up. He found the case method better suited to his learning style than the paper writing and textbook approach. His HBS education has opened up entrepreneurial opportunities for him and he is grateful to HBS for taking a chance on a young person from Kentucky.

 

CLASS OF2008

Taneka Francis Story VIDEO: 2 minutes

Story abouy her experience attending HBS in the 2000s, reflecting on the accessibility and inspiration of HBS alumna, Taran Swan.

 

CLASS OF1998

Jennie Friedman Story VIDEO: RT: 03:25

Story regarding how the HBS environment amplified her curiosity about the world and opened new avenues for her. Finding a balance between her academic demands and social life posed a challenge for her. Whenever she fell asleep in her Finance class, the professor called on her. Before HBS she worked in the fashion industry and avidly read a satirical columnist in "Women's Wear Daily". She created the social column "Jezebel" for "The Harbus", which was among the most pleasurable activities of her MBA years.

 

CLASS OF2007

Anthony Fry Story VIDEO: RT: 04:19

Story regarding how his participation in AMP 173 "restored his faith in humanity" and illuminated a new path in life for him. The intellectual interchange of the Advanced Management Program was the main ingredient of his personal renewal. One particularly intense discussion on international relations initiated an opportunity for his classmates to tighten their social bonds. The global character of the AMP participant pool has furnished him with the good fortune of assembling a new world-wide network and creating friendships with individuals with whom he might not even have the chance to meet. These various avenues of exposure to innovative thoughts and people fortified him to strike out in a boldly novel direction.

 

CLASS OF1998

José Gerstl Story VIDEO: RT: 04:48

Story regarding how his first year was arduous due to his English language difficulties, and then, with the assistance of Maureen Walker of MBA Support Services and his determination, he earned academic honors in his second year. He states that the interpersonal skills he acquired at HBS are as valuable as the business skills, while the friendships he made are invaluable.

 

CLASS OF1943

Frederick Golden Story VIDEO: RT: 05:57

Story regarding how he applied the analytical and report writing skills he learned in his Business Problem Analysis course throughout his World War Two military service, professional career in the clothing industry, and personal life. He explains how he utilized his deductive reasoning and problem diagnosis techniques in his work developing pantyhose production at the Warner Brothers Corset Company.

 

CLASS OF1948

Mervin Gray Story VIDEO: RT: 04:08

Story regarding his initial connection with HBS through the Navy, his return to the School after World War Two, and the lifelong benefits of his business education. During his Navy service, he was sent to HBS to enroll in the MBA program and the Navy Supply Corps training. After duty in the South Atlantic, he finished the second year of his MBA and put into practice many of the principles he learned at HBS at the accounting firm he started with his two brothers.

 

STAFF

Susan Hamilton Story VIDEO: 12.5 minutes

Story regarding her experience working in the development department of HBS since 1992. She elaborates on her first business trip, the international travels of a "road warrior", getting to know alumni, and the solidarity of HBS staff.

 

CLASS OF1973

Louis Hughes Story VIDEO: RT: 04:19

Story regarding how the HBS environment transformed him from a young man from a small town in Ohio into a leader with a global vision and how his student friendships and HBS knowledge have sustained and energized him throughout the thirty-five years since graduation. The superior caliber of his classmates and the faculty stimulated his intellect growth. The instructional tactics of Prof. Theodore Levitt fostered the priority of case preparation and still vibrantly resonate today with the HBS process of breaking down and rebuilding students. The case method imparts the expertise in dissecting and resolving even the most complex corporate problems and daunting societal issues. He is compelled to recommend the School to prospective students as a way of sharing the potential for a total transformation.

 

CLASS OF1998

Karen Hung Story VIDEO: RT: 01:14

Story regarding the innumerable levels of learning at HBS and the tight bonds and invaluable connections she formed while at the School. As a member of the January Cohort, she and her classmates shared a special bond. Along with her tremendous business education, she also learned a great deal about herself through her student-led events, athletic activities, and social relationships.

 

CLASS OF1958

Bruce Johnson Story VIDEO: RT: 08:31

Story regarding his progression from HBS graduate to business school teacher. After managerial experiences in the Navy, he was drawn to attend HBS by his uncle who was a faculty member, and he was amazed at the exceptional quality of his classmates. As a business teacher, he emphasized the importance of decision making skills and defending one's positions, which he had learned at HBS. At reunions, he relishes the opportunity to meet with recent graduates and current students.

 

CLASS OF2005

Monisha Kapila Story VIDEO: RT: 03:03

Story regarding her experiences in the HBS Leadership Fellows program at Accion International in the microfinancing industry in Latin America and on the hindrances to MBAs working in the nonprofit sector. She encourages students to build their careers on their passions and urges the faculty to seek innovative ways of developing students into leaders.

 

CLASS OF1998

John Bo Kemp Story VIDEO: RT: 05:47

Story regarding how he fulfilled his father's wish that he follow him at HBS. Before passing away, John Kemp, MBA 1981, expressed his desire that his son also attend the School. As a member of the student senate, he co-coordinated Class Day 1998, at which Dick Spangler announced his gift of a new center at HBS. At reunions, he delights in reconnecting with faculty members, such as Prof. Joshua Lerner, and to reflect on the past decade.

 

CLASS OF1982

Naina Lal Kidwai Story VIDEO: 8 minutes

Story regarding her experience as an Indian woman attending HBS in the 1980s, assimilating to American places of business, such as a supermarket. She discusses the benefit of "two years of perpetual competition" on one's ability to "deliver" in business, especially as the one woman in Investment Banking management in India. Having attained this "globally recognized degree" gives her credibility and impresses prospective clients.

 

CLASS OF2003

Andrea Mitchell Kimmel Story VIDEO: RT: 09:17

Story regarding how the tragedy of September 11th impacted on her and her classmates and how the School provided support and counseling services for students. She met her future husband, Robert Kimmel, at HBS, and they regretted not heeding Professor Joe Lassiter's career advice to prioritize their first job by where they wanted to live. She returned to HBS to co-chair her 5th reunion and to work in admissions.

 

CLASS OF1947

Clifford Kirtland Story VIDEO: 10 minutes

Story regarding his experience as a V-12er attending HBS during World War II, his career as an accountant and a venture capitalist, and his membership in and leadership of HBS clubs in Buffalo, New York, and Atlanta, Georgia.

 

CLASS OF1973

Masao Konomi Story VIDEO: RT: 07:16

Story regarding how he was attracted to HBS because of his design to attain English fluency through the verbal tussle of the case method. As part of an exchange program, he led a group students from France on a tour of Japan and he took umbrage at their reaction to his capacity to debate in French. The intensity of case discussions acted as an English immersion process, including a dispute about the viscosity of ketchup. He surmounted the impediments to acclimating himself to a new language and culture and he assures international students that they too can accomplish this.

 

CLASS OF1983

Section C Singers Story VIDEO: RT: 01:41

Story regarding how the Section C Singers exhibited their section pride by performing skits during their run at HBS. For the HBS Centennial, they retrieved a musical number based on the song, "Do Wah Diddy", from the HBS Archives in their inimitable style of expressing their section harmony and gratitude to the School.

 

CLASS OF1984

Jim Langford Story VIDEO: RT: 08:45

Story regarding his grueling yet exciting first week at HBS. He stresses the case method's collaborative learning process and highlights the lighter side with the story of his mooning a professor on Halloween. He talks about applying to HBS and the "transformational moment" of reading his welcoming letter.

 

CLASS OF1963

Gary MacDougal Story VIDEO: RT: 09:38

Story regarding how he was brought out of his shell at HBS and how this transformation cascaded into his personal achievements. At first shy with his classmates and in the classroom, Prof. Theodore Levitt drew him out of his reserve. After he exceeded his own expectations when called on in class, it dawned on him that he could measure up to the bar of HBS excellence and he surpassed it by earning academic honors. Once he concluded his first career as a chief executive officer, he commenced a second career in government service during which he focused on welfare reform. To current and prospective students, he recommends always planning for the next chapter in their lives.

 

CLASS OF1983

Bob Maginn Story VIDEO: RT: 04:27

Story regarding his long-term association with HBS and his abiding loyalty to and affection for the School. After writing cases with Prof. Joseph San Miguel, he entered the MBA Program and, even with his familiarity with the case method, was struck by its unique pedagogical dynamics and effectiveness in refining his communication skills. Completing the cycle of student through budding entrepreneur to established business leader, he returned to Prof. Quinn Mills's course on CEOs as a guest speaker with his wife, Ling Chai, MBA 1998. Pondering the changes in the School over the past twenty-five years, he is excited by the diversity and international character of the student body and their dedication to social enterprise and engagement in making the world a better place.

 

CLASS OF2003

Sava Marinkovich Story VIDEO: RT: 02:13

Story regarding his being on crutches during his first year of the MBA program and how the wonderful care he received from the staff is characteristic of the entire School. The incredible array of opportunities and resources at HBS induced him to hone his time management skills. The courses were so fascinating and the faculty was so superior at keeping ahead of new trends that he wanted to stay an extra year to take full advantage of both.

 

CLASS OF1953

Allen McCombs Story VIDEO: RT: 05:54

Story regarding his lasting memories as a Californian of cold Cambridge winters at HBS and, after returning to the West Coast, how he applied his HBS education to his newspaper business. He utilized the analytical skills he attained through the case method to his investigative reporting. He recounts meeting his wife of 55 years and playing a prank with his classmates on his professor with the class seating chart.

 

CLASS OF2007

Andy Murphy Story VIDEO: RT: 08:55

Story regarding his applying to HBS while in the Peace Corps in Ghana and how he and his wife from Ghana adjusted on their arrival at the School. He describes his career plan linking business and the environment, his joint program at the Kennedy School, and his HBS Leadership Fellows position at the World Wildlife Fund.

 

CLASS OF1993

Kathleen Murray Story VIDEO: RT: 04:07

Story regarding how she accords a prominent position to her membership in the HBS community among her multiple life affiliations. She devotes a great amount of time and energy to her HBS alumni network and responsibilities, including serving as AMP class secretary and working with various HBS and Harvard organizations. The lifelong intellectual stimulation, learning, and friendships from her Advanced Management Program experience continually reinvigorate her connection to the School. She has even transmitted that commitment to her nephew, whom she persuaded to select HBS from among the business schools to which he was accepted.

 

CLASS OF2003

Euvin Naidoo Story VIDEO: RT: 07:34

Story regarding his excitement at being accepted to HBS. He discusses co-writing a case study on Nelson Mandela with Prof. Rosabeth Kanter. As the Social Enterprise Club president, he met John Whitehead, who inspired him to lead a nonprofit organization. He recalls a saying of Dean Kim Clark's mother, "remember who you are," to the effect that we are members of a global community.

 

CLASS OF1968

Gerry Nathe Story VIDEO: RT: 05:55

Story regarding how he, having grown up in a small community in Montana, was introduced to a diverse and international environment at HBS which inspired him to embark on a global career in manufacturing. Prof. Malcolm Salter's class opened up a world of possibilities that he had never even imagined. He voices concern about the School's shift toward an emphasis on finance and consulting. Together with the strong moral values with which his family raised him and HBS teachings, he has always accentuated ethical business conduct, stressed the well-being of his staff, and prioritized giving back to his community and family.

 

CLASS OF1983

Emmanuel Nnatuanya Story VIDEO: RT: 04:37

Story regarding how he discovered within himself the profound potentialities for personal power and the drive for excellence through the International Senior Management Program. The case method exerted demands on his intellect and endurance that strengthened him greatly. The HBS imprimatur has furnished the advantage that has secured him professional opportunities. His inquisitive mind has at times stretched standard limits such as when he won the award for the longest question in class. His HBS experience has reinforced his belief that with determination and commitment, any problem can be surmounted.

 

CLASS OF1998

Andy Nunemaker Story VIDEO: RT: 04:51

Story regarding the biggest surprises and benefits of his HBS years. He was amazed at the atmosphere of collaboration and teamwork on campus that superseded the competitiveness among students. He recounts the January cohort's special cohesion, and his section's PowerPoint shows of funny incidents of the week. The alumni network is a great treasure of being part of the HBS community, and he encourages students to capitalize on all opportunities to bond with their classmates.

 

CLASS OF1978

Bob Nusbaum Story VIDEO: RT: 08:59

Story regarding the intimate and permanent bonding of "Champagne" Section I and the supportive and boisterous character of its members. On the first day of class, the students were disgruntled by the brusque teaching style of Prof. Christine Urban. At the next session, as a group they remained silent until she registered her comprehension of their action by laughing. At the mid-way point of the first year, they launched a raucous celebration with champagne which a dean popped with the threat of disciplinary action. The bubbly flowed on graduation day when the section from A to Z shared a bottle and they have continued to uncork their HBS pride by capturing the prize for the best reunion turnout since 1983: a case of champagne.

 

CLASS OF2005

Victor Papazov Story VIDEO: RT: 03:19

Story regarding how he was seeking out a new challenge in his career after founding the Bulgarian Stock Exchange and how he discovered an invigorating impetus in the Advanced Management Program. The AMP workload and intensity of the learning environment was at times overwhelming for him. However, he converted those demands on his capabilities into the energy for a positive personal transformation. With his new self-perception and skills, he plans to make a difference in the world.

 

CLASS OF1988

Lisa Pelon Putukian Story VIDEO: RT: 03:46

Story regarding her feelings of being an outsider when she first came to HBS, but how the welcoming environment of the School and students soon dispelled her misgivings. She recounts an anecdote from a class with Prof. Andrall Pearson and the life lesson she learned. Today, twenty years after graduating, little incidents of her HBS days will bring a smile to her face.

 

CLASS OF1983

Sergio Perez Story VIDEO: RT: 07:51

Story regarding how he felt predestined to go to HBS and how his graduation helped to fulfill his mother's educational dreams for him. In response to a case in Prof. Ray Goldberg's Agribusiness course about Mexico, he proposed a revolutionary economic and social structuring with which the professor agreed. After learning that he was from the Coachella Valley in California, Prof. Manfred Kets de Vries sent him a case to review about negotiations between the United Farm Workers and a local grower. He realized that the story involved many of his own family members. When he was a child growing up in Mexico, his mother gave him a second-hand Harvard sweatshirt that he wore till it fell apart. Returning to HBS for his reunion seems like a fulfillment of his destiny and to realize his mother's hopes for him.

 

CLASS OF2008

Hunter Pierson Story VIDEO: 7.5 minutes

Story regarding his experience as a teacher and a native of New Orleans attending HBS in the 2000s, studying public education in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina as a participant of the New Orleans Service Immersion program. The "exhilirating, exhausting days" interviewing school principals (including a HBS alumnus), led to deep friendships, personal growth, and an independent research project to develop a case study about the New Orleans Public Education System.

 

CLASS OF1998

Luis Plata Story VIDEO: RT: 07:51

Story regarding how he has applied his HBS education to government service in his home country of Colombia and the betterment of the nation. A speech by the independent presidential candidate Álvaro Uribe Vélez inspired him to volunteer for his campaign. After winning the election, he was named CEO of Proexport, promoting tourism, exports, and investment, and later he was appointed Minister of Trade, Industry, and Tourism. He strives to secure "dignified lives" for all Colombians through economic development.

 

CLASS OF2009

Thomas Rajan Story VIDEO: 4 minutes

Story regarding his experience attending HBS in the 2000s. The weighty sense of history and responsibility that accompanies an HBS education inspires one to accomplish great things that change the world.

 

CLASS OF2006

Sanjay Razdan Story VIDEO: RT: 05:47

Story regarding how his life-changing educational experience in the Advanced Management Program was crowned by the joyous occasion of the birth of his first child. He enumerates the steps in the process of directly applying business principles from AMP courses in his company and the consequential benefits. Prof. David Yoffie's single slide of how to research, understand, and meet the needs of your customers stands out as the most indelible memory of his program. His defining moment was the realization of the power of HBS as a center of knowledge creation and his participation as both sharer and contributor.

 

CLASS OF2002

Carlo Reato Story VIDEO: RT: 06:12

Story regarding how he insisted on applying to the Advanced Management Program only despite his firm's urgings to explore other options. On first meeting his team members, he was thrilled by the international character of the group. In a collection of such expert executives, he found the challenge of leading a cadre of leaders exhilarating. The AMP faculty greatly impressed him with their facility in instructing experienced managers. He accounts membership in and access to the HBS alumni network as an amazing asset. Despite his team's nickname for AMP 162 as the "executive jail," he urges any interested party to take advantage of the program and rejoices at returning for his reunion.

 

CLASS OF1998

Carolee Reiling Story VIDEO: RT: 04:28

Story regarding her applying to HBS, her experiences as a visually impaired student, and her approach to time management. On a whim, she decided to fill out an HBS application, which she did in pencil. She is blind in one eye and she appreciated the caring support from the School and her classmates. A second-year student's advice of taking afternoon naps to manage her academic and social lives let her down one day in her Accounting course, but she succeeded with her sense of humor and determination.

 

CLASS OF1957

Bill Riley Story VIDEO: 9 minutes

Story regarding his experience attending HBS in the 1950s, including the rush to get papers in on time for WAC (Written Analysis of Cases), and the founding, in California, of the Harvard Business School Bachelors for postgraduate professional development and society.

 

CLASS OF2003

Maria Rivas Story VIDEO: RT: 03:55

Story regarding how the tragedy of September 11th compelled her to accelerate her plans to return to Nicaragua to change her country and how she realized that if you want to make a difference, you need to start at once. Through the Leadership Fellowship Program, she started an investment development agency, became involved in tourism development, and was appointed Minister of Tourism. She recommends to the Social Enterprise program to strengthen their network and convene participants more often.

 

CLASS OF1993

David Robb Story VIDEO: RT: 01:30

Story regarding Dean Kim Clark's advice for him and his classmates at the of end of his first-year Technology and Operations Management class. In respect to how others will view them as HBS MBAs, Dean Clark said, "Remember two words: humility and respect." These words have served as guideposts for him throughout his life.

 

CLASS OF1995

Albert Rodriguez Story VIDEO: RT: 06:01

Story regarding how his section played a prank on a new professor. He encourages students to demand deeper community involvement and social responsibility from firms and recommends that HBS broaden its international and global outreach.

 

CLASS OF1998

Mary Teichert Rotelli Story VIDEO: RT: 06:51

Story regarding the educational and personal highlights of her HBS experience. She describes her defining academic moment when she opened a class discussion of a case which she had prepared thoroughly with her study group. She recommends making the MBA curriculum more flexible to facilitate completing the program for women with families. On an HBS High Tech Fellowship, she worked with Prof. Myra Hart and Prof. Lynda Applegate to research and write cases on the transformations wrought by the new Internet economy and the future of business.

 

CLASS OF1983

Alexandre Samii Story VIDEO: RT: 09:03

Story regarding how he came to HBS in order to bridge his field of civil engineering and business and to prepare for a renaissance life combining the arts and sciences as a path to creating innovative knowledge. He recalls the shock of being introduced to the case method in Prof. John Quelch's Marketing class and his bumpy yet rewarding road from the scientific mode to the HBS model of learning. Attributing his personal achievements to the "broadness of spirit" of HBS, he sketches the broad strokes of his career from McKinsey and Company through his teaching at the University of Louvain and honors from the Belgian government. His encouragement to everyone striving to achieve their personal goals is never to give up.

 

CLASS OF1998

Mark Selawry Story VIDEO: RT: 03:05

Story regarding the most noteworthy memory of his HBS years. At the end of each course, professors summarized the key lessons of their teaching, and students scrutinized these sessions for clues to exam topics. Instead of a summation, Prof. Clayton Christensen concluded his Managing Innovation class with a lecture on the social and moral responsibilities of leadership, which has left a lasting impression on him throughout his life and work.

 

CLASS OF1978

Gordon Smith Story VIDEO: RT: 06:10

Story regarding the cohesive and fun-loving personality of his section. They were and continue to be very solicitous of each other's well-being and recalls how they would pass each other notes in class when one of them needed help with a question. At the mid-way point of the first year, they uncorked the rambunctious Section I Over-the-Hump Party that flowed freely with champagne until the plug was pulled on the fun. He commemorates the tragic story of Prof. Warren Oksman with fond memories and his deepest respect. He wishes to impress on students that although competition is a compelling motivational force, the capacity to create interpersonal relationships of trust and cooperation in any business setting is absolutely indispensable.

 

CLASS OF1993

Mina Sooch Story VIDEO: RT: 06:03

Story regarding her pride and excitement to have her family with her on graduation day. She recounts how her father came from India to start his career, her being the first in her family to attend HBS, and how she has introduced her children to the School at reunions. She recalls her most demanding professor and class, Dean Kim Clark's Technology and Operations Management, and the analytical and evaluative skills she learned, and a frigid skiing adventure in Montreal.

 

CLASS OF1981

Chris Stix Story VIDEO: RT: 01:56

Story regarding his efforts with classmate Nathaniel Foote to launch nonprofit summer internships at HBS. Foote succeeded after Stix graduated. He describes the lifelong friendships he formed with students on his summer internship.

 

CLASS OF1998

Tony Tjan Story VIDEO: RT: 03:54

Story regarding how HBS created a risk-free platform for him to pursue his passion for entrepreneurship. In his first year, he started an Internet company, Zefer, with two classmates, Matthew Burkley and Alexandre Scherer, with the encouragement of several professors, who remain his mentors till today. Despite the vagaries of the business cycle, his courage to search for and grow fresh innovations has persisted through the pleasure of collaboration with close associates.

 

CLASS OF2007

David Tudehope Story VIDEO: RT: 05:49

Story regarding how he reached the half-time break in his career and the Advanced Management Program served as a spring training for recharging his entrepreneurial skill set. The broad range of cases exposed him to the issues and perspectives of other business sectors, nations, and regions and thus has enabled him to study his own field and country from a new angle. With a group of students from around the globe, he assembled a rowing team that defeated the Kennedy School of Government but more importantly renewed his fondness for teamwork and collaboration. In terms of the AMP mission, he exhorts the School to continue to innovate and to evolve as the world changes.

 

CLASS OF1958

Howard Wenzel Story VIDEO: RT: 05:14

Story regarding his lifelong dedication to the issue of the North-South economic imbalance. Through Professor Ray Miller's connections, he attended a government meeting on international aid at which he met Bill Graham of Private Enterprises Overseas who offered him his first job after HBS. This position launched his fifty-year career in starting enterprises in Latin America. He recalls a memorable saying by film producer Mike Todd from Prof. Georges Doriot's class.

 

CLASS OF1978

Gary Yarus Story VIDEO: RT: 04:48

Story regarding how his first year academic difficulties resulted in a mid-term report card of insufficient grades and how a frank meeting with Dean Lawrence Fouraker represented the critical crossroads on his journey to success at HBS and beyond. With virtually no pre-HBS business background, he was deeply affected by emotions of inadequacy and struggled in his first courses. Following all mid-term grades of "in danger of failing" with one exception, Dean Lawrence Fouraker summoned him to a candid examination of his academic performance and advised him to play to his strengths. This strategy carried him through graduation and, in tandem with the analytical expertise he acquired at HBS, he has prospered through a fruitful investment management career.

 

CLASS OF2009

Ziquan Zhang Story VIDEO: RT: 03:51

Story regarding his motivation for coming to HBS from China as the desire to contribute his business acumen to his country's development. Organizing the Asia Business Conference supplied him with the platform for cross-cultural leadership. To relate how inspirational the HBS community is for him, he tells how two Class of 1961 Section C members presented flags and sang a song of their own composition to wish success on his Section C.

 

CLASS OF1968

Karl Ziegler Story VIDEO: RT: 04:35

Story regarding his odyssey from the Harvard Business School onward to a life of banking and advocating for debt relief in Africa. While studying in West Berlin, he witnessed the thaw in East-West relations and concluded that an HBS education would enable him to capitalize on business possibilities. With a foundation in international business, he worked in international finance for many years in Kenya. He co-founded nonprofit organizations to promote responsible debt relief for African nations and to combat corporate and government corruption worldwide. He continually strives to be more relevant in today's changing world and encourages all people to "think about all cultures in a peaceful way."