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.

1-51 of 51 listed alphabetically by storyteller's last name

CLASS OF2009

Durdana Achakzai Story VIDEO: RT: 03:22

Story regarding her smooth transition into the flow of HBS through the Pre-MBA Program and her intentions of carrying forth the principles of business ethics and corporate social responsibilities into her role as a business leader. She commends Pre-MBA staff members, Maureen Walker and Joyce Majewski, for their dedication to ensuring the success of the experience and the international faculty for sharing their stories of acclimating themselves to life in the United States. The multiplicity of ideas and opinions expressed during class discussion serve as the basis for truly informed decision making. In her future capacities, she will construct her leadership on the foundational teachings of courses such as Leadership and Corporate Accountability.

 

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 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.

 

MBA2010

Courtney Bass Story VIDEO: RT: 07:58

Story regarding how her voyage to HBS was started by her mother and her long-term aim is to devote her HBS education to the service of bettering the lives of others. Her mother, Paula Sneed MBA 1977, always expected she would join the Harvard community, and she attained that goal by graduating from Harvard College in 2003. While pondering the next stage in her life, she determined that she desired to have an impact on the world on a grand scale, and the School's prominence in nurturing leaders was the deciding factor for her. She is gratified by the School's commitment to diversity and celebrating diversity, and she will go out into the world to work to open minds as hers has been at HBS. She believes that her mother and she are one of the first African American mother-daughter couples at HBS. Her mother's accomplishments as a business leader and ethical leader who has achieved "results and goodness at the same time" stand as a profound inspiration for her.

 

CLASS OF2009

Jacqueline Beato Story VIDEO: RT: 00:00

Story regarding her initial trepidations about fitting in at HBS and how the openness and friendliness of the students, the faculty, and staff dispelled her concerns quickly. The diversity of the School and the variety of viewpoints of her classmates expressed during and after class has incalculably enriched her learning experience. She praises Prof. Robert Pozen and Prof. Aldo Musacchio for their facility in conducting especially enlightening case discussions. She discusses the challenging responsibility of dedicating her HBS education and career to making an impact in the world and thus further enhance the public's perception of the School and its graduates.

 

CLASS OF2009

Roman Belotserkovskiy Story VIDEO: RT: 07:51

Story regarding the personal impact of his learning experience at HBS. On a visit to the campus, he was captivated by the case method and the energy on campus, which he discovered as a student derives from the dynamic people at HBS. Having studied Prof. Robert Kaplan's balanced scorecard management system, he was thrilled to speak with him personally. From his first year, he has taken away the valuable skills of listening and keeping an open mind.

 

CLASS OF2008

Shilpa Bhandarkar Story VIDEO: RT: 06:21

Story regarding how the effectiveness of the case method exceeds that of a lecture-based educational approach because of students' contributing their viewpoints to the discussion and analysis. The commitment of HBS to training for leadership is "authentic" as the School expects students to grow into leaders and provides the support for them to do so.

 

MBA2010

Oliver Bladek Story VIDEO: RT: 08:58

Story regarding his initial attraction to the "HBS mystique" and how he has managed to deal with the demands and joys of the MBA Program. After a former professor and HBS graduate recommended the program to him, he decided he was not ready yet and worked as a consultant in Toronto. The application process enabled him to reflect on his long-term career goals. For him the people of HBS are the core of the School. The faculty act as facilitators and expect the students to discover the answers together. The ninety members of his section are also his teachers and co-pilots on this intense yet also delightful adventure and will be his partners in life's journey.

 

MBA2010

Sean Cameron Story VIDEO: RT: 08:46

Story regarding his admiration and appreciation of the mutual engagement of students and faculty in the educational process at HBS. As a floor trader, he shared his occupation's skepticism about the value of a business education. Accepting a friend's recommendation to visit the School, his incertitude was dispelled by the dynamic commitment of the class and professor to the case method. Serving as his section's education representative, he has participated in and furthered the students' proactive ownership of their MBA Program and witnessed his section's unstinting generosity to help each other. Propelled by the faculty's passionate devotion to teaching, his class and he will carry that inspiration into their second year and beyond.

 

CLASS OF2009

Omowale Casselle Story VIDEO: RT: 06:49

Story regarding the major components of his HBS experience. He decided to attend HBS as a means of answering God's call to service after visiting on Prospective Students' Day. As a child, school was an escape from the violence in his community. He is focusing on venture capital as a tool to help others. His Analytics professor and a student trek enabled him to realize that everyone can work to make the world better in their own way and that HBS students as future leaders will fulfill the duties of privilege.

 

CLASS OF2008

Prashanth Chandrasekar Story VIDEO: RT: 08:18

Story regarding his expectations of HBS and how the supportive network of the faculty and his classmates exceeded them; the demanding intensity of the case method, classroom discussion, and courses, such as Prof. Richard Vietor's Business, Government, and the International Economy, which pushed him to excel; the School's emphasis on thinking about the future and long-term career goals; the innumerable opportunities to forge lasting friendships, such as the South Africa trek; and the challenge of fulfilling the responsibility of making a difference in the world by means of his HBS education.

 

MBA2010

Yinan Du Story VIDEO: RT: 07:08

Story regarding his first impressions of HBS through the Harvard University reputation, his adjustment to and total engagement with the case method, and his entrepreneurial pursuits. Growing up China, he became acquainted with the Harvard name and observed the respect accorded to those who attend the University. The transition from the lecture style of instruction to the case method was challenging until he fully understood the model of students learning from each other with the professor as guide and leader. He finds the additional types of teaching modes at HBS to be complementary to the case method, such as the Best Reflected Self exercise in his Leadership and Organizational Behavior course. His original goal of coming to HBS was to develop his entrepreneurial acumen and so he has availed himself of the School's numerous resources, the faculty's guidance, and his classmates' knowledge and expertise.

 

CLASS OF1992

Lisa Kennedy Duke Story VIDEO: 2 minutes

Story regarding her experience attending HBS in the 1990s, the influence of Professor Kim Clark as an example of "the personal touch" offered by HBS, and assurances about taking time off from a career for family life.

 

CLASS OF1963

Charles D. Ellis Story

Story regarding the influence that Professor Charles Williams had on Mr. Elllis' publishing career - - through his experience writing a term paper and having it published with Professor Charles Williams' help.

 

STAFF

Annmarie Fennelly Story VIDEO: 06:43

Story regarding her first position at HBS working with Prof. Jay Lorsch, who made her feel at home. She recounts dashing across campus in bare feet to deliver a typing job. In the Executive Education program, she worked business leaders from around the globe. She was called out of retirement to work with Prof. Linton Hayes. She describes the staff and faculty as a family and HBS as an institution of "understated elegance."

 

CLASS OF2008

Ciara Gary Story VIDEO: RT: 08:20

Story regarding her happiness that her family was so involved in her HBS experience and their pride in her achievements and confidence that she will continue her success into the next chapters of her life and career. She describes the sense of achievement and enjoyment she derived from her leadership role in the African American Student Union and its work, such as the H. Naylor Fitzhugh Conference and Sankofa presentation. She discusses how the School effectively blends course work and extracurricular activities, such as her trek to Pakistan and her performances with the singing group, the She-E-Os, and empowers students to reach their full potential.

 

CLASS OF2009

Sujeet Govindaraju Story VIDEO: 4 minutes

Story regarding his experience attending HBS in the 2000s. Initially awed by the privilege of being accepted to HBS, he realizes, through a professor and fellow students, that HBS is a support system that encourages and enables one to succeed.

 

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.

 

CLASS OF2009

Aditya Julka Story VIDEO: RT: 03:41

Story regarding his dream of coming to HBS and his expectations, which his actual experiences have exceeded. The HBS spirit of "anything is possible", his classmate's support, and the faculty's encouragement have convinced him that he can realize his personal vision for his life. Living in the United States has given him a different perspective on the country. He looks forward to his second year.

 

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 OF2009

Aman Khaira Story VIDEO: RT: 08:01

Story regarding his realization of the power of the case method when he experienced a transformational moment during a classroom discussion. While studying the lives and careers of HBS graduates from two decades earlier, many of his classmates were moved to voice their own fears and apprehensions that elicited an understanding of a personal situation in his past. Through the case method, he has absorbed communications skills to advance and expedite discussions and meetings. He has been astonished by the faculty's overwhelming personal attention, which has been exemplified by Prof. Jan Rivkin's assistance with securing summer jobs for his entire section during the current financial crisis and the entire Harvard system's immediate response.

 

CLASS OF2009

Lisa Kostova Story VIDEO: RT: 07:49

Story regarding her perfect fit with the community spirit of HBS and the educational process of the case method. On a visit to the School, she was captivated by the intellectual engagement and excitement of the case discussion that synchronized with her learning style. In contrast to the educational method of presenting and applying discrete ideas and subjects, HBS courses complement each other as concepts analyzed in one class are synthesized with theories taught in others. At the end of each course, a student would impersonate the professor, and this mutual fun and respect are indicative of the faculty's sincere appreciation of their relationship with their students. One the great lessons of the HBS education is the realization that there is no single answer to business or life issues and that the key is to ask the right questions to reach an effective solution.

 

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 OF2008

Anny Kwok Story VIDEO: RT: 09:52

Story regarding how learning with such a diverse group of accomplished people has been at the heart of her HBS years. Prof. George's leadership class supplied a safe space for candidly sharing ideas. The faculty have continually responded to students' needs, and MBA Career Services has provided invaluable coaching and support. She will use her transformational experience to make a positive difference in the world.

 

CLASS OF2009

Gina Liao Story VIDEO: RT: 07:49

Story regarding her pleasant surprise at the warm and supportive environment of the Pre-MBA Program and the caring and personal attention from the faculty and staff. The program supplied the academic preparation for the academic system of the MBA Program. The international students found numerous affinities among themselves that flourished into harmonious unity. She extends her heartfelt gratitude to program staff members for their concern for her well-being. The most memorable moment of her first year was the frank and candid discussion of a case on child labor in Southeast Asia in Prof. Sandra Sucher's Leadership and Corporate Accountability course.

 

STAFF

Pat Light Story VIDEO: 08:32

Story regarding her thirty plus years at MBA Support Services working with students to ensure the best possible HBS experience for them. She narrates a story of helping a student's brother after the tragedy of September 11th. She describes the School's "culture of support" and how Harvard and HBS are "in her blood."

 

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 OF2008

Andres Meza Story VIDEO: RT: 11:08

Story regarding how his section jelled as a team when they organized their charity auction. On his student treks, he was moved by the need to balance and combine business and culture. He shows a picture of his younger self to represent how he has changed through his time at HBS.

 

CLASS OF2009

Ekhi Muniategui Story VIDEO: RT: 03:55

Story regarding his sense of privilege to be at HBS and his equal sense of obligation to repay this honor by making the world a better place. The amazing range of learning scenarios both inside and outside the classroom has empowered him to explore career and personal paths he had not previously considered. After meeting with corporate and world leaders and exchanging information about various professions and business experiences, he has reconsidered his desire to develop a consulting career. During his summer internship at a steel plant in Allentown, Pennsylvania, he became friends with individuals who were not aware of HBS, which placed an entirely new perspective on his education. Now he envisions applying his HBS years to bringing about substantive change.

 

CLASS OF1992

Joe O'Brien Story VIDEO: 13 minutes

Story regarding his experience attending HBS in the 1990s, including the strong friendships he made at school, and the understanding of human behavior integral to conducting business, which he learned from the case study method. He also gives an account of influential professors and courses.

 

STAFF

Marty O'Sullivan Story VIDEO: 4 minutes

Story regarding his experience working in the Operations department at HBS for 20 years, and his path there through landscaping. He makes note of the community spirit of HBS, and professorial paperwork.

 

CLASS OF2008

Avni Patel Story VIDEO: RT: 08:11

Story regarding how through classroom exchange, she was struck by the importance of listening to the ideas of others. The faculty's concern for the students has impressed her deeply. Her section bought a Christmas gift for a custodial staff member to show their appreciation of her work. Prof. Tom Piper's teaching has inspired her to be a better leader.

 

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 OF2009

Esther Rodriguez-Fernandez Story VIDEO: RT: 04:13

Story regarding how the Pre-MBA Program provided her with an invaluable head start before being immersed in the HBS experience. At her MBA interview, she met a number of fellow Spaniards who wholeheartedly endorsed the program as an avenue to creating her first HBS family. She availed herself of the profusion of services to prepare herself academically and to arrange the everyday details of residence in a new country. Faculty members explicated the mechanics and nuances of the case method in classroom scenarios without the stress of close observation of her performance, and this introduction has been priceless to her. Her classmates and she have coalesced into a supportive group on which they can rely throughout their MBA years.

 

CLASS OF2008

Rohit Sahni Story VIDEO: RT: 04:55

Story regarding how the diversity of his class has had a strong impact on his world view. The faculty has been inspirational and generous with their personal attention. He recounts class anecdotes and his student club activities to show the central role of humor and fun at HBS.

 

MBA2010

Mia Saini Story VIDEO: RT: 03:41

Story regarding her plan to become a business broadcast journalist and her strategy for achieving that objective with an HBS education. After gaining experience in front of the camera covering the business beat, she acquired an inside perspective on the investing industry at Goldman Sachs. While at the financial website, Street.com, it dawned on her that business journalism requires a comprehensive understanding of business and that HBS could equip her with that. She profits from the case method by pretending to be a reporter while participating in classroom discussions. As a vehicle for combining her educational and career aims, she started HBS TV to supply business reporting for the Harvard community and hosts her own investing advisory show.

 

CLASS OF2008

Laura Seejattan Story VIDEO: RT: 03:52

Story regarding how Prof. Youngme Moon has been a mentor to her and how her course, Consumer Marketing, and her dynamic and engaging teaching style have inspired her to be a better marketer and person. She returned after a year off and became best friends with her classmate Keisha Adams, whom she admires for adhering to her personal convictions.

 

MBA2010

Wilfred Segovia Story VIDEO: RT: 08:13

Story regarding his resolution to come to HBS following a campus visit and his itemization of the School's facilitation of his goals to make a difference on his return to Asia. While he was definite about obtaining a business education, he was doubtful of his potential academic success at HBS because of the case method. His friend, Karen Ong MBA 2008, urged him to see the School for himself, and when he witnessed the debate over a case, he gravitated to that quintessential nature of the HBS educational process, and through his meetings with students and faculty members, he felt an affinity with the School's sense of community and shared sense of commitment to tackling today's major issues and questions. The inspirational examples and encouragement of his classmates and professors will galvanize him into actualizing his entrepreneurial dreams.

 

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 OF2009

Lena Sene Story VIDEO: 10.5 minutes

Story regarding her experience attending HBS in the 2000s, the realization of a childhood dream. HBS has exceeded her expectations in terms of her fellow students, the caliber of the faculty, and the "richness" of the case study method.

 

CLASS OF2009

Tiffany Singleton Story VIDEO: RT: 09:17

Story regarding her excitement with the avenues HBS has provided to prepare her for a career in nonprofit management as her way of making a difference in the world and her anticipation of graduation as a joyful moment to share with her family. A fellow graduate of Dillard University and an HBS MBA recommended the program to her. Composing her application essays evoked profound ruminations on possible career courses and signalled the School's commitment to leadership development. In her interview, she spoke passionately of her pride in her alma mater and New Orleans, as both rebuilt after Hurricane Katrina. She was ecstatic at her acceptance, especially since her family could partake in the proud occasion. Currently she heads the student-led New Orleans Immersion initiative to aid in the recovery of the city, and in alignment with such work, she has designed her second-year curriculum to pave the way for a leadership role in the nonprofit sector.

 

CLASS OF2009

Allan Staker Story VIDEO: 8 minutes

Story regarding his experience attending HBS in the 2000s, mainly the process of his late earnest application, and the collaborative learning engendered by the case study method. His expectations of the MBA program have been exceeded.

 

CLASS OF2009

Maura Sullivan Story VIDEO: 9 minutes

Story regarding her experience as a former Marine Corps officer attending HBS in the 2000s, from the welcome given her during a visit, to the personal support provided to classmates by their section. HBS students are "dreamers" that act with a "mix of idealism and pragmatism."

 

CLASS OF2009

Aduke Thelwell Story VIDEO: RT: 04:16

Story regarding the two major surprises of her first year. By putting herself in the professor's role, she has drawn from the case method the lessons of asking the right questions and framing a dialogue effectively in the context of decision making, which she has put into effect in her work with the Board Fellows Program. She describes how she has utilized an exercise in her Leadership and Organizational Behavior course about career-life balance to manage her feelings of stress.

 

CLASS OF2009

Jimmy Tran Story VIDEO: RT: 05:38

Story regarding his sincere appreciation of the solicitude and wisdom of the faculty. The HBS tradition is to welcome family members warmly to the campus and classroom and to cheer on the student's contributions to the case discussion. On the occasion of his wife's appearance in class, Prof. Narakesari Narayandas did not call on him when he raised his hand and then apologized for not giving him the chance to add his remarks in front of his wife. He will always carry with him Prof. Ray Goldberg's phrase, "being a change maker," into all of his undertakings. Prof. Stephen Kaufman's brief email thanking him for sharing his insights in his class deeply moved him and stands as an example of the faculty's attentiveness to the needs of each student.

 

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.

 

MBA2010

Sofia Valdivia Story VIDEO: RT: 06:12

Story regarding her sharing academic and cultural learning and idealistic goals with her classmates. Originally from Peru, she earned an engineering degree at Stanford University and worked in supply chain operations until she determined that she needed a "broader perspective" and applied to HBS. Expanding on the joy of cultural exchange at the School, she is organizing a student trek to Peru with a classmate. At first she was skeptical about the effectiveness of the case method. Having observed the faculty's preparation of case materials and engaged in case discussions, she admires the invaluable interplay of multiple viewpoints and the mutual learning of the case method. She intends to employ her HBS education in the service of improving the lives and opportunities of the people of Latin America.

 

CLASS OF2009

Eduardo Weinstein Story VIDEO: 7 minutes

Story regarding his experience attending HBS in the 2000s, in terms of the caliber and community spirit of students, faculty and staff. The respect for and interest taken in international cultures evokes this spirit.

 

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."