Apr 07 2008
Harvard makes the case for primacy
Jay Light, dean of Harvard B-school is adamant about Harvard’s role: “Our mission is to develop general managers. That’s what we think developing leaders is all about.” It is a policy that has served the school well over the years and given it unrivalled access to boardrooms through its 70,000 alumni. Jeff Immelt at General Electric, Alan Lafley from Procter & Gamble, James Dimon of JPMorgan Chase, John Thain at Merrill Lynch – all hold Harvard MBAs. (Alumni whom Harvard is less keen to hear mentioned in the same breath include Jeff Skilling, MBA 1979, convicted felon in the Enron affair.) … Hmmmmm … why would the author left out its most famous alumni George Bush, the first MBA president?