Harvard Business School Dean to Step Down

Dean Kim B. Clark Biography

Kim B. Clark, 56, Dean of the Faculty at Harvard Business School, is also the George F. Baker Professor of Administration. A member of the Harvard faculty since 1978, Professor Clark received the B.A. (1974), M.A. (1977), and Ph.D. (1978) degrees in economics from Harvard University.

Professor Clark's research is focused on modularity in design and the integration of technology and competition in industry evolution, with a particular focus on the computer industry. He and Carliss Baldwin are co-authors of a new book on the topic entitled Design Rules: The Power of Modularity (MIT Press, 2000). Earlier research has focused on the areas of technology, productivity, product development, and operations strategy; publications on these topics include Leading Product Development: The Senior Manager's Guide to Creating and Shaping the Enterprise (with S.C. Wheelwright, Free Press, 1995); The Perpetual Enterprise Machine: Seven Keys to Corporate Renewal through Successful Product and Process Development (co-edited with H.K. Bowen, C. Holloway, and S.C. Wheelwright, Oxford University Press, 1994) and Revolutionizing Product Development (with S.C. Wheelwright, The Free Press, 1992). A comprehensive study on product development in the world auto industry (with T. Fujimoto), Product Development Performance, was published in 1991 by HBS Press. Other books include Dynamic Manufacturing (with R.H. Hayes and S.C. Wheelwright, Free Press, 1988) and Industrial Renaissance (with W.J. Abernathy and A.M. Kantrow, Basic Books, 1983). Recent publications include 'Managing in an Age of Modularity' (with C.Y. Baldwin, Harvard Business Review, September-October 1997),'Development Projects: The Engine of Renewal' (with H.K. Bowen, C.A. Holloway, and S.C. Wheelwright, Harvard Business Review, September-October 1994), 'Organizing and Leading 'Heavyweight' Development Teams' (with S.C. Wheelwright, California Management Review, Spring 1992), 'Capabilities and Capital Investment: New Perspectives on Capital Budgeting' (with C.Y. Baldwin, Journal of Applied Corporate Finance, 1991), and 'The Power of Product Integrity' (with T. Fujimoto, Harvard Business Review, November-December 1990).

A native westerner, Clark grew up in Washington and Utah. He and his wife, Sue, live in Belmont, Massachusetts. They are the parents of seven children and six grandchildren. Professor Clark is an avid golfer.