Achievement Award Recognizes Graduates' Contributions
to Their Profession and Community
BOSTON - Dean Jay O. Light presented Harvard Business School's highest honor, the Alumni Achievement Award, to five recipients today at a special ceremony before students, faculty, and other members of the HBS community.
Since 1968, HBS has selected a number of outstanding graduates to receive this honor, recognizing them as "leaders who have truly made a difference in the world."
This year's honorees are:
- Rahul Bajaj - Chairman, Bajaj Auto Ltd. (MBA 1964): Rahul Bajaj has been the driving force at Bajaj Auto Ltd. for four decades. Under his direction, it became one of India's most foremost companies and the fourth-largest maker of motorized scooters, three-wheel vehicles, and motorcycles in the world. An influential voice in Indian industry, Bajaj has been a leader in introducing modern methods of production to his assembly lines and good governance to his country's corporations.
- Nancy M. Barry - President, Women's World Banking (MBA 1975): After fifteen successful years as a member of nearly every major task force at the World Bank, Nancy Barry became president of Women's World Banking in 1990. The organization - now the global leader in microfinance - has grown from a staff of four to fifty, providing more than 18 million low-income women around the globe with the means for economic and social improvement.
- Louis V. Gerstner, Jr. - Chairman, The Carlyle Group; Former Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, International Business Machines Corporation (MBA 1965): When Lou Gerstner took on the job of chairman and CEO of IBM in 1993, the giant corporation had been likened to a slow-moving elephant struggling to compete in the rapidly changing world of high tech. According to conventional wisdom, IBM would have to be broken up to survive. Undaunted, Gerstner embarked on a successful turnaround mission that saw the company's net income increase some $15 billion from 1993 to 2002.
- Judith R. Haberkorn - Former President, Consumer Sales & Services, Verizon Communications Inc. (111th Advanced Management Program, 1992): Judy Haberkorn made her mark on the competitive world of telecommunications when the industry was going through a period of unprecedented change. Experiencing both the breakup of the Bell System and the introduction of Verizon's long-distance service, she successfully managed 30,000 employees through her commitment to visible leadership and constant communication.
- Joseph J. O'Donnell - Founder, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Boston Culinary Group, Inc. (MBA 1971): After several years as an HBS administrator, Joe O'Donnell joined a small concessions company in 1976. Since then, he has grown Boston Culinary Group into a major enterprise employing 12,000 people and serving food and drink at stadiums, arenas, and convention centers in forty states. The company also owns and operates restaurants, ski resorts, and movie theatres. The son of a policeman, O'Donnell plays an important role in philanthropic and educational institutions in the Greater Boston area - part of his abiding philosophy of "giving back."
"We are delighted to welcome these men and women back to campus, where their lives and careers inspire a new generation of students who aspire to follow in their footsteps," said Dean Light. "For almost four decades, these awards have recognized an extraordinary group of graduates who embody the most admirable ideals and highest standards of accomplishment and integrity."
Founded in 1908 as part of Harvard University, Harvard Business School (www.hbs.edu) is located in Boston and offers full-time programs leading to the MBA and doctoral degrees, as well as more than 40 Executive Education programs. With a faculty of more than 200 distinguished scholars, the School is dedicated to educating leaders who make a difference in the world. Its core focus is to shape the practice of business, build enduring knowledge, and effectively communicate important ideas.