The Pine Street Initiative at Goldman Sachs

Boris  Groysberg; Scott A. Snook; David  Lane

Case | HBS Case Collection | November 2006

The Pine Street Initiative at Goldman Sachs

by Boris Groysberg, Scott A. Snook and David Lane

Abstract

Almost five years had passed since Goldman Sachs launched its innovative leadership development initiative called Pine Street. Focused primarily on developing Goldman's most senior managers, Pine Street had evolved significantly since its inception in November of 1999. Looking forward, there were a number of challenges. How would Pine Street remain valued in a culture where what you did yesterday doesn't matter much? The question every day is "What will you do for me today?" Early in May 2005, members of the Pine Street Board of Directors gathered for their quarterly meeting to address the dimensions of this challenge: First, its curriculum had to maintain the interest of an increasingly demanding internal clientele. Second, program content had to keep pace with the constantly changing requirements of a rapidly shifting competitive and regulator landscape. Third, Pine Street itself had to pursue creative ways of renewing its structure and people without compromising either its mission or its unique culture. Fourth, Pine Street had to retain the continued support of Goldman Sachs' senior leadership. Finally, as program offerings grew, so did fundamental questions of identity: After five years of evolutionary growth, what did the Pine Street brand mean to Goldman Sachs?

Keywords: Executive Education; Personal Development and Career; Leadership Development; Business Education; Financial Services Industry;

Format: Print

38 pages

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Citation:

Groysberg, Boris, Scott A. Snook, and David Lane. "The Pine Street Initiative at Goldman Sachs." Harvard Business School Case 407-053, November 2006.

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